Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory
Background: Various biological properties of organisms relate to body size, often in regular quantifiable ways. Traditionally, these biological scaling relationships have been explained in terms of internal physical constraints, but recently external ecological factors have gained increas...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Academia.edu Journals
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Academia Biology |
| Online Access: | https://www.academia.edu/109678037/Scaling_species_interactions_implications_for_community_ecology_and_biological_scaling_theory |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823859551880871936 |
|---|---|
| author | Douglas S. Glazier |
| author_facet | Douglas S. Glazier |
| author_sort | Douglas S. Glazier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background: Various biological properties of organisms relate to body size, often in regular quantifiable ways. Traditionally, these biological scaling relationships have been explained in terms of internal physical constraints, but recently external ecological factors have gained increasing attention. A major goal of my review is to expand a currently developing ecological perspective of biological scaling (allometry) to include species (biotic) interactions, with a major emphasis on predation, herbivory, and parasitism. Results: I review evidence for two major kinds of interspecific body-size scaling patterns: (1) negative relationships of predator species richness and body-size range with prey body size and (2) positive relationships of parasite/herbivore species richness and body-size range with host body size. I argue that these patterns can provide new insights into the structure/function of ecological communities (including latitudinal and trophic-level gradients in biotic interactions) and various biological scaling patterns at the organism, population, community, and ecosystem levels. I further argue that exploration of the body-size scaling of other kinds of biotic interactions (e.g., competition, mutualism, commensalism, and amensalism) would also be worthwhile. Conclusion: The major findings of this review provide further foundation for a “mortality theory of ecology” and a comprehensive theory of allometry that embraces both internal physical and external ecological factors, both currently under development. Body-size scaling of biotic interactions has not only important implications for the development of synthetic theory bridging community ecology and biological scaling, but also practical applications for understanding the effects of human exploitation and climate change on living systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-86de4a86d2e246d3b5f5bc35c8bf9c5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2837-4010 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Academia.edu Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Academia Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-86de4a86d2e246d3b5f5bc35c8bf9c5b2025-02-11T00:37:45ZengAcademia.edu JournalsAcademia Biology2837-40102023-11-011410.20935/AcadBiol6150Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theoryDouglas S. Glazier0Department of Biology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA. Background: Various biological properties of organisms relate to body size, often in regular quantifiable ways. Traditionally, these biological scaling relationships have been explained in terms of internal physical constraints, but recently external ecological factors have gained increasing attention. A major goal of my review is to expand a currently developing ecological perspective of biological scaling (allometry) to include species (biotic) interactions, with a major emphasis on predation, herbivory, and parasitism. Results: I review evidence for two major kinds of interspecific body-size scaling patterns: (1) negative relationships of predator species richness and body-size range with prey body size and (2) positive relationships of parasite/herbivore species richness and body-size range with host body size. I argue that these patterns can provide new insights into the structure/function of ecological communities (including latitudinal and trophic-level gradients in biotic interactions) and various biological scaling patterns at the organism, population, community, and ecosystem levels. I further argue that exploration of the body-size scaling of other kinds of biotic interactions (e.g., competition, mutualism, commensalism, and amensalism) would also be worthwhile. Conclusion: The major findings of this review provide further foundation for a “mortality theory of ecology” and a comprehensive theory of allometry that embraces both internal physical and external ecological factors, both currently under development. Body-size scaling of biotic interactions has not only important implications for the development of synthetic theory bridging community ecology and biological scaling, but also practical applications for understanding the effects of human exploitation and climate change on living systems.https://www.academia.edu/109678037/Scaling_species_interactions_implications_for_community_ecology_and_biological_scaling_theory |
| spellingShingle | Douglas S. Glazier Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory Academia Biology |
| title | Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| title_full | Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| title_fullStr | Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| title_short | Scaling species interactions: implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| title_sort | scaling species interactions implications for community ecology and biological scaling theory |
| url | https://www.academia.edu/109678037/Scaling_species_interactions_implications_for_community_ecology_and_biological_scaling_theory |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT douglassglazier scalingspeciesinteractionsimplicationsforcommunityecologyandbiologicalscalingtheory |