BIOL3045 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Ecological Pyramid, Power Law
3 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Animal Ecological Physiology BIOL3045 460381099
Lecture 17: Energetics across scales.
Individual > population > community > ecosystem
Glucose used, produce ATP, release CO2.
Can predict how much carbon they will output into the system.
Population level: Net photosynthetic production is a primary restraint – one elephant to large area
of grass. If more algae is produced, can increase to higher respiration.
Body mass vs. Density: nearly linear with larger body mass having less density. We know we have a
power law, and is of a very similar form to metabolic rates. Same general formula. Value of scaling
slope is negative (i.e. -3/4).
Energetics equivalence rule: At the population level, no matter the species, they will use the same
resource. Only 10% of CO2 gets transferred to the next trophic level (food chain). The higher to the
top, the less energy is available.
Energetic constraints are manifested most strongly for the most abundant species.
Energetically not possible to have really big body mass with large densities.
Can’t be a top predator with such a large body mass. Thus, should be eating lower trophic levels, as
it allows for the least loss of energy via biomass.
Community level: Energy consumption is impacted by size structure and temperature.
Shows inverted trophic pyramid.
But, size correcting biomass needed to understand. Need to also observe size area.
Document Summary
Can predict how much carbon they will output into the system. Population level: net photosynthetic production is a primary restraint one elephant to large area of grass. If more algae is produced, can increase to higher respiration. Body mass vs. density: nearly linear with larger body mass having less density. We know we have a power law, and is of a very similar form to metabolic rates. Value of scaling slope is negative (i. e. -3/4). Energetics equivalence rule: at the population level, no matter the species, they will use the same resource. Only 10% of co2 gets transferred to the next trophic level (food chain). The higher to the top, the less energy is available. Energetic constraints are manifested most strongly for the most abundant species. Energetically not possible to have really big body mass with large densities. Ca(cid:374)"t (cid:271)e a top predator (cid:449)ith su(cid:272)h a large (cid:271)ody (cid:373)ass.
