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Ecogeographical rules and the macroecology of food webs
Univ Florida, FL 32611 USA.
Univ Sherbrooke, Canada.
Linköping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Theoretical Biology. Linköping University, Faculty of Science & Engineering.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1772-3868
Santa Fe Inst, NM 87501 USA.
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2019 (English)In: Global Ecology and Biogeography, ISSN 1466-822X, E-ISSN 1466-8238, Vol. 28, no 9, p. 1204-1218Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Aim

How do factors such as space, time, climate and other ecological drivers influence food web structure and dynamics? Collections of well‐studied food webs and replicate food webs from the same system that span biogeographical and ecological gradients now enable detailed, quantitative investigation of such questions and help integrate food web ecology and macroecology. Here, we integrate macroecology and food web ecology by focusing on how ecogeographical rules [the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), Bergmann's rule, the island rule and Rapoport's rule] are associated with the architecture of food webs.

Location

Global.

Time period

Current.

Major taxa studied

All taxa.

Methods

We discuss the implications of each ecogeographical rule for food webs, present predictions for how food web structure will vary with each rule, assess empirical support where available, and discuss how food webs may influence ecogeographical rules. Finally, we recommend systems and approaches for further advancing this research agenda.

Results

We derived testable predictions for some ecogeographical rules (e.g. LDG, Rapoport's rule), while for others (e.g., Bergmann's and island rules) it is less clear how we would expect food webs to change over macroecological scales. Based on the LDG, we found weak support for both positive and negative relationships between food chain length and latitude and for increased generality and linkage density at higher latitudes. Based on Rapoport's rule, we found support for the prediction that species turnover in food webs is inversely related to latitude.

Main conclusions

The macroecology of food webs goes beyond traditional approaches to biodiversity at macroecological scales by focusing on trophic interactions among species. The collection of food web data for different types of ecosystems across biogeographical gradients is key to advance this research agenda. Further, considering food web interactions as a selection pressure that drives or disrupts ecogeographical rules has the potential to address both mechanisms of and deviations from these macroecological relationships. For these reasons, further integration of macroecology and food webs will help ecologists better understand the assembly, maintenance and change of ecosystems across space and time.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc., 2019. Vol. 28, no 9, p. 1204-1218
Keywords [en]
Bergmanns rule; ecogeographical rules; ecological networks; food webs; island rule; latitudinal diversity gradient; macroecology; Rapoports rule
National Category
Ecology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-160036DOI: 10.1111/geb.12925ISI: 000480584900001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85066096113OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-160036DiVA, id: diva2:1349076
Available from: 2019-09-06 Created: 2019-09-06 Last updated: 2019-09-11Bibliographically approved

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Cirtwill, Alyssa

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Citation style
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Output format
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