Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs

Daniel M. Perkins; Ian A. Hatton; Benoit Gauzens; Andrew D. Barnes; David Ott; Benjamin Rosenbaum; Catarina Vinagre; Ulrich Brose

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5

Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs

Daniel M. Perkins, Ian A. Hatton, Benoit Gauzens, Andrew D. Barnes, David Ott, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Catarina Vinagre, Ulrich Brose

School of Life and Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Abstract: The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4990
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
Early online date	25 Aug 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 25 Aug 2022

Keywords

Article
/631/158/851
/631/158/2463
article

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5Licence: CC BY

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32578-5Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{b1f16417f2b943b28f41365b18567cb8,

title = "Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs",

abstract = "Abstract: The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.",

keywords = "Article, /631/158/851, /631/158/2463, article",

author = "Perkins, {Daniel M.} and Hatton, {Ian A.} and Benoit Gauzens and Barnes, {Andrew D.} and David Ott and Benjamin Rosenbaum and Catarina Vinagre and Ulrich Brose",

year = "2022",

month = aug,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "4990",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Consistent predator-prey biomass scaling in complex food webs

AU - Perkins, Daniel M.

AU - Hatton, Ian A.

AU - Gauzens, Benoit

AU - Barnes, Andrew D.

AU - Ott, David

AU - Rosenbaum, Benjamin

AU - Vinagre, Catarina

AU - Brose, Ulrich

PY - 2022/8/25

Y1 - 2022/8/25

N2 - Abstract: The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.

AB - Abstract: The ratio of predator-to-prey biomass is a key element of trophic structure that is typically investigated from a food chain perspective, ignoring channels of energy transfer (e.g. omnivory) that may govern community structure. Here, we address this shortcoming by characterising the biomass structure of 141 freshwater, marine and terrestrial food webs, spanning a broad gradient in community biomass. We test whether sub-linear scaling between predator and prey biomass (a potential signal of density-dependent processes) emerges within ecosystem types and across levels of biological organisation. We find a consistent, sub-linear scaling pattern whereby predator biomass scales with the total biomass of their prey with a near ¾-power exponent within food webs - i.e. more prey biomass supports proportionally less predator biomass. Across food webs, a similar sub-linear scaling pattern emerges between total predator biomass and the combined biomass of all prey within a food web. These general patterns in trophic structure are compatible with a systematic form of density dependence that holds among complex feeding interactions across levels of organization, irrespective of ecosystem type.

KW - Article

KW - /631/158/851

KW - /631/158/2463

KW - article

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5

DO - 10.1038/s41467-022-32578-5

M3 - Article

VL - 13

SP - 4990

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

IS - 1

ER -