The paradox of energy equivalence

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11620%2F13%3A10139509" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11620/13:10139509 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2012.00782.x" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2012.00782.x</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2012.00782.x" target="_blank" >10.1111/j.1466-8238.2012.00782.x</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

The paradox of energy equivalence

Original language description

Energy equivalence, the notion that population energy flux is independent of body mass, has become a key concept in ecology. We argue that energy equivalence is not an ecological rule, as claimed, but a flawed concept beset by circular reasoning. In fact, the independence of mass and energy flux is a null hypothesis. We show that our mechanistic understanding of sizedensity relationships (SDRs) follows directly from this null model and the assumption that energy limits abundance. Paradoxically, withoutthis assumption energy equivalence has no meaning and we lack a mechanistic understanding for SDRs. We derive an expression for the strength (r 2) of SDRs under the null model, which provides a framework within which to compare published SDRs. This confirms that tight correlations between mass and abundance are a trivial consequence of the span of body masses considered. Our model implies that energy flux varies by five to six orders of magnitude among similarly sized mammals and to a fa

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

EH - Ecology - communities

OECD FORD branch

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Project

<a href="/en/project/GAP505%2F11%2F2387" target="_blank" >GAP505/11/2387: Macroecology beyond species richness: reconciling ecological and evolutionary processes driving spatial variation of biodiversity</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2013

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Global Ecology and Biogeography

ISSN

1466-822X

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

22

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

5

Pages from-to

1-5

UT code for WoS article

000312455800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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