Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community
Abstract Ecological Stoichiometry (ES) and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) are the main theories used to explain consumers’ nutrient recycling. ES posits that imbalances between an animal’s body and its diet stoichiometry determine its nutrient excretion rates, whereas the MTE predicts that ex...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19149-w |
| _version_ | 1798004258585444352 |
|---|---|
| author | Priscila Oliveira-Cunha Peter B. McIntyre Vinicius Neres-Lima Adriano Caliman Beatriz Moreira-Ferreira Eugenia Zandonà |
| author_facet | Priscila Oliveira-Cunha Peter B. McIntyre Vinicius Neres-Lima Adriano Caliman Beatriz Moreira-Ferreira Eugenia Zandonà |
| author_sort | Priscila Oliveira-Cunha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ecological Stoichiometry (ES) and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) are the main theories used to explain consumers’ nutrient recycling. ES posits that imbalances between an animal’s body and its diet stoichiometry determine its nutrient excretion rates, whereas the MTE predicts that excretion reflects metabolic activity arising from body size and temperature. We measured nitrogen, phosphorus and N:P excretion, body N:P stoichiometry, body size, and temperature for 12 fish species from a Brazilian stream. We fitted competing models reflecting different combinations of ES (body N:P, armor classification, diet group) and MTE (body size, temperature) variables. Only body size predicted P excretion rates, while N excretion was predicted by body size and time of day. N:P excretion was not explained by any variable. There was no interspecific difference in size-scaling coefficients neither for N nor for P. Fitted size scaling coefficients were lower than the MTE prediction of 0.75 for N (0.58), and for P (0.56). We conclude that differences in nutrient excretion among species within a shared environment primarily reflect contrasts in metabolic rates arising from body size, rather than disparities between consumer and resource stoichiometry. Our findings support the MTE as the primary framework for predicting nutrient excretion rates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:21:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c104be494de04b4ea5fd517772696da3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:21:52Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c104be494de04b4ea5fd517772696da32022-12-22T04:24:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-09-011211910.1038/s41598-022-19149-wBody size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish communityPriscila Oliveira-Cunha0Peter B. McIntyre1Vinicius Neres-Lima2Adriano Caliman3Beatriz Moreira-Ferreira4Eugenia Zandonà5Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroDepartment of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell UniversityPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroDepartamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Do NortePrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroAbstract Ecological Stoichiometry (ES) and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) are the main theories used to explain consumers’ nutrient recycling. ES posits that imbalances between an animal’s body and its diet stoichiometry determine its nutrient excretion rates, whereas the MTE predicts that excretion reflects metabolic activity arising from body size and temperature. We measured nitrogen, phosphorus and N:P excretion, body N:P stoichiometry, body size, and temperature for 12 fish species from a Brazilian stream. We fitted competing models reflecting different combinations of ES (body N:P, armor classification, diet group) and MTE (body size, temperature) variables. Only body size predicted P excretion rates, while N excretion was predicted by body size and time of day. N:P excretion was not explained by any variable. There was no interspecific difference in size-scaling coefficients neither for N nor for P. Fitted size scaling coefficients were lower than the MTE prediction of 0.75 for N (0.58), and for P (0.56). We conclude that differences in nutrient excretion among species within a shared environment primarily reflect contrasts in metabolic rates arising from body size, rather than disparities between consumer and resource stoichiometry. Our findings support the MTE as the primary framework for predicting nutrient excretion rates.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19149-w |
| spellingShingle | Priscila Oliveira-Cunha Peter B. McIntyre Vinicius Neres-Lima Adriano Caliman Beatriz Moreira-Ferreira Eugenia Zandonà Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community Scientific Reports |
| title | Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| title_full | Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| title_fullStr | Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| title_short | Body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| title_sort | body size has primacy over stoichiometric variables in nutrient excretion by a tropical stream fish community |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19149-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT priscilaoliveiracunha bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity AT peterbmcintyre bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity AT viniciusnereslima bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity AT adrianocaliman bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity AT beatrizmoreiraferreira bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity AT eugeniazandona bodysizehasprimacyoverstoichiometricvariablesinnutrientexcretionbyatropicalstreamfishcommunity |