2000
Marks, Jane C.; Power, Mary E.; Parker, Michael S.
Flood disturbance, algal productivity, and interannual variation in food chain length Journal Article
In: Oikos, vol. 90, no. 1, pp. 20-27, 2000.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: algal productivity, flood, food chain length
@article{Marks2000,
title = {Flood disturbance, algal productivity, and interannual variation in food chain length},
author = {Jane C. Marks and Mary E. Power and Michael S. Parker},
url = {https://angelo.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/Marks-et-al-2000-Oikos.pdf},
doi = {10.1034/j.1600-0706.2000.900103.x},
year = {2000},
date = {2000-07-00},
journal = {Oikos},
volume = {90},
number = {1},
pages = {20-27},
abstract = {The length of a river food chain changed from year to year, shifting with the hydrologic regime. During drought years, grazers suppressed algae across a nutrient gradient, while predators were functionally unimportant. Following flood disturbance, predators suppressed grazers, releasing algae. These results suggest that hydrologic regime, rather than productivity, determines the functional length of this river food chain. Within years, algae and grazer biomass responded to an experimental productivity gradient in patterns predicted by simple trophic models that assume efficient energy transfer. Understanding differences among species within trophic levels, however, was crucial in delineating the controlling interactions.},
keywords = {algal productivity, flood, food chain length},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The length of a river food chain changed from year to year, shifting with the hydrologic regime. During drought years, grazers suppressed algae across a nutrient gradient, while predators were functionally unimportant. Following flood disturbance, predators suppressed grazers, releasing algae. These results suggest that hydrologic regime, rather than productivity, determines the functional length of this river food chain. Within years, algae and grazer biomass responded to an experimental productivity gradient in patterns predicted by simple trophic models that assume efficient energy transfer. Understanding differences among species within trophic levels, however, was crucial in delineating the controlling interactions.