Stable isotopes reveal strong marine and El Nino effects on island food webs
Article Abstract:
Research into the impact of allochthonous resources from the ocean on terrestrial communities of islands off Baja California, Mexico, indicates that growth of plants, particularly annuals, is very strong on seabird islands during periodic El Nino Southern Oscillation events that bring heavy rainfall. This strong growth of vegetation seems to move the system to one driven by in situ terrestrial productivity, rather than depending mainly on allochthonous input from the ocean. The distinct isotopic signatures linked with marine sources made it possible to assess the interdependency of the land and ocean in structuring insular food webs.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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Interactions between food-web structure and nutrients on pond organisms
Article Abstract:
Populations of organisms within an ecosystem react to changes in the food chain or web. In experimental mesocosms constructed to resemble natural ponds, populations of Rana utricularia tadpoles and Daphnia laevis responded to increasing amounts of plant biomass being available for food following the introduction of nutrients. Thus biomass, the food-web and the number of herbivores were all shown to act on each other as the productivity of their environment varied.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1992
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Nutritional constraints in terrestrial and freshwater food webs
Article Abstract:
Research is presented describing the study of food chains in different habitats and the use of stoichimetry in measuring nutrient to carbon rations.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2000
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