The role of discharge variation in scaling of drainage area and food chain length in rivers

Sabo, John L.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Kennedy, Theodore; Post, David M.

Abstract:

Food chain length (FCL) is a fundamental component of food web structure. Studies in a variety of ecosystems suggest that FCL is determined by energy supply, environmental stability, and/or ecosystem size, but the nature of the relationship between environmental stability and FCL, and the mechanism linking ecosystem size to FCL, remain unclear. Here we show that FCL increases with drainage area and decreases with hydrologic variability and intermittency across 36 North American rivers. Our analysis further suggests that hydrologic variability is the mechanism underlying the correlation between ecosystem size and FCL in rivers. Ecosystem size lengthens river food chains by integrating and attenuating discharge variation through stream networks, thereby enhancing environmental stability in larger river systems.

Genre:

Article

ProdID:

70003972

Citation Author:

Sabo, John L.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Kennedy, Theodore ; Post, David M.

Citation Contributing Office:

Southwest Biological Science Center

Citation Datum:

Citation Day:

Citation Edition:

Citation Editor:

Citation End Page:

967

Citation Issue:

6006

Citation Keywords:

Citation Language:

English

Citation Larger Work Title:

Science

Citation LatN:

Citation LatS:

Citation LonE:

Citation LonW:

Citation Month:

Citation No Pagination:

Citation Number Of Pages:

Citation Online Only Flag:

Citation Phsyical Description:

3 p.

Citation Projection:

Citation Public Comments:

Citation Publisher:

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Citation Series:

Citation Series Code:

Citation Series Number:

Citation Search Results Text:

The role of discharge variation in scaling of drainage area and food chain length in rivers; 2010; Article; Journal; Science; Sabo, John L.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Kennedy, Theodore ; Post, David M.

Citation Start Page:

965

Citation Volume:

330

Citation Year:

2010

Type:

citation/reference

Text:

The role of discharge variation in scaling of drainage area and food chain length in rivers; 2010; Article; Journal; Science; Sabo, John L.; Finlay, Jacques C.; Kennedy, Theodore ; Post, David M.