Concepts
11 concepts
animal-driven nutrient cycling
The contribution of animals to ecosystem nutrient fluxes through excretion, with supply determined by animal biomass, excretion rates, and time spent in the ecosystem
stoichiometry
The relative proportions of chemical elements in biological systems
coarse particulate organic matter
Organic matter particles larger than 1 mm, including intact leaves and larger detrital fragments
mass-specific excretion rate
the rate of nutrient excretion per unit body mass of an organism
threshold elemental ratios
The hypothesis that disposing of excess dietary nutrients imposes a growth cost on organisms, creating hump-shaped relationships with diet stoichiometry
benthic organic matter
Organic material found in pond sediments that serves as nutrient storage compartment
bioaccumulation
The accumulation of substances like sodium in organisms through their food chain, allowing carnivores to obtain adequate salt from prey
nutrient spiraling
The downstream transport and repeated cycling of nutrients through uptake and release in stream ecosystems
phosphorus uptake
The removal of phosphorus from the water column by organisms for metabolic processes
stoichiometric homeostasis
ecosystem function
The roles that invertebrates play in the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients in wetlands