Conceptual Figure on Body Size and the Food Chain (IMAGE)

University of California - Santa Barbara

Conceptual Figure on Body Size and the Food Chain

Caption

This conceptual figure indicates how body size and the food chain jointly influence the abundance and production of animal populations. At any particular food chain height (trophic level), bigger animals are less common than smaller animals, and the amount of biomass produced by an animal population per year does not depend on body size. But, the loss of resources among trophic levels (indicated by trophic transfer efficiency) causes both big and small animals to be less common and less productive the higher up the food chain one goes.

Credit

Ryan Hechinger

Usage Restrictions

None

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.