Allometric Trophic Networks From Individuals to Socio-Ecosystems: Consumer–Resource Theory of the Ecological Elephant in the Room

摘要: A well-known parable is that of the blind men studying an elephant each which assert part they first hold in their hands e.g., “rope!” says tail holder while leg asserts “tree!” The various subdisciplines ecology appear similar we engage our enthusiastic but at least somewhat myopic study with a remarkably limited agreement or even discussion about overall system all study. Allometric trophic network (ATN) theory offers path out this dilemma by integrating across scales, taxa, habitats and organizational levels from physiology to ecosystems based on consumer-resource interactions among co-existing organisms. architecture metabolic behavioral processes determine structure dynamics these form principles ATN theory, turn provides synthetic overview powerfully predictive framework for organisms ecosystems. Beyond ecology, also synthesizes eco-evolutionary socio-ecological research still largely mechanisms respectively integrated including natural selection market mechanisms. This paper briefly describes foundations, advances, future directions predicting ecosystem’s phenotype its community’s genotype order accelerate more unified understanding complex systems studied ecologists other environmental scientists.