Links between deep-sea respiration and community dynamics.

摘要: It has been challenging to establish the mechanisms that link ecosystem functioning environmental and resource variation, as well community structure, composition compensatory dynamics. A compelling hypothesis of dynamics, known 'zero-sum' is framed in terms energy demand units, where there an inverse between number individuals a mean individual metabolic rate. However, body-size distributions are non-uniform suggest niche advantage at particular size class, which suggests limit metabolism can explain structuring. Since 1989, structure abyssal seafloor communities northeast Pacific Atlantic have varied inter-annually with links climate variation. Here, for first time, class mass-specific respiration rates were examined along supply time series density biomass data dominant megafauna, echinoderms. Both sites had relationships We found fourfold variation echinoderm over inter-annual timescales both sites, linked shifts species structure. In north-eastern Pacific, mobile surface deposit feeding echinoderms was positively climate-driven particulate organic carbon fluxes temporal lag about one year, respiring 1-6% annual flux.