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Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Russo, SE; Robinson, SK; Terborgh, J
Published in: The American naturalist
February 2003

We studied size-abundance relationships in a species-rich Amazonian bird community and found that the slope of the logarithmic relationship between population density and bodymass (b = -0.22) is significantly shallower than expected under Damuth's energetic equivalence rule (EER), which states that population energy use (PEU) is independent of species body mass. We used estimates of avian field metabolic rates to examine the logarithmic relationship between PEU and body mass and its variation among ecological guilds. The relationship for all species had a significantly positive slope (b = 0.46), indicating that PEU of larger species was greater than that of smaller species. Analyses of guilds revealed significant variation. The slopes of the frugivore-omnivore, insectivore, and granivore guilds were all significantly positive, with that of the frugivore-omnivore guild being the steepest. In contrast, PEU did not vary significantly with species body mass among raptors. These results were confirmed, in analyses using both species values and phylogenetically independent contrasts, and the results do not support the EER in this community. The spatial distribution of resources and mechanisms of interference competition within guilds may explain why most patterns differed from the predictions of the EER. Other sources of variation, including the effects of scale, are also discussed.

Duke Scholars

Published In

The American naturalist

DOI

EISSN

1537-5323

ISSN

0003-0147

Publication Date

February 2003

Volume

161

Issue

2

Start / End Page

267 / 283

Related Subject Headings

  • Population Dynamics
  • Phylogeny
  • Models, Biological
  • Logistic Models
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Ecology
  • Ecology
  • Brazil
  • Body Weight
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Russo, S. E., Robinson, S. K., & Terborgh, J. (2003). Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule. The American Naturalist, 161(2), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1086/345938
Russo, Sabrina E., Scott K. Robinson, and John Terborgh. “Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule.The American Naturalist 161, no. 2 (February 2003): 267–83. https://doi.org/10.1086/345938.
Russo SE, Robinson SK, Terborgh J. Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule. The American naturalist. 2003 Feb;161(2):267–83.
Russo, Sabrina E., et al. “Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule.The American Naturalist, vol. 161, no. 2, Feb. 2003, pp. 267–83. Epmc, doi:10.1086/345938.
Russo SE, Robinson SK, Terborgh J. Size-abundance relationships in an Amazonian bird community: implications for the energetic equivalence rule. The American naturalist. 2003 Feb;161(2):267–283.
Journal cover image

Published In

The American naturalist

DOI

EISSN

1537-5323

ISSN

0003-0147

Publication Date

February 2003

Volume

161

Issue

2

Start / End Page

267 / 283

Related Subject Headings

  • Population Dynamics
  • Phylogeny
  • Models, Biological
  • Logistic Models
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Ecology
  • Ecology
  • Brazil
  • Body Weight