Prey specialization in dinoflagellates and size-structured aquatic food webs
Human-induced pressures, like global warming and overfishing, are intensifying within aquatic food webs. To understand system responses, new food web models are crucial. Traditional theories are either too complex or too simple. I propose a novel theory, extending a basic food web theory by considering body size as the primary trait governing food web architecture. Analyzing diverse datasets, including plankton food webs, reveals a size-dependent structure in predator-prey linkages, explaining species succession and size spectrum progression. While conventional size scaling holds for many species, dinoflagellates exhibit varied prey selection strategies, highlighting prey specialization as a crucial trait. This approach extends to all predator groups, from plankton to mammals, revealing prevalent specialist and generalist strategies across pelagic food webs. Incorporating physiological and behavioral trade-offs, the new model describes over 85% of observed linkages in various aquatic ecosystems worldwide, providing a blueprint for managing complex food webs amidst environmental change.
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