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Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
07:41
Modeling the Size Spectrum for Macroinvertebrates and Fishes in Stream Ecosystems
Published on: July 30, 2019
Comparing resource pulses in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Weston H Nowlin1, Michael J Vanni, Louie H Yang
1Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, Texas 78666, USA. wn11@txstate.edu
Ecology
|May 8, 2008
Summary
Resource pulses impact ecosystems differently. Aquatic food webs respond faster to these pulses, while terrestrial systems show mixed results on pulse persistence, highlighting the need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Ecosystem Dynamics
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Resource pulses significantly influence ecosystem productivity and dynamics across diverse environments.
- Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems exhibit distinct food web structures and biogeochemistry, potentially leading to varied responses to resource pulses.
- Comparative studies on ecosystem-type specific responses to resource pulses are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify similarities and differences in the causes and consequences of resource pulses in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
- To investigate how differing food web and ecosystem structures influence ecosystem responses to resource pulses.
- To test predictions regarding the speed of bottom-up effects and the persistence of impacts from resource pulses.
Main Methods:
- Literature review comparing resource pulse responses across ecosystem types.
- Analysis of predictions based on organismal growth rates, life history, stoichiometry, and consumer effects.
- Case study examining the synchronous emergence of periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) in eastern North American forests, affecting both terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Main Results:
- Evidence generally supports the prediction that resource pulse effects transmit more rapidly through aquatic food webs.
- Support for the prediction that resource pulse impacts persist longer in terrestrial systems is equivocal.
- The periodical cicada emergence served as a model for studying cross-ecosystem pulse effects.
Conclusions:
- Resource pulse transmission speed differs between aquatic and terrestrial systems, with faster transmission in aquatic environments.
- The long-term persistence of resource pulse impacts in terrestrial ecosystems requires further investigation.
- Elucidating indirect effects and long-term implications of resource pulses in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is crucial for ecological understanding.