The efficiency paradox: How wasteful competitors forge thrifty ecosystems.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Biogeochemistry

Background:

• Organic waste production correlates with metabolic rates in species.
• Ecosystems typically recycle organic matter, but some is lost and sequestered geologically.
• An efficiency paradox exists where high-powered species, despite waste, are in low-loss ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and resolve the overlooked efficiency paradox in long-term organic matter loss.
• To explain the relationship between species metabolic rates, waste production, and ecosystem organic matter retention.
• To elucidate the evolutionary drivers of ecosystem efficiency over Phanerozoic time.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the relationship between species' metabolic rates (power) and ecosystem organic matter loss.
• Examination of long-term (Phanerozoic) trends in ecosystem productivity and organic matter retention.
• Application of evolutionary theory, focusing on natural selection at individual and group levels.

Main Results:

• High-powered species produce more waste but are associated with ecosystems that lose less organic matter.
• Low-powered, efficient species inhabit ecosystems with greater organic matter losses due to inefficient recycling.
• Over geological timescales, ecosystems have improved organic matter retention and redistribution.
• Increasing species power and competitiveness have driven greater ecosystem efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Natural selection favors powerful, active, and wasteful individuals and groups.
• The collective activities of these species create conditions that enhance ecosystem recycling and organic matter retention.
• Ecosystems have evolved towards greater efficiency in managing organic matter despite changes in species' metabolic strategies.