Factors Contributing to Nonlinearity in Soil Food Webs
Howard Ferris
October 8, 2001
- The soil food web is driven by a multiplicity of Carbon and Energy sources
which are in different environments and accessible to different suites of
organisms.
- Cross trophic level omnivory is common. Organisms may feed on one prey as
juveniles and another as adults, or may feed at various levels depending on
availability.
- Reticulation: the cycling of Carbon and Energy within the food web due to
organism mortality.
- Patch asynchrony resulting from differences in community structures,
environmental conditions and resource availability.
5. Environmental heterogeneity: soil characteristics, old roots, channels,
aggregates, layers, gradients.
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