Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
American Naturalist
Volume
133
Publication Date
1-1-1989
First Page
736
Last Page
740
Abstract
Large species generally occur at lower population densities than small species but, being larger, use more energy per individual. The balance between population density and energy use per individual determines how evenly community resources are shared by species of different size. Analyses of large data sets, covering a wide range of body sizes, have found that population metabolism (the product of population density and energy use per individual) scales either neutrally (Damuth 1981, 1987) or negatively (Peters 1983) with body mass. However, different scaling relationships may occur in certain communities within specific biogeographic regions. Brown and Maurer (1986) found that population metabolism scales positively with body mass among North American land birds, granivorous desert rodents, marine fishes, and perennial desert plants. A comprehensive study of the relationships between mammalian population density and body mass (Peters and Raelson 1984) indicates that population metabolism scales positively with body mass among "smaller tropical" herbivores (αM0.26), "larger tropical" herbivores (αM0.45), and "larger tropical" carnivores-omnivores (αM0.28), but not among North American species (herbivores, αM0.09 ; carnivores-omnivores, αM-0.39).
Recommended Citation
du Toit, J.T. & Owen-Smith, N. 1989. Body size, population metabolism, and habitat specialization among large African herbivores. American Naturalist, 133:736-740.
