Production and Respiration in Animal Populations

Abstract

The 235 energy budgets from the literature are analyzed to determine the relationship between annual production and respiration in natural populations of animals. Homoiotherms separate into 4 groups: insectivores, birds, small mammal communities and other mammals. Poikilotherms separate into 3 groups: fish and social insects, non-insect invertebrates and non-social insects. The invertebrate groups are separable into trophic categories and herbivores have the lowest production efficiency. There is no relationship between animal weight and production efficiency. Within the groups derived, species with different habitats (aquatic and terrestrial) do not have different production efficiencies. There is no firm evidence that production efficiency is dependent upon the magnitude of production. Distribution of the data indicates that there is no quantum jump in production efficiency between poikilothermic and homoiothermic animals. Regression equations are given for each of the derived groups relating annual production to respiration (both as log10 cal m-2 yr-1) in animal populations.