ECOLOGICAL STOICHIOMETRY: A SCIENCE TO EXPLORE THE COMPLEXITY OF LIVING SYSTEMS

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2005.0120

Abstract

Abstract:

The biological sciences developed very fast during the 20th century and have become increasingly sophisticated and predictive. Along with this trend, areas of research also have become increasingly specialized and fragmented. However, this fragmentation and specialization risks overlooking the most inherent biological characteristics of living organisms. One can ask if the living organisms on the earth have unified and essential characteristics that can connect the disparate disciplines and levels of biological study from molecular structure of genes to ecosystem dynamics. By exploring this question, a new science, ecological stoichiometry, has been developed over the past two decades. Ecological stoichiometry is a study of the mass balance of multiple chemical elements in living systems; it analyzes the constraints and consequences of these mass balances during ecological interactions. All biological entities on the earth have a specific elemental composition and specific elemental requirements, which influence their interactions with other organisms and their abiotic environment in predictable ways. Ecological stoichiometry has been incorporated successfully into many levels of biology from molecular, cellular, organismal and population to ecosystem and globe. At present, the principles of ecological stoichiometry have been broadly applied to research on population dynamics, trophic dynamics, microbial nutrition, host-pathogen interactions, symbiosis, comparative ecosystem analysis, and consumer-driven nutrient cycling. This paper reviews the concepts, research history, principles, and applications of ecological stoichiometry and points out future research hotspots in this dynamic field of study with an aim to promote this discipline of research in China.

Key words: Ecological stoichiometry, C:N:P stoichiometric ratio, Redfield ratio, Homeostasis, Growth rate hypothesis

ZENG De-Hui, CHEN Guang-Sheng. ECOLOGICAL STOICHIOMETRY: A SCIENCE TO EXPLORE THE COMPLEXITY OF LIVING SYSTEMS[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2005, 29(6): 1007-1019.

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元素 Element	产生来源 Sources of flux	产生大小 Magnitude of flux (10⁹ kg·a^-1)		人类的影响 The change due to human activities (%)
元素 Element	产生来源 Sources of flux	自然 Natural	人类 Anthropogenic	人类的影响 The change due to human activities (%)
C	陆地生物呼吸和分解Terrestrial respiration and decay CO₂	61 000	8 000	+13
	化石燃料燃烧和土地利用改变Fossil fuel and land use CO₂
N	自然界生物固氮Natural biological fixation	130	140	+108
	农作物、化石燃料燃烧和施肥Fixation owing to rice cultivation, combustion of fossil fuels, and production of fertilizer
P	风化Chemical weathering	3	12	+400
	采矿Mining

元素 Element	产生来源 Sources of flux	产生大小 Magnitude of flux (10⁹ kg·a^-1)		人类的影响 The change due to human activities (%)
元素 Element	产生来源 Sources of flux	自然 Natural	人类 Anthropogenic	人类的影响 The change due to human activities (%)
C	陆地生物呼吸和分解Terrestrial respiration and decay CO₂	61 000	8 000	+13
	化石燃料燃烧和土地利用改变Fossil fuel and land use CO₂
N	自然界生物固氮Natural biological fixation	130	140	+108
	农作物、化石燃料燃烧和施肥Fixation owing to rice cultivation, combustion of fossil fuels, and production of fertilizer
P	风化Chemical weathering	3	12	+400
	采矿Mining