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. 2022 Oct 1;12(10):e9354.
doi: 10.1002/ece3.9354. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Life stage and taxonomy the most important factors determining vertebrate stoichiometry: A meta-analysis

Emily M May  1 , Rana W El-Sabaawi  1
Affiliations

Life stage and taxonomy the most important factors determining vertebrate stoichiometry: A meta-analysis

Emily M May et al. Ecol Evol. .

Abstract

Whole-body elemental composition is a key trait for determining how organisms influence their ecosystems. Using mass-balance, ecological stoichiometry predicts that animals with higher concentrations of element X will selectively retain more X and will recycle less X in their waste than animals with lower X concentrations. These animals will also store high quantities of X during their lives and after their deaths (prior to full decomposition). Vertebrates may uniquely impact nutrient cycling because they store high quantities of phosphorus (P) in their bones. However, vertebrates have diverse body forms and invest variably in bone. Current analyses of vertebrate elemental content predominately evaluate fishes, typically neglecting other vertebrates and leaving much of the diversity unexplored. We performed a systematic review and identified 179 measurements of whole-body percent phosphorus (%P), percent nitrogen (%N), and N to P ratio (N:P) from 129 unique species of non-fish vertebrates (amphibians: 39 species; reptiles: 19 species; birds: 27 species; mammals: 46 species). We found that %P (mean: 1.94%; SD [standard deviation] = 0.77) and N:P (mean: 12.52) varied with taxonomy and life stage, while %N (mean: 10.51%; SD = 3.25) varied primarily with taxonomy. Habitat, diet, and size had small and inconsistent effects in different groups. Our study highlights two research gaps. Life stage, which is frequently neglected in stoichiometric studies, is an important factor determining vertebrate %P. Furthermore, amphibians dominate our dataset, while other vertebrate taxa are poorly represented in the current literature. Further research into these neglected vertebrate taxa is essential.

Keywords: ecological stoichiometry; elemental content; meta‐analysis; nitrogen; ontogeny and development; phosphorus; vertebrates.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Summary of the systematic review process. Numbers indicate the number of unique sources successfully identified at each stage of the review process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Geographical distribution of unique species measurements in our systematic review.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Effects of class (a), life stage (b), and diet (c) on whole‐body %P in our entire dataset. Inverted triangles show means, and points are jittered.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Relationships between order and whole‐body %N in our entire dataset. For clarity, we show only orders with n > 2. Inverted triangles show means.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Relationship between vertebrate whole‐body %N and organismal life stage in our entire dataset. Points are jittered, and inverted triangles show means.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Relationships between class (a), order (b), and life stage (c) and whole‐body N:P. we have shown only orders with n > 2 in the order plot. Points are jittered in (b) and (c). Inverted triangles show weighted means.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Effects of order (a) and diet (b) on whole‐body %P in adult vertebrates. We have shown only orders with n > 2. Inverted triangles show means.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Relationships between order and whole‐body %N in adults. We have shown only orders with n > 2. Points are jittered. Inverted triangles show weighted means.
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 9
Relationships between class (a) and order (b) and whole‐body N:P in our adult‐only dataset. We have shown only orders with n > 2 in the order plot. Points are jittered. Inverted triangles show weighted means.
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 10
Relationships between habitat (a) and diet (b) and whole‐body N:P in our adult‐only dataset. Inverted triangles show weighted means.
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 11
Taxonomic biases in diet distribution in our dataset.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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