Applying generalised allometric regressions to predict live body mass of tropical and temperate arthropods

Sohlström, Esra Helena; Marian, Lucas; Barnes, Andrew David; Haneda, Noor F.; Scheu, Stefan; Rall, Björn Christian; Brose, Ulrich; Jochum, Malte (9 April 2018). Applying generalised allometric regressions to predict live body mass of tropical and temperate arthropods (Unpublished) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 10.1101/297697

Preview

Text 297697.full.pdf - Submitted Version Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works (CC-BY-NC-ND). Download (1MB) | Preview

The ecological implications of body size extend from the biology of individual organisms to ecosystem-level processes. Measuring body mass for high numbers of invertebrates can be logistically challenging, making length-mass regressions useful for predicting body mass with minimal effort. However, standardised sets of scaling relationships covering a large range in body length, taxonomic groups, and multiple geographical regions are scarce. We collected 6293 arthropods from 19 higher-level taxa in both temperate and tropical locations to compile a comprehensive set of linear models relating live body mass to a range of predictor variables. For each individual, we measured live weight (hereafter, body mass), body length and width, and conducted linear regressions to predict body mass using body length, body width, taxonomic group and geographic region. Additionally, we quantified prediction error when using parameters from arthropods of a different geographic region. Incorporating body width into taxon- and region-specific length-mass regressions yielded the highest prediction accuracy for body mass. Using regression parameters from a different geographic location increased prediction error, causing over- or underestimation of body mass depending on geographical origin and whether body width was included. We present a comprehensive range of parameters for predicting arthropod body mass and provide guidance for selecting optimal scaling relationships. Given the importance of body mass for functional invertebrate ecology and a paucity of adequate regressions to predict arthropod body mass from different geographical regions, our study provides a long-needed resource for quantifying live body mass in invertebrate ecology research.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

200 since deposited on 01 May 2018
12 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item