Carbon use efficiency (CUE) is a fundamental parameter for ecological models based on the
physiology of microorganisms. CUE determines energy and material flows to higher trophic …

The net primary production of the biosphere is consumed largely by microorganisms, whose
metabolism creates the trophic base for detrital foodwebs, drives element cycles, and …

In ecosystems, the efficiency of energy transfer from resources to consumers determines the
biomass structure of food webs. As a general rule, about 10% of the energy produced in one …

A prominent signal of the Anthropocene is the extinction and population reduction of the
megabiota—the largest animals and plants on the planet. However, we lack a predictive …

Biota can be described in terms of elemental composition, expressed as an atomic ratio of
carbon: nitrogen: phosphorus (refs). The elemental stoichiometry of microoorganisms is …

Biological stoichiometry theory considers the balance of multiple chemical elements in living
systems, whereas metabolic scaling theory considers how size affects metabolic properties …

Global increases in atmospheric CO2 and temperature are associated with changes in
ocean chemistry and circulation, altering light and nutrient regimes. Resulting changes in …

Phosphorus is a chemical element that is essential to life because of its role in numerous
key molecules, including DNA and RNA; indeed, organisms require large amounts of P to …

Beyond the better-studied carbohydrates and the macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus,
a remaining 20 or so elements are essential for life and have distinct geographical …

We re-examined data from a recent litter decay study to determine if additional insights could
be gained to inform decomposition modeling. Rinkes et al. conducted 14-day laboratory …