Reliance on blue, green, and brown energy channels drives a shift in the trophic position of riparian spiders.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the mechanisms shaping food chain length (FCL) has long been central to food web ecology. FCL is a key determinant of stability, energy flow efficiency, and biodiversity maintenance, but there is an ongoing debate about its underlying drivers. It is particularly important in meta-ecosystems, where predator trophic position (TP) is influenced by multiple energy channels. In this study, we focused on spiders in riparian ecosystems, which rely on resources linked to distinct energy channels: blue (algal herbivory), green (terrestrial herbivory), and brown (terrestrial detritivory). We applied nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids to estimate the TP of both spiders and their prey. This method is a powerful tool for determining TP from a single sample and even allows for captur

SUBMITTER: Saboret G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12803772 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature