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

ABSTRACT: 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, standardized sets of scaling relationships covering a large range in body length, taxonomic groups, and multiple geographical regions are scarce. We collected 6,212 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. We measured live weight (hereafter, body mass), body length and width of each individual and conducted linear regressions to predict body mass using bo

SUBMITTER: Sohlstrom EH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6308897 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature