← Elaine Ingham · Research and publications
Grassland and forest: different balances within the food web
A three-ecosystem comparison connects feeding groups with nitrogen forms.
Study published:
What was compared
The study examined shortgrass prairie, mountain meadow and pine forest. Food webs shared a broadly similar structure, with different relative abundances. [1]
Different balances
Bacterial biomass dominated the grasslands, fungal biomass the forest. Consumers and dominant inorganic nitrogen forms also differed. Interventions affecting feeding groups produced different ecosystem responses. [1]
An educational question
At our Center, we want each sample accompanied by a description of vegetation, land use and management history. The paper helps us organise questions around the ecosystem of origin. This educational connection is our own synthesis for observing olive groves and other local systems.
Presentation context
The presentation draws on the published abstract. The reported balances describe the three systems examined.
Sources and references
- Ingham, E. R., Coleman, D. C. & Moore, J. C. (1989). Biology and Fertility of Soils, 8, 29–37. DOI: 10.1007/BF00260513 Original publication and study record