Ecological Stoichiometry
Résumé
The quality of food resources is crucial for animal growth, development and population
dynamics. Therefore, limitations are posed on organisms because of food scarcity in specific nutrients.
These limitations may shape ecological interactions and affect cycling of nutrients in the ecosystem. To
better understand nutrient cycling driven by nutritional constraints posed on organisms, their
communities and populations the ecological stoichiometry framework was developed (Figure 1). This
research framework capitalizes on organisms to be composed of identical building blocks - atoms of
chemical elements - even though they build remarkable diversity of organic molecules having diverse
functions . During growth and development organisms assimilate all the building blocks needed to
compose the adult body. The body is built of atoms in taxonomically specific proportion known as the
organismal stoichiometry . The demand for resources gathered during juvenile growth is reflected in
organismal stoichiometry of adult body and stoichiometric mismatch (Figure 2) may occur between the
atomic composition of the body and food . Even toxic effects may in fact be caused by such
stoichiometric mismatch rather than true toxic substances .