Ecological stoichiometry, the study of the balance of energy and multiple chemical elements in living systems, provides a framework for linking biochemical characteristics of organisms to species interaction, food web dynamics, and nutrient cycling. A variety of recent studies have shown that the incorporation of stoichiometry into population and community models can fundamentally change population stability, coexistence of competitors, and community structure. This symposium aims to suggest three new directions for stoichiometric researches: a stoichiometric framework for evolutionary biology, the role of ecological stoichiometry in trophic interactions, and the influence of resource stoichiometry on insect outbreaks. Speakers in this symposium will present a variety of approaches, including mathematical models as well as experimental and field studies in aquatic and terrestrial systems. In doing so, this symposium will highlight the importance of stoichiometric frameworks, and their application to a broad range of ecological questions.

Comments:

Naoto Kamata (Tokyo University, Japan)

Takehito Yoshida (Tokyo University, Japan)