Body size is considered an important structuring mechanism of food webs because consumers are usually larger and more mobile than their prey and may couple energy among habitats. We explored the links among trophic position (TP), body size, and the coupling of different energy channels (phytoplankton and C4-marsh plants) in a saltmarsh landscape in the northern Gulf of Mexico—a dynamic system considered weakly shaped by biotic interactions. Body size was positively associated with TP, and this relationship was stronger in the phytoplankton pathway vs. the C4-marsh pathway. There was a gradual increase in the coupling of phytoplankton and C4-marsh plants at larger body sizes and higher TP. Phytoplankton supported longer food chains and larger body sizes than C4-marsh plants. Results support predictions of the landscape theory for food web architecture and indicate that the role of body size in determining trophic interactions may vary across food web compartments.

中文翻译：

---

体型大小、营养位置以及盐沼景观中不同能量通路的耦合

体型被认为是食物网的重要结构机制，因为消费者通常比猎物更大、更易移动，并且可能在栖息地之间耦合能量。我们探索了墨西哥湾北部盐沼景观中营养位置 (TP)、体型和不同能量通道（浮游植物和 C4 沼泽植物）的耦合之间的联系 - 一个被认为是由生物相互作用弱塑造的动态系统。体型与 TP 呈正相关，这种关系在浮游植物途径中比在 C4-沼泽途径中更强。浮游植物和 C4-沼泽植物在较大体型和较高 TP 下的耦合逐渐增加。与 C4 沼泽植物相比，浮游植物支持更长的食物链和更大的体型。