Meeting Abstract

S9.3-4  Tuesday, Jan. 7 15:00  Scaling up the effects of Na from individual performance to ecosystem function KASPARI, Michael*; CLAY, Natalie; University of Oklahoma; University of Oklahoma mkaspari@ou.edu

Of the twenty five or so elements required for life, sodium has a number of features of interest to ecologists. First, it is relatively unimportant for the metabolism of plants, but vital for those of consumers of plants. Thus, detritivores and herbivores must spend time and energy finding sufficient quantities of sodium; a challenge less important to the carnivores that consume them. Second, Na has a biogeography that arises from the combined effects of geology and oceanic aerosols. Third, as an ionic element, sodium cannot easily be stored, and instead is lost proportional to the metabolic rate of the organism. As a consequence of 2 and 3, sodium limitation of individuals and ecosystems is likely to vary in interesting ways across the terrestrial world both geographically and with temperature and body size. Combined, these premises suggest a dynamic role for sodium in regulating individual performance, trophic structure, and ecosystem function. We propose that a focus on Ionic Ecology will complement the already powerful insights generated from the stoichiometry of C, N, and P.