Ecological Archives E095-046-A1
Roswitha B. Ehnes, Melanie M. Pollierer, Georgia Erdmann, Bernhard Klarner, Bernhard Eitzinger, Christoph Digel, David Ott, Mark Maraun, Stefan Scheu, Ulrich Brose. 2014. Lack of energetic equivalence in forest soil invertebrates. Ecology 95:527–537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-0620.1
Appendix A. Mass–length regressions used to estimate body mass from the estimated body length of preserved soil organisms.
Length–mass conversions
Table A1. Mass–length regressions used to estimate body masses (dry mass or fresh mass) from the estimated body lengths of preserved soil organisms. All body lengths (L) in mm.
Phylogenetic group |
Mass unit |
Type of equation |
a |
b |
Original study |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acari (all spp.) |
fresh mass [µg] |
logM = a+ b * logL |
2.1170 |
2.7110 |
Mercer 2001 |
Anyphaenidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-2.2470 |
2.8140 |
Edwards 1996 |
Agelinidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-2.0310 |
2.6600 |
Edwards 1996 |
Araneidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-1.9230 |
2.9230 |
Edwards 1996 |
Beetle larvae |
dry mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
0.0035 |
2.4033 |
Lang 1997 |
Chilopoda (<10) |
dry mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
0.0020 |
2.9277 |
Lang 1997 |
Chilopoda (>10) |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a* Lb |
-4.0490 |
2.1800 |
Gowing 1984 |
Chrysomelidae |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a* Lb |
-2.4270 |
2.1710 |
Sample 1993 |
Clausilia bidentata |
dry mass [mg] |
logM = a + b * logL |
-1.3000 |
2.6800 |
Mason 1970 |
Clubionidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-2.1560 |
2.6530 |
Edwards 1996 |
Coccinelidae |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a * Lb |
-4.9270 |
3.8670 |
Sample 1993 |
Cochliopa lubrica |
dry mass [mg] |
LogM * 10 = a + b * logL |
0.2500 |
2.1100 |
Mason 1970 |
Coleoptera |
fresh mass [mg] |
logM = a+ b * logL |
-4.1929 |
3.0160 |
Mercer 2001 |
Coleoptera larvae |
dry mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-4.4267 |
1.3272 |
McLaughlin 2010 |
Curculionidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
logM = a+ b * logL |
-4.1783 |
2.9977 |
Mercer 2001 |
Diplopoda |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a * Lb |
-4.5910 |
2.5430 |
Gowing 1984 |
Discus rotundatus |
dry mass [mg] |
logM = a + b * logL |
-0.7900 |
2.7800 |
Mason 1970 |
Elateridae |
dry mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
-4.5980 |
2.9390 |
Sample 1993 |
Elateridae (larvae) |
fresh mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
0.0095 |
2.7812 |
Balushkina 1980 |
Euconulus fulvus |
dry mass [mg] |
logM = a+ b * logL |
-1.1600 |
3.3600 |
Mason 1970 |
Gastropoda |
fresh mass [g] |
M = a * Lb |
0.0004 |
2.3800 |
McKinney 2004 |
Insects (all spp.) |
fresh mass [g] |
logM = a+ b * logL |
-4.2940 |
3.1510 |
Mercer 2001 |
Isopoda |
dry mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-5.0710 |
2.9058 |
McLaughlin 2010 |
Linyphiidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-1.8290 |
2.7540 |
Edwards 1996 |
Lycosidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-2.0430 |
2.8420 |
Edwards 1996 |
Oniscus asellus |
dry mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-4.5442 |
2.4412 |
McLaughlin 2010 |
Opiliones |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a * Lb |
0.0580 |
2.5590 |
Henschel 1996 |
Opiliones |
dry mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-3.9475 |
1.7364 |
McLaughlin 2010 |
Oribatei |
fresh mass [µg] |
L = b * logM + a |
2.3860 |
2.5190 |
Huhta 1975 |
Porcellio scaber |
dry mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-5.4164 |
3.3024 |
McLaughlin 2010 |
Philodromidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
-1.9850 |
2.9400 |
Edwards 1996 |
Salticidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
M =a * Lb |
-2.1840 |
2.9010 |
Edwards 1996 |
Staphylinidae |
dry mass [mg] |
M = a * Lb |
0.0134 |
2.2600 |
Lang 1997 |
Tetragnathidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
M = a * Lb |
-2.6150 |
2.5740 |
Edwards 1996 |
Theridiidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-1.5770 |
2.9070 |
Edwards 1996 |
Thomisidae |
fresh mass [mg] |
lnM = a + b * lnL |
-1.6440 |
2.9730 |
Edwards 1996 |
Note that for determining fresh mass of gastropoda including the shell, 15 % of the calculated fresh mass without shell were added to obtain fresh mass with shell (after Gomot 1998).
Table A2. Dry-mass fresh-mass conversion equations (dm = dry mass, fm = fresh mass).
Phylogenetic group |
Mass |
Type of equation |
a |
b |
Original study |
|
|
|
|
|
|
spiders various |
mg |
dm = a * fmb |
0.4290 |
0.8600 |
Breymeyer 1967 |
Insects (all spp.) |
g |
log(fm) = a+ b * log(dm) |
0.6111 |
1.0213 |
Mercer 2001 |
Myro spp |
g |
log(fm) = a+ b * log(dm) |
0.7575 |
1.0731 |
Mercer 2001 |
Literature cited
Balushkina, Y. V. 1980. Body weight of Chironomid larvae as a function of length. Hydrobiological Journal, 45–52.
Breymeyer, A. 1967. Correlations between dry weight of spiders and their length and fresh weight. Bulletin de l´Academie Polonaise des Sciences 15:263–265.
Edwards, R. L. 1996. Estimating live spider weight using preserved specimens. Journal of Arachnology 24:161–166.
Gomot, A. 1998. Biochemical composition of Helix snails: influence of genetic and physiological fFactors. J. Mollus. Stud. 64:173–181.
Gowing, G., and H. F. Recher. 1984. Length–weight relationships for invertebrates from forests in south-eastern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Ecology 9:5–8.
Henschel, J. R., D. Mahsberg, and H. Stumpf. 1996. Mass-length relationships of spiders and harvestmen (Araneae and Opiliones). Revue suisse de Zoologie, 265–268.
Huhta, V., and A. Koskenniemi. 1975. Numbers, biomass and community respiration of soil invertebrates in spruce forests at two latitudes in Finland. Annales Zoologici Fennici 12:164–182.
Jarosik, V. 1989. Mass vs. length relationship for carabid beetles (Col., Carabidae). Pedobiologia 33:87–90.
Lang, Krooss, S., and H. Stumpf. 1997. Mass length relationships of epigeal arthropod predators in arable land (araneae, chilopoda, coleoptera). Pedobiologia 41:327–333.
Mason, C. F. 1970. Snail populations, beech litter production, and the role of snails in litter decomposition. Oecologia 5:215–239.
McKinney, R. A., S. M. Glatt, and S. R. Williams. 2004. Allometric length–weight relationships for benthic prey of aquatic wildlife in coastal marine habitats. Wildlife Biology 10:241–249.
McLaughlin, Ó. B., T. Jonsson, and M. C. Emmerson. 2010. Temporal variability in predator–prey relationships of a forest floor food web. Advances in Ecological Research 42:171–264.
Mercer, R. D., A. G. A. Gabriel, J. Barendse, J. J. Marshall, and S. I. Chown. 2001. Invertebrate body sizes from Marion Island. Antarctic Science 13:135–143.
Sabo, J. L., J. L. Bastow, and M. E. Power. 2002. Length–mass relationships for adult aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates in a California watershed. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 21:336–343.
Sample, B. E., R. J. Cooper, R. D. Greer, and R. C. Whitmore. 1993. Estimation of insect biomass by length and width. American Midland Naturalist 129:234–240.