Body size, trophic position, and the coupling of different energy pathways across a saltmarsh landscape Limnology and Oceanography Letters

Body size is considered an important s tructuring mechanism of food webs because consumers are usually larger and m o r em o b i l et h a nt h e i rp r e ya n dm a yc o u p l ee n e r g ya m o n gh a bitats. We explored the link s among trophic position (TP), body size, and the coupling of different energy cha nnels (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 re lationship 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