Theory 77/Ecosystem/Soil food webs
Soil Complexity Follows Habitat
The claim
Soil food web complexity is set by the ratio of pore-size heterogeneity to body size, so a soil with a wide range of pore sizes supports more trophic levels.
01Mechanism
Predation requires the predator to fit where the prey lives; heterogeneity lets body sizes partition the habitat.
02Prediction
Trophic levels should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Complexity tracking organic matter would remove pore structure.