The response of stream ecosystem properties to two size classes of herbivorous minnow species.

Losses in freshwater fish diversity might produce a loss in important ecological services provided by fishes in particular habitats. An important gap in our understanding of ecosystem services by fishes is the influence of individuals from different size classes, which is predicted based on known ontogenetic shifts in metabolic demand and diet. I used 20 experimental stream mesocosms located at Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS), KS, USA, to assess the influence of fish size on ecosystem properties.

Experimental evolution of a more restrained clutch size when filial cannibalism is prevented in burying beetles .

The overproduction of offspring is commonly associated with high hatching failure and a mechanism for dispensing with surplus young. We used experimental evolution of burying beetle populations to determine causality in these correlations. We asked does eliminating the mechanism for killing "spare" offspring cause the evolution of a more restrained clutch size and consequently select for reduced hatching failure? .