Secondary Production in Streams

Abstract

Secondary production is tissue formation by animals, regardless of its fate. While estimates of secondary production are central to understanding energy flow patterns and community dynamics in streams, they are still lacking in the literature. Methods of estimating secondary production range from following cohort abundance and biomass through time, to applying estimates of individual growth rates to biomass estimates. The exact procedure used depends on whether clear population cohort structures exist. Secondary production estimates used in conjunction with estimates of ecological efficiencies can serve to construct detailed energy flow food webs. Literature reviews show wide ranges in secondary production estimates among taxa, functional groups, habitats, and climate, with temperature, precipitation, and food availability being particularly important. Our understanding of drivers of secondary production, particularly at larger spatial scales, is hampered by an overall lack of studies, particularly in the tropics and logistically challenging habitats such as large rivers.