The Critical Role of Coefficients: Updating Allometric Normalisation Constants for Modern Ecology and Modelling.

The Critical Role of Coefficients: Updating Allometric Normalisation Constants for Modern Ecology and Modelling. | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology Letters This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 26 September 2025 V1 Latest version Share on The Critical Role of Coefficients: Updating Allometric Normalisation Constants for Modern Ecology and Modelling. Authors : Penelope Blyth 0000-0003-3071-9668 [email protected] , Thomas Johnson , Thomas Malpas 0000-0001-5575-609X , Hana Mayall , Alina Smith , Alain Danet 0000-0002-1592-9483 , Eva Delmas , Chris Griffiths 0000-0001-7203-0426 , Benno Simmons , John Jackson , Ulrich Brose 0000-0001-9156-583X , and Andrew Beckerman 0000-0002-4797-9143 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175889383.36300790/v1 Published Ecology Letters Version of record Peer review timeline 337 views 214 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Allometry, the scaling traits or biological rates with body mass, is central to a wide range of ecological research including dynamic food web modelling. There has been extensive focus on exponents (3/4 scaling laws), but little on the coefficients (normalisation constants). Current coefficients for metabolism and production are derived from limited data and dated methodologies. Here, we expand these data to over 1000 genera with body mass spanning 10 orders of magnitude. We updated metabolism and production coefficients deriving new genus and metabolic group levels estimates with phylogenetic hierarchical modelling providing robust inference. Our coefficients were mostly lower than those previously estimated, with increased uncertainty estimates. We then used the Bioenergetic Food Web Model to evaluate their impact, finding increased biomass and species persistence but no change in stability. Our coefficients pave the way for future simulations that take advantage of subsets of genus and metabolic group data. Supplementary Material File (allometry_upload_25_9.pdf) Download 1.54 MB File (supplemental_1.docx) Download 629.71 KB File (supplemental_2_meta_data.docx) Download 18.85 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 26 September 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology Letters Version of Record 6 Feb 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology Letters Keywords allometric coefficients allometry metabolism normalisation constants production Authors Affiliations Penelope Blyth 0000-0003-3071-9668 [email protected] The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Thomas Johnson The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Thomas Malpas 0000-0001-5575-609X The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Hana Mayall The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Alina Smith The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Alain Danet 0000-0002-1592-9483 The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Eva Delmas Habitat View all articles by this author Chris Griffiths 0000-0001-7203-0426 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences View all articles by this author Benno Simmons University of Exeter View all articles by this author John Jackson Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) View all articles by this author Ulrich Brose 0000-0001-9156-583X German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Lepizig View all articles by this author Andrew Beckerman 0000-0002-4797-9143 The University of Sheffield View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 337 views 214 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Penelope Blyth, Thomas Johnson, Thomas Malpas, et al. The Critical Role of Coefficients: Updating Allometric Normalisation Constants for Modern Ecology and Modelling.. Authorea . 26 September 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175889383.36300790/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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