Transfer of calcium along trophic levels on limestone and granitic gneiss grassland = 석회암과 화강편마암 지역의 초지에서 영양단계별 칼슘 전이

Abstract

Calcium plays an important role for the organisms’ physiology, reproduction, and growth. Calcium amount and transfer efficiency along trophic levels were compared at two different geological areas, Limestone area (LS) and Granitic Gneiss area (GG) in 1992 and 1993. Biomass and calcium amount of plants, herbivores and carnivores were seasonally measured. The removal sweeping net method was used to collect the quantitative insect samples. Calcium content (mg g-1 DM) and pH of soil were 4.85 and 7.3 at LS and 0.21 and 7.3 at GG. The calcium transfer efficiencies (%) at LS and CG were 0.2 and 4.2 from soil to plants, 0.002 and 0.02 from plants to herbivores, and 73 and 47 from herbivores to carnivores, respectively. As a whole, the high calcium content of the LS soil reduced the utilization of calcium by plants. The higher trophical levels were, the higher ecological efficiency of the biological levels was. The calcium transfer amount was higher at LS, but its efficiency was rather higher at GG.