Rising temperatures could reduce the efficiency of food chains and threaten the survival of larger animals, new research shows. Scientists measured the transfer of energy from single-celled algae (phytoplankton) to small animals that eat them (zooplankton). The study — by the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London, and published in the journal Nature — found that 4°C of warming reduced energy transfer in the plankton food webs by up to 56%. Warmer conditions increase the metabolic cost of growth, leading to less efficient energy flow through the food chain and ultimately to a reduction in overall biomass.
— source University of Exeter | Mar 1, 2021