How sharp is the knife? Herbivore and carnivore sensitivity to resource stoichiometric quality

While understanding feeding preferences of herbivores and carnivores is major importance in ecology, we still know very little on the sensitivity different functional groups to suboptimal stoichiometric resource quality. Here, apply concepts ecological stoichiometry shed light differences nutritional requirements carnivores, make predictions influence quality fitness these consumers to. Herbivores generally experience more variation their than do, have likely shaped extent which coping mechanisms evolved. Consequently, expect 1) maintain homeostasis over a broader range 2) threshold elemental ratio (TER), i.e. dietary carbon nutrient maximizes fitness, be higher that 3) narrower sharper knife-edge response 4) asymmetric responses indicating diet are not used dealing with, namely limitation excess herbivores. Our study poses documenting ranges where consumer declines diverse organisms promising avenue increase our community composition food web functioning.