respiration–biomass ratio (R/B ratio) The relationship between total communitybiomass (i.e. standing crop) and respiration. With larger biomass, respiration will increase but the increase will be less if the individual biomass units or organisms are large (reflecting the inverse relationship between size and metabolic rate). Natural communities tend towards larger organisms and complex structure, with low respiration rates per unit biomass.

respiration–biomass ratio (R/B ratio) The relationship between total community biomass (i.e. standing crop) and respiration. With larger biomass, respiration will increase but the increase will be less if the individual biomass units or organisms are large (reflecting the inverse relationship between size and metabolic rate). Natural communities tend towards larger organisms and complex structure with low respiration rates per unit biomass.

respiration–biomass ratio (R/B ratio) The relationship between total community biomass and respiration. With larger biomass, respiration will increase but the increase will be less if the individual biomass units or organisms are large (reflecting the inverse relationship between size and metabolic rate). Natural communities tend towards larger organisms and complex structure with low respiration rates per unit biomass.