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Lewinsohn TM, Almeida Neto M, Almeida A, Prado PI, Jorge LR. From insect-plant interactions to ecological networks. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Since its inception, biodiversity has largely been understood as species diversity and assessed as such. Interactions among species or functional groups are gradually becoming part of an expanded concept of biodiversity. As a case study of the development of a research program in biodiversity, we summarize our multi-decade studies on interactions of Asteraceae and flowerhead-feeding insects in Brazil. Initially, host species were treated as independent replicates in order to assess the local and turnover components of their herbivore diversity. Research then expanded into sampling entire interactive communities of host plants and their associated herbivores in different localities and regions, enabling new research lines to be pursued. Interaction diversity could be assessed and factored into spatial and among-host components, suggesting a new field of interaction geography. Second, host specialization, a key component of interaction diversity, was reframed considering simultaneously relatedness and local availability of plant hosts. Third, with the influence of complex network theory, community-wide species interactions were probed for topological patterns. Having identified the modular structure of these plant-herbivore systems, later we demonstrated that they fit a compound hierarchical topology, in which interactions are nested within large-scale modules. In a brief survey of research funded by Fapesp, especially within the Biota-Fapesp program, we highlight several lines of internationally recognized research on interaction diversity, notably on plant-frugivore and plant-pollinator interactions, together with new theoretical models. The interplay of field studies with new theoretical and analytical approaches has established interaction diversity as an essential component for monitoring, conserving and restoring biodiversity in its broader sense.
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52
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Hutchinson MC, Dobson AP, Pringle RM. Dietary abundance distributions: Dominance and diversity in vertebrate diets. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:992-1008. [PMID: 34967090 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Diet composition is among the most important yet least understood dimensions of animal ecology. Inspired by the study of species abundance distributions (SADs), we tested for generalities in the structure of vertebrate diets by characterising them as dietary abundance distributions (DADs). We compiled data on 1167 population-level diets, representing >500 species from six vertebrate classes, spanning all continents and oceans. DADs near-universally (92.5%) followed a hollow-curve shape, with scant support for other plausible rank-abundance-distribution shapes. This strong generality is inherently related to, yet incompletely explained by, the SADs of available food taxa. By quantifying dietary generalisation as the half-saturation point of the cumulative distribution of dietary abundance (sp50, minimum number of foods required to account for 50% of diet), we found that vertebrate populations are surprisingly specialised: in most populations, fewer than three foods accounted for at least half the diet. Variation in sp50 was strongly associated with consumer type, with carnivores being more specialised than herbivores or omnivores. Other methodological (sampling method and effort, taxonomic resolution), biological (body mass, frugivory) and biogeographic (latitude) factors influenced sp50 to varying degrees. Future challenges include identifying the mechanisms underpinning the hollow-curve DAD, its generality beyond vertebrates, and the biological determinants of dietary generalisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew P Dobson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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53
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Fuzessy L, Silveira FAO, Culot L, Jordano P, Verdú M. Phylogenetic congruence between Neotropical primates and plants is driven by frugivory. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:320-329. [PMID: 34775664 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal benefits plants and frugivores, and potentially drives co-evolution, with consequences to diversification evidenced for, e.g., primates. Evidence for macro-coevolutionary patterns in multi-specific, plant-animal mutualisms is scarce, and the mechanisms driving them remain unexplored. We tested for phylogenetic congruences in primate-plant interactions and showed strong co-phylogenetic signals across Neotropical forests, suggesting that both primates and plants share evolutionary history. Phylogenetic congruence between Platyrrhini and Angiosperms was driven by the most generalist primates, modulated by their functional traits, interacting with a wide-range of Angiosperms. Consistently similar eco-evolutionary dynamics seem to be operating irrespective of local assemblages, since co-phylogenetic signal emerged independently across three Neotropical regions. Our analysis supports the idea that macroevolutionary, coevolved patterns among interacting mutualistic partners are driven by super-generalist taxa. Trait convergence among multiple partners within multi-specific assemblages appears as a mechanism favouring these likely coevolved outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisieux Fuzessy
- Department of Biodiversity, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP campus Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil.,CREAF, Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Foresta, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.,Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando A O Silveira
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Laurence Culot
- Department of Biodiversity, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP campus Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.,Facultad de Biología, Department Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Miguel Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, CSIC-UV-GV, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
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54
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Luna P, Villalobos F, Escobar F, Neves FS, Dáttilo W. Global trends in the trophic specialisation of flower-visitor networks are explained by current and historical climate. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:113-124. [PMID: 34761496 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Trophic specialisation is known to vary across space, but the environmental factors explaining such variation remain elusive. Here we used a global dataset of flower-visitor networks to evaluate how trophic specialisation varies between latitudinal zones (tropical and temperate) and across elevation gradients, while considering the environmental variation inherent in these spatial gradients. Specifically, we assessed the role of current (i.e., net primary productivity, temperature, and precipitation) and historical (i.e., temperature and precipitation stability) environmental factors in structuring the trophic specialisation of floral visitors. Spatial variations in trophic specialisation were not explained by latitudinal zones or elevation. Moreover, regardless of network location on the spatial gradient, there was a tendency for higher trophic specialisation in sites with high productivity and precipitation, whereas historical temperature stability was related to lower trophic specialisation. We highlight that both energetic constraints in animal foraging imposed by climate and resource availability may drive the global variation in trophic specialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Luna
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Federico Escobar
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Frederico S Neves
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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55
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Bergamo PJ, Traveset A, Lázaro A. Pollinator-Mediated Indirect Effects on Plant Fecundity Revealed by Network Indices. Am Nat 2021; 198:734-749. [PMID: 34762564 DOI: 10.1086/716896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIndirect effects arise when one species influences how another species interacts with a third. Pollinator-mediated indirect effects are widespread in many plant communities and are often not restricted to plant species pairs. An analytical framework does not exist yet that allows for the evaluation of indirect effects through shared pollinators in a community context as well as their consequences for plant fitness. We used network indices describing pollinator sharing to assess the extent to which plant species affect and are affected by others in a pollination network from a species-rich dune community. For 23 plant species, we explore how these indices relate to plant fecundity (seeds/flower) over two years. We further linked plant traits and indices to uncover functional aspects of pollinator-mediated indirect interactions. Species frequently visited by shared pollinators showed higher fecundity and exhibited traits that increase pollinator attraction and generalization. Conversely, species whose shared pollinators frequently visited other plants had lower fecundity and more specialized traits. Thus, pollinator sharing benefited some species while others suffered reproductive disadvantages, consistent with competition. The framework developed here uses network tools to advance our understanding of how pollinator-mediated indirect interactions influence a species' relative reproductive success at the community level.
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56
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de Alvarenga AMSB, Borges ME, Jorge LR, Varassin IG, Araújo SBL. Consumers' active choice behaviour promotes coevolutionary units in antagonistic networks. J Evol Biol 2021; 35:134-145. [PMID: 34758181 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Individual behaviour and local context can influence the evolution of ecological interactions and how they structure into networks. In trophic interactions, consumers can increase their fitness by actively choosing resources that they are more likely to explore successfully. Mathematical modelling is often employed in theoretical studies to understand the coevolutionary dynamics between consumers and resources. However, they often disregard the individual consumer behaviour since the complexity of these systems usually requires simplifying assumptions about interaction details. Using an individual-based model, we model a community of several species that interact antagonistically. Each individual has a trait (attack or defence) that is explicitly modelled and the probability of the interaction to occur successfully increases with increased trait-matching. In addition, consumers can actively choose resources that guarantee greater fitness. We show that active consumer choice can generate coevolutionary units over time. It means that the traits of both consumers and resources converge into multiple groups with similar traits and the species interactions stay restricted to these groups over time. We also observed that network structure is more dependent on the parameter that delimits active consumer choice than on the intensity of selective pressure. Thus, our results support the idea that consumer active choice behaviour plays an important role in the ecological and evolutionary processes that structure interacting communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leonardo Ré Jorge
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Isabela Galarda Varassin
- Laboratório de Interações e Biologia Reprodutiva, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Borges Lino Araújo
- Laboratório de Interações Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.,Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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57
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Wechsler D, Bascompte J. Cheating in mutualisms promotes diversity and complexity. Am Nat 2021; 199:393-405. [DOI: 10.1086/717865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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58
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Baruah G. The impact of individual variation on abrupt collapses in mutualistic networks. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:26-37. [PMID: 34672068 PMCID: PMC9297894 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Individual variation is central to species involved in complex interactions with others in an ecological system. Such ecological systems could exhibit tipping points in response to changes in the environment, consequently leading to abrupt transitions to alternative, often less desirable states. However, little is known about how individual trait variation could influence the timing and occurrence of abrupt transitions. Using 101 empirical mutualistic networks, I model the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of such networks in response to gradual changes in strength of co‐evolutionary interactions. Results indicated that individual variation facilitates the timing of transition in such networks, albeit slightly. In addition, individual variation significantly increases the occurrence of large abrupt transitions. Furthermore, topological network features also positively influence the occurrence of such abrupt transitions. These findings argue for understanding tipping points using an eco‐evolutionary perspective to better forecast abrupt transitions in ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Baruah
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag,, Kastanienbaum, CH, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH, Switzerland
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59
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Vitali A, Sasal Y, Vázquez DP, Miguel MF, Rodríguez-Cabal MA. The disruption of a keystone interaction erodes pollination and seed dispersal networks. Ecology 2021; 103:e03547. [PMID: 34618911 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of global change on ecological communities is a major challenge in modern ecology. The gain or loss of particular species and the disruption of key interactions are both consequences and drivers of global change that can lead to the disassembly of ecological networks. We examined whether the disruption of a hummingbird-mistletoe-marsupial mutualism by the invasion of non-native species can have cascading effects on both pollination and seed dispersal networks in the temperate forest of Patagonia, Argentina. We focused on network motifs, subnetworks composed of a small number of species exhibiting particular patterns of interaction, to examine the structure and diversity of mutualistic networks. We found that the hummingbird-mistletoe-marsupial mutualism plays a critical role in the community by increasing the complexity of pollination and seed dispersal networks through supporting a high diversity of interactions. Moreover, we found that the disruption of this tripartite mutualism by non-native ungulates resulted in diverse indirect effects that led to less complex pollination and seed dispersal networks. Our results demonstrate that the gains and losses of particular species and the alteration of key interactions can lead to cascading effects in the community through the disassembly of mutualistic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Vitali
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Yamila Sasal
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Diego P Vázquez
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET & Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - M Florencia Miguel
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET & Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Mariano A Rodríguez-Cabal
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina.,Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
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60
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Vidal MC, Anneberg TJ, Curé AE, Althoff DM, Segraves KA. The variable effects of global change on insect mutualisms. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 47:46-52. [PMID: 33771734 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect mutualisms are essential for reproduction of many plants, protection of plants and other insects, and provisioning of nutrients for insects. Disruption of these mutualisms by global change can have important implications for ecosystem processes. Here, we assess the general effects of global change on insect mutualisms, including the possible impacts on mutualistic networks. We find that the effects of global change on mutualisms are extremely variable, making broad patterns difficult to detect. We require studies focusing on changes in cost-benefit ratios, effects of partner dependency, and degree of specialization to further understand how global change will influence insect mutualism dynamics. We propose that rapid coevolution is one avenue by which mutualists can ameliorate the effects of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra C Vidal
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA.
| | - Thomas J Anneberg
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Biology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Anne E Curé
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - David M Althoff
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Kari A Segraves
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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61
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Vitali A, Vázquez DP, Miguel MF, Sasal Y, Rodríguez-Cabal MA. A keystone mutualism promotes resistance to invasion. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:74-85. [PMID: 34558076 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It is not uncommon for one or a few species, and their interactions, to have disproportionate effects on other species in ecological communities. Such keystone interactions might affect how communities respond to the invasion of non-native species by preventing or inhibiting the establishment, spread or impact of non-native species. We explore whether a keystone mutualism among a hummingbird-mistletoe-marsupial promotes ecological resistance to an invasive pollinator, the bumblebee Bombus terrestris, by comparing data collected at sites prior to bumblebee invasion to data collected 11 years after the invasion in sites with and without the keystone mutualism. We built pollination networks and focused on network motifs, regarded as building blocks of networks, to identify the central pollinators and estimate the change in their interactions after invasion of B. terrestris. We also estimated the interaction rewiring across the season in post-invasion networks and tested it as a possible mechanism explaining how the keystone mutualism increased ecological resistance to invasion. We found two times more species in post-invasion sites with the keystone mutualism than in post-invasion sites without the keystone mutualism. Moreover, we found that invasive bumblebee reduced the strength and interaction niche of the five central pollinator species while increasing its own strength and interaction niche, suggesting a replacement of interactions. Also, we found that the keystone mutualism promoted resistance to B. terrestris invasion by reducing its negative impacts on central species. In the presence of the keystone mutualism, central species had three times more direct interactions than in sites without this keystone mutualism. The higher interaction rewiring, after invasion of B. terrestris, in sites with the keystone mutualism indicates greater chances of central pollinators to form new interactions and reduces their competence for resources with the non-native bumblebee. Our results demonstrate that a keystone mutualism can enhance community resistance against the impacts of a non-native invasive pollinator by increasing species diversity and promoting interaction rewiring in the community. This study suggests that the conservation of mutualisms, especially those considered keystone, could be essential for long-term preservation of natural communities under current and future impacts of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Vitali
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones & Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Diego P Vázquez
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET & Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María F Miguel
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, CONICET & Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Yamila Sasal
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones & Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Mariano A Rodríguez-Cabal
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones & Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina.,Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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62
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Windsor FM, Tavella J, Rother DC, Raimundo RLG, Devoto M, Guimarães PR, Evans DM. Identifying plant mixes for multiple ecosystem service provision in agricultural systems using ecological networks. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fredric M. Windsor
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Julia Tavella
- Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Débora C. Rother
- Departamento de Ecologia Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Rafael L. G. Raimundo
- Departamento de Engenharia e Meio Ambiente Universidade Federal da Paraíba Joao Pessoa Brazil
| | - Mariano Devoto
- Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | | | - Darren M. Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
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63
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Yamawo A, Suzuki N, Tagawa J. Species diversity and biological trait function: Effectiveness of ant–plant mutualism decreases as ant species diversity increases. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Yamawo
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Jun Tagawa
- Department of Biosphere–Geosphere System Science Faculty of Informatics Okayama University of Science Okayama Japan
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64
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Pedraza F, Bascompte J. The joint role of coevolutionary selection and network structure in shaping trait matching in mutualisms. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211291. [PMID: 34403630 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Coevolution can sculpt remarkable trait similarity between mutualistic partners. Yet, it remains unclear which network topologies and selection regimes enhance trait matching. To address this, we simulate coevolution in topologically distinct networks under a gradient of mutualistic selection strength. We describe three main insights. First, trait matching is jointly influenced by the strength of mutualistic selection and the structural properties of the network where coevolution is unfolding. Second, the strength of mutualistic selection determines the network descriptors better correlated with higher trait matching. While network modularity enhances trait matching when coevolution is weak, network connectance does so when coevolution is strong. Third, the structural properties of networks outrank those of modules or species in determining the degree of trait matching. Our findings suggest networks can both enhance or constrain trait matching, depending on the strength of mutualistic selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Pedraza
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, 190, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, 190, Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
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65
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Robinson KE, Holding ML, Whitford MD, Saviola AJ, Yates JR, Clark RW. Phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance of two sympatric rattlesnakes and their prey. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1447-1465. [PMID: 34322920 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions often lead to the coevolution of adaptations associated with avoiding predation and, for predators, overcoming those defences. Antagonistic coevolutionary relationships are often not simple interactions between a single predator and prey but rather a complex web of interactions between multiple coexisting species. Coevolution between venomous rattlesnakes and small mammals has led to physiological venom resistance in several mammalian taxa. In general, viperid venoms contain large quantities of snake venom metalloproteinase toxins (SVMPs), which are inactivated by SVMP inhibitors expressed in resistant mammals. We explored variation in venom chemistry, SVMP expression, and SVMP resistance across four co-distributed species (California Ground Squirrels, Bryant's Woodrats, Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and Red Diamond Rattlesnakes) collected from four different populations in Southern California. Our aim was to understand phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance in order to compare coevolutionary dynamics of a system involving two sympatric predator-prey pairs to past studies that have focused on single pairs. Proteomic analysis of venoms indicated that these rattlesnakes express different phenotypes when in sympatry, with Red Diamonds expressing more typical viperid venom (with a diversity of SVMPs) and Southern Pacifics expressing a more atypical venom with a broader range of non-enzymatic toxins. We also found that although blood sera from both mammals were generally able to inhibit SVMPs from both rattlesnake species, inhibition depended strongly on the snake population, with snakes from one geographic site expressing SVMPs to which few mammals were resistant. Additionally, we found that Red Diamond venom, rather than woodrat resistance, was locally adapted. Our findings highlight the complexity of coevolutionary relationships between multiple predators and prey that exhibit similar offensive and defensive strategies in sympatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Robinson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Matthew L Holding
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Malachi D Whitford
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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66
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Braga MP, Janz N, Nylin S, Ronquist F, Landis MJ. Phylogenetic reconstruction of ancestral ecological networks through time for pierid butterflies and their host plants. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2134-2145. [PMID: 34297474 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The study of herbivorous insects underpins much of the theory that concerns the evolution of species interactions. In particular, Pieridae butterflies and their host plants have served as a model system for studying evolutionary arms races. To learn more about the coevolution of these two clades, we reconstructed ancestral ecological networks using stochastic mappings that were generated by a phylogenetic model of host-repertoire evolution. We then measured if, when, and how two ecologically important structural features of the ancestral networks (modularity and nestedness) evolved over time. Our study shows that as pierids gained new hosts and formed new modules, a subset of them retained or recolonised the ancestral host(s), preserving connectivity to the original modules. Together, host-range expansions and recolonisations promoted a phase transition in network structure. Our results demonstrate the power of combining network analysis with Bayesian inference of host-repertoire evolution to understand changes in complex species interactions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P Braga
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Niklas Janz
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sören Nylin
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Ronquist
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael J Landis
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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67
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Week B, Nuismer SL. Coevolutionary Arms Races and the Conditions for the Maintenance of Mutualism. Am Nat 2021; 198:195-205. [PMID: 34260869 DOI: 10.1086/714274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEmpirical evidence suggests that coevolutionary arms races between flowering plants and their pollinators can occur in wild populations. In extreme cases, trait escalation may result in evolutionary switching from mutualism to parasitism. However, theoretical approaches to studying coevolution typically assume fixed types of ecological interactions and ignore the evolution of absolute fitness. Here, we introduce a novel approach to track the evolution of absolute fitness as a framework to determine when escalatory coevolution results in a switch from mutualism to parasitism. We apply our approach to two previously studied mechanisms mediating selection as a function of phenotype. Our results demonstrate that interactions mediated by a "bigger-is-better" mechanism evolve toward parasitism. In contrast, generalizing the classical trait-matching mechanism so that the fitness of each species is optimized when trait values mismatch by a particular amount, we find theoretical support for indefinite trait exaggeration that preserves mutualistic interactions. Building on our results, we discuss the consequences of coevolutionary arms races for the maintenance of cheating. Moving beyond pairwise interactions, we consider the ramifications of coevolution in a South African pollination network for the evolution of parasitism. Future work extending our approach beyond pairwise interactions can lead to a framework for understanding the evolution of parasitism in mutualistic networks and further insights into the structure and dynamic nature of ecological communities in general.
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68
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Hastings A, Abbott KC, Cuddington K, Francis TB, Lai YC, Morozov A, Petrovskii S, Zeeman ML. Effects of stochasticity on the length and behaviour of ecological transients. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210257. [PMID: 34229460 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing recognition that ecological systems can spend extended periods of time far away from an asymptotic state, and that ecological understanding will therefore require a deeper appreciation for how long ecological transients arise. Recent work has defined classes of deterministic mechanisms that can lead to long transients. Given the ubiquity of stochasticity in ecological systems, a similar systematic treatment of transients that includes the influence of stochasticity is important. Stochasticity can of course promote the appearance of transient dynamics by preventing systems from settling permanently near their asymptotic state, but stochasticity also interacts with deterministic features to create qualitatively new dynamics. As such, stochasticity may shorten, extend or fundamentally change a system's transient dynamics. Here, we describe a general framework that is developing for understanding the range of possible outcomes when random processes impact the dynamics of ecological systems over realistic time scales. We emphasize that we can understand the ways in which stochasticity can either extend or reduce the lifetime of transients by studying the interactions between the stochastic and deterministic processes present, and we summarize both the current state of knowledge and avenues for future advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Karen C Abbott
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Kim Cuddington
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Tessa B Francis
- Puget Sound Institute, University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma, WA 98421, USA
| | - Ying-Cheng Lai
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Andrew Morozov
- School of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, Moscow 117071, Russia
| | - Sergei Petrovskii
- School of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.,Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya Str., Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Mary Lou Zeeman
- Department of Mathematics, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
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69
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Duchenne F, Fontaine C, Teulière E, Thébault E. Phenological traits foster persistence of mutualistic networks by promoting facilitation. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2088-2099. [PMID: 34218505 PMCID: PMC8518482 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Morphological and phenological traits are key determinants of the structure of mutualistic networks. Both traits create forbidden links, but phenological traits can also decouple interaction in time. While such difference likely affects the indirect effects among species and consequently network persistence, it remains overlooked. Here, using a dynamic model, we show that networks structured by phenology favour facilitation over competition within guilds of pollinators and plants, thereby increasing network persistence, while the contrary holds for networks structured by morphology. We further show that such buffering of competition by phenological traits mostly beneficiate to specialists, the most vulnerable species otherwise, which propagate the most positive effects within guilds and promote nestedness. Our results indicate that beyond trophic mismatch, phenological shifts such as those induced by climate change are likely to affect indirect effects within mutualistic assemblages, with consequences for biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Duchenne
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, (Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université Paris Est Créteil, INRAE, IRD), Paris, France.,Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, (CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université), Paris, France.,Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Research Center, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Colin Fontaine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation, (CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université), Paris, France
| | - Elsa Teulière
- Lycée Romain Rolland, Académie de Créteil (Education Nationale), Ivry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Elisa Thébault
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, (Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université Paris Est Créteil, INRAE, IRD), Paris, France
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70
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Wang SC, Liu X, Liu Y, Wang H. Disentangling effects of multiple stressors on matter flow in a lake food web. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9652-9664. [PMID: 34306651 PMCID: PMC8293722 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relative importance of multiple stressors is valuable to prioritize conservation and restoration measures. Yet, the effects of multiple stressors on ecosystem functioning remain largely unknown in many fresh waters. Here, we provided a methodology combining ecosystem modeling with linear regression to disentangle the effects of multiple stressors on matter flow, an important ecosystem function. Treating a shallow lake as the model ecosystem, we simulated matter flow dynamics during 1950s-2010s with different combinations of stressors by Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) modeling and determined the relative importance of each stressor by generalized linear mixed models. We found that matter flow of the lake food web was highly dynamic, attributing to effects of multiple anthropogenic stressors. Biological invasion played the strongest role in driving the matter flow dynamics, followed by eutrophication, while biomanipulation (i.e., phytoplankton control by planktivorous fish stocking) was of little importance. Eutrophication had a stronger role on primary producers, pelagic food chain, and top predators, while biological invasion on consumers in the middle of food chains. The former was more important in driving the quantity of matter flow, while the latter on trophic transfer efficiencies. Scenario forecasting showed that reducing nutrients contents could largely shape the matter flow pattern, while biomanipulation had little effect. Our findings provided new insights into understanding the mechanistic links between anthropogenic stressors and ecosystem functioning by combining ecosystem modeling with linear regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuran Cindy Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and BiotechnologyInstitute of HydrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
| | - Xueqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and BiotechnologyInstitute of HydrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
| | - Yong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Water and Substrate Sciences (Ministry of Education)College of Environmental Sciences and EngineeringPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongzhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and BiotechnologyInstitute of HydrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesWuhanChina
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71
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Van Cauwenberghe J, Santamaría RI, Bustos P, Juárez S, Ducci MA, Figueroa Fleming T, Etcheverry AV, González V. Spatial patterns in phage-Rhizobium coevolutionary interactions across regions of common bean domestication. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:2092-2106. [PMID: 33558688 PMCID: PMC8245606 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00907-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages play significant roles in the composition, diversity, and evolution of bacterial communities. Despite their importance, it remains unclear how phage diversity and phage-host interactions are spatially structured. Local adaptation may play a key role. Nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria, known as rhizobia, have been shown to locally adapt to domesticated common bean at its Mesoamerican and Andean sites of origin. This may affect phage-rhizobium interactions. However, knowledge about the diversity and coevolution of phages with their respective Rhizobium populations is lacking. Here, through the study of four phage-Rhizobium communities in Mexico and Argentina, we show that both phage and host diversity is spatially structured. Cross-infection experiments demonstrated that phage infection rates were higher overall in sympatric rhizobia than in allopatric rhizobia except for one Argentinean community, indicating phage local adaptation and host maladaptation. Phage-host interactions were shaped by the genetic identity and geographic origin of both the phage and the host. The phages ranged from specialists to generalists, revealing a nested network of interactions. Our results suggest a key role of local adaptation to resident host bacterial communities in shaping the phage genetic and phenotypic composition, following a similar spatial pattern of diversity and coevolution to that in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannick Van Cauwenberghe
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, Mexico, Mexico.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Rosa I Santamaría
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Patricia Bustos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Soledad Juárez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Maria Antonella Ducci
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | | | | | - Víctor González
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México, Mexico, Mexico.
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72
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Pinto‐Coelho D, Martins M, Guimarães Junior PR. Network analyses reveal the role of large snakes in connecting feeding guilds in a species-rich Amazonian snake community. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6558-6568. [PMID: 34141240 PMCID: PMC8207408 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In ecological communities, interactions between consumers and resources lead to the emergence of ecological networks and a fundamental problem to solve is to understand which factors shape network structure. Empirical and theoretical studies on ecological networks suggest predator body size is a key factor structuring patterns of interaction. Because larger predators consume a wider resource range, including the prey consumed by smaller predators, we hypothesized that variation in body size favors the rise of nestedness. In contrast, if resource consumption requires specific adaptations, predators are expected to consume distinct sets of resources, thus favoring modularity. We investigate these predictions by characterizing the trophic network of a species-rich Amazonian snake community (62 species). Our results revealed an intricate network pattern resulting from larger species feeding on higher diversity of prey and therefore promoting nestedness, whereas snakes with specific lifestyles and feeding on distinct resources, promoting modularity. Species removal simulations indicated that the nested structure is favored mainly by the presence of five species of the family Boidae, which because of their body size and generalist lifestyles connect modules in the network. Our study highlights the particular ways traits affect the structure of interactions among consumers and resources at the community level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pinto‐Coelho
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Marcio Martins
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
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73
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Barbour MA, Gibert JP. Genetic and plastic rewiring of food webs under climate change. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1814-1830. [PMID: 34028791 PMCID: PMC8453762 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is altering ecological and evolutionary processes across biological scales. These simultaneous effects of climate change pose a major challenge for predicting the future state of populations, communities and ecosystems. This challenge is further exacerbated by the current lack of integration of research focused on these different scales. We propose that integrating the fields of quantitative genetics and food web ecology will reveal new insights on how climate change may reorganize biodiversity across levels of organization. This is because quantitative genetics links the genotypes of individuals to population‐level phenotypic variation due to genetic (G), environmental (E) and gene‐by‐environment (G × E) factors. Food web ecology, on the other hand, links population‐level phenotypes to the structure and dynamics of communities and ecosystems. We synthesize data and theory across these fields and find evidence that genetic (G) and plastic (E and G × E) phenotypic variation within populations will change in magnitude under new climates in predictable ways. We then show how changes in these sources of phenotypic variation can rewire food webs by altering the number and strength of species interactions, with consequences for ecosystem resilience. We also find evidence suggesting there are predictable asymmetries in genetic and plastic trait variation across trophic levels, which set the pace for phenotypic change and food web responses to climate change. Advances in genomics now make it possible to partition G, E and G × E phenotypic variation in natural populations, allowing tests of the hypotheses we propose. By synthesizing advances in quantitative genetics and food web ecology, we provide testable predictions for how the structure and dynamics of biodiversity will respond to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Barbour
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean P Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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74
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Van Goor J, Piatscheck F, Houston DD, Nason JD. Differential effects of nematode infection on pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps: Can shared antagonism provide net benefits to a mutualism? J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1764-1775. [PMID: 33934356 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Species pairs that form mutualistic associations are also components of broader organismal community networks. These interaction networks have shaped the evolution of individual mutualisms through interspecific interactions ranging from secondarily mutualistic to intensely antagonistic. Our understanding of this complex context remains limited because characterizing the impacts of species interacting with focal mutualists is often difficult. How is the fitness of mutualists impacted by the co-occurring interactive network of community associates? We investigated this context using a model interaction network comprised of a fig and fig wasp mutualist, eight non-pollinating fig wasp (NPFW) antagonists/commensals and a nematode previously believed to be associated only with the pollinator wasp mutualist. Through repeated sampling and field observations, we characterized the ecological roles of these mutualist-associated organisms to identify key antagonists. We then investigated how potential nematode infection of NPFWs could impact wasp survival across key life stages and, in turn, inferred how this influences the fitness of the fig-pollinator mutualists. Unexpectedly, we found all Ficus petiolaris-associated NPFWs to be the targets for nematode infection, with infection levels sometimes exceeding that of pollinators. Experimental data collected for the most abundant NPFW species suggest that nematode infection significantly reduces their longevity. Further, comparisons of nematode loads for emerging and successfully arriving NPFWs suggest that infection severely limits their dispersal ability. Through these observations, we conclude that this infection could impact NPFWs more severely than either mutualistic partner, suggesting a novel role of density-dependent facultative mutualism between figs, pollinator wasps and the nematode. This antagonist-mediated suppression of other network antagonists may present an ecologically common mechanism through which antagonists can present net benefits for mutualists' fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Van Goor
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Finn Piatscheck
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Derek D Houston
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO, USA
| | - John D Nason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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75
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Epizoochory in Parrots as an Overlooked Yet Widespread Plant-Animal Mutualism. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10040760. [PMID: 33924535 PMCID: PMC8070029 DOI: 10.3390/plants10040760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Plant–animal interactions are key to sustaining whole communities and ecosystem function. However, their complexity may limit our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the species involved. The ecological effects of epizoochory remain little known compared to other seed dispersal mechanisms given the few vectors identified. In addition, epizoochory is mostly considered non-mutualistic since dispersers do not obtain nutritional rewards. Here, we show a widespread but unknown mutualistic interaction between parrots and plants through epizoochory. Combining our observations with photos from web-sources, we recorded nearly 2000 epizoochory events in 48 countries across five continents, involving 116 parrot species and nearly 100 plant species from 35 families, including both native and non-native species. The viscid pulp of fleshy fruits and anemochorous structures facilitate the adherence of tiny seeds (mean 3.7 × 2.56 mm) on the surface of parrots while feeding, allowing the dispersion of these seeds over long distances (mean = 118.5 m). This parrot–plant mutualism could be important in ecosystem functioning across a wide diversity of environments, also facilitating the spread of exotic plants. Future studies should include parrots for a better understanding of plant dispersal processes and for developing effective conservation actions against habitat loss and biological invasions.
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76
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Sperlea T, Kreuder N, Beisser D, Hattab G, Boenigk J, Heider D. Quantification of the covariation of lake microbiomes and environmental variables using a machine learning-based framework. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2131-2144. [PMID: 33682183 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is known that microorganisms are essential for the functioning of ecosystems, but the extent to which microorganisms respond to different environmental variables in their natural habitats is not clear. In the current study, we present a methodological framework to quantify the covariation of the microbial community of a habitat and environmental variables of this habitat. It is built on theoretical considerations of systems ecology, makes use of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques and can be used to identify bioindicators. We apply the framework to a data set containing operational taxonomic units (OTUs) as well as more than twenty physicochemical and geographic variables measured in a large-scale survey of European lakes. While a large part of variation (up to 61%) in many environmental variables can be explained by microbial community composition, some variables do not show significant covariation with the microbial lake community. Moreover, we have identified OTUs that act as "multitask" bioindicators, i.e., that are indicative for multiple environmental variables, and thus could be candidates for lake water monitoring schemes. Our results represent, for the first time, a quantification of the covariation of the lake microbiome and a wide array of environmental variables for lake ecosystems. Building on the results and methodology presented here, it will be possible to identify microbial taxa and processes that are essential for functioning and stability of lake ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodor Sperlea
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg (Lahn), Germany
| | - Nico Kreuder
- Department of Biodiversity, Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Department of Biodiversity, Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Georges Hattab
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg (Lahn), Germany
| | - Jens Boenigk
- Department of Biodiversity, Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Dominik Heider
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg (Lahn), Germany
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77
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Palazzi MJ, Solé-Ribalta A, Calleja-Solanas V, Meloni S, Plata CA, Suweis S, Borge-Holthoefer J. An ecological approach to structural flexibility in online communication systems. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1941. [PMID: 33782408 PMCID: PMC8007599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22184-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cognitive abilities are limited resources. Today, in the age of cheap information-cheap to produce, to manipulate, to disseminate-this cognitive bottleneck translates into hypercompetition for rewarding outcomes among actors. These incentives push actors to mutualistically interact with specific memes, seeking the virality of their messages. In turn, memes' chances to persist and spread are subject to changes in the communication environment. In spite of all this complexity, here we show that the underlying architecture of empirical actor-meme information ecosystems evolves into recurring emergent patterns. We then propose an ecology-inspired modelling framework, bringing to light the precise mechanisms causing the observed flexible structural reorganisation. The model predicts-and the data confirm-that users' struggle for visibility induces a re-equilibration of the network's mesoscale towards self-similar nested arrangements. Our final microscale insights suggest that flexibility at the structural level is not mirrored at the dynamical one.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J. Palazzi
- grid.36083.3e0000 0001 2171 6620Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Albert Solé-Ribalta
- grid.36083.3e0000 0001 2171 6620Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain ,grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650URPP Social Networks, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Violeta Calleja-Solanas
- grid.507629.f0000 0004 1768 3290IFISC, Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Sandro Meloni
- grid.507629.f0000 0004 1768 3290IFISC, Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Carlos A. Plata
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia G. Galilei, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy ,grid.503330.60000 0004 0366 8268Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, LPTMS, Orsay, France
| | - Samir Suweis
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia G. Galilei, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Javier Borge-Holthoefer
- grid.36083.3e0000 0001 2171 6620Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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78
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Week B, Nuismer SL, Harmon LJ, Krone SM. A white noise approach to evolutionary ecology. J Theor Biol 2021; 521:110660. [PMID: 33684405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although the evolutionary response to random genetic drift is classically modelled as a sampling process for populations with fixed abundance, the abundances of populations in the wild fluctuate over time. Furthermore, since wild populations exhibit demographic stochasticity and since random genetic drift is in part due to demographic stochasticity, theoretical approaches are needed to understand the role of demographic stochasticity in eco-evolutionary dynamics. Here we close this gap for quantitative characters evolving in continuously reproducing populations by providing a framework to track the stochastic dynamics of abundance density across phenotypic space using stochastic partial differential equations. In the process we develop a set of heuristics to operationalize the powerful, but abstract theory of white noise and diffusion-limits of individual-based models. Applying these heuristics, we obtain stochastic ordinary differential equations that generalize classical expressions of ecological quantitative genetics. In particular, by supplying growth rate and reproductive variance as functions of abundance densities and trait values, these equations track population size, mean trait and additive genetic variance responding to mutation, demographic stochasticity, random genetic drift, deterministic selection and noise-induced selection. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by formulating a model of diffuse coevolution mediated by exploitative competition for a continuum of resources. In addition to trait and abundance distributions, this model predicts interaction networks defined by niche-overlap, competition coefficients, or selection gradients. Using a high-richness approximation, we find linear selection gradients and competition coefficients are uncorrelated, but magnitudes of linear selection gradients and quadratic selection gradients are both positively correlated with competition coefficients. Hence, competing species that strongly affect each other's abundance tend to also impose selection on one another, but the directionality is not predicted. This approach contributes to the development of a synthetic theory of evolutionary ecology by formalizing first principle derivations of stochastic models tracking feedbacks of biological processes and the patterns of diversity they produce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Week
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States.
| | - Scott L Nuismer
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States
| | - Luke J Harmon
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States
| | - Stephen M Krone
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, United States; Department of Mathematics, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1103, Moscow, ID 83844, United States
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79
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Habitat generalist species constrain the diversity of mimicry rings in heterogeneous habitats. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5072. [PMID: 33658554 PMCID: PMC7930205 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83867-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
How evolution creates and maintains trait patterns in species-rich communities is still an unsolved topic in evolutionary ecology. One classical example of community-level pattern is the unexpected coexistence of different mimicry rings, each of which is a group of mimetic species with the same warning signal. The coexistence of different mimicry rings in a community seems paradoxical because selection among unpalatable species should favor convergence to a single warning pattern. We combined mathematical modeling based on network theory and numerical simulations to explore how different types of selection, such as mimetic and environmental selections, and habitat use by mimetic species influence the formation of coexisting rings. We show that when habitat and mimicry are strong sources of selection, the formation of multiple rings takes longer due to conflicting selective pressures. Moreover, habitat generalist species decrease the distinctiveness of different mimicry rings’ patterns and a few habitat generalist species can generate a “small-world effect”, preventing the formation of multiple mimicry rings. These results may explain why the coexistence of mimicry rings is more common in groups of animals that tend towards habitat specialism, such as butterflies.
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80
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Dittami SM, Arboleda E, Auguet JC, Bigalke A, Briand E, Cárdenas P, Cardini U, Decelle J, Engelen AH, Eveillard D, Gachon CMM, Griffiths SM, Harder T, Kayal E, Kazamia E, Lallier FH, Medina M, Marzinelli EM, Morganti TM, Núñez Pons L, Prado S, Pintado J, Saha M, Selosse MA, Skillings D, Stock W, Sunagawa S, Toulza E, Vorobev A, Leblanc C, Not F. A community perspective on the concept of marine holobionts: current status, challenges, and future directions. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10911. [PMID: 33665032 PMCID: PMC7916533 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-microbe interactions play crucial roles in marine ecosystems. However, we still have very little understanding of the mechanisms that govern these relationships, the evolutionary processes that shape them, and their ecological consequences. The holobiont concept is a renewed paradigm in biology that can help to describe and understand these complex systems. It posits that a host and its associated microbiota with which it interacts, form a holobiont, and have to be studied together as a coherent biological and functional unit to understand its biology, ecology, and evolution. Here we discuss critical concepts and opportunities in marine holobiont research and identify key challenges in the field. We highlight the potential economic, sociological, and environmental impacts of the holobiont concept in marine biological, evolutionary, and environmental sciences. Given the connectivity and the unexplored biodiversity specific to marine ecosystems, a deeper understanding of such complex systems requires further technological and conceptual advances, e.g., the development of controlled experimental model systems for holobionts from all major lineages and the modeling of (info)chemical-mediated interactions between organisms. Here we propose that one significant challenge is to bridge cross-disciplinary research on tractable model systems in order to address key ecological and evolutionary questions. This first step is crucial to decipher the main drivers of the dynamics and evolution of holobionts and to account for the holobiont concept in applied areas, such as the conservation, management, and exploitation of marine ecosystems and resources, where practical solutions to predict and mitigate the impact of human activities are more important than ever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon M Dittami
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Enrique Arboleda
- FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | | | - Arite Bigalke
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Enora Briand
- Laboratoire Phycotoxines, Ifremer, Nantes, France
| | - Paco Cárdenas
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Integrative Marine Ecology Dept, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Johan Decelle
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRA, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Damien Eveillard
- Laboratoire des Sciences Numériques de Nantes (LS2N), Université de Nantes, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Claire M M Gachon
- Scottish Marine Institute, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah M Griffiths
- School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ehsan Kayal
- FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | | | - François H Lallier
- Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States of America
| | - Ezequiel M Marzinelli
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, Australia
| | | | - Laura Núñez Pons
- Section Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Soizic Prado
- Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (UMR 7245), National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - José Pintado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Vigo, Spain
| | - Mahasweta Saha
- Benthic Ecology, Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany.,Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Marc-André Selosse
- National Museum of Natural History, Département Systématique et Evolution, Paris, France.,Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Derek Skillings
- Philosophy Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Willem Stock
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Dept. of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eve Toulza
- IHPE, Univ. de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, UPDV, Perpignan, France
| | - Alexey Vorobev
- CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Catherine Leblanc
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Fabrice Not
- Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
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81
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Hui C, Richardson DM, Landi P, Minoarivelo HO, Roy HE, Latombe G, Jing X, CaraDonna PJ, Gravel D, Beckage B, Molofsky J. Trait positions for elevated invasiveness in adaptive ecological networks. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractOur ability to predict the outcome of invasion declines rapidly as non-native species progress through intertwined ecological barriers to establish and spread in recipient ecosystems. This is largely due to the lack of systemic knowledge on key processes at play as species establish self-sustaining populations within the invaded range. To address this knowledge gap, we present a mathematical model that captures the eco-evolutionary dynamics of native and non-native species interacting within an ecological network. The model is derived from continuous-trait evolutionary game theory (i.e., Adaptive Dynamics) and its associated concept of invasion fitness which depicts dynamic demographic performance that is both trait mediated and density dependent. Our approach allows us to explore how multiple resident and non-native species coevolve to reshape invasion performance, or more precisely invasiveness, over trait space. The model clarifies the role of specific traits in enabling non-native species to occupy realised opportunistic niches. It also elucidates the direction and speed of both ecological and evolutionary dynamics of residing species (natives or non-natives) in the recipient network under different levels of propagule pressure. The versatility of the model is demonstrated using four examples that correspond to the invasion of (i) a horizontal competitive community; (ii) a bipartite mutualistic network; (iii) a bipartite antagonistic network; and (iv) a multi-trophic food web. We identified a cohesive trait strategy that enables the success and establishment of non-native species to possess high invasiveness. Specifically, we find that a non-native species can achieve high levels of invasiveness by possessing traits that overlap with those of its facilitators (and mutualists), which enhances the benefits accrued from positive interactions, and by possessing traits outside the range of those of antagonists, which mitigates the costs accrued from negative interactions. This ‘central-to-reap, edge-to-elude’ trait strategy therefore describes the strategic trait positions of non-native species to invade an ecological network. This model provides a theoretical platform for exploring invasion strategies in complex adaptive ecological networks.
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82
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Heymann EW, Fuzessy LF. Are palms a good model to explain primate colour vision diversification? A comment on Onstein et al. 2020. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20201423. [PMID: 33468014 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eckhard W Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie und Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum-Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lisieux Franco Fuzessy
- Zoology Department, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
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83
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Pizo MA, Morales JM, Ovaskainen O, Carlo TA. Frugivory Specialization in Birds and Fruit Chemistry Structure Mutualistic Networks across the Neotropics. Am Nat 2021; 197:236-249. [PMID: 33523785 DOI: 10.1086/712381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe interaction between fruit chemistry and the physiological traits of frugivores is expected to shape the structure of mutualistic seed dispersal networks, but it has been understudied compared with the role of morphological trait matching in structuring interaction patterns. For instance, highly frugivorous birds (i.e., birds that have fruits as the main component of their diets), which characteristically have fast gut passage times, are expected to avoid feeding on lipid-rich fruits because of the long gut retention times associated with lipid digestion. Here, we compiled data from 84 studies conducted in the Neotropics that used focal plant methods to record 35,815 feeding visits made by 317 bird species (155 genera in 28 families) to 165 plant species (82 genera in 48 families). We investigated the relationship between the degree of frugivory of birds (i.e., how much of their diet is composed of fruit) at the genus level and their visits to plant genera that vary in fruit lipid content. We used a hierarchical modeling of species communities approach that accounted for the effects of differences in body size, bird and plant phylogeny, and spatial location of study sites. We found that birds with a low degree of frugivory (e.g., predominantly insectivores) tend to have the highest increase in visitation rates as fruits become more lipid rich, while birds that are more frugivorous tend to increase visits at a lower rate or even decrease visitation rates as lipids increase in fruits. This balance between degree of frugivory and visitation rates to lipid-poor and lipid-rich fruits provides a mechanism to explain specialized dispersal systems and the occurrence of certain physiological nutritional filters, ultimately helping us to understand community-wide interaction patterns between birds and plants.
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84
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Coux C, Donoso I, Tylianakis JM, García D, Martínez D, Dehling DM, Stouffer DB. Tricky partners: native plants show stronger interaction preferences than their exotic counterparts. Ecology 2020; 102:e03239. [PMID: 33125718 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In ecological networks, neutral predictions suggest that species' interaction frequencies are proportional to their relative abundances. Deviations from neutral predictions thus correspond to interaction preferences (when positive) or avoidances (when negative), driven by nonneutral (e.g., niche-based) processes. Exotic species interact with many partners with which they have not coevolved, and it remains unclear whether this systematically influences the strength of neutral processes on interactions, and how these interaction-level differences scale up to entire networks. To fill this gap, we compared interactions between plants and frugivorous birds at nine forest sites in New Zealand varying in the relative abundance and composition of native and exotic species, with independently sampled data on bird and plant abundances from the same sites. We tested if the strength and direction of interaction preferences differed between native and exotic species. We further evaluated whether the performance of neutral predictions at the site level was predicted by the proportion of exotic interactions in each network from both bird and plant perspectives, and the species composition in each site. We found that interactions involving native plants deviated more strongly from neutral predictions than did interactions involving exotics. This "pickiness" of native plants could be detrimental in a context of global biotic homogenization where they could be increasingly exposed to novel interactions with neutrally interacting mutualists. However, the realization of only a subset of interactions in different sites compensated for the neutrality of interactions involving exotics, so that neutral predictions for whole networks did not change systematically with the proportion of exotic species or species composition. Therefore, the neutral and niche processes that underpin individual interactions may not scale up to entire networks. This shows that seemingly simplistic neutral assumptions entail complex processes and can provide valuable understanding of community assembly or invasion dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Coux
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt (Main), 60325, Germany.,Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, 33071, Spain
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Daniel García
- Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, 33071, Spain
| | - Daniel Martínez
- Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, 33071, Spain
| | - D Matthias Dehling
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Daniel B Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
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85
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Simmons BI, Beckerman AP, Hansen K, Maruyama PK, Televantos C, Vizentin‐Bugoni J, Dalsgaard B. Niche and neutral processes leave distinct structural imprints on indirect interactions in mutualistic networks. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benno I. Simmons
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - Andrew P. Beckerman
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Katrine Hansen
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Ø Denmark
| | - Pietro K. Maruyama
- Centro de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação Departamento de Genética Ecologia e Evolução ICBUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais – MG Brazil
| | - Constantinos Televantos
- Molecular Immunity Unit Department of Medicine MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Jeferson Vizentin‐Bugoni
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Ø Denmark
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86
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Guimarães PR. The Structure of Ecological Networks Across Levels of Organization. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012220-120819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Interactions connect the units of ecological systems, forming networks. Individual-based networks characterize variation in niches among individuals within populations. These individual-based networks merge with each other, forming species-based networks and food webs that describe the architecture of ecological communities. Networks at broader spatiotemporal scales portray the structure of ecological interactions across landscapes and over macroevolutionary time. Here, I review the patterns observed in ecological networks across multiple levels of biological organization. A fundamental challenge is to understand the amount of interdependence as we move from individual-based networks to species-based networks and beyond. Despite the uneven distribution of studies, regularities in network structure emerge across scales due to the fundamental architectural patterns shared by complex networks and the interplay between traits and numerical effects. I illustrate the integration of these organizational scales by exploring the consequences of the emergence of highly connected species for network structures across scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo R. Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brazil
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87
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Chomicki G, Kiers ET, Renner SS. The Evolution of Mutualistic Dependence. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
While the importance of mutualisms across the tree of life is recognized, it is not understood why some organisms evolve high levels of dependence on mutualistic partnerships, while other species remain autonomous or retain or regain minimal dependence on partners. We identify four main pathways leading to the evolution of mutualistic dependence. Then, we evaluate current evidence for three predictions: ( a) Mutualisms with different levels of dependence have distinct stabilizing mechanisms against exploitation and cheating, ( b) less dependent mutualists will return to autonomy more often than those that are highly dependent, and ( c) obligate mutualisms should be less context dependent than facultative ones. Although we find evidence supporting all three predictions, we stress that mutualistic partners follow diverse paths toward—and away from—dependence. We also highlight the need to better examine asymmetry in partner dependence. Recognizing how variation in dependence influences the stability, breakdown, and context dependence of mutualisms generates new hypotheses regarding how and why the benefits of mutualistic partnerships differ over time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Chomicki
- Department of Bioscience, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - E. Toby Kiers
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne S. Renner
- Systematic Botany and Mycology, Department of Biology, University of Munich (LMU), 80638 Munich, Germany
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88
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Stoy KS, Gibson AK, Gerardo NM, Morran LT. A need to consider the evolutionary genetics of host-symbiont mutualisms. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:1656-1668. [PMID: 33047414 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite the ubiquity and importance of mutualistic interactions, we know little about the evolutionary genetics underlying their long-term persistence. As in antagonistic interactions, mutualistic symbioses are characterized by substantial levels of phenotypic and genetic diversity. In contrast to antagonistic interactions, however, we, by and large, do not understand how this variation arises, how it is maintained, nor its implications for future evolutionary change. Currently, we rely on phenotypic models to address the persistence of mutualistic symbioses, but the success of an interaction almost certainly depends heavily on genetic interactions. In this review, we argue that evolutionary genetic models could provide a framework for understanding the causes and consequences of diversity and why selection may favour processes that maintain variation in mutualistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla S Stoy
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution Program, Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Amanda K Gibson
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - Levi T Morran
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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89
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Meng Y, Lai YC, Grebogi C. Tipping point and noise-induced transients in ecological networks. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200645. [PMID: 33050778 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A challenging and outstanding problem in interdisciplinary research is to understand the interplay between transients and stochasticity in high-dimensional dynamical systems. Focusing on the tipping-point dynamics in complex mutualistic networks in ecology constructed from empirical data, we investigate the phenomena of noise-induced collapse and noise-induced recovery. Two types of noise are studied: environmental (Gaussian white) noise and state-dependent demographic noise. The dynamical mechanism responsible for both phenomena is a transition from one stable steady state to another driven by stochastic forcing, mediated by an unstable steady state. Exploiting a generic and effective two-dimensional reduced model for real-world mutualistic networks, we find that the average transient lifetime scales algebraically with the noise amplitude, for both environmental and demographic noise. We develop a physical understanding of the scaling laws through an analysis of the mean first passage time from one steady state to another. The phenomena of noise-induced collapse and recovery and the associated scaling laws have implications for managing high-dimensional ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Meng
- Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
| | - Ying-Cheng Lai
- School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Celso Grebogi
- Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
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90
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Assis APA, Thompson JN, Santana PC, Jordano P, Bascompte J, Guimarães PR. Genetic correlations and ecological networks shape coevolving mutualisms. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1789-1799. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John N. Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | | | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Sevilla Spain
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
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91
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Fricke EC, Svenning JC. Accelerating homogenization of the global plant-frugivore meta-network. Nature 2020; 585:74-78. [PMID: 32879498 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Introductions of species by humans are causing the homogenization of species composition across biogeographic barriers1-3. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of introduced species derive from their effects on networks of species interactions4,5, but we lack a quantitative understanding of the impacts of introduced species on ecological networks and their biogeographic patterns globally. Here we address this data gap by analysing mutualistic seed-dispersal interactions from 410 local networks, encompassing 24,455 unique pairwise interactions between 1,631 animal and 3,208 plant species. We show that species introductions reduce biogeographic compartmentalization of the global meta-network, in which nodes are species and links are interactions observed within any local network. This homogenizing effect extends across spatial scales, decreasing beta diversity among local networks and modularity within networks. The prevalence of introduced interactions is directly related to human environmental modifications and is accelerating, having increased sevenfold over the past 75 years. These dynamics alter the coevolutionary environments that mutualists experience6, and we find that introduced species disproportionately interact with other introduced species. These processes are likely to amplify biotic homogenization in future ecosystems7 and may reduce the resilience of ecosystems by allowing perturbations to propagate more quickly and exposing disparate ecosystems to similar drivers. Our results highlight the importance of managing the increasing homogenization of ecological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan C Fricke
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA.
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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92
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Simmons BI, Wauchope HS, Amano T, Dicks LV, Sutherland WJ, Dakos V. Estimating the risk of species interaction loss in mutualistic communities. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000843. [PMID: 32866143 PMCID: PMC7485972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between species generate the functions on which ecosystems and humans depend. However, we lack an understanding of the risk that interaction loss poses to ecological communities. Here, we quantify the risk of interaction loss for 4,330 species interactions from 41 empirical pollination and seed dispersal networks across 6 continents. We estimate risk as a function of interaction vulnerability to extinction (likelihood of loss) and contribution to network feasibility, a measure of how much an interaction helps a community tolerate environmental perturbations. Remarkably, we find that more vulnerable interactions have higher contributions to network feasibility. Furthermore, interactions tend to have more similar vulnerability and contribution to feasibility across networks than expected by chance, suggesting that vulnerability and feasibility contribution may be intrinsic properties of interactions, rather than only a function of ecological context. These results may provide a starting point for prioritising interactions for conservation in species interaction networks in the future. A study of 4,330 species interactions from 41 empirical pollination and seed dispersal networks across six continents reveals that species interactions which are most vulnerable to extinction are also the most important for ecological community stability; moreover, vulnerable interactions that are important for stability tend to be important and vulnerable wherever they occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benno I Simmons
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah S Wauchope
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tatsuya Amano
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lynn V Dicks
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Agroecology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - William J Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vasilis Dakos
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (ISEM), CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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93
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Zhang H, Liu X, Wang Q, Zhang W, Gao J. Co-adaptation enhances the resilience of mutualistic networks. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200236. [PMID: 32693741 PMCID: PMC7423412 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic networks, which describe the ecological interactions between multiple types of species such as plants and pollinators, play a paramount role in the generation of Earth's biodiversity. The resilience of a mutualistic network denotes its ability to retain basic functionality when errors and failures threaten the persistence of the community. Under the disturbances of mass extinctions and human-induced disasters, it is crucial to understand how mutualistic networks respond to changes, which enables the system to increase resilience and tolerate further damages. Despite recent advances in the modelling of the structure-based adaptation, we lack mathematical and computational models to describe and capture the co-adaptation between the structure and dynamics of mutualistic networks. In this paper, we incorporate dynamic features into the adaptation of structure and propose a co-adaptation model that drastically enhances the resilience of non-adaptive and structure-based adaptation models. Surprisingly, the reason for the enhancement is that the co-adaptation mechanism simultaneously increases the heterogeneity of the mutualistic network significantly without changing its connectance. Owing to the broad applications of mutualistic networks, our findings offer new ways to design mechanisms that enhance the resilience of many other systems, such as smart infrastructures and social-economical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixin Zhang
- Automation Department, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xueming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Processing and Intelligence Control, School of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Automation Department, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianxi Gao
- Department of Computer Science and Network Science and Technology Center, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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94
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Toju H, Abe MS, Ishii C, Hori Y, Fujita H, Fukuda S. Scoring Species for Synthetic Community Design: Network Analyses of Functional Core Microbiomes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1361. [PMID: 32676061 PMCID: PMC7333532 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Constructing biological communities is a major challenge in both basic and applied sciences. Although model synthetic communities with a few species have been constructed, designing systems consisting of tens or hundreds of species remains one of the most difficult goals in ecology and microbiology. By utilizing high-throughput sequencing data of interspecific association networks, we here propose a framework for exploring “functional core” species that have great impacts on whole community processes and functions. The framework allows us to score each species within a large community based on three criteria: namely, topological positions, functional portfolios, and functional balance within a target network. The criteria are measures of each species’ roles in maximizing functional benefits at the community or ecosystem level. When species with potentially large contributions to ecosystem-level functions are screened, the framework also helps us design “functional core microbiomes” by focusing on properties of species groups (modules) within a network. When embedded into agroecosystems or human gut, such functional core microbiomes are expected to organize whole microbiome processes and functions. An application to a plant-associated microbiome dataset actually highlighted potential functional core microbes that were known to control rhizosphere microbiomes by suppressing pathogens. Meanwhile, an example of application in mouse gut microbiomes called attention to poorly investigated bacterial species, whose potential roles within gut microbiomes deserve future experimental studies. The framework for gaining “bird’s-eye” views of functional cores within networks is applicable not only to agricultural and medical data but also to datasets produced in food processing, brewing, waste water purification, and biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Toju
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Masato S Abe
- Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chiharu Ishii
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan
| | - Yoshie Hori
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Fujita
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinji Fukuda
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Japan.,Intestinal Microbiota Project, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Japan.,Transborder Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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95
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Sheykhali S, Fernández-Gracia J, Traveset A, Ziegler M, Voolstra CR, Duarte CM, Eguíluz VM. Robustness to extinction and plasticity derived from mutualistic bipartite ecological networks. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9783. [PMID: 32555279 PMCID: PMC7300072 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66131-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the response of ecological networks to perturbations and disruptive events is needed to anticipate the biodiversity loss and extinction cascades. Here, we study how network plasticity reshapes the topology of mutualistic networks in response to species loss. We analyze more than one hundred empirical mutualistic networks and considered random and targeted removal as mechanisms of species extinction. Network plasticity is modeled as either random rewiring, as the most parsimonious approach, or resource affinity-driven rewiring, as a proxy for encoding the phylogenetic similarity and functional redundancy among species. This redundancy should be positively correlated with the robustness of an ecosystem, as functions can be taken by other species once one of them is extinct. We show that effective modularity, i.e. the ability of an ecosystem to adapt or restructure, increases with increasing numbers of extinctions, and with decreasing the replacement probability. Importantly, modularity is mostly affected by the extinction rather than by rewiring mechanisms. These changes in community structure are reflected in the robustness and stability due to their positive correlation with modularity. Resource affinity-driven rewiring offers an increase of modularity, robustness, and stability which could be an evolutionary favored mechanism to prevent a cascade of co-extinctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somaye Sheykhali
- Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, E-07122, Spain
| | - Juan Fernández-Gracia
- Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, E-07122, Spain.
| | - Anna Traveset
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), E07121, Esporles, Spain
| | - Maren Ziegler
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32 IFZ, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Víctor M Eguíluz
- Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos IFISC (CSIC-UIB), Palma de Mallorca, E-07122, Spain
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96
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Measuring Coevolutionary Dynamics in Species-Rich Communities. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:539-550. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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97
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Pires MM, O'Donnell JL, Burkle LA, Díaz‐Castelazo C, Hembry DH, Yeakel JD, Newman EA, Medeiros LP, Aguiar MAM, Guimarães PR. The indirect paths to cascading effects of extinctions in mutualistic networks. Ecology 2020; 101:e03080. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathias M. Pires
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas 13.083-862 São Paulo Brazil
| | - James L. O'Donnell
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs University of Washington Seattle WA 98105 Washington USA
| | - Laura A. Burkle
- Department of Ecology Montana State University Bozeman MT 59717 Montana USA
| | - Cecilia Díaz‐Castelazo
- Red de Interacciones Multitróficas Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Xalapa VER 11 351 Veracruz México
| | - David H. Hembry
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Ithaca NY 14853 New York USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 Arizona USA
| | - Justin D. Yeakel
- School of Natural Sciences University of California Merced CA 95343 California USA
| | - Erica A. Newman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson AZ 85721 Arizona USA
| | - Lucas P. Medeiros
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering MIT Cambridge MA 02142 Massachusetts USA
| | - Marcus A. M. Aguiar
- Instituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin” Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas 13083-859 São Paulo Brazil
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo 05508-090 Brazil
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98
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Kong C, Yao YX, Bing ZT, Guo BH, Huang L, Huang ZG, Lai YC. Dynamical network analysis reveals key microRNAs in progressive stages of lung cancer. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007793. [PMID: 32428028 PMCID: PMC7295246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs are fundamental to the competing endogenous RNA (CeRNA) hypothesis in oncology. Previous work focused on static CeRNA networks. We construct and analyze CeRNA networks for four sequential stages of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) based on multi-omics data of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs and mRNAs. We find that the networks possess a two-level bipartite structure: common competing endogenous network (CCEN) composed of an invariant set of microRNAs over all the stages and stage-dependent, unique competing endogenous networks (UCENs). A systematic enrichment analysis of the pathways of the mRNAs in CCEN reveals that they are strongly associated with cancer development. We also find that the microRNA-linked mRNAs from UCENs have a higher enrichment efficiency. A key finding is six microRNAs from CCEN that impact patient survival at all stages, and four microRNAs that affect the survival from a specific stage. The ten microRNAs can then serve as potential biomarkers and prognostic tools for LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Kong
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, The Key Laboratory of Neuro-informatics & Rehabilitation Engineering of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Healthcare Devices. Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Institute of Computational Physics and Complex Systems, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yu-Xiang Yao
- Institute of Computational Physics and Complex Systems, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Tong Bing
- Evidence Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Science of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Evidence Based Medicine and Knowledge Translation of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
- Department of Computational Physics, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bing-Hui Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, LMIB and School of Mathematics and System Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Huang
- Institute of Computational Physics and Complex Systems, School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zi-Gang Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, The Key Laboratory of Neuro-informatics & Rehabilitation Engineering of Ministry of Civil Affairs, Xi’an, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
| | - Ying-Cheng Lai
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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99
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Persistence and Oscillations of Plant-Pollinator-Herbivore Systems. Bull Math Biol 2020; 82:57. [PMID: 32385574 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-020-00735-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This paper considers plant-pollinator-herbivore systems where the plant produces food for the pollinator, the pollinator provides pollination service for the plant in return, while the herbivore consumes both the food and the plant itself without providing pollination service. Based on these resource-consumer interactions, we form a plant-pollinator-herbivore model which includes the intermediary food. Using qualitative method and Kuznetsov theorem, we show global dynamics of the subsystems, uniform persistence of the whole system and periodic oscillation by Hopf bifurcation. Rigorous analysis on the system demonstrates mechanisms by which varying parameters could make the system transition between extinction of herbivore, coexistence of the three species at steady states, coexistence in periodic oscillations and extinction of pollinator. It is shown that (i) in plant-pollinator interactions, the plant would produce food; (ii) in plant-herbivore interactions, the plant would produce toxin; (iii) in the presence of both pollinator and herbivore, the plant would produce both food and toxin, and intermediate productions are analytically given by which the plant can reach its maximal density; and (iv) an appropriate toxin production could drive the herbivore into extinction, an unappropriate one would drive the pollinator into extinction, while too much toxin production will drive the plant itself into extinction. The analysis leads to explanations for experimental observations and provides new insights.
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100
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Rusman Q, Lucas‐Barbosa D, Hassan K, Poelman EH. Plant ontogeny determines strength and associated plant fitness consequences of plant-mediated interactions between herbivores and flower visitors. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020; 108:1046-1060. [PMID: 32421019 PMCID: PMC7217261 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Plants show ontogenetic variation in growth-defence strategies to maximize reproductive output within a community context. Most work on plant ontogenetic variation in growth-defence trade-offs has focussed on interactions with antagonistic insect herbivores. Plants respond to herbivore attack with phenotypic changes. Despite the knowledge that plant responses to herbivory affect plant mutualistic interactions with pollinators required for reproduction, indirect interactions between herbivores and pollinators have not been included in the evaluation of how ontogenetic growth-defence trajectories affect plant fitness.In a common garden experiment with the annual Brassica nigra, we investigated whether exposure to various herbivore species on different plant ontogenetic stages (vegetative, bud or flowering stage) affects plant flowering traits, interactions with flower visitors and results in fitness consequences for the plant.Effects of herbivory on flowering plant traits and interactions with flower visitors depended on plant ontogeny. Plant exposure in the vegetative stage to the caterpillar Pieris brassicae and aphid Brevicoryne brassicae led to reduced flowering time and flower production, and resulted in reduced pollinator attraction, pollen beetle colonization, total seed production and seed weight. When plants had buds, infestation by most herbivore species tested reduced flower production and pollen beetle colonization. Pollinator attraction was either increased or reduced. Plants infested in the flowering stage with P. brassicae or Lipaphis erysimi flowered longer, while infestation by any of the herbivore species tested increased the number of flower visits by pollinators.Our results show that the outcome of herbivore-flower visitor interactions in B. nigra is specific for the combination of herbivore species and plant ontogenetic stage. Consequences of herbivory for flowering traits and reproductive output were strongest when plants were attacked early in life. Such differences in selection pressures imposed by herbivores to specific plant ontogenetic stages may drive the evolution of distinct ontogenetic trajectories in growth-defence-reproduction strategies and include indirect interactions between herbivores and flower visitors. Synthesis. Plant ontogeny can define the direct and indirect consequences of herbivory. Our study shows that the ontogenetic stage of plant individuals determined the effects of herbivory on plant flowering traits, interactions with flower visitors and plant fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quint Rusman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Dani Lucas‐Barbosa
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Bio‐communication & EcologyETH ZürichSchmelzbergstrasse 98092ZürichSwitzerland
| | - Kamrul Hassan
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityLocked Bag 1797PenrithNSW2751Australia
| | - Erik H. Poelman
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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