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Lawton P, Fahimipour AK, Anderson KE. Interspecific dispersal constraints suppress pattern formation in metacommunities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230136. [PMID: 38913053 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Decisions to disperse from a habitat stand out among organismal behaviours as pivotal drivers of ecosystem dynamics across scales. Encounters with other species are an important component of adaptive decision-making in dispersal, resulting in widespread behaviours like tracking resources or avoiding consumers in space. Despite this, metacommunity models often treat dispersal as a function of intraspecific density alone. We show, focusing initially on three-species network motifs, that interspecific dispersal rules generally drive a transition in metacommunities from homogeneous steady states to self-organized heterogeneous spatial patterns. However, when ecologically realistic constraints reflecting adaptive behaviours are imposed-prey tracking and predator avoidance-a pronounced homogenizing effect emerges where spatial pattern formation is suppressed. We demonstrate this effect for each motif by computing master stability functions that separate the contributions of local and spatial interactions to pattern formation. We extend this result to species-rich food webs using a random matrix approach, where we find that eventually, webs become large enough to override the homogenizing effect of adaptive dispersal behaviours, leading once again to predominately pattern-forming dynamics. Our results emphasize the critical role of interspecific dispersal rules in shaping spatial patterns across landscapes, highlighting the need to incorporate adaptive behavioural constraints in efforts to link local species interactions and metacommunity structure. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversity-dependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Lawton
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California , Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Ashkaan K Fahimipour
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University , Boca Raton, FL, USA
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University , Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Kurt E Anderson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology, University of California , Riverside, CA, USA
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2
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Mougi A. Dual species interaction and ecological community stability. Ecology 2024; 105:e4251. [PMID: 38272678 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
How diverse species coexist in nature remains a challenging issue that is not yet resolved in ecology. The traditional approach to tackling this problem uses an ecological community network comprising various biological interaction links between species, such as predator-prey, mutualism, and competition. However, in nature, the interaction between any species pair is not limited to a singular interaction; instead, various interactions occur mostly in two ways, such as competition/facilitation in plants, mutualism/antagonism in consumer-resource mutualisms, and reciprocal predation. Here, using an ecological community model, I show that such so-called dual interactions play a key role in stabilizing ecological communities. Theory predicts that dual interactions can stabilize ecological communities through the balance of positive and negative effects, which behave as if the interactions disappear. Communities with dual interactions are inherently more stable than a classical random community with multiple types of singular interactions, suggesting that dual interactions are more widespread than expected in nature and help to maintain ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
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3
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Bieg C, Gellner G, McCann KS. Stability of consumer-resource interactions in periodic environments. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231636. [PMID: 37752846 PMCID: PMC10523078 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Periodic fluctuations in abiotic conditions are ubiquitous across a range of temporal scales and regulate the structure and function of ecosystems through dynamic biotic responses that are adapted to these external forces. Research has suggested that certain environmental signatures may play a crucial role in the maintenance of biodiversity and the stability of food webs, while others argue that coupled oscillators ought to promote chaos. As such, numerous uncertainties remain regarding the intersection of temporal environmental patterns and biological responses, and we lack a general understanding of the implications for food web stability. Alarmingly, global change is altering the nature of both environmental rhythms and biological rates. Here, we develop a general theory for how continuous periodic variation in productivity, across temporal scales, influences the stability of consumer-resource interactions: a fundamental building block of food webs. Our results suggest that consumer-resource dynamics under environmental forcing are highly complex and depend on asymmetries in both the speed of forcing relative to underlying dynamics and in local stability properties. These asymmetries allow for environmentally driven stabilization under fast forcing, relative to underlying dynamics, as well as extremely complex and unstable dynamics at slower periodicities. Our results also suggest that changes in naturally occurring periodicities from climate change may lead to precipitous shifts in dynamics and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carling Bieg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gabriel Gellner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Kevin S. McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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4
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Li P, Gu S, Zhu Y, Xu T, Yang Y, Wang Z, Deng X, Wang B, Li W, Mei W, Hu Q. Soil microbiota plays a key regulatory role in the outbreak of tobacco root rot. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1214167. [PMID: 37779693 PMCID: PMC10540700 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1214167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Root rot caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium sp. poses significant challenges to tobacco cultivation in China, leading to major economic setbacks. The interplay between this pathogen and the wider soil microbial community remains poorly understood. Methods High-throughput sequencing technology was utilized to evaluate soil prokaryotic, fungal, and protistan communities. We compared microbial communities in infected soils to those in healthy soils from the same field. Additionally, the influence of pH on the microbial communities was assessed. Results Infected soils displayed elevated levels of soil nutrients but diminished observed richness across prokaryotic, fungal, and protistan groups. The pathogenic fungi Fusarium solani f sp. eumartii's abundance was notably increased in infected soils. Infection with F. solani significantly altered the soil's microbial community structure and interactions, manifested as a decrease in network scale and the number of keystone species. An evaluation of prokaryotes' role in F. solani's invasion revealed an increased number of connecting nodes in infected soils. Additionally, relationships between predatory protists and fungi were augmented, whereas predation on F. solani declined. Discussion The study underscores the significance of comprehending the interactions among soil microorganisms and brings to light the susceptibility of soil microbial communities to pathogen invasion. It offers insights into the multifaceted relationships and potential vulnerabilities within the soil ecosystem in the context of Fusarium sp. invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Li
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Songsong Gu
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanmei Zhu
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Tianyang Xu
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Yishuai Yang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengqiang Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiangdong Deng
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Wei Li
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenqiang Mei
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Qiulong Hu
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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5
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Eisenhauer N, Angst G, Asato AEB, Beugnon R, Bönisch E, Cesarz S, Dietrich P, Jurburg SD, Madaj AM, Reuben RC, Ristok C, Sünnemann M, Yi H, Guerra CA, Hines J. The heterogeneity-diversity-system performance nexus. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad109. [PMID: 37575691 PMCID: PMC10423029 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ever-growing human population and nutritional demands, supply chain disruptions, and advancing climate change have led to the realization that changes in diversity and system performance are intimately linked. Moreover, diversity and system performance depend on heterogeneity. Mitigating changes in system performance and promoting sustainable living conditions requires transformative decisions. Here, we introduce the heterogeneity-diversity-system performance (HDP) nexus as the conceptual basis upon which to formulate transformative decisions. We suggest that managing the heterogeneity of systems will best allow diversity to provide multiple benefits to people. Based on ecological theory, we pose that the HDP nexus is broadly applicable across systems, disciplines, and sectors, and should thus be considered in future decision making as a way to have a more sustainable global future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Gerrit Angst
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ana E B Asato
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Rémy Beugnon
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Leipzig Institute for Meteorology, Universität Leipzig, Stephanstraße 3, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, 1919, route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Elisabeth Bönisch
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Peter Dietrich
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Stephanie D Jurburg
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Madaj
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Rine C Reuben
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Christian Ristok
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Marie Sünnemann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Huimin Yi
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Carlos A Guerra
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
| | - Jes Hines
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Puschstr. 4, Leipzig 04103Germany
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6
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Li X, Yang W, Ma X, Zhu Z, Sun T, Cui B, Yang Z. Invasive Spartina alterniflora habitat forms high energy fluxes but low food web stability compared to adjacent native vegetated habitats. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 334:117487. [PMID: 36801685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Invasive Spartina spp. mostly colonizes a bare tidal flat and then establishes a new vegetated habitat, where it promotes the productivity of local ecosystems. However, it was unclear whether the invasive habitat could well exhibit ecosystem functioning, e.g. how its high productivity propagates throughout the food web and whether it thereby develops a high food web stability relative to native vegetated habitats. By developing quantitative food webs for a long-established invasive Spartina alterniflora habitat and adjacent native salt marsh (Suaeda salsa) and seagrass (Zostera japonica) habitats in China's Yellow River Delta, we investigated the distributions of energy fluxes, assessed the stability of food webs, and investigated the net trophic effects between trophic groups by combining all direct and indirect trophic interactions. Results showed that the total energy flux in the invasive S. alterniflora habitat was comparable to that in the Z. japonica habitat, whereas 4.5 times higher than that in the S. salsa habitat. While, the invasive habitat had the lowest trophic transfer efficiencies. Food web stability in the invasive habitat was about 3 and 40 times lower than that in the S. salsa and Z. japonica habitats, respectively. Additionally, there were strong net effects caused by intermediate invertebrate species in the invasive habitat rather than by fish species in both native habitats. This study revealed the contradiction between the promotion of energy fluxes and the decrease of food web stability resulting from the invasion of S. alterniflora, which provides new insights into the community-based management of plant invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
| | - Wei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, 257500, China.
| | - Xu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Zhenchang Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
| | - Tao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, 257500, China
| | - Baoshan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, 257500, China
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
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7
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Greyson-Gaito CJ, Gellner G, McCann KS. Life-history speed, population disappearances and noise-induced ratchet effects. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222149. [PMID: 36987642 PMCID: PMC10050927 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Nature is replete with variation in the body sizes, reproductive output and generation times of species that produce life-history responses known to vary from small and fast to large and slow. Although researchers recognize that life-history speed likely dictates fundamental processes in consumer-resource interactions like productivity and stability, theoretical work remains incomplete in this critical area. Here, we examine the role of life-history speed on consumer-resource interactions by using a well-used mathematical approach that manipulates the speed of the consumer's growth rate in a consumer-resource interaction. Importantly, this approach holds the isocline geometry intact, allowing us to assess the impacts of altered life-history speed on stability (coefficient of variation, CV) without changing the underlying qualitative dynamics. Although slowing life history can be initially stabilizing, we find that in stochastic settings slowing ultimately drives highly destabilizing population disappearances, especially under reddened noise. Our results suggest that human-driven reddening of noise may decrease species stability because the autocorrelation of red noise enlarges the period and magnitude of perturbations, overwhelming a species' natural compensatory responses via a ratchet-like effect. This ratchet-like effect then pushes species' population dynamics far away from equilibria, which can lead to precipitous local extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel Gellner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Kevin S. McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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8
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Walsh GC, Sosa AJ, Mc Kay F, Maestro M, Hill M, Hinz HL, Paynter Q, Pratt PD, Raghu S, Shaw R, Tipping PW, Winston RL. Is Biological Control of Weeds Conservation’s Blind Spot? THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1086/723930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
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9
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Limited effects of size-selective harvesting and harvesting-induced life-history changes on the temporal variability of biomass dynamics in complex food webs. Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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10
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Thongthaisong P, Kasada M, Grossart H, Wollrab S. Critical role of parasite‐mediated energy pathway on community response to nutrient enrichment. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9622. [PMCID: PMC9748242 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patch Thongthaisong
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology Potsdam University Potsdam Germany
| | - Minoru Kasada
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai Japan
| | - Hans‐Peter Grossart
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology Potsdam University Potsdam Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Sabine Wollrab
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
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11
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Thakur MP, Risch AC, van der Putten WH. Biotic responses to climate extremes in terrestrial ecosystems. iScience 2022; 25:104559. [PMID: 35784794 PMCID: PMC9240802 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the incidence of climate extremes. Consequences of climate extremes on biodiversity can be highly detrimental, yet few studies also suggest beneficial effects of climate extremes on certain organisms. To obtain a general understanding of ecological responses to climate extremes, we present a review of how 16 major taxonomic/functional groups (including microorganisms, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates) respond during extreme drought, precipitation, and temperature. Most taxonomic/functional groups respond negatively to extreme events, whereas groups such as mosses, legumes, trees, and vertebrate predators respond most negatively to climate extremes. We further highlight that ecological recovery after climate extremes is challenging to predict purely based on ecological responses during or immediately after climate extremes. By accounting for the characteristics of the recovering species, resource availability, and species interactions with neighboring competitors or facilitators, mutualists, and enemies, we outline a conceptual framework to better predict ecological recovery in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav P. Thakur
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO- KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Corresponding author
| | - Anita C. Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Switzerland
| | - Wim H. van der Putten
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO- KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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12
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Tsai CH, Sweatman HPA, Thibaut LM, Connolly SR. Volatility in coral cover erodes niche structure, but not diversity, in reef fish assemblages. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm6858. [PMID: 35704577 PMCID: PMC9200288 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm6858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The world's coral reefs are experiencing increasing volatility in coral cover, largely because of anthropogenic environmental change, highlighting the need to understand how such volatility will influence the structure and dynamics of reef assemblages. These changes may influence not only richness or evenness but also the temporal stability of species' relative abundances (temporal beta-diversity). Here, we analyzed reef fish assemblage time series from the Great Barrier Reef to show that, overall, 75% of the variance in abundance among species was attributable to persistent differences in species' long-term mean abundances. However, the relative importance of stochastic fluctuations in abundance was higher on reefs that experienced greater volatility in coral cover, whereas it did not vary with drivers of alpha-diversity. These findings imply that increased coral cover volatility decreases temporal stability in relative abundances of fishes, a transformation that is not detectable from static measures of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Han Tsai
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, QLD 4810, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | - Loïc M. Thibaut
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Centre for Population Genomics, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Population Genomics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sean R. Connolly
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
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13
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Adaptive plasticity in activity modes and food web stability. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267444. [PMID: 35446908 PMCID: PMC9022794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural ecosystems are comprised of diverse species and their interspecific interactions, in contrast to an ecological theory that predicts the instability of large ecological communities. This apparent gap has led ecologists to explore the mechanisms that allow complex communities to stabilize, even via environmental changes. A standard approach to tackling this complexity-stability problem is starting with a description of the ecological network of species and their interaction links, exemplified by a food web. This traditional description is based on the view that each species is in an active state; that is, each species constantly forages and reproduces. However, in nature, species’ activities can virtually stop when hiding, resting, and diapausing or hibernating, resulting in overlooking another situation where they are inactive. Here I theoretically demonstrate that adaptive phenotypic change in active and inactive modes may be the key to understanding food web dynamics. Accurately switching activity modes can greatly stabilize otherwise unstable communities in which coexistence is impossible, further maintaining strong stabilization, even in a large complex community. I hypothesize that adaptive plastic change in activity modes may play a key role in maintaining ecological communities.
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14
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Mougi A. Predator interference and complexity-stability in food webs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2464. [PMID: 35165383 PMCID: PMC8844033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06524-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is predicted that ecological communities will become unstable with increasing species numbers and subsequent interspecific interactions; however, this is contrary to how natural ecosystems with diverse species respond to changes in species numbers. This contradiction has steered ecologists toward exploring what underlying processes allow complex communities to stabilize even through varying pressures. In this study, a food web model is used to show an overlooked role of interference among multiple predator species in solving this complexity–stability problem. Predator interference in large communities weakens species interactions due to a reduction in consumption rates by prey-sharing species in the presence of predators in response to territorial and aggressive behavior, thereby playing a key stabilizing role in communities. Especially when interspecific interference is strong and a community has diverse species and dense species interactions, stabilization is likely to work and creates a positive complexity–stability relationship within a community. The clear positive effect of complexity on community stability is not reflected by/intraspecific interference, emphasizing the key role of interspecific interference among multiple predator species in maintaining larger systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, 690-8504, Japan.
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15
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OUP accepted manuscript. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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16
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Shepard ID, Wissinger SA, Wood ZT, Greig HS. Predators balance consequences of climate-change-induced habitat shifts for range-shifting and resident species. J Anim Ecol 2021; 91:334-344. [PMID: 34743321 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13631] [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: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While many species distributions are shifting poleward or up in elevation in response to a changing climate, others are shifting their habitats along localized gradients in environmental conditions as abiotic conditions become more stressful. Whether species are moving across regional or local environmental gradients in response to climate change, range-shifting species become embedded in established communities of competitors and predators. The consequences of these shifts for both resident and shifting species are often unknown, as it can be difficult to isolate the effects of multiple species interactions. Using a model system of insects in high-elevation ponds in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, we sought to disentangle the effects of predation and intraguild interactions on the survival and development of a semi-permanent pond resident caddisfly Limnephilus externus and the habitat-shifting caddis Asynarchus nigriculus that is being forced into semi-permanent ponds as temporary ponds dry too quickly to complete development. We conducted a manipulative in-situ pond cage experiment in which L. externus and A. nigriculus caddisfly larvae in single-species treatments and together were exposed to the presence/absence of predatory Dytiscus diving beetle larvae. This approach allowed us to isolate the effects of intraguild interactions and predation on the survival and development of both the resident and habitat-shifting species. We found that intraguild interactions had strong negative effects on the resident and habitat-shifting species. Intraguild interactions reduced the survival of the resident L. externus and increased the variation in survival of the shifting A. nigriculus. However, Dytiscus predators reduced these negative effects, stabilizing the community by increasing L. externus survival and reducing variation in A. nigriculus survival. We also found that intraguild interactions reduced L. externus biomass but resulted in increased A. nigriculus development. A. nigriculus development was also increased by predation. Our results show that strong intraguild interactions between resident and shifting species are likely to have negative consequences for both species. However, the presence of predators reduces these negative consequences of the habitat shift on both the resident and the shifting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac D Shepard
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
| | - Scott A Wissinger
- Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Biology and Environmental Sciences Departments, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA
| | - Zachary T Wood
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Hamish S Greig
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, USA
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17
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Schonberger ZG, McCann K, Gellner G. Strong nutrient-plant interactions enhance the stability of ecosystems. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1202. [PMID: 34671095 PMCID: PMC8528884 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02737-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Modular food web theory shows how weak energetic fluxes resulting from consumptive interactions plays a major role in stabilizing food webs in space and time. Despite the reliance on energetic fluxes, food web theory surprisingly remains poorly understood within an ecosystem context that naturally focuses on material fluxes. At the same time, while ecosystem theory has employed modular nutrient-limited ecosystem models to understand how limiting nutrients alter the structure and dynamics of food webs, ecosystem theory has overlooked the role of key ecosystem interactions and their strengths (e.g., plant-nutrient; R-N) in mediating the stability of nutrient-limited ecosystems. Here, towards integrating food web theory and ecosystem theory, we first briefly review consumer-resource interactions (C-R) highlighting the relationship between the structure of C-R interactions and the stability of food web modules. We then translate this framework to nutrient-based systems, showing that the nutrient-plant interaction behaves as a coherent extension of current modular food web theory; however, in contrast to the rule that weak C-R interactions tend to be stabilizing we show that strong nutrient-plant interactions are potent stabilizers in nutrient-limited ecosystem models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gabriel Gellner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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18
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Ryser R, Hirt MR, Häussler J, Gravel D, Brose U. Landscape heterogeneity buffers biodiversity of simulated meta-food-webs under global change through rescue and drainage effects. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4716. [PMID: 34354058 PMCID: PMC8342463 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24877-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation and eutrophication have strong impacts on biodiversity. Metacommunity research demonstrated that reduction in landscape connectivity may cause biodiversity loss in fragmented landscapes. Food-web research addressed how eutrophication can cause local biodiversity declines. However, there is very limited understanding of their cumulative impacts as they could amplify or cancel each other. Our simulations of meta-food-webs show that dispersal and trophic processes interact through two complementary mechanisms. First, the 'rescue effect' maintains local biodiversity by rapid recolonization after a local crash in population densities. Second, the 'drainage effect' stabilizes biodiversity by preventing overshooting of population densities on eutrophic patches. In complex food webs on large spatial networks of habitat patches, these effects yield systematically higher biodiversity in heterogeneous than in homogeneous landscapes. Our meta-food-web approach reveals a strong interaction between habitat fragmentation and eutrophication and provides a mechanistic explanation of how landscape heterogeneity promotes biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remo Ryser
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Myriam R Hirt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Johanna Häussler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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19
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Beauchesne D, Cazelles K, Archambault P, Dee LE, Gravel D. On the sensitivity of food webs to multiple stressors. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2219-2237. [PMID: 34288313 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Evaluating the effects of multiple stressors on ecosystems is becoming increasingly vital with global changes. The role of species interactions in propagating the effects of stressors, although widely acknowledged, has yet to be formally explored. Here, we conceptualise how stressors propagate through food webs and explore how they affect simulated three-species motifs and food webs of the Canadian St. Lawrence System. We find that overlooking species interactions invariably underestimate the effects of stressors, and that synergistic and antagonistic effects through food webs are prevalent. We also find that interaction type influences a species' susceptibility to stressors; species in omnivory and tri-trophic food chain interactions in particular are sensitive and prone to synergistic and antagonistic effects. Finally, we find that apex predators were negatively affected and mesopredators benefited from the effects of stressors due to their trophic position in the St. Lawrence System, but that species sensitivity is dependent on food web structure. In conceptualising the effects of multiple stressors on food webs, we bring theory closer to practice and show that considering the intricacies of ecological communities is key to assess the net effects of stressors on species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beauchesne
- Département de biologie, ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Institut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Cazelles
- Department of Integrative Biology, University Of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Philippe Archambault
- Département de biologie, ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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20
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Nonaka E, Kuparinen A. A modified niche model for generating food webs with stage-structured consumers: The stabilizing effects of life-history stages on complex food webs. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4101-4125. [PMID: 33976797 PMCID: PMC8093700 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7309] [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: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all organisms grow in size during their lifetime and switch diets, trophic positions, and interacting partners as they grow. Such ontogenetic development introduces life-history stages and flows of biomass between the stages through growth and reproduction. However, current research on complex food webs rarely considers life-history stages. The few previously proposed methods do not take full advantage of the existing food web structural models that can produce realistic food web topologies.We extended the niche model developed by Williams and Martinez (Nature, 2000, 404, 180-183) to generate food webs that included trophic species with a life-history stage structure. Our method aggregated trophic species based on niche overlap to form a life-history structured population; therefore, it largely preserved the topological structure of food webs generated by the niche model. We applied the theory of allometric predator-prey body mass ratio and parameterized an allometric bioenergetic model augmented with biomass flow between stages via growth and reproduction to study the effects of a stage structure on the stability of food webs.When life-history stages were linked via growth and reproduction, more food webs persisted, and persisting food webs tended to retain more trophic species. Topological differences between persisting linked and unlinked food webs were small to modest. The slopes of biomass spectra were lower, and weak interaction links were more prevalent in the linked food webs than the unlinked ones, suggesting that a life-history stage structure promotes characteristics that can enhance stability of complex food webs.Our results suggest a positive relationship between the complexity and stability of complex food webs. A life-history stage structure in food webs may play important roles in dynamics of and diversity in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuko Nonaka
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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21
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Li X, Yang W, Gaedke U, de Ruiter PC. Energetic constraints imposed on trophic interaction strengths enhance resilience in empirical and model food webs. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2065-2076. [PMID: 33844855 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13499] [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: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Food web stability and resilience are at the heart of understanding the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Previous studies show that models of empirical food webs are substantially more stable than random ones, due to a few strong interactions embedded in a majority of weak interactions. Analyses of trophic interaction loops show that in empirical food webs the patterns of the interaction strengths prevent the occurrence of destabilizing heavy loops and thereby enhances resilience. Yet, it is still unexplored which biological mechanisms cause these patterns that enhance food web resilience. We quantified food web resilience using the real part of the maximum eigenvalue of the Jacobian matrix of the food web from a seagrass bed in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) wetland, that could be parametrized by the empirical data of the food web. We found that the empirically based Jacobian matrix of the YRD food web indicated a much higher resilience than random matrices with the same element values but arranged in random ways. Investigating the trophic interaction loops revealed that the high resilience was due to a negative correlation between the negative and positive interaction strengths (per capita top-down and bottom-up effects, respectively) within positive feedback loops with three species. The negative correlation showed that when the negative interaction strengths were strong the positive was weak, and vice versa. Our invented reformulation of loop weight in terms of biomasses and specific production rates showed that energetic properties of the trophic groups in the loop and mass-balance constraints, for example, the food uptake has to balance all losses, created the negative correlation between the interaction strengths. This result could be generalized using a dynamic intraguild predation model, which delivered the same pattern for a wide range of model parameters. Our results shed light on how energetic constraints at the trophic group and food web level create a pattern of interaction strengths within trophic interaction loops that enhances food web resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Wei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong, China
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Peter C de Ruiter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.,Biometris, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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22
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Abstract
The detection of causal interactions is of great importance when inferring complex ecosystem functional and structural networks for basic and applied research. Convergent cross mapping (CCM) based on nonlinear state-space reconstruction made substantial progress about network inference by measuring how well historical values of one variable can reliably estimate states of other variables. Here we investigate the ability of a developed optimal information flow (OIF) ecosystem model to infer bidirectional causality and compare that to CCM. Results from synthetic datasets generated by a simple predator-prey model, data of a real-world sardine-anchovy-temperature system and of a multispecies fish ecosystem highlight that the proposed OIF performs better than CCM to predict population and community patterns. Specifically, OIF provides a larger gradient of inferred interactions, higher point-value accuracy and smaller fluctuations of interactions and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\alpha$$\end{document}α-diversity including their characteristic time delays. We propose an optimal threshold on inferred interactions that maximize accuracy in predicting fluctuations of effective \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\alpha$$\end{document}α-diversity, defined as the count of model-inferred interacting species. Overall OIF outperforms all other models in assessing predictive causality (also in terms of computational complexity) due to the explicit consideration of synchronization, divergence and diversity of events that define model sensitivity, uncertainty and complexity. Thus, OIF offers a broad ecological information by extracting predictive causal networks of complex ecosystems from time-series data in the space-time continuum. The accurate inference of species interactions at any biological scale of organization is highly valuable because it allows to predict biodiversity changes, for instance as a function of climate and other anthropogenic stressors. This has practical implications for defining optimal ecosystem management and design, such as fish stock prioritization and delineation of marine protected areas based on derived collective multispecies assembly. OIF can be applied to any complex system and used for model evaluation and design where causality should be considered as non-linear predictability of diverse events of populations or communities.
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23
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Zheng J, Brose U, Gravel D, Gauzens B, Luo M, Wang S. Asymmetric foraging lowers the trophic level and omnivory in natural food webs. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1444-1454. [PMID: 33666227 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13464] [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] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Food webs capture the trophic relationships and energy fluxes between species, which has fundamental impacts on ecosystem functioning and stability. Within a food web, the energy flux distribution between a predator and its prey species is shaped by food quantity-quality trade-offs and the contiguity of foraging. But the distribution of energy fluxes among prey species as well as its drivers and implications remain unclear. Here we used 157 aquatic food webs, which contain explicit energy flux information, to examine whether a predator's foraging is asymmetric and biased towards lower or higher trophic levels, and how these patterns may change with trophic level. We also evaluate how traditional topology-based approaches may over- or under-estimate a predator's trophic level and omnivory by ignoring the asymmetric foraging patterns. Our results demonstrated the prevalence of asymmetric foraging in natural aquatic food webs. Although predators prefer prey at higher trophic levels with potentially higher food quality, they obtain their energy mostly from lower trophic levels with a higher food quantity. Both tendencies, that is, stronger feeding preference for prey at higher trophic levels and stronger energetic reliance on prey at lower trophic levels are alleviated for predators at higher trophic levels. The asymmetric foraging lowers trophic levels and omnivory at both species and food web levels, compared to estimates from traditional topology-based approaches. Such overestimations by topology-based approaches are most pronounced for predators at lower trophic levels and communities with higher number of trophic species. Our study highlights the importance of energy flux information in understanding the foraging behaviour of predators as well as the structural complexity of natural food webs. The increasing availability of flux-based food web data will thus provide new opportunities to reconcile food web structure, functioning and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zheng
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ulrich Brose
- EcoNetLab, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de Biologie, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Gauzens
- EcoNetLab, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Mingyu Luo
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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24
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Martyn TE, Stouffer DB, Godoy O, Bartomeus I, Pastore AI, Mayfield MM. Identifying "Useful" Fitness Models: Balancing the Benefits of Added Complexity with Realistic Data Requirements in Models of Individual Plant Fitness. Am Nat 2021; 197:415-433. [PMID: 33755538 DOI: 10.1086/713082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDirect species interactions are commonly included in individual fitness models used for coexistence and local diversity modeling. Though widely considered important for such models, direct interactions alone are often insufficient for accurately predicting fitness, coexistence, or diversity outcomes. Incorporating higher-order interactions (HOIs) can lead to more accurate individual fitness models but also adds many model terms, which can quickly result in model overfitting. We explore approaches for balancing the trade-off between tractability and model accuracy that occurs when HOIs are added to individual fitness models. To do this, we compare models parameterized with data from annual plant communities in Australia and Spain, varying in the extent of information included about the focal and neighbor species. The best-performing models for both data sets were those that grouped neighbors based on origin status and life form, a grouping approach that reduced the number of model parameters substantially while retaining important ecological information about direct interactions and HOIs. Results suggest that the specific identity of focal or neighbor species is not necessary for building well-performing fitness models that include HOIs. In fact, grouping neighbors by even basic functional information seems sufficient to maximize model accuracy, an important outcome for the practical use of HOI-inclusive fitness models.
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25
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McCann KS, Cazelles K, MacDougall AS, Fussmann GF, Bieg C, Cristescu M, Fryxell JM, Gellner G, Lapointe B, Gonzalez A. Landscape modification and nutrient-driven instability at a distance. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:398-414. [PMID: 33222413 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Almost 50 years ago, Michael Rosenzweig pointed out that nutrient addition can destabilise food webs, leading to loss of species and reduced ecosystem function through the paradox of enrichment. Around the same time, David Tilman demonstrated that increased nutrient loading would also be expected to cause competitive exclusion leading to deleterious changes in food web diversity. While both concepts have greatly illuminated general diversity-stability theory, we currently lack a coherent framework to predict how nutrients influence food web stability across a landscape. This is a vitally important gap in our understanding, given mounting evidence of serious ecological disruption arising from anthropogenic displacement of resources and organisms. Here, we combine contemporary theory on food webs and meta-ecosystems to show that nutrient additions are indeed expected to drive loss in stability and function in human-impacted regions. Our models suggest that destabilisation is more likely to be caused by the complete loss of an equilibrium due to edible plant species being competitively excluded. In highly modified landscapes, spatial nutrient transport theory suggests that such instabilities can be amplified over vast distances from the sites of nutrient addition. Consistent with this theoretical synthesis, the empirical frequency of these distant propagating ecosystem imbalances appears to be growing. This synthesis of theory and empirical data suggests that human modification of the Earth is strongly connecting distantly separated ecosystems, causing rapid, expansive and costly nutrient-driven instabilities over vast areas of the planet. Similar to existing food web theory, the corollary to this spatial nutrient theory is that slowing down spatial nutrient pathways can be a potent means of stabilising degraded ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin S McCann
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Kevin Cazelles
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.,McGill University, 1205 Dr-Penfield Ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | | | - Gregor F Fussmann
- McGill University, 1205 Dr-Penfield Ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Carling Bieg
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Melania Cristescu
- McGill University, 1205 Dr-Penfield Ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - John M Fryxell
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gabriel Gellner
- University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Brian Lapointe
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, USA
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- McGill University, 1205 Dr-Penfield Ave, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada
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26
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McLeod AM, Leroux SJ. The multiple meanings of omnivory influence empirical, modular theory and whole food web stability relationships. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:447-459. [PMID: 33073862 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The persistence of whole communities hinges on the presence of select interactions which act to stabilize communities making the identification of these keystone interactions critical. One potential candidate is omnivory, yet theoretical research on omnivory thus far has been dominated by a modular theory approach whereby an omnivore and consumer compete for a shared resource. Empirical research, however, has highlighted the presence of a broader suite of omnivory modules. Here, we integrate empirical data analysis and mathematical models to explore the influence of both omnivory module (including classic, multi-resource, higher level, mutual predation and cannibalism) and omnivore-resource interaction type on food web stability. We use six classic empirical food webs to examine the prevalence of the different types of omnivory, a multi-species consumer-resource model to determine the stability of these different kinds of omnivory within a module context, and finally extend these models to a 50 species, whole food web model to examine the influence of omnivory on whole food web persistence. Our results challenge the concept that omnivory is broadly stabilizing. In particular, we demonstrate that the impact of omnivory depends on the type of omnivory being examined with multi-resource omnivory having the largest correlation with whole food web persistence. Moreover, our results highlight that we need to exercise caution when scaling modular theory to whole food web theory. Cannibalism, for example, was the most persistent and stable omnivory module in the modular theory analysis, but only demonstrated a weak correlation with whole food web persistence. Lastly, our results demonstrate that the frequency of omnivory modules are more important for whole food web persistence than the frequency of omnivore-resource interactions. Together, these results demonstrate that the role of omnivory often depends both on the type of omnivory being examined and the food web within which it is nested. In whole food web models, omnivory acts less as a keystone interaction, rather, specific types of omnivory, particularly multi-resource omnivory, act as keystone modules. Future work integrating module and whole food web theory is critical for resolving the role of key interactions in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M McLeod
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Shawn J Leroux
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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27
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Gonçalves-Silva M, Luduvice JSV, Gomes MVT, Rosa DCO, Brito MFG. Influence of ontogenetic stages and seasonality on the diet of the longtail knifefish Sternopygus macrurus (Gymnotiformes, Sternopygidae) in a large Neotropical river. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2020.1806007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Milena Gonçalves-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | - Jefferson S. V. Luduvice
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
| | - Marcos Vinícius T. Gomes
- Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e Parnaíba, Porto Real do Colégio, Brazil
| | - Daniela C. O. Rosa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelo F. G. Brito
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil
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28
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Karakoç C, Clark AT, Chatzinotas A. Diversity and coexistence are influenced by time-dependent species interactions in a predator-prey system. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:983-993. [PMID: 32243074 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous studies show that communities are jointly influenced by predation and competitive interactions, few have resolved how temporal variability in these interactions influences community assembly and stability. Here, we addressed this challenge in experimental microbial microcosms by employing empirical dynamic modelling tools to: (1) detect causal interactions between prey species in the absence and presence of a predator; (2) quantify the time-varying strength of these interactions and (3) explore stability in the resulting communities. Our findings show that predators boost the number of causal interactions among community members, and lead to reduced dynamic stability, but higher coexistence among prey species. These results correspond to time-varying changes in species interactions, including emergence of morphological characteristics that appeared to reduce predation, and indirectly facilitate growth of predator-susceptible species. Jointly, our findings suggest that careful consideration of both context and time may be necessary to predict and explain outcomes in multi-trophic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canan Karakoç
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Thomas Clark
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,Synthesis Centre for Biodiversity Sciences (sDiv), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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29
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Terry JCD, Lewis OT. Finding missing links in interaction networks. Ecology 2020; 101:e03047. [PMID: 32219855 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Documenting which species interact within ecological communities is challenging and labor intensive. As a result, many interactions remain unrecorded, potentially distorting our understanding of network structure and dynamics. We test the utility of four structural models and a new coverage-deficit model for predicting missing links in both simulated and empirical bipartite networks. We find they can perform well, although the predictive power of structural models varies with the underlying network structure. The accuracy of predictions can be improved by ensembling multiple models. Augmenting observed networks with most-likely missing links improves estimates of qualitative network metrics. Tools to identify likely missing links can be simple to implement, allowing the prioritization of research effort and more robust assessment of network properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Owen T Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, United Kingdom
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30
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Start D, Barbour MA, Bonner C. Urbanization reshapes a food web. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:808-816. [PMID: 31677271 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Cities represent humanity's most intense impact on our planet, with more than half of all humans now residing in urban areas. Indeed, urbanization has well-understood impacts on both individual species and general patterns of biodiversity. However, species do not exist in isolation, but are instead members of complex interaction networks that shape patterns of diversity and influence ecosystem services. Despite the importance of species interaction for creating patterns of diversity, we do not understand how urbanization alters these interactions. Here, we investigate how an interaction network (food web) is reshaped by urbanization. We show that, consistent with theory, cities tend to support less diverse ecological communities, and rare species that interact with few species are particularly sensitive to urbanization. As a result, remnant urban food webs tend to have more interactions per species and greater connectance, creating more integrated interaction networks. We discuss the implications of this food web reshaping for ecological stability, eco-evolutionary dynamics, and the joining of interaction networks and conservation planning. The role of cities in reshaping interaction networks provides an interesting study of food web (dis)assembly, while also shedding light on new approaches to applied conservation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew A Barbour
- Department of Evolutionary Biology & Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colin Bonner
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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31
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Torres‐Campos I, Magalhães S, Moya‐Laraño J, Montserrat M. The return of the trophic chain: Fundamental vs. realized interactions in a simple arthropod food web. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Torres‐Campos
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea ‘La Mayora’ Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM‐UMA‐CSIC) Málaga Spain
| | - Sara Magalhães
- cE3c: Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Jordi Moya‐Laraño
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas – CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n Almería Spain
| | - Marta Montserrat
- Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea ‘La Mayora’ Universidad de Málaga, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IHSM‐UMA‐CSIC) Málaga Spain
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32
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Abstract
The ecological importance of common species for many ecosystem processes and functions is unquestionably due to their high abundance. Yet, the importance of rare species is much less understood. Here we take a theoretical approach, exposing dynamical models of ecological networks to small perturbations, to explore the dynamical importance of rare and common species. We find that both species types contribute to the recovery of communities following generic perturbations (i.e. perturbations affecting all species). Yet, when perturbations are selective (i.e. affects only one species), perturbations to rare species have the most pronounced effect on community stability. We show that this is due to the strong indirect effects induced by perturbations to rare species. Because indirect effects typically set in at longer timescales, our results indicate that the importance of rare species may be easily overlooked and thus underrated. Hence, our study provides a potential ecological motive for the management and protection of rare species.
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33
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Preston DL, Falke LP, Henderson JS, Novak M. Food-web interaction strength distributions are conserved by greater variation between than within predator-prey pairs. Ecology 2019; 100:e02816. [PMID: 31287561 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Species interactions in food webs are usually recognized as dynamic, varying across species, space, and time because of biotic and abiotic drivers. Yet food webs also show emergent properties that appear consistent, such as a skewed frequency distribution of interaction strengths (many weak, few strong). Reconciling these two properties requires an understanding of the variation in pairwise interaction strengths and its underlying mechanisms. We estimated stream sculpin feeding rates in three seasons at nine sites in Oregon to examine variation in trophic interaction strengths both across and within predator-prey pairs. Predator and prey densities, prey body mass, and abiotic factors were considered as putative drivers of within-pair variation over space and time. We hypothesized that consistently skewed interaction strength distributions could result if individual interaction strengths show relatively little variation, or alternatively, if interaction strengths vary but shift in ways that conserve their overall frequency distribution. Feeding rate distributions remained consistently and positively skewed across all sites and seasons. The mean coefficient of variation in feeding rates within each of 25 focal species pairs across surveys was less than half the mean coefficient of variation seen across species pairs within a survey. The rank order of feeding rates also remained conserved across streams, seasons and individual surveys. On average, feeding rates on each prey taxon nonetheless varied by a hundredfold, with some feeding rates showing more variation in space and others in time. In general, feeding rates increased with prey density and decreased with high stream flows and low water temperatures, although for nearly half of all species pairs, factors other than prey density explained the most variation. Our findings show that although individual interaction strengths exhibit considerable variation in space and time, they can nonetheless remain relatively consistent, and thus predictable, compared to the even larger variation that occurs across species pairs. These results highlight how the ecological scale of inference can strongly shape conclusions about interaction strength consistency and help reconcile how the skewed nature of interaction strength distributions can persist in highly dynamic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Preston
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Landon P Falke
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jeremy S Henderson
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 305 North Canyon Boulevard, Canyon City, Oregon, 97820, USA
| | - Mark Novak
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97330, USA
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34
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Behn KE, Baxter CV. The trophic ecology of a desert river fish assemblage: influence of season and hydrologic variability. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine E. Behn
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho 83209 USA
| | - Colden V. Baxter
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho 83209 USA
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35
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Abstract
All animals have associated microbial communities called microbiomes that influence the physiology and fitness of their host. It is unclear to what extent individual microbial species versus interactions between them influence the host. Here, we mapped all possible interactions between individual species of bacteria against Drosophila melanogaster fruit fly fitness traits. Our approach revealed that the same bacterial interactions that shape microbiome abundances also shape host fitness traits. The fitness traits of lifespan and fecundity showed a life history tradeoff, where equal total fitness can be gotten by either high fecundity over a short life or low fecundity over a long life. The microbiome interactions are as important as the individual species in shaping these fundamental aspects of fly physiology. Gut bacteria can affect key aspects of host fitness, such as development, fecundity, and lifespan, while the host, in turn, shapes the gut microbiome. However, it is unclear to what extent individual species versus community interactions within the microbiome are linked to host fitness. Here, we combinatorially dissect the natural microbiome of Drosophila melanogaster and reveal that interactions between bacteria shape host fitness through life history tradeoffs. Empirically, we made germ-free flies colonized with each possible combination of the five core species of fly gut bacteria. We measured the resulting bacterial community abundances and fly fitness traits, including development, reproduction, and lifespan. The fly gut promoted bacterial diversity, which, in turn, accelerated development, reproduction, and aging: Flies that reproduced more died sooner. From these measurements, we calculated the impact of bacterial interactions on fly fitness by adapting the mathematics of genetic epistasis to the microbiome. Development and fecundity converged with higher diversity, suggesting minimal dependence on interactions. However, host lifespan and microbiome abundances were highly dependent on interactions between bacterial species. Higher-order interactions (involving three, four, and five species) occurred in 13–44% of possible cases depending on the trait, with the same interactions affecting multiple traits, a reflection of the life history tradeoff. Overall, we found these interactions were frequently context-dependent and often had the same magnitude as individual species themselves, indicating that the interactions can be as important as the individual species in gut microbiomes.
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36
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Hui C, Richardson DM. How to Invade an Ecological Network. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 34:121-131. [PMID: 30514581 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Invasion science is in a state of paradox, having low predictability despite strong, identifiable covariates of invasion performance. We propose shifting the foundation metaphor of biological invasions from a linear filtering scheme to one that invokes complex adaptive networks. We link invasion performance and invasibility directly to the loss of network stability and indirectly to network topology through constraints from the emergence of the stability criterion in complex systems. We propose the wind vane of an invaded network - the major axis of its adjacency matrix - which reveals how species respond dynamically to invasions. We suggest that invasion ecology should steer away from comparative macroecological studies, to rather explore the ecological network centred on the focal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa; Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town 7945, South Africa.
| | - David M Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
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37
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Soininen EM, Henden J, Ravolainen VT, Yoccoz NG, Bråthen KA, Killengreen ST, Ims RA. Transferability of biotic interactions: Temporal consistency of arctic plant-rodent relationships is poor. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9697-9711. [PMID: 30386568 PMCID: PMC6202721 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Variability in biotic interaction strength is an integral part of food web functioning. However, the consequences of the spatial and temporal variability of biotic interactions are poorly known, in particular for predicting species abundance and distribution. The amplitude of rodent population cycles (i.e., peak-phase abundances) has been hypothesized to be determined by vegetation properties in tundra ecosystems. We assessed the spatial and temporal predictability of food and shelter plants effects on peak-phase small rodent abundance during two consecutive rodent population peaks. Rodent abundance was related to both food and shelter biomass during the first peak, and spatial transferability was mostly good. Yet, the temporal transferability of our models to the next population peak was poorer. Plant-rodent interactions are thus temporally variable and likely more complex than simple one-directional (bottom-up) relationships or variably overruled by other biotic interactions and abiotic factors. We propose that parametrizing a more complete set of functional links within food webs across abiotic and biotic contexts would improve transferability of biotic interaction models. Such attempts are currently constrained by the lack of data with replicated estimates of key players in food webs. Enhanced collaboration between researchers whose main research interests lay in different parts of the food web could ameliorate this.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rolf A. Ims
- UiTThe Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
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38
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Barbosa TAP, Rosa DCO, Soares BE, Costa CHA, Esposito MC, Montag LFA. Effect of flood pulses on the trophic ecology of four piscivorous fishes from the eastern Amazon. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2018; 93:30-39. [PMID: 29882352 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of hydrological periods on the feeding activity and trophic interactions of four piscivorous fishes from the middle Xingu River, Brazil: pike-characid Boulengerella cuvieri, dogtooth characin Hydrolycus armatus, dogtooth characin Hydrolycus tatauaia and South American silver croaker Plagioscion squamosissimus. Repletion Index (IR %), Alimentary Index (IAi %) and food web properties were calculated for each species. A total of 825 specimens were collected. The IR showed changes in feeding intensity of B. cuvieri, H. armatus and H. tatauaia among hydrological periods. Flood pulse showed no influence on composition and importance of food items consumed. Trophic connections showed that connectivity ranged from 0.025 to 0.038. The highest number of trophic connections (75) occurred in the high-water period, when 51 food items were recorded and the lowest number of trophic connections (43) occurred in receding water, with 31 food items. In all food webs, over 45% of food items were consumed by only one species (ultra-peripheral items), which is common in piscivorous fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago A P Barbosa
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros (IECOS), Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Daniela C O Rosa
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno E Soares
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Christophe H A Costa
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros (IECOS), Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Maria C Esposito
- Laboratório de Zoologia de Invertebrados, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Luciano F A Montag
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros (IECOS), Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, Brazil
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39
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Kadoya T, Gellner G, McCann KS. Potential oscillators and keystone modules in food webs. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1330-1340. [PMID: 29952127 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Food web theory suggests that the placement of a weak interaction is critical such that under some conditions even one well-placed weak interaction can stabilise multiple strong interactions. This theory suggests that complex stable webs may be built from pivotal weak interactions such that the removal of even one to a few keystone interactions can have significant cascading impacts on whole system diversity and structure. However, the connection between weak interactions, derived from the theory of modular food web components, and keystone species, derived from empirical results, is not yet well understood. Here, we develop numerical techniques to detect potential oscillators hidden in complex food webs, and show that, both in random and real food webs, keystone consumer-resource interactions often operate to stabilise them. Alarmingly, this result suggests that nature frequently may be dangerously close to precipitous change with even the loss of one or a few weakly interacting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taku Kadoya
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Gabriel Gellner
- Department of biology, Colorado State University, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Kevin S McCann
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
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40
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Preston DL, Henderson JS, Falke LP, Segui LM, Layden TJ, Novak M. What drives interaction strengths in complex food webs? A test with feeding rates of a generalist stream predator. Ecology 2018; 99:1591-1601. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L. Preston
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
| | - Jeremy S. Henderson
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
| | - Landon P. Falke
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
| | - Leah M. Segui
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
| | - Tamara J. Layden
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
| | - Mark Novak
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
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41
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Dougoud M, Vinckenbosch L, Rohr RP, Bersier LF, Mazza C. The feasibility of equilibria in large ecosystems: A primary but neglected concept in the complexity-stability debate. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005988. [PMID: 29420532 PMCID: PMC5821382 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The consensus that complexity begets stability in ecosystems was challenged in the seventies, a result recently extended to ecologically-inspired networks. The approaches assume the existence of a feasible equilibrium, i.e. with positive abundances. However, this key assumption has not been tested. We provide analytical results complemented by simulations which show that equilibrium feasibility vanishes in species rich systems. This result leaves us in the uncomfortable situation in which the existence of a feasible equilibrium assumed in local stability criteria is far from granted. We extend our analyses by changing interaction structure and intensity, and find that feasibility and stability is warranted irrespective of species richness with weak interactions. Interestingly, we find that the dynamical behaviour of ecologically inspired architectures is very different and richer than that of unstructured systems. Our results suggest that a general understanding of ecosystem dynamics requires focusing on the interplay between interaction strength and network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël Dougoud
- Department of Mathematics, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Laura Vinckenbosch
- Department of Mathematics, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland - HES-SO, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
| | - Rudolf P. Rohr
- Department of Biology, Unit of Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Louis-Félix Bersier
- Department of Biology, Unit of Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christian Mazza
- Department of Mathematics, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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42
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Arnoldi JF, Bideault A, Loreau M, Haegeman B. How ecosystems recover from pulse perturbations: A theory of short- to long-term responses. J Theor Biol 2018; 436:79-92. [PMID: 28987466 PMCID: PMC5675055 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying stability properties of ecosystems is an important problem in ecology. A common approach is based on the recovery from pulse perturbations, and posits that the faster an ecosystem return to its pre-perturbation state, the more stable it is. Theoretical studies often collapse the recovery dynamics into a single quantity: the long-term rate of return, called asymptotic resilience. However, empirical studies typically measure the recovery dynamics at much shorter time scales. In this paper we explain why asymptotic resilience is rarely representative of the short-term recovery. First, we show that, in contrast to asymptotic resilience, short-term return rates depend on features of the perturbation, in particular on the way its intensity is distributed over species. We argue that empirically relevant predictions can be obtained by considering the median response over a set of perturbations, for which we provide explicit formulas. Next, we show that the recovery dynamics are controlled through time by different species: abundant species tend to govern the short-term recovery, while rare species often dominate the long-term recovery. This shift from abundant to rare species typically causes short-term return rates to be unrelated to asymptotic resilience. We illustrate that asymptotic resilience can be determined by rare species that have almost no effect on the observable part of the recovery dynamics. Finally, we discuss how these findings can help to better connect empirical observations and theoretical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-F Arnoldi
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, France.
| | - A Bideault
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, France; Integrative Ecology Lab, Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
| | - M Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, France.
| | - B Haegeman
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, France.
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43
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Forest productivity mitigates human disturbance effects on late-seral prey exposed to apparent competitors and predators. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6370. [PMID: 28744023 PMCID: PMC5526934 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06672-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary production can determine the outcome of management actions on ecosystem properties, thereby defining sustainable management. Yet human agencies commonly overlook spatio-temporal variations in productivity by recommending fixed resource extraction thresholds. We studied the influence of forest productivity on habitat disturbance levels that boreal caribou – a threatened, late-seral ungulate under top-down control – should be able to withstand. Based on 10 years of boreal caribou monitoring, we found that adult survival and recruitment to populations decreased with landscape disturbance, but increased with forest productivity. This benefit of productivity reflected the net outcome of an increase in resources for apparent competitors and predators of caribou, and a more rapid return to the safety of mature conifer forests. We estimated 3-fold differences in forest harvesting levels that caribou populations could withstand due to variations in forest productivity. The adjustment of ecosystem provisioning services to local forest productivity should provide strong conservation and socio-economic advantages.
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44
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Abstract
Metacommunity theory has provided many insights into the general problem of local versus regional control of species diversity and relative abundance. The metacommunity framework has been extended from competitive interactions to whole food webs that can be described as spatial networks of interaction networks. Trophic metacommunity theory greatly contributed to resolving the community complexity-stability debate by predicting its dependence on the regional spatial context. The meta-ecosystem framework has since been suggested as a useful simplification of complex ecosystems to apply this spatial context to spatial flows of both individuals and matter. Reviewing the recent literature on metacommunity and meta-ecosystem theories suggests the importance of unifying theories of interaction strength into a meta-ecosystem framework that captures how the strength of spatial, species, and ecosystem fluxes are distributed across location and trophic levels. Such integration predicts important feedback between local and regional processes that drive the assembly of species, the stability of community, and the emergence of ecosystem functions, from limited spatial fluxes of individuals and (in)organic matter. These predictions are often mediated by the maintenance of environmental or endogenous fluctuations from local to regional scales that create important challenges and opportunities for the validation of metacommunity and meta-ecosystem theories and their application to conservation.
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Bieg C, McCann KS, Fryxell JM. The dynamical implications of human behaviour on a social-ecological harvesting model. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-017-0334-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mougi A. The roles of amensalistic and commensalistic interactions in large ecological network stability. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29929. [PMID: 27406267 PMCID: PMC4942820 DOI: 10.1038/srep29929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological communities comprise diverse species and their interactions. Notably, ecological and evolutionary studies have revealed that reciprocal interactions such as predator–prey, competition, and mutualism, are key drivers of community dynamics. However, there is an argument that many species interactions are asymmetric, where one species unilaterally affects another species (amensalism or commensalism). This raises the unanswered question of what is the role of unilateral interactions in community dynamics. Here I use a theoretical approach to demonstrate that unilateral interactions greatly enhance community stability. The results suggested that amensalism and commensalism were more stabilizing than symmetrical interactions, such as competition and mutualism, but they were less stabilizing than an asymmetric antagonistic interaction. A mix of unilateral interactions increased stability. Furthermore, in communities with all interaction types, unilateral interactions tended to increase stability. This study suggests that unilateral interactions play a major role in maintaining communities, underlining the need to further investigate their roles in ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue 690-8504, Japan
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Gellner G, McCann KS, Hastings A. The duality of stability: towards a stochastic theory of species interactions. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-016-0303-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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