1
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Shameer KS, Hardy IC. Host-parasitoid trophic webs in complex agricultural systems. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 65:101253. [PMID: 39153528 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
The composition and dynamics of ecological communities are complex because of the presence of large numbers of organisms, belonging to many different species, each with their own evolutionary history, and their numerous interactions. The construction and analysis of trophic webs summarize interactions across trophic levels and link community structure to properties such as ecosystem services. We focus on agroecological communities, which may be simpler than natural communities but nonetheless present considerable challenges to describe and understand. We review the characteristics and study of communities comprised of plants, phytophagous insects, and insect parasitoids with particular regard to the maintenance of sustainable agroecological communities and ecosystem services, especially biological pest control. We are constrained to largely overlook other members of these communities, such as hyperparasitoids, predators, parasites, and microbes. We draw chiefly on recent literature while acknowledging the importance of many advances made during the immediately preceding decades. Trophic web construction and analysis can greatly improve the understanding of the role and impact of herbivores and natural enemies in agroecological communities and the various species interactions, such as apparent competition, which assists biocontrol strategies. The study of trophic webs also helps in predicting community ecology consequences of externally driven changes to agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- K S Shameer
- Insect Ecology and Ethology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O., Malappuram, Kerala 673635, India; Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 Finland.
| | - Ian Cw Hardy
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014 Finland.
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2
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Kininmonth S, Ferrando DL, Becerro M. Neighbourhood benthic configuration reveals hidden co-occurrence social diversity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230174. [PMID: 39034706 PMCID: PMC11293851 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Ecological interactions among benthic communities are crucial for shaping marine ecosystems. Understanding these interactions is essential for predicting how ecosystems will respond to environmental changes, invasive species, and conservation management. However, determining the prevalence of species interactions at the community scale is challenging. To overcome this challenge, we employ tools from social network analysis, specifically exponential random graph modelling (ERGM). Our approach explores the relationships among animal and plant organisms within their neighbourhoods. Inspired by companion planting in agriculture, we use spatiotemporal co-occurrence as a measure of mixed species interaction. In other words, the variety of community interactions based on co-occurrence defines what we call 'co-occurrence social diversity'. Our objective is to use ERGM to quantify the proportion of interactions at both the simple paired level and the more complex triangle level, enabling us to measure and compare co-occurrence social diversity. Applying our approach to the Spanish coastal zone across eight sites, five depths, and sunlit/shaded aspects, we discover that 80% of sessile communities, consisting of over a hundred species, exhibit co-occurrence social diversity, with 5% of species consistently forming associations with other species. These organism-level interactions probably have a significant impact on the overall character of the site. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Kininmonth
- Heron Island Research Station, University of Queensland, Gladstone, Queensland4670, Australia
| | - Diana López Ferrando
- Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Mikel Becerro
- The BITES Laboratory, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Access Cala S Francesc 14, Blanes, Girona17300, Spain
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3
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Dopson M, Emary C. The persistence of bipartite ecological communities with Lotka-Volterra dynamics. J Math Biol 2024; 89:24. [PMID: 38955850 PMCID: PMC11219392 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02120-w] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The assembly and persistence of ecological communities can be understood as the result of the interaction and migration of species. Here we study a single community subject to migration from a species pool in which inter-specific interactions are organised according to a bipartite network. Considering the dynamics of species abundances to be governed by generalised Lotka-Volterra equations, we extend work on unipartite networks to we derive exact results for the phase diagram of this model. Focusing on antagonistic interactions, we describe factors that influence the persistence of the two guilds, locate transitions to multiple-attractor and unbounded phases, as well as identifying a region of parameter space in which consumers are essentially absent in the local community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Dopson
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Clive Emary
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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4
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Yin H, Rudolf VHW. Time is of the essence: A general framework for uncovering temporal structures of communities. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14481. [PMID: 39022847 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14481] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Ecological communities are inherently dynamic: species constantly turn over within years, months, weeks or even days. These temporal shifts in community composition determine essential aspects of species interactions and how energy, nutrients, information, diseases and perturbations 'flow' through systems. Yet, our understanding of community structure has relied heavily on static analyses not designed to capture critical features of this dynamic temporal dimension of communities. Here, we propose a conceptual and methodological framework for quantifying and analysing this temporal dimension. Conceptually, we split the temporal structure into two definitive features, sequence and duration, and review how they are linked to key concepts in ecology. We then outline how we can capture these definitive features using perspectives and tools from temporal graph theory. We demonstrate how we can easily integrate ongoing research on phenology into this framework and highlight what new opportunities arise from this approach to answer fundamental questions in community ecology. As climate change reshuffles ecological communities worldwide, quantifying the temporal organization of communities is imperative to resolve the fundamental processes that shape natural ecosystems and predict how these systems may change in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Yin
- Program of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Volker H W Rudolf
- Program of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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5
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Wang X, Fu X, Shi M, Xue C, Yang J, Zhao Z, Li S, Tu T. Multiple interaction networks reveal that Lepidoptera larvae and adults prefer various host plants for diet and pollination. Integr Zool 2024; 19:763-776. [PMID: 37427545 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12745] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Plant-Lepidoptera interactions are often studied using the pollination or herbivore networks only. Lepidoptera species are involved in two types of plant-insect interactions because they are herbivores as larvae and pollinators as adults. The study of entangled networks is critical, since the interaction of different networks can affect the overall network and community stability. Here, we studied the interaction of plants and Lepidoptera on the Yongxing Island, South China Sea. A plant-lepidopteran pollination network and a plant-lepidopteran herbivore network were built by using data from flower-pollinator and leaf-herbivore interactions. We then combined the two networks into a single network. We measured plant composition similarity within each sub-network and across sub-networks for Lepidoptera species. Our findings indicate that the plant-Lepidoptera pollination network and the herbivory network share significant proportions of Lepidoptera but small proportions of plant assemblages. The pollination network had higher nestedness and connectance than the herbivore network. Agrius convolvuli was the most specialized species, while Zizina otis had the highest species strength in the pollination network. Most Lepidoptera species were highly specialized in the herbivore network and their importance positively correlated across the two networks. Furthermore, there was no dietary composition similarity between the two networks for most Lepidoptera species. Our findings highlight the visible structural difference between the pollination and the herbivore networks. Adult Lepidoptera selects different plants for oviposition and feeding, a strategy that may benefit their reproduction and survival by sustaining adequate resources for their two life stages and the diversity of both plants and insects in oceanic island communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Fu
- Ningxia Yunwu Mountain National Natural Reserve, Guyuan, China
| | - Miaomiao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunquan Xue
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiazhi Yang
- Guangdong Forestry Survey and Planning Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongtao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shijin Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tieyao Tu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
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6
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Orrick K, Sommer N, Rowland F, Ferraro K. Predator-prey interactions across hunting mode, spatial domain size, and habitat complexities. Ecology 2024; 105:e4316. [PMID: 38693704 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4316] [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: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are a fundamental part of community ecology, yet the relative importance of consumptive and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) (defined as a risk-induced response that alters prey fitness) has not been resolved. Theory suggests that the emergence and subsequent predominance of consumptive or NCEs depend on the given habitat's complexity as well as predator hunting mode and spatial domain sizes of both predator and prey, but their relative influence on the outcome of predator-prey interactions is unknown. We built agent-based models in NetLogo to simulate predator-prey interactions for three hunting modes-sit-and-wait, sit-and-pursue, and active-while concurrently simulating large versus small spatial domain sizes for both predators and prey. We studied (1) how hunting mode and spatial domain size interact to influence the emergence of consumptive or NCEs and (2) how, when NCEs do dominate, hunting mode and spatial domain separately or additively determine prey shifts in time, space, and habitat use. Our results indicate consumptive effects only dominate for active predators when prey habitat domains overlap completely with the predator's spatial domain and when sit-and-wait and sit-and-pursue predators and their prey both have large spatial domains. Prey are most likely to survive when they shift their time but most frequently shift their habitat. Our paper helps to better understand the underlying mechanisms that drive consumptive or NCEs to be most dominant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaggie Orrick
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nathalie Sommer
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Freya Rowland
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kristy Ferraro
- Yale University School of the Environment, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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7
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Marcus S, Turner AM, Bunin G. Local and extensive fluctuations in sparsely interacting ecological communities. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:064410. [PMID: 39020978 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.064410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Ecological communities with many species can be classified into dynamical phases. In systems with all-to-all interactions, a phase where species abundances always reach a fixed point and a phase where they continuously fluctuate have been found. The dynamics when interactions are sparse, with each species interacting with only a few others, has remained largely unexplored. Here we study a system of sparse interactions, first when interactions are of constant strength and completely unidirectional, and then when adding variability and bidirectionality. We show that in this case a phase unique to the sparse setting appears in the phase diagram, where for the same control parameters different communities may reach either a fixed point or a state where the abundances of only a finite subset of species fluctuate, and we calculate the probability for each outcome. These fluctuating species are organized around short cycles in the interaction graph, and their abundances undergo large nonlinear fluctuations. We characterize the approach from this phase to a phase with extensively many fluctuating species, and show that the probability of fluctuations grows continuously to one as the transition is approached, and that the number of fluctuating species diverges. This is qualitatively distinct from the transition to extensive fluctuations coming from a fixed point phase, which is marked by a loss of linear stability. The differences are traced back to the emergent binary character of the dynamics when far from short cycles.
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8
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Sporta Caputi S, Kabala JP, Rossi L, Careddu G, Calizza E, Ventura M, Costantini ML. Individual diet variability shapes the architecture of Antarctic benthic food webs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12333. [PMID: 38811641 PMCID: PMC11137039 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62644-5] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Antarctic biodiversity is affected by seasonal sea-ice dynamics driving basal resource availability. To (1) determine the role of intraspecific dietary variability in structuring benthic food webs sustaining Antarctic biodiversity, and (2) understand how food webs and the position of topologically central species vary with sea-ice cover, single benthic individuals' diets were studied by isotopic analysis before sea-ice breakup and afterwards. Isotopic trophospecies (or Isotopic Trophic Units) were investigated and food webs reconstructed using Bayesian Mixing Models. As nodes, these webs used either ITUs regardless of their taxonomic membership (ITU-webs) or ITUs assigned to species (population-webs). Both were compared to taxonomic-webs based on taxa and their mean isotopic values. Higher resource availability after sea-ice breakup led to simpler community structure, with lower connectance and linkage density. Intra-population diet variability and compartmentalisation were crucial in determining community structure, showing population-webs to be more complex, stable and robust to biodiversity loss than taxonomic-webs. The core web, representing the minimal community 'skeleton' that expands opportunistically while maintaining web stability with changing resource availability, was also identified. Central nodes included the sea-urchin Sterechinus neumayeri and the bivalve Adamussium colbecki, whose diet is described in unprecedented detail. The core web, compartmentalisation and topologically central nodes represent crucial factors underlying Antarctica's rich benthic food web persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sporta Caputi
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Jerzy Piotr Kabala
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Loreto Rossi
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulio Careddu
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Edoardo Calizza
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Ventura
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Costantini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Dei Sardi 70, 00185, Rome, Italy
- CoNISMa, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
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9
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Parmentier T, Bonte D, De Laender F. A successional shift enhances stability in ant symbiont communities. Commun Biol 2024; 7:645. [PMID: 38802499 PMCID: PMC11130137 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06305-3] [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: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout succession, communities undergo structural shifts, which can alter the relative abundances of species and how they interact. It is frequently asserted that these alterations beget stability, i.e. that succession selects for communities better able to resist perturbations. Yet, whether and how alterations of network structure affect stability during succession in complex communities is rarely studied in natural ecosystems. Here, we explore how network attributes influence stability of different successional stages of a natural network: symbiotic arthropod communities forming food webs inside red wood ant nests. We determined the abundance of 16 functional groups within the symbiont community across 51 host nests in the beginning and end stages of succession. Nest age was the main driver of the compositional shifts: symbiont communities in old nests contained more even species abundance distributions and a greater proportion of specialists. Based on the abundance data, we reconstructed interaction matrices and food webs of the symbiont community for each nest. We showed that the enhanced community evenness in old nests leads to an augmented food web stability in all but the largest symbiont communities. Overall, this study demonstrates that succession begets stability in a natural ecological network by making the community more even.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Parmentier
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, naXys, ILEE, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, naXys, ILEE, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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10
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Gibson SD, Onuferko TM, Myers L, Colla SR. Determining the plant-pollinator network in a culturally significant food and medicine garden in the Great Lakes region. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17401. [PMID: 38799060 PMCID: PMC11127643 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interactions between plants and pollinators within a system can provide information about pollination requirements and the degree to which species contribute to floral reproductive success. Past research has focused largely on interactions within monocultured agricultural systems and only somewhat on wild pollination networks. This study focuses on the culturally significant Three Sisters Garden, which has been grown and tended by many Indigenous peoples for generations in the Great Lakes Region. Here, the plant-pollinator network of the traditional Three Sisters Garden with the inclusion of some additional culturally significant plants was mapped. Important visitors in this system included the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae), and the hoary squash bee, Xenoglossa pruinosa (Say) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), as determined by their abundances and pollinator service index (PSI) values. Understanding the key pollinators in the Three Sisters Garden links biological diversity to cultural diversity through the pollination of culturally significant plants. Further, this information could be of use in supporting Indigenous food sovereignty by providing knowledge about which wild pollinators could be supported to increase fruit and seed set within the Three Sisters Garden. Our findings can also lead to more effective conservation of important wild pollinator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby D. Gibson
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas M. Onuferko
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa Myers
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sheila R. Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Tsekenis G, Cimini G, Kalafatis M, Giacometti A, Gili T, Caldarelli G. Network topology mapping of chemical compounds space. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5266. [PMID: 38438443 PMCID: PMC10912673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54594-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
We define bipartite and monopartite relational networks of chemical elements and compounds using two different datasets of inorganic chemical and material compounds, as well as study their topology. We discover that the connectivity between elements and compounds is distributed exponentially for materials, and with a fat tail for chemicals. Compounds networks show similar distribution of degrees, and feature a highly-connected club due to oxygen . Chemical compounds networks appear more modular than material ones, while the communities detected reveal different dominant elements specific to the topology. We successfully reproduce the connectivity of the empirical chemicals and materials networks by using a family of fitness models, where the fitness values are derived from the abundances of the elements in the aggregate compound data. Our results pave the way towards a relational network-based understanding of the inherent complexity of the vast chemical knowledge atlas, and our methodology can be applied to other systems with the ingredient-composite structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Tsekenis
- Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems (DMSN), "Ca' Foscari" University of Venice, Venice, Italy.
| | - Giulio Cimini
- Physics Department and INFN, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Marinos Kalafatis
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Achille Giacometti
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems (DMSN), "Ca' Foscari" University of Venice, Venice, Italy
- European Centre of Living Technologies (ECLT), "Ca' Foscari" University of Venice, Venice, Italy
| | - Tommaso Gili
- Networks Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, 55100, Lucca, Italy
| | - Guido Caldarelli
- Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems (DMSN), "Ca' Foscari" University of Venice, Venice, Italy
- European Centre of Living Technologies (ECLT), "Ca' Foscari" University of Venice, Venice, Italy
- Rara Foundation - Sustainable Materials and Technologies ETS, 30171, Venice, Italy
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12
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Vollert SA, Drovandi C, Adams MP. Unlocking ensemble ecosystem modelling for large and complex networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011976. [PMID: 38483981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The potential effects of conservation actions on threatened species can be predicted using ensemble ecosystem models by forecasting populations with and without intervention. These model ensembles commonly assume stable coexistence of species in the absence of available data. However, existing ensemble-generation methods become computationally inefficient as the size of the ecosystem network increases, preventing larger networks from being studied. We present a novel sequential Monte Carlo sampling approach for ensemble generation that is orders of magnitude faster than existing approaches. We demonstrate that the methods produce equivalent parameter inferences, model predictions, and tightly constrained parameter combinations using a novel sensitivity analysis method. For one case study, we demonstrate a speed-up from 108 days to 6 hours, while maintaining equivalent ensembles. Additionally, we demonstrate how to identify the parameter combinations that strongly drive feasibility and stability, drawing ecological insight from the ensembles. Now, for the first time, larger and more realistic networks can be practically simulated and analysed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Vollert
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher Drovandi
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew P Adams
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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13
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Galiana N, Arnoldi JF, Mestre F, Rozenfeld A, Araújo MB. Power laws in species' biotic interaction networks can be inferred from co-occurrence data. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:209-217. [PMID: 38012361 PMCID: PMC11263125 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02254-y] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Inferring biotic interactions from species co-occurrence patterns has long intrigued ecologists. Yet recent research revealed that co-occurrences may not reliably represent pairwise biotic interactions. We propose that examining network-level co-occurrence patterns can provide valuable insights into community structure and assembly. Analysing ten bipartite networks of empirically sampled biotic interactions and associated species spatial distribution, we find that approximately 20% of co-occurrences correspond to actual interactions. Moreover, the degree distribution shifts from exponential in co-occurrence networks to power laws in networks of biotic interactions. This shift results from a strong interplay between species' biotic (their interacting partners) and abiotic (their environmental requirements) niches, and is accurately predicted by considering co-occurrence frequencies. Our work offers a mechanistic understanding of the assembly of ecological communities and suggests simple ways to infer fundamental biotic interaction network characteristics from co-occurrence data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Galiana
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jean-François Arnoldi
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Experimental and Theoretical Ecology Station, Moulis, France
| | - Frederico Mestre
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Alejandro Rozenfeld
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
- INTELYMEC Group, Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires - Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Olavarría, Argentina
| | - Miguel B Araújo
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain
- Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
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Seymoure B, Dell A, Hölker F, Kalinkat G. A framework for untangling the consequences of artificial light at night on species interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220356. [PMID: 37899016 PMCID: PMC10613547 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0356] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Although much evidence exists showing organismal consequences from artificial light at night (ALAN), large knowledge gaps remain regarding ALAN affecting species interactions. Species interactions occur via shared spatio-temporal niches among species, which may be determined by natural light levels. We review how ALAN is altering these spatio-temporal niches through expanding twilight or full Moon conditions and constricting nocturnal conditions as well as creating patches of bright and dark. We review literature from a database to determine if ALAN is affecting species interactions via spatio-temporal dynamics. The literature indicates a growing interest in ALAN and species interactions: 58% of the studies we analysed have been published since 2020. Seventy-five of 79 studies found ALAN altered species interactions. Enhancements and reductions of species interactions were equally documented. Many studies revealed ALAN affecting species interactions spatially, but few revealed temporal alterations. There are biases regarding species interactions and ALAN-most studies investigated predator-prey interactions with vertebrates as predators and invertebrates as prey. Following this literature review, we suggest avenues, such as remote sensing and animal tracking, that can guide future research on the consequences of ALAN on species interactions across spatial and temporal axes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Seymoure
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Anthony Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Alton, IL 62024, USA
- Department of Biology, WashingtonUniversity in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Franz Hölker
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Kalinkat
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
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15
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Scheifler M, Magnanou E, Sanchez-Brosseau S, Desdevises Y. Host-microbiota-parasite interactions in two wild sparid fish species, Diplodus annularis and Oblada melanura (Teleostei, Sparidae) over a year: a pilot study. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:340. [PMID: 37974095 PMCID: PMC10652623 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-03086-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microbiota in fish external mucus is mainly known for having a role in homeostasis and protection against pathogens, but recent evidence suggests it is also involved in the host-specificity of some ectoparasites. In this study, we investigated the influence of seasonality and environmental factors on both fish external microbiota and monogenean gill ectoparasites abundance and diversity and assessed the level of covariations between monogenean and bacterial communities across seasons. To do so, we assessed skin and gill microbiota of two sparid species, Oblada melanura and Diplodus annularis, over a year and collected their specific monogenean ectoparasites belonging to the Lamellodiscus genus. RESULTS Our results revealed that diversity and structure of skin and gill mucus microbiota were strongly affected by seasonality, mainly by the variations of temperature, with specific fish-associated bacterial taxa for each season. The diversity and abundance of parasites were also influenced by seasonality, with the abundance of some Lamellodiscus species significantly correlated to temperature. Numerous positive and negative correlations between the abundance of given bacterial genera and Lamellodiscus species were observed throughout the year, suggesting their differential interaction across seasons. CONCLUSIONS The present study is one of the first to demonstrate the influence of seasonality and related abiotic factors on fish external microbiota over a year. We further identified potential interactions between gill microbiota and parasite occurrence in wild fish populations, improving current knowledge and understanding of the establishment of host-specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Scheifler
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, F-66650, France.
| | - Elodie Magnanou
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, F-66650, France
| | - Sophie Sanchez-Brosseau
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, F-66650, France
| | - Yves Desdevises
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative Des Organismes Marins, BIOM, Banyuls-sur-Mer, F-66650, France
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16
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Gladstone-Gallagher RV, Thrush SF, Low JML, Pilditch CA, Ellis JI, Hewitt JE. Toward a network perspective in coastal ecosystem management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 346:119007. [PMID: 37742568 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119007] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Environmental management in coastal ecosystems has been challenged by the complex cumulative effects that occur when many small issues result in large ecological shifts. Current environmental management of these spaces focuses on identifying and limiting problematic stressors via a series of assessment techniques. Whilst there is a strong desire among managers to consider complexity in ecological responses to cumulative effects, current approaches for assessing risk focus on breaking down the issues into multiple cause and effect relationships. However, uncertainty arises when data and information for a place are limited, as is commonly the case, and this creates decision paralysis while more information is generated. Here, we discuss how ecological understanding of network interactions in coastal marine ecosystems can be used as a lens to bring together multiple lines of evidence and create actions. We list and describe four characteristics of marine ecosystem interaction networks including the possibility for; 1) indirect effects, 2) effects that emerge as stressor magnitude increases the number of network components implicated, 3) network interactions that amplify these indirect effects, and 4) feedbacks that reinforce or stabilise against indirect effects. We then link these four characteristics to three case studies of common coastal environmental issues to demonstrate how a general understanding of ecological interaction networks can enhance priorities for stressor management that can be applied even when specific data is limited.
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17
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Wise DH, Mores RM, M. Pajda-De La O J, McCary MA. Pattern of seasonal variation in rates of predation between spider families is temporally stable in a food web with widespread intraguild predation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293176. [PMID: 37903108 PMCID: PMC10615273 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraguild predation (IGP)-predation between generalist predators (IGPredator and IGPrey) that potentially compete for a shared prey resource-is a common interaction module in terrestrial food webs. Understanding temporal variation in webs with widespread IGP is relevant to testing food web theory. We investigated temporal constancy in the structure of such a system: the spider-focused food web of the forest floor. Multiplex PCR was used to detect prey DNA in 3,300 adult spiders collected from the floor of a deciduous forest during spring, summer, and fall over four years. Because only spiders were defined as consumers, the web was tripartite, with 11 consumer nodes (spider families) and 22 resource nodes: 11 non-spider arthropod taxa (order- or family-level) and the 11 spider families. Most (99%) spider-spider predation was on spider IGPrey, and ~90% of these interactions were restricted to spider families within the same broadly defined foraging mode (cursorial or web-spinning spiders). Bootstrapped-derived confidence intervals (BCI's) for two indices of web structure, restricted connectance and interaction evenness, overlapped broadly across years and seasons. A third index, % IGPrey (% IGPrey among all prey of spiders), was similar across years (~50%) but varied seasonally, with a summer rate (65%) ~1.8x higher than spring and fall. This seasonal pattern was consistent across years. Our results suggest that extensive spider predation on spider IGPrey that exhibits consistent seasonal variation in frequency, and that occurs primarily within two broadly defined spider-spider interaction pathways, must be incorporated into models of the dynamics of forest-floor food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Wise
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Robin M. Mores
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jennifer M. Pajda-De La O
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Matthew A. McCary
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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18
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Banville F, Gravel D, Poisot T. What constrains food webs? A maximum entropy framework for predicting their structure with minimal biases. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011458. [PMID: 37669314 PMCID: PMC10503755 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Food webs are complex ecological networks whose structure is both ecologically and statistically constrained, with many network properties being correlated with each other. Despite the recognition of these invariable relationships in food webs, the use of the principle of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) in network ecology is still rare. This is surprising considering that MaxEnt is a statistical tool precisely designed for understanding and predicting many types of constrained systems. This principle asserts that the least-biased probability distribution of a system's property, constrained by prior knowledge about that system, is the one with maximum information entropy. MaxEnt has been proven useful in many ecological modeling problems, but its application in food webs and other ecological networks is limited. Here we show how MaxEnt can be used to derive many food-web properties both analytically and heuristically. First, we show how the joint degree distribution (the joint probability distribution of the numbers of prey and predators for each species in the network) can be derived analytically using the number of species and the number of interactions in food webs. Second, we present a heuristic and flexible approach of finding a network's adjacency matrix (the network's representation in matrix format) based on simulated annealing and SVD entropy. We built two heuristic models using the connectance and the joint degree sequence as statistical constraints, respectively. We compared both models' predictions against corresponding null and neutral models commonly used in network ecology using open access data of terrestrial and aquatic food webs sampled globally (N = 257). We found that the heuristic model constrained by the joint degree sequence was a good predictor of many measures of food-web structure, especially the nestedness and motifs distribution. Specifically, our results suggest that the structure of terrestrial and aquatic food webs is mainly driven by their joint degree distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Banville
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Quebec, Canada
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19
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Suzuki SS, Baba YG, Toju H. Dynamics of species-rich predator-prey networks and seasonal alternations of core species. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1432-1443. [PMID: 37460838 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02130-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
In nature, entangled webs of predator-prey interactions constitute the backbones of ecosystems. Uncovering the network architecture of such trophic interactions has been recognized as the essential step for exploring species with great impacts on ecosystem-level phenomena and functions. However, it has remained a major challenge to reveal how species-rich networks of predator-prey interactions are continually reshaped through time in the wild. Here, we show that dynamics of species-rich predator-prey interactions can be characterized by remarkable network structural changes and alternations of species with greatest impacts on community processes. On the basis of high-throughput detection of prey DNA from 1,556 spider individuals collected in a grassland ecosystem, we reconstructed dynamics of interaction networks involving, in total, 50 spider species and 974 prey species and strains through 8 months. The networks were compartmentalized into modules (groups) of closely interacting predators and prey in each month. Those modules differed in detritus/grazing food chain properties, forming complex fission-fusion dynamics of belowground and aboveground energy channels across the seasons. The substantial shifts of network structure entailed alternations of spider species located at the core positions within the entangled webs of interactions. These results indicate that knowledge of dynamically shifting food webs is crucial for understanding temporally varying roles of 'core species' in ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka S Suzuki
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Japan.
| | - Yuki G Baba
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Toju
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Japan.
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20
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Chiu CH, Chao A, Vogel S, Kriegel P, Thorn S. Quantifying and estimating ecological network diversity based on incomplete sampling data. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220183. [PMID: 37246386 PMCID: PMC10225855 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0183] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
An ecological network refers to the ecological interactions among sets of species. Quantification of ecological network diversity and related sampling/estimation challenges have explicit analogues in species diversity research. A unified framework based on Hill numbers and their generalizations was developed to quantify taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Drawing on this unified framework, we propose three dimensions of network diversity that incorporate the frequency (or strength) of interactions, species phylogenies and traits. As with surveys in species inventories, nearly all network studies are based on sampling data and thus also suffer from under-sampling effects. Adapting the sampling/estimation theory and the iNEXT (interpolation/extrapolation) standardization developed for species diversity research, we propose the iNEXT.link method to analyse network sampling data. The proposed method integrates the following four inference procedures: (i) assessment of sample completeness of networks; (ii) asymptotic analysis via estimating the true network diversity; (iii) non-asymptotic analysis based on standardizing sample completeness via rarefaction and extrapolation with network diversity; and (iv) estimation of the degree of unevenness or specialization in networks based on standardized diversity. Interaction data between European trees and saproxylic beetles are used to illustrate the proposed procedures. The software iNEXT.link has been developed to facilitate all computations and graphics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Huo Chiu
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Anne Chao
- Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin-Chu 30043, Taiwan
| | - Sebastian Vogel
- Bavarian Environment Agency, Biodiversitätszentrum Rhön, Marktplatz 11, 97653 Bischofsheim i.d.R., Germany
| | - Peter Kriegel
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Glashüttenstr. 5, 96181 Rauhenebrach, Germany
| | - Simon Thorn
- Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, Biodiversity Center, Europastraße 10, 35394 Gießen, Germany
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21
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Kikuchi DW, Allen WL, Arbuckle K, Aubier TG, Briolat ES, Burdfield-Steel ER, Cheney KL, Daňková K, Elias M, Hämäläinen L, Herberstein ME, Hossie TJ, Joron M, Kunte K, Leavell BC, Lindstedt C, Lorioux-Chevalier U, McClure M, McLellan CF, Medina I, Nawge V, Páez E, Pal A, Pekár S, Penacchio O, Raška J, Reader T, Rojas B, Rönkä KH, Rößler DC, Rowe C, Rowland HM, Roy A, Schaal KA, Sherratt TN, Skelhorn J, Smart HR, Stankowich T, Stefan AM, Summers K, Taylor CH, Thorogood R, Umbers K, Winters AE, Yeager J, Exnerová A. The evolution and ecology of multiple antipredator defences. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:975-991. [PMID: 37363877 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14192] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Prey seldom rely on a single type of antipredator defence, often using multiple defences to avoid predation. In many cases, selection in different contexts may favour the evolution of multiple defences in a prey. However, a prey may use multiple defences to protect itself during a single predator encounter. Such "defence portfolios" that defend prey against a single instance of predation are distributed across and within successive stages of the predation sequence (encounter, detection, identification, approach (attack), subjugation and consumption). We contend that at present, our understanding of defence portfolio evolution is incomplete, and seen from the fragmentary perspective of specific sensory systems (e.g., visual) or specific types of defences (especially aposematism). In this review, we aim to build a comprehensive framework for conceptualizing the evolution of multiple prey defences, beginning with hypotheses for the evolution of multiple defences in general, and defence portfolios in particular. We then examine idealized models of resource trade-offs and functional interactions between traits, along with evidence supporting them. We find that defence portfolios are constrained by resource allocation to other aspects of life history, as well as functional incompatibilities between different defences. We also find that selection is likely to favour combinations of defences that have synergistic effects on predator behaviour and prey survival. Next, we examine specific aspects of prey ecology, genetics and development, and predator cognition that modify the predictions of current hypotheses or introduce competing hypotheses. We outline schema for gathering data on the distribution of prey defences across species and geography, determining how multiple defences are produced, and testing the proximate mechanisms by which multiple prey defences impact predator behaviour. Adopting these approaches will strengthen our understanding of multiple defensive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Kikuchi
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Evolutionary Biology, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Thomas G Aubier
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, UMR 5174, CNRS/IRD, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Emily R Burdfield-Steel
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karen L Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Klára Daňková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marianne Elias
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | - Liisa Hämäläinen
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marie E Herberstein
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas J Hossie
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mathieu Joron
- CEFE, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Brian C Leavell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ugo Lorioux-Chevalier
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Melanie McClure
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | | | - Iliana Medina
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Viraj Nawge
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Erika Páez
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Arka Pal
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - Stano Pekár
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Olivier Penacchio
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
- Computer Vision Center, Computer Science Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Raška
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tom Reader
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Katja H Rönkä
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniela C Rößler
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Candy Rowe
- Institute of Biosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Arlety Roy
- Laboratoire Écologie, Évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Kaitlin A Schaal
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - John Skelhorn
- Institute of Biosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Hannah R Smart
- Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ted Stankowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | - Amanda M Stefan
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kate Umbers
- Hawkesbury Institute of the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Science Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anne E Winters
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Justin Yeager
- Grupo de Biodiversidad Medio Ambiente y Salud, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Alice Exnerová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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22
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Cerecedo-Iglesias C, Bartumeus F, Cortés-Avizanda A, Pretus JL, Hernández-Matías A, Real J. Resource predictability modulates spatial-use networks in an endangered scavenger species. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:22. [PMID: 37081522 PMCID: PMC10120099 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00383-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in human-induced resource availability can alter the behaviour of free-living species and affect their foraging strategies. The future European Landfill Waste Directive and Circular Economy Action Plan will reduce the number of predictable anthropogenic food subsidies (PAFS), above all, by closing landfills to preclude negative effects on human health. Obligate avian scavengers, the most threatened group of birds worldwide, are the most likely group of species that will be forced to change their behaviour and use of space in response to landfill site closures. Here, we examine the possible consequences of these management decisions on the foraging patterns of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) in an expanding population in the Iberian Peninsula. METHODS We tracked 16 individuals in 2018-2021, including breeders and non-breeders, and, using a combination of spatial-use and spatial-network modelling, assessed landscape connectivity between key resources based on movement patterns. We then carried out simulations of future scenarios based on the loss of PAFS to predict likely changes in the movement patterns of both non-breeders and breeders. RESULTS Our results show that foraging strategies in non-breeders and breeders differ significantly: non-breeders performed more dispersal movements than breeding birds across a spatial-use network. Non-breeding and breeding networks were found to be vulnerable to the removal of central foraging areas containing landfill sites, a highly predictable resource, while perturbation analysis showed dissimilar foraging responses to the gradual reduction of other predictable resources. Under a context of the non-availability of landfills for breeders and non-breeders, vultures will increase their use of extensive livestock as a trophic resource. CONCLUSIONS Future environmental policies should thus extend the areas used by scavengers in which livestock carcasses are allowed to remain in the wild, a strategy that will also mitigate the lack of food caused by any reduction in available waste if landfills close. In general, our results emphasize the capabilities of a spatial network approaches to address questions on movement ecology. They can be used to infer the behavioural response of animal species and, also demonstrate the importance of applying such approaches to endangered species conservation within a context of changing humanized scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catuxa Cerecedo-Iglesias
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB), CSIC, Accés a la Cala Sant Francesc, 17300 Blanes, Girona, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, CREAF, Campus Bellaterra, 17300 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ainara Cortés-Avizanda
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Joan Ll. Pretus
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Antonio Hernández-Matías
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Joan Real
- Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de la Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO), Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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23
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Brimacombe C, Bodner K, Michalska-Smith M, Poisot T, Fortin MJ. Shortcomings of reusing species interaction networks created by different sets of researchers. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002068. [PMID: 37011096 PMCID: PMC10101633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the requisite cost associated with observing species interactions, ecologists often reuse species interaction networks created by different sets of researchers to test their hypotheses regarding how ecological processes drive network topology. Yet, topological properties identified across these networks may not be sufficiently attributable to ecological processes alone as often assumed. Instead, much of the totality of topological differences between networks-topological heterogeneity-could be due to variations in research designs and approaches that different researchers use to create each species interaction network. To evaluate the degree to which this topological heterogeneity is present in available ecological networks, we first compared the amount of topological heterogeneity across 723 species interaction networks created by different sets of researchers with the amount quantified from non-ecological networks known to be constructed following more consistent approaches. Then, to further test whether the topological heterogeneity was due to differences in study designs, and not only to inherent variation within ecological networks, we compared the amount of topological heterogeneity between species interaction networks created by the same sets of researchers (i.e., networks from the same publication) with the amount quantified between networks that were each from a unique publication source. We found that species interaction networks are highly topologically heterogeneous: while species interaction networks from the same publication are much more topologically similar to each other than interaction networks that are from a unique publication, they still show at least twice as much heterogeneity as any category of non-ecological networks that we tested. Altogether, our findings suggest that extra care is necessary to effectively analyze species interaction networks created by different researchers, perhaps by controlling for the publication source of each network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Brimacombe
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Korryn Bodner
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew Michalska-Smith
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Josée Fortin
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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24
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Arroyo-Correa B, Jordano P, Bartomeus I. Intraspecific variation in species interactions promotes the feasibility of mutualistic assemblages. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:448-459. [PMID: 36688287 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of resource use observed at the species level emerge from the way individuals exploit the range of available resources. Hence, accounting for interindividual differences in resource use, such as pollinator use by plants, is essential to advance our understanding of community assembly and persistence. By using finely resolved data on plant-pollinator interactions, we evaluated how interindividual plant variation in pollinator use scales up to affect community structure and dynamics. All co-occurring plant species comprised specialists interacting with proper subsets of pollinators that visited generalists, and differences in interaction patterns were driven by among-individual trait variation. Furthermore, the nested structure and feasibility of plant-pollinator communities were maximised at higher levels of interindividual plant variation in traits and pollinator use. Our study sheds light on how pervasive properties of community structure arise from individual-level processes and contributes to elucidate the importance of preserving intraspecific variation in traits and resource use within populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Arroyo-Correa
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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25
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Gokhale CS, Velasque M, Denton JA. Ecological Drivers of Community Cohesion. mSystems 2023; 8:e0092922. [PMID: 36656037 PMCID: PMC9948702 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00929-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
From protocellular to societal, networks of living systems are complex and multiscale. Discerning the factors that facilitate assembly of these intricate interdependencies using pairwise interactions can be nearly impossible. To facilitate a greater understanding, we developed a mathematical and computational model based on a synthetic four-strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae interdependent system. Specifically, we aimed to provide a greater understanding of how ecological factors influence community dynamics. By leveraging transiently structured ecologies, we were able to drive community cohesion. We show how ecological interventions could reverse or slow the extinction rate of a cohesive community. An interconnected system first needs to persist long enough to be a subject of natural selection. Our emulation of Darwin's "warm little ponds" with an ecology governed by transient compartmentalization provided the necessary persistence. Our results reveal utility across scales of organization, stressing the importance of cyclic processes in major evolutionary transitions, engineering of synthetic microbial consortia, and conservation biology. IMPORTANCE We are facing unprecedented disruption and collapse of ecosystems across the globe. To have any hope of mitigating this phenomenon, a much greater understanding of ecosystem dynamics is required. However, ecosystems are typically composed of highly dynamic networks of individual species. These interactions are further modulated by abiotic and biotic factors that vary temporally and spatially. Thus, ecological dynamics are obfuscated by this complexity. Here, we developed a theoretical model, informed by a synthetic experimental system, of Darwin's "warm little ponds." This cycling four-species system seeks to elucidate the ecological factors that drive or inhibit interaction. We show that these factors could provide an essential tool for avoiding the accelerating ecological collapse. Our study also provides a starting point to develop a more encompassing model to inform conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaitanya S. Gokhale
- Research Group for Theoretical Models of Eco-evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Mariana Velasque
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Japan
- Experimental Evolutionary Biology Lab, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jai A. Denton
- Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Japan
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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26
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Polazzo F, Hermann M, Crettaz-Minaglia M, Rico A. Impacts of extreme climatic events on trophic network complexity and multidimensional stability. Ecology 2023; 104:e3951. [PMID: 36484732 PMCID: PMC10078413 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Untangling the relationship between network complexity and ecological stability under climate change is an arduous challenge for theoretical and empirical ecology. Even more so, when considering extreme climatic events. Here, we studied the effects of extreme climatic events (heatwaves) on the complexity of realistic freshwater ecosystems using topological and quantitative trophic network metrics. Next, we linked changes in network complexity with the investigation of four stability components (temporal stability, resistance, resilience, and recovery) of community's functional, compositional, and energy flux stability. We found reduction in topological network complexity to be correlated with reduction of functional and compositional resistance. However, temperature-driven increase in link-weighted network complexity increased functional and energy flux recovery and resilience, but at the cost of increased compositional instability. Overall, we propose an overarching approach to elucidate the effects of climate change on multidimensional stability through the lens of network complexity, providing helpful insights for preserving ecosystems stability under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Polazzo
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melina Crettaz-Minaglia
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.,Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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27
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Wu D, Xu C, Wang S, Zhang L, Kortsch S. Why are biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships so elusive? Trophic interactions may amplify ecosystem function variability. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:367-376. [PMID: 36062409 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions (BEFs) has attracted great interest. Studies on BEF have so far focused on the average trend of ecosystem function as species diversity increases. A tantalizing but rarely addressed question is why large variations in ecosystem functions are often observed across systems with similar species diversity, likely obscuring observed BEFs. Here we use a multi-trophic food web model in combination with empirical data to examine the relationships between species richness and the variation in ecosystem functions (VEFs) including biomass, metabolism, decomposition, and primary and secondary production. We then probe the mechanisms underlying these relationships, focusing on the role of trophic interactions. While our results reinforce the previously documented positive BEF relationships, we found that ecosystem functions exhibit significant variation within each level of species richness and the magnitude of this variation displays a hump-shaped relationship with species richness. Our analyses demonstrate that VEFs is reduced when consumer diversity increases through elevated nonlinearity in trophic interactions, and/or when the diversity of basal species such as producers and decomposers decreases. This explanation is supported by a 34-year empirical food web time series from the Gulf of Riga ecosystem. Our work suggests that biodiversity loss may not only result in ecosystem function decline, but also reduce the predictability of functions by generating greater function variability among ecosystems. It thus helps to reconcile the debate on the generality of positive BEF relationships and to disentangle the drivers of ecosystem stability. The role of trophic interactions and the variation in their strengths mediated by functional responses in shaping ecosystem function variation warrants further investigations and better incorporation into biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wu
- School of Mathematical Science, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Chi Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lai Zhang
- School of Mathematical Science, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Susanne Kortsch
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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28
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Costa FX, Correia RB, Rocha LM. The distance backbone of directed networks. COMPLEX NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS XI : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPLEX NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS: COMPLEX NETWORKS 2022. VOLUME 2 2023; 1078:135-147. [PMID: 37916070 PMCID: PMC10619359 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-21131-7_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
In weighted graphs the shortest path between two nodes is often reached through an indirect path, out of all possible connections, leading to structural redundancies which play key roles in the dynamics and evolution of complex networks. We have previously developed a parameter-free, algebraically-principled methodology to uncover such redundancy and reveal the distance backbone of weighted graphs, which has been shown to be important in transmission dynamics, inference of important paths, and quantifying the robustness of networks. However, the method was developed for undirected graphs. Here we expand this methodology to weighted directed graphs and study the redundancy and robustness found in nine networks ranging from social, biomedical, and technical systems. We found that similarly to undirected graphs, directed graphs in general also contain a large amount of redundancy, as measured by the size of their (directed) distance backbone. Our methodology adds an additional tool to the principled sparsification of complex networks and the measure of their robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Xavier Costa
- Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Department, Binghamton University (State University of New York), Binghamton NY 13902, USA
- Department of Physics, State University of New York at Albany, Albany NY 12222, USA
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Rion Brattig Correia
- Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Department, Binghamton University (State University of New York), Binghamton NY 13902, USA
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Luis M. Rocha
- Systems Science and Industrial Engineering Department, Binghamton University (State University of New York), Binghamton NY 13902, USA
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
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29
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Abstract
There is growing awareness of pollinator declines worldwide. Conservation efforts have mainly focused on finding the direct causes, while paying less attention to building a systemic understanding of the fragility of these communities of pollinators. To fill this gap, we need operational measures of network resilience that integrate two different approaches in theoretical ecology. First, we should consider the range of conditions compatible with the stable coexistence of all of the species in a community. Second, we should address the rate and shape of network collapse once this safe operational space is exited. In this review, we describe this integrative approach and consider several mechanisms that may enhance the resilience of pollinator communities, chiefly rewiring the network of interactions, increasing heterogeneity, allowing variance, and enhancing coevolution. The most pressing need is to develop ways to reduce the gap between these theoretical recommendations and practical applications. This perspective shifts the emphasis from traditional approaches focusing on the equilibrium states to strategies that allow pollination networks to cope with global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Marten Scheffer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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30
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Webber QMR, Albery GF, Farine DR, Pinter-Wollman N, Sharma N, Spiegel O, Vander Wal E, Manlove K. Behavioural ecology at the spatial-social interface. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:868-886. [PMID: 36691262 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Spatial and social behaviour are fundamental aspects of an animal's biology, and their social and spatial environments are indelibly linked through mutual causes and shared consequences. We define the 'spatial-social interface' as intersection of social and spatial aspects of individuals' phenotypes and environments. Behavioural variation at the spatial-social interface has implications for ecological and evolutionary processes including pathogen transmission, population dynamics, and the evolution of social systems. We link spatial and social processes through a foundation of shared theory, vocabulary, and methods. We provide examples and future directions for the integration of spatial and social behaviour and environments. We introduce key concepts and approaches that either implicitly or explicitly integrate social and spatial processes, for example, graph theory, density-dependent habitat selection, and niche specialization. Finally, we discuss how movement ecology helps link the spatial-social interface. Our review integrates social and spatial behavioural ecology and identifies testable hypotheses at the spatial-social interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.,Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Wallotstraße 19, 14193, Berlin, Germany.,Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitatsstraße 10, 78464, Constance, Germany.,Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nitika Sharma
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kezia Manlove
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5200 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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31
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Sánchez‐Collazo XM, Figueroa‐Castro DM, Cruz JA, Castañeda‐Posadas C. Relative importance of two bat species as pollinators of
Neobuxbaumia tetetzo
(Cactaceae): Evidences from morphometric and pollen load analyses. Ecol Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José Alberto Cruz
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla Puebla Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Moneda 16, Col. Centro, Del. Cuauhtémoc Mexico
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32
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Li Y, Chen Y, Fan Y, Chen Y, Chen Y. Dynamic network modeling of gut microbiota during Alzheimer's disease progression in mice. Gut Microbes 2023; 15:2172672. [PMID: 36724123 PMCID: PMC9897752 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2172672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The intimate association between the gut microbiota (GM) and the central nervous system points to potential intervention strategies for neurological diseases. Nevertheless, there is currently no theoretical framework for selecting the window period and target bacteria for GM interventions owing to the complexity of the gut microecosystem. In this study, we constructed a complex network-based modeling approach to evaluate the topological features of the GM and infer the window period and bacterial candidates for GM interventions. We used Alzheimer's disease (AD) as an example and traced the GM dynamic changes in AD and wild-type mice at one, two, three, six, and nine months of age. The results revealed alterations of the topological features of the GM from a scale-free network into a random network during AD progression, indicating severe GM disequilibrium at the late stage of AD. Through stability and vulnerability assessments of the GM networks, we identified the third month after birth as the optimal window period for GM interventions in AD mice. Further computational simulations and robustness evaluations determined that the hub bacteria were potential candidates for GM interventions. Moreover, our GM functional analysis suggested that Lachnospiraceae UCG-001 - the hub and enriched bacterium in AD mice - was the keystone bacterium for GM interventions owing to its contributions to quinolinic acid synthesis. In conclusion, this study established a complex network-based modeling approach as a practical strategy for disease interventions from the perspective of the gut microecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinhu Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen–Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science–Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yijing Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen–Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science–Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingying Fan
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen–Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science–Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuewen Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen–Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science–Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Brain Diseases, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen–Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science–Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China,CONTACT Yu Chen Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, China
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33
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Nyirenda VR, Phiri D, Chomba C. Identifying multiple wildlife species-crop interactions using network analysis. J Nat Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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34
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Gupta A, David Figueroa H, O'Gorman E, Jones I, Woodward G, Petchey OL. How many predator guts are required to predict trophic interactions? FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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35
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Alexandridis N, Marion G, Chaplin‐Kramer R, Dainese M, Ekroos J, Grab H, Jonsson M, Karp DS, Meyer C, O'Rourke ME, Pontarp M, Poveda K, Seppelt R, Smith HG, Walters RJ, Clough Y, Martin EA. Archetype models upscale understanding of natural pest control response to land-use change. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2696. [PMID: 35735258 PMCID: PMC10078142 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Control of crop pests by shifting host plant availability and natural enemy activity at landscape scales has great potential to enhance the sustainability of agriculture. However, mainstreaming natural pest control requires improved understanding of how its benefits can be realized across a variety of agroecological contexts. Empirical studies suggest significant but highly variable responses of natural pest control to land-use change. Current ecological models are either too specific to provide insight across agroecosystems or too generic to guide management with actionable predictions. We suggest obtaining the full benefit of available empirical, theoretical, and methodological knowledge by combining trait-mediated understanding from correlative studies with the explicit representation of causal relationships achieved by mechanistic modeling. To link these frameworks, we adapt the concept of archetypes, or context-specific generalizations, from sustainability science. Similar responses of natural pest control to land-use gradients across cases that share key attributes, such as functional traits of focal organisms, indicate general processes that drive system behavior in a context-sensitive manner. Based on such observations of natural pest control, a systematic definition of archetypes can provide the basis for mechanistic models of intermediate generality that cover all major agroecosystems worldwide. Example applications demonstrate the potential for upscaling understanding and improving predictions of natural pest control, based on knowledge transfer and scientific synthesis. A broader application of this mechanistic archetype approach promises to enhance ecology's contribution to natural resource management across diverse regions and social-ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glenn Marion
- Biomathematics and Statistics ScotlandEdinburghUK
| | - Rebecca Chaplin‐Kramer
- Stanford University, Woods Institute for the Environment, Natural Capital ProjectStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- University of Minnesota, Institute on the EnvironmentSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Matteo Dainese
- Eurac ResearchInstitute for Alpine EnvironmentBozen/BolzanoItaly
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)LundSweden
- Present address:
Department of Agricultural SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Heather Grab
- Department of EntomologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Daniel S. Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of California – DavisDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Carsten Meyer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and PsychologyUniversity of LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg, Institute of Geoscience & GeographyHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Megan E. O'Rourke
- Department of HorticultureVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Katja Poveda
- Department of EntomologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Ralf Seppelt
- Martin Luther University Halle‐Wittenberg, Institute of Geoscience & GeographyHalle (Saale)Germany
- Department of Computational Landscape EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
| | - Henrik G. Smith
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)LundSweden
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Richard J. Walters
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)LundSweden
| | - Yann Clough
- Lund University, Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)LundSweden
| | - Emily A. Martin
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Geobotany, Zoological BiodiversityHannoverGermany
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36
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Peel L, Peixoto TP, De Domenico M. Statistical inference links data and theory in network science. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6794. [PMID: 36357376 PMCID: PMC9649740 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34267-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of network science applications across many different fields has been rapidly increasing. Surprisingly, the development of theory and domain-specific applications often occur in isolation, risking an effective disconnect between theoretical and methodological advances and the way network science is employed in practice. Here we address this risk constructively, discussing good practices to guarantee more successful applications and reproducible results. We endorse designing statistically grounded methodologies to address challenges in network science. This approach allows one to explain observational data in terms of generative models, naturally deal with intrinsic uncertainties, and strengthen the link between theory and applications. Theoretical models and structures recovered from measured data serve for analysis of complex networks. The authors discuss here existing gaps between theoretical methods and real-world applied networks, and potential ways to improve the interplay between theory and applications.
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Mestre F, Rozenfeld A, Araújo MB. Human disturbances affect the topology of food webs. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2476-2488. [PMID: 36167463 PMCID: PMC9828725 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Networks describe nodes connected by links, with numbers of links per node, the degree, forming a range of distributions including random and scale-free. How network topologies emerge in natural systems still puzzles scientists. Based on previous theoretical simulations, we predict that scale-free food webs are favourably selected by random disturbances while random food webs are selected by targeted disturbances. We assume that lower human pressures are more likely associated with random disturbances, whereas higher pressures are associated with targeted ones. We examine these predictions using 351 empirical food webs, generally confirming our predictions. Should the topology of food webs respond to changes in the magnitude of disturbances in a predictable fashion, consistently across ecosystems and scales of organisation, it would provide a baseline expectation to understand and predict the consequences of human pressures on ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederico Mestre
- ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair, MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and ResearchUniversidade de ÉvoraÉvoraPortugal
| | - Alejandro Rozenfeld
- ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair, MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and ResearchUniversidade de ÉvoraÉvoraPortugal,Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del CentroUniversidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasTandilBuenos AiresArgentina,CONICET‐CIFICEN‐Universidad del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos AiresTandilBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Miguel B. Araújo
- ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair, MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and ResearchUniversidade de ÉvoraÉvoraPortugal,Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural SciencesCSICMadridSpain
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38
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Composition and structure of winter aphid–parasitoid food webs along a latitudinal gradient in Chile. Oecologia 2022; 200:425-440. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05270-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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39
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Canelas JV, Pereira HM. Impacts of land-use intensity on ecosystems stability. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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40
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Marzidovšek M, Podpečan V, Conti E, Debeljak M, Mulder C. BEFANA: A tool for biodiversity-ecosystem functioning assessment by network analysis. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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41
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Pinheiro RBP, Felix GMF, Lewinsohn TM. Hierarchical compound topology uncovers complex structure of species interaction networks. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:2248-2260. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael B. P. Pinheiro
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Gabriel M. F. Felix
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Thomas M. Lewinsohn
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
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Pereira J, Ribeiro MC, Battiston F, Jordán F. Reconstruction and variability of tropical pollination networks in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. COMMUNITY ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42974-022-00106-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLoss of biodiversity comprehends not only the extinction of individual species, but also the loss of the ecological interactions among them. Survival of species, continuation of ecosystem functioning in nature, and ecosystem services to humans depend on the maintenance of well-functioning networks of species interactions (e.g. plant–pollinator networks and food webs). Analyses of ecological networks often rely on biased and incomplete survey data, especially in species-rich areas, such as the tropics. We used a network inference method to reconstruct pollination data compiled from a large tropical rainforest habitat extent. To gain insight into the characteristics of plant–pollinator interactions across the region, we combined the reconstructed pollination network with species distribution modelling to obtain local pollination networks throughout the area. We explored how global network properties relate to natural forest cover and land cover heterogeneity. We found that some network properties (the sum and evenness of link weights, connectance and nestedness) are positively correlated with forest cover, indicating that networks in sites with more natural habitat have greater diversity of interactions. Modularity was not related to forest cover, but seemed to reflect habitat heterogeneity, due to the broad spatial scale of the study. We believe that the methodology suggested here can facilitate the use of incomplete network data in a reliable way and allow us to better understand and protect networks of species interactions in high biodiversity regions of the world.
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43
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Emary C, Malchow AK. Stability-instability transition in tripartite merged ecological networks. J Math Biol 2022; 85:20. [PMID: 35960362 PMCID: PMC9374642 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-022-01783-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although ecological networks are typically constructed based on a single type of interaction, e.g. trophic interactions in a food web, a more complete picture of ecosystem composition and functioning arises from merging networks of multiple interaction types. In this work, we consider tripartite networks constructed by merging two bipartite networks, one mutualistic and one antagonistic. Taking the interactions within each sub-network to be distributed randomly, we consider the stability of the dynamics of the network based on the spectrum of its community matrix. In the asymptotic limit of a large number of species, we show that the spectrum undergoes an eigenvalue phase transition, which leads to an abrupt destabilisation of the network as the ratio of mutualists to antagonists is increased. We also derive results that show how this transition is manifest in networks of finite size, as well as when disorder is introduced in the segregation of the two interaction types. Our random-matrix results will serve as a baseline for understanding the behaviour of merged networks with more realistic structures and/or more detailed dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive Emary
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Anne-Kathleen Malchow
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
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Cai W, Han X, Sangeetha T, Yao H. Causality and correlation analysis for deciphering the microbial interactions in activated sludge. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:870766. [PMID: 35992723 PMCID: PMC9387910 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.870766] [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: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Time series data has been considered to be a massive information provider for comprehending more about microbial dynamics and interaction, leading to a causality inference in a complex microbial community. Granger causality and correlation analysis have been investigated and applied for the construction of a microbial causal correlation network (MCCN) and efficient prediction of the ecological interaction within activated sludge, which thereby exhibited ecological interactions at the OTU-level. Application of MCCN to a time series of activated sludge data revealed that the hub species OTU56, classified as the one belonging to the genus Nitrospira, was responsible for nitrification in activated sludge and interaction with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in the form of amensal and commensal relationships, respectively. The phylogenetic tree suggested a mutualistic relationship between Nitrospira and denitrifiers. Zoogloea displayed the highest ncf value within the classified OTUs of the MCCN, indicating that it could be a foundation for activated sludge through the formation of characteristic cell aggregate matrices where other organisms embed during floc formation. Inclusively, the research outcomes of this study have provided a deep insight into the ecological interactions within the communities of activated sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Cai
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyu Han
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Thangavel Sangeetha
- Research Center of Energy Conservation for New Generation of Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Sectors, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Energy and Refrigerating Air-Conditioning Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hong Yao
- School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Yao,
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45
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Construction of an Ecological Network Based on an Integrated Approach and Circuit Theory: A Case Study of Panzhou in Guizhou Province. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14159136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Protecting ecological security has become the backbone of social and economic development since declines in ecological quality due to an increase in human dominance over the natural environment. The establishment of ecological networks is an effective, comprehensive spatial regulation means to ensure regional ecological security. Panzhou city, as a case study, is a typical karst county and has been confronted with the pressure of ecological degradation in recent decades. In this study, an integrated approach combining ecological quality (EQ), ecosystem function importance (EFI), and morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) was developed to determine the ecological sources. Ecological corridors, ecological pinch areas, and ecological barriers were extracted using circuit theory to identify the restored and conserved priority areas of ecological security patterns. The results showed that (1) the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) and EFI exhibited typical geographical distributions, with the highest values concentrated in the northern and southern parts of the study area and the lowest values scattered in the middle part; (2) 26 patches with forestland, grassland, and waterbodies as the main land cover types were selected as the ecological sources; (3) 63 ecological corridors, composed of 45 key ecological corridors and 18 inactive ecological corridors, were extracted, accounting for 203.12 km and 163.31 km, respectively; (4) 82.76 km2 of pinch areas and 320.29 km2 of barriers were identified, both of which were distributed on key ecological corridors and played different roles in ecological security; and (5) 4 types of ecological security zones were established according to ecological sources, corridors, pinch areas, and barriers. This integrated approach provides a scientific method for the identification and implementation of ecological networks that can contribute to protecting regional ecological security. Our findings can serve as applicable and reasonable guidance to land administrators and policy-makers for adopting suitable territorial spatial planning, urban planning, green cities, etc.
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Wu H, Hu B, Han H, Cheng X, Kang F. Network analysis reveals the regulatory effect of mixed stands on ecosystem structure and functions in the Loess Plateau, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153588. [PMID: 35134414 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Afforestation, an important measure for ecological restoration, has been implemented all over the world, but fragile ecosystem structures and climate change endanger its ecological functions. One major obstacle to optimizing ecological function has been quantifying and characterizing a complex ecosystem structure. Here, the structure and functions of six types of land-use restoration were investigated in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. In total, 44 ecological factors from canopy, understory and soil were determined. We constructed the related network of reforestation ecosystems, quantified the structure of ecosystem through network topology, and explored the relationships between structure and functions. The results showed that changes in plantation type altered the network hubs, but some nodes, such as species height, breast-height diameter and understory biomass, were often keystone hubs. Mixed plantations enhanced the connectivity among different modules. In addition, we found that closeness of network connectivity was an important factor influencing ecological functions, while soil erodibility was the main limiting factor for reforestation ecosystem structure in this region. Moreover, mixed plantations tended to have more balanced topological metrics and ecological functions. Overall, this study suggests that mixed plantations or monoculture plantations should be designed according to the characteristics and ecological demands of the regional ecological environment. Although monoculture plantations may support local ecosystems, mixed plantations offer more resilience to a landscape because they were help to achieve a balance among the ecological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifeng Wu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Qilaotu mountain National Observation and Research Station of Chinese Forest Ecosystem, Chifeng 024400, China
| | - Baoan Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Qilaotu mountain National Observation and Research Station of Chinese Forest Ecosystem, Chifeng 024400, China
| | - Hairong Han
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Qilaotu mountain National Observation and Research Station of Chinese Forest Ecosystem, Chifeng 024400, China.
| | - Xiaoqin Cheng
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Qilaotu mountain National Observation and Research Station of Chinese Forest Ecosystem, Chifeng 024400, China
| | - Fengfeng Kang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Qilaotu mountain National Observation and Research Station of Chinese Forest Ecosystem, Chifeng 024400, China
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Abstract
AbstractInvertebrates comprise the most diversified animal group on Earth. Due to their long evolutionary history and small size, invertebrates occupy a remarkable range of ecological niches, and play an important role as “ecosystem engineers” by structuring networks of mutualistic and antagonistic ecological interactions in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services to humans, and, as in other systems, invertebrates are central to structuring and maintaining the functioning of urban forests. Identifying the role of invertebrates in urban forests can help elucidate their importance to practitioners and the public, not only to preserve biodiversity in urban environments, but also to make the public aware of their functional importance in maintaining healthy greenspaces. In this review, we examine the multiple functional roles that invertebrates play in urban forests that contribute to ecosystem service provisioning, including pollination, predation, herbivory, seed and microorganism dispersal and organic matter decomposition, but also those that lead to disservices, primarily from a public health perspective, e.g., transmission of invertebrate-borne diseases. We then identify a number of ecological filters that structure urban forest invertebrate communities, such as changes in habitat structure, increased landscape imperviousness, microclimatic changes and pollution. We also discuss the complexity of ways that forest invertebrates respond to urbanisation, including acclimation, local extinction and evolution. Finally, we present management recommendations to support and conserve viable and diverse urban forest invertebrate populations into the future.
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48
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Sarkar I, Sen G, Bhattacharyya S, Gtari M, Sen A. Inter-cluster competition and resource partitioning may govern the ecology of Frankia. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:326. [PMID: 35576077 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02910-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Microbes live in a complex communal ecosystem. The structural complexity of microbial community reflects diversity, functionality, as well as habitat type. Delineation of ecologically important microbial populations along with exploration of their roles in environmental adaptation or host-microbe interaction has a crucial role in modern microbiology. In this scenario, reverse ecology (the use of genomics to study ecology) plays a pivotal role. Since the co-existence of two different genera in one small niche should maintain a strict direct interaction, it will be interesting to utilize the concept of reverse ecology in this scenario. Here, we exploited an 'R' package, the RevEcoR, to resolve the issue of co-existing microbes which are proven to be a crucial tool for identifying the nature of their relationship (competition or complementation) persisting among them. Our target organism here is Frankia, a nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium popular for its genetic and host-specific nature. According to their plant host, Frankia has already been sub-divided into four clusters C-I, C-II, C-III, and C-IV. Our results revealed a strong competing nature of CI Frankia. Among the clusters of Frankia studied, the competition index between C-I and C-III was the largest. The other interesting result was the co-occurrence of C-II and C-IV groups. It was revealed that these two groups follow the theory of resource partitioning in their lifestyle. Metabolic analysis along with their differential transporter machinery validated our hypothesis of resource partitioning among C-II and C-IV groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Sarkar
- Bioinformatics Facility, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
- Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
| | - G Sen
- Bioinformatics Facility, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
| | - S Bhattacharyya
- Biswa Bangla Genome Centre, Univ. of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India
| | - M Gtari
- Unité de Bactériologie Moléculaire and Génomique, Département de Génie Biologique and Chimique, Institut National Des Sciences Appliquéeset de Technologie, Université de Carthage, Carthage, Tunisia
| | - A Sen
- Bioinformatics Facility, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India.
- Biswa Bangla Genome Centre, Univ. of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India.
- Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, West Bengal, India.
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49
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Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research on Ecological Networks in Nature Conservation from 1990 to 2020. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14094925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
As a nature-based solution to land-use sustainability, ecological networks (ENs) have received substantial attention from researchers, planners, and decision-makers worldwide. To portray the global research on ENs in nature conservation during the period of 1990–2020, 1371 papers in 53 subject categories were reviewed with bibliometric methods and CiteSpace. The results showed a successive growth of publications at an annually averaged rate of 18.9% during the past three decades. Co-citation analysis indicated that the most popular topic was connectivity, on which the studies concentrated on quantifying connectivity, identifying priority areas, and integrating conservation planning. A recent hotspot is to study the landscape fragmentation effects on natural habitats or biodiversity under land-use changes in urbanized areas. Multidisciplinary approaches have been increasingly used to tackle more complex interplays among economic, social, ecological, and cultural factors, with the aim of alleviating ecological service losses attributed to human activities. Spatiotemporal dynamics and participatory design of ENs at different scales have become an emerging trend. In order to address increasing pressures on biodiversity or landscape connectivity brought about by land use and climate change, it is suggested to develop more research on the evaluation and management of the resilience of ENs.
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50
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Ceron K, Provete DB, Pires MM, Araujo AC, Blüthgen N, Santana DJ. Differences in prey availability across space and time lead to interaction rewiring and reshape a predator-prey metaweb. Ecology 2022; 103:e3716. [PMID: 35388458 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Space and time promote variation in network structure by affecting the likelihood of potential interactions. However, little is known about the relative roles of ecological and biogeographical processes in determining how species interactions vary across space and time. Here, we study the spatiotemporal variation in predator-prey interaction networks formed by anurans and arthropods and test for the effects of prey availability in determining interaction patterns, information that is often absent and limits the understanding of the determinants of network structure. We found that network dissimilarity between ecoregions and seasons was high and primarily driven by interaction rewiring. Interaction rewiring drove variation across seasons and ecoregions and species turnover was positively related to geographical distance. Using a null model approach to disentangle the effect of prey availability on the spatial and temporal variation we show that differences in prey availability were important in determining the variation in network structure between seasons and among areas. Our study reveals that fluctuations in prey abundance, along with limited dispersal abilities of anurans and their prey, may be responsible for the spatial patterns that emerged in our predator-prey metaweb. These findings contribute to our understanding of the assembly rules that maintain biotic processes in metacommunities and highlight the importance of prey availability to the structure of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Ceron
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.,Laboratório de Estrutura e Dinâmica da Diversidade (LEDDiv), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diogo B Provete
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Göteborg, SE-405 30, Box 100, Sweden
| | - Mathias M Pires
- Laboratório de Estrutura e Dinâmica da Diversidade (LEDDiv), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C Araujo
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks Research Group, Department of Biology, Technische Univsersität Darmstadt, Schinittspahnstraβe. 3, Germany
| | - Diego J Santana
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
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