1
|
Lampo A, Palazzi MJ, Borge-Holthoefer J, Solé-Ribalta A. Structural dynamics of plant-pollinator mutualistic networks. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae209. [PMID: 38881844 PMCID: PMC11177885 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The discourse surrounding the structural organization of mutualistic interactions mostly revolves around modularity and nestedness. The former is known to enhance the stability of communities, while the latter is related to their feasibility, albeit compromising the stability. However, it has recently been shown that the joint emergence of these structures poses challenges that can eventually lead to limitations in the dynamic properties of mutualistic communities. We hypothesize that considering compound arrangements-modules with internal nested organization-can offer valuable insights in this debate. We analyze the temporal structural dynamics of 20 plant-pollinator interaction networks and observe large structural variability throughout the year. Compound structures are particularly prevalent during the peak of the pollination season, often coexisting with nested and modular arrangements in varying degrees. Motivated by these empirical findings, we synthetically investigate the dynamics of the structural patterns across two control parameters-community size and connectance levels-mimicking the progression of the pollination season. Our analysis reveals contrasting impacts on the stability and feasibility of these mutualistic communities. We characterize the consistent relationship between network structure and stability, which follows a monotonic pattern. But, in terms of feasibility, we observe nonlinear relationships. Compound structures exhibit a favorable balance between stability and feasibility, particularly in mid-sized ecological communities, suggesting they may effectively navigate the simultaneous requirements of stability and feasibility. These findings may indicate that the assembly process of mutualistic communities is driven by a delicate balance among multiple properties, rather than the dominance of a single one.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aniello Lampo
- Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC), Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Av. Universidad, 30 (edificio Sabatini), 28911 Leganés (Madrid), Spain
| | - María J Palazzi
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Javier Borge-Holthoefer
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Albert Solé-Ribalta
- Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Rambla del Poblenou, 154 08018, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Su M, Ma Q, Hui C. Adaptive rewiring shapes structure and stability in a three-guild herbivore-plant-pollinator network. Commun Biol 2024; 7:103. [PMID: 38228754 PMCID: PMC10791747 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05784-8] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal species, encompassing both pollinators and herbivores, exhibit a preference for plants based on optimal foraging theory. Understanding the intricacies of these adaptive plant-animal interactions in the context of community assembly poses a main challenge in ecology. This study delves into the impact of adaptive interaction rewiring between species belonging to different guilds on the structure and stability of a 3-guild ecological network, incorporating both mutualistic and antagonistic interactions. Our findings reveal that adaptive rewiring results in sub-networks becoming more nested and compartmentalized. Furthermore, the rewiring of interactions uncovers a positive correlation between a plant's generalism concerning both pollinators and herbivores. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between a plant's degree centrality and its energy budget. Although network stability does not exhibit a clear relationship with non-random structures, it is primarily influenced by the balance of multiple interaction strengths. In summary, our results underscore the significance of adaptive interaction rewiring in shaping the structure of 3-guild networks. They emphasize the importance of considering the balance of multiple interactions for the stability of adaptive networks, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamics of ecological communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Su
- School of Mathematics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.
| | - Qi Ma
- School of Mathematics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa.
- Mathematical Biosciences Unit, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa.
- International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology, London, N1 2EE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhu C, Li W, Campos-Arceiz A, Dalsgaard B, Ren P, Wang D, Zhang X, Sun M, Si Q, Kang Y, Ding P, Si X. The reliability of regional ecological knowledge to build local interaction networks: a test using seed-dispersal networks across land-bridge islands. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231221. [PMID: 37464753 PMCID: PMC10354482 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1221] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Building ecological networks is the fundamental basis of depicting how species in communities interact, but sampling complex interaction networks is extremely labour intensive. Recently, indirect ecological information has been applied to build interaction networks. Here we propose to extend the source of indirect ecological information, and applied regional ecological knowledge to build local interaction networks. Using a high-resolution dataset consisting of 22 locally observed networks with 17 572 seed-dispersal events, we test the reliability of indirectly derived local networks based on regional ecological knowledge (REK) across islands. We found that species richness strongly influenced 'local interaction rewiring' (i.e. the proportion of locally observed interactions among regionally interacting species), and all network properties were biased using REK-based networks. Notably, species richness and local interaction rewiring strongly affected estimations of REK-based network structures. However, locally observed and REK-based networks detected the same trends of how network structure correlates to island area and isolation. These results suggest that we should use REK-based networks cautiously for reflecting actual interaction patterns of local networks, but highlight that REK-based networks have great potential for comparative studies across environmental gradients. The use of indirect regional ecological information may thus advance our understanding of biogeographical patterns of species interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Wande Li
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Duorun Wang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghao Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Si
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Kang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Felix GM, Pinheiro RBP, Jorge LR, Lewinsohn TM. A framework for hierarchical compound topologies in species interaction networks. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M. Felix
- Univ. Estadual de Campinas, Depto de Biologia Animal, Inst. de Biologia Campinas Brazil
| | - Rafael B. P. Pinheiro
- Univ. Estadual de Campinas, Depto de Biologia Animal, Inst. de Biologia Campinas Brazil
| | - Leonardo R. Jorge
- Inst. of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences České Budějovice Czechia
| | - Thomas M. Lewinsohn
- Univ. Estadual de Campinas, Depto de Biologia Animal, Inst. de Biologia Campinas Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Morozumi C, Loy X, Reynolds V, Schiffer A, Morrison B, Savage J, Brosi B. Simultaneous niche expansion and contraction in plant–pollinator networks under drought. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Connor Morozumi
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
| | - Xingwen Loy
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Southeastern Center for Conservation, Atlanta Botanical Garden Atlanta GA USA
| | - Victoria Reynolds
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Annie Schiffer
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Beth Morrison
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
| | - Jade Savage
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Bishop's Univ. Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Berry Brosi
- Dept of Environmental Sciences, Emory Univ. Atlanta GA USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Crested Butte CO USA
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Washington Seattle WA USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Su M, Jiang Z, Hui C. How Multiple Interaction Types Affect Disease Spread and Dilution in Ecological Networks. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.862986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological communities are composed of different functional guilds that are engaging in multiple types of biotic interactions. We explore how ecological networks fare when confronting infectious diseases according to density-dependent (DD) and frequency-dependent (FD) transmission modes. Our model shows that network compositions can dictate both disease spreading and the relationship between disease and community diversity (including species richness and Shannon’s diversity) as depicted in the dilution effect. The disease becomes more prevalent within communities harboring more mutualistic interactions, generating a positive relationship between disease prevalence and community diversity (i.e., an amplification effect). By contrast, in communities with a fixed proportion of mutualistic interactions, higher diversity from the balance of competition and predation can impede disease prevalence (i.e., the dilution effect). Within-species disease prevalence increases linearly with a species’ degree centrality. These patterns of disease transmission and the diversity-disease relationship hold for both transmission modes. Our analyses highlight the complex effects of interaction compositions in ecological networks on infectious disease dynamics and further advance the debate on the dilution effect of host diversity on disease prevalence.
Collapse
|
7
|
Yan C. Nestedness interacts with subnetwork structures and interconnection patterns to affect community dynamics in ecological multilayer networks. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:738-751. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystems Institute of Innovation Ecology & College of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730000 China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station Lanzhou University Lanzhou 730000 China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
da Silva Goldas C, Podgaiski LR, Veronese Corrêa da Silva C, Abreu Ferreira PM, Vizentin-Bugoni J, de Souza Mendonça M. Structural resilience and high interaction dissimilarity of plant-pollinator interaction networks in fire-prone grasslands. Oecologia 2021; 198:179-192. [PMID: 34773161 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05071-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fire is a frequent disturbance in most grasslands around the world, being key for the structure and dynamics of the biodiversity in such ecosystems. While grassland species may be resilient, little is known on how plant-pollinator networks reassemble after fire. Here, we investigate the structure and dynamics of plant-pollinator networks and the variation in species roles over a 2-year post-fire chronosequence on grassland communities in Southern Brazil. We found that both network specialization and modularity were similar over the chronosequence of time-since-fire, but in freshly burnt areas, there were more species acting as network hubs. Species roles exhibited high variation, with plant and pollinator species shifting roles along the post-disturbance chronosequence. Interaction dissimilarity was remarkably high in networks irrespective of times-since-fire. Interaction dissimilarity was associated more with rewiring than with species turnover, indicating that grassland plant and pollinator species are highly capable of switching partners. Time-since-fire had little influence on network structure but influenced the identity and diversity of pollinators playing key roles in the networks. These findings suggest that pollination networks in naturally fire-prone ecosystems are highly dynamic and resilient to fire with both plants and pollinators being highly capable of adjusting their interactions and network structure after disturbance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila da Silva Goldas
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
| | - Luciana Regina Podgaiski
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Carolina Veronese Corrêa da Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Pedro Maria Abreu Ferreira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Avenida Ipiranga 6681, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900, Brazil
| | - Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| | - Milton de Souza Mendonça
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, UFRGS, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hui C, Richardson DM, Landi P, Minoarivelo HO, Roy HE, Latombe G, Jing X, CaraDonna PJ, Gravel D, Beckage B, Molofsky J. Trait positions for elevated invasiveness in adaptive ecological networks. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02484-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractOur ability to predict the outcome of invasion declines rapidly as non-native species progress through intertwined ecological barriers to establish and spread in recipient ecosystems. This is largely due to the lack of systemic knowledge on key processes at play as species establish self-sustaining populations within the invaded range. To address this knowledge gap, we present a mathematical model that captures the eco-evolutionary dynamics of native and non-native species interacting within an ecological network. The model is derived from continuous-trait evolutionary game theory (i.e., Adaptive Dynamics) and its associated concept of invasion fitness which depicts dynamic demographic performance that is both trait mediated and density dependent. Our approach allows us to explore how multiple resident and non-native species coevolve to reshape invasion performance, or more precisely invasiveness, over trait space. The model clarifies the role of specific traits in enabling non-native species to occupy realised opportunistic niches. It also elucidates the direction and speed of both ecological and evolutionary dynamics of residing species (natives or non-natives) in the recipient network under different levels of propagule pressure. The versatility of the model is demonstrated using four examples that correspond to the invasion of (i) a horizontal competitive community; (ii) a bipartite mutualistic network; (iii) a bipartite antagonistic network; and (iv) a multi-trophic food web. We identified a cohesive trait strategy that enables the success and establishment of non-native species to possess high invasiveness. Specifically, we find that a non-native species can achieve high levels of invasiveness by possessing traits that overlap with those of its facilitators (and mutualists), which enhances the benefits accrued from positive interactions, and by possessing traits outside the range of those of antagonists, which mitigates the costs accrued from negative interactions. This ‘central-to-reap, edge-to-elude’ trait strategy therefore describes the strategic trait positions of non-native species to invade an ecological network. This model provides a theoretical platform for exploring invasion strategies in complex adaptive ecological networks.
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang M, He F. Plant breeding systems influence the seasonal dynamics of plant-pollinator networks in a subtropical forest. Oecologia 2021; 195:751-758. [PMID: 33566166 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04863-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Temporal dynamics of plant-pollinator interactions inform the mechanisms of community assembly and stability. However, most studies on the dynamics of pollination networks do not consider plant reproductive traits thus offering poor understanding of the mechanism of how networks maintain stable structure under seasonal changes in flower community. We studied seasonal dynamics of pollination networks in a subtropical monsoon forest in China with a clear rainy season (April-September) and dry season (October-March) over 2 consecutive years. We constructed dioecy-ignored networks (combining visitations to dioecious male and female plants by ignoring the difference between dioecious and hermaphroditic plants) and dioecy-considered networks (excluding those visitations that only occurred either on dioecious male or female plants) for eight sampling sessions for each season. Although flower richness and flower abundance were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season, no pronounced seasonal difference was found in network specialization, nestedness and modularity for both networks. There were only significant differences in plant community robustness and pollinator specialization between seasons for dioecy-considered networks but not for dioecy-ignored networks. Furthermore, we found the flower abundance of dioecious and hermaphrodite plants mostly showed trade-off variation between rainy and dry seasons. Our results suggest various plant reproductive traits affect the temporal dynamics of pollination networks, which should be considered for conservation of plant-pollinator interactions in forest communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minhua Zhang
- ECNU-Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Fangliang He
- ECNU-Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mutualistic networks emerging from adaptive niche-based interactions. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5470. [PMID: 33122629 PMCID: PMC7596068 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19154-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic networks are vital ecological and social systems shaped by adaptation and evolution. They involve bipartite cooperation via the exchange of goods or services between actors of different types. Empirical observations of mutualistic networks across genres and geographic conditions reveal correlated nested and modular patterns. Yet, the underlying mechanism for the network assembly remains unclear. We propose a niche-based adaptive mechanism where both nestedness and modularity emerge simultaneously as complementary facets of an optimal niche structure. Key dynamical properties are revealed at different timescales. Foremost, mutualism can either enhance or reduce the network stability, depending on competition intensity. Moreover, structural adaptations are asymmetric, exhibiting strong hysteresis in response to environmental change. Finally, at the evolutionary timescale we show that the adaptive mechanism plays a crucial role in preserving the distinctive patterns of mutualism under species invasions and extinctions. Nested and modular patterns are vastly observed in mutualistic networks across genres and geographic conditions. Here, the authors show a unified mechanism that underlies the assembly and evolution of such networks, based on adaptive niche interactions of the participants.
Collapse
|
12
|
Song C, Saavedra S. Telling ecological networks apart by their structure: An environment-dependent approach. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007787. [PMID: 32324730 PMCID: PMC7200011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The network architecture of an ecological community describes the structure of species interactions established in a given place and time. It has been suggested that this architecture presents unique features for each type of ecological interaction: e.g., nested and modular architectures would correspond to mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, respectively. Recently, Michalska-Smith and Allesina (2019) proposed a computational challenge to test whether it is indeed possible to differentiate ecological interactions based on network architecture. Contrary to the expectation, they found that this differentiation is practically impossible, moving the question to why it is not possible to differentiate ecological interactions based on their network architecture alone. Here, we show that this differentiation becomes possible by adding the local environmental information where the networks were sampled. We show that this can be explained by the fact that environmental conditions are a confounder of ecological interactions and network architecture. That is, the lack of association between network architecture and type of ecological interactions changes by conditioning on the local environmental conditions. Additionally, we find that environmental conditions are linked to the stability of ecological networks, but the direction of this effect depends on the type of interaction network. This suggests that the association between ecological interactions and network architectures exists, but cannot be fully understood without attention to the environmental conditions acting upon them. It has been suggested that different types of species interactions lead to ecological networks with different architectures. For example, mutualistic and antagonistic interaction networks have been shown to have nested and modular architectures, respectively. Importantly, this differentiation can provide clues about the link between the dynamics and structures shaping ecological communities. Recently, Michalska-Smith and Allesina (2019) turned this assumption into a serious computational challenge for the scientific community. Here, we embrace this challenge. We confirm that network architecture alone is not enough to differentiate interaction networks. However, we show that network architectures can differentiate between mutualistic and antagonistic interaction networks by using information about their local environmental conditions. In other words, ignoring environmental information throws out the predictable patterns of network architectures along environmental gradients. Thus, this response is also a reminder that ecological networks may only make sense in the light of environmental information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuliang Song
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Serguei Saavedra
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Baumgartner MT, Almeida-Neto M, Gomes LC. A novel coextinction model considering compensation and new interactions in ecological networks. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
14
|
Nnakenyi CA, Traveset A, Heleno R, Minoarivelo HO, Hui C. Fine‐tuning the nested structure of pollination networks by adaptive interaction switching, biogeography and sampling effect in the Galápagos Islands. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chinenye A. Nnakenyi
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Anna Traveset
- Mediterranean Inst. of Advanced Studies (CSIC‐UIB), Global Change Research Group, Esporles, Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Ruben Heleno
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Dept of Life Sciences, Univ. of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Henintsoa O. Minoarivelo
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ Matieland 7602 South Africa
- Mathematical Biosciences Group, African Inst. for Mathematical Sciences Cape Town South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Pinheiro RBP, Felix GMF, Dormann CF, Mello MAR. A new model explaining the origin of different topologies in interaction networks. Ecology 2019; 100:e02796. [PMID: 31232470 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Nestedness and modularity have been recurrently observed in species interaction networks. Some studies argue that those topologies result from selection against unstable networks, and others propose that they likely emerge from processes driving the interactions between pairs of species. Here we present a model that simulates the evolution of consumer species using resource species following simple rules derived from the integrative hypothesis of specialization (IHS). Without any selection on stability, our model reproduced all commonly observed network topologies. Our simulations demonstrate that resource heterogeneity drives network topology. On the one hand, systems containing only homogeneous resources form generalized nested networks, in which generalist consumers have higher performance on each resource than specialists. On the other hand, heterogeneous systems tend to have a compound topology: modular with internally nested modules, in which generalists that divide their interactions between modules have low performance. Our results demonstrate that all real-world topologies likely emerge through processes driving interactions between pairs of species. Additionally, our simulations suggest that networks containing similar species differ from heterogeneous networks and that modules may not present the topology of entire networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael B P Pinheiro
- Graduate School in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabriel M F Felix
- Graduate School in Ecology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carsten F Dormann
- Department of Biometry and Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Marco A R Mello
- Graduate School in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Department of Ecology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Valdovinos FS. Mutualistic networks: moving closer to a predictive theory. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1517-1534. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda S. Valdovinos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Center for the Study of Complex Systems University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Vizentin-Bugoni J, Tarwater CE, Foster JT, Drake DR, Gleditsch JM, Hruska AM, Kelley JP, Sperry JH. Structure, spatial dynamics, and stability of novel seed dispersal mutualistic networks in Hawaiʻi. Science 2019; 364:78-82. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aau8751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Increasing rates of human-caused species invasions and extinctions may reshape communities and modify the structure, dynamics, and stability of species interactions. To investigate how such changes affect communities, we performed multiscale analyses of seed dispersal networks on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Networks consisted exclusively of novel interactions, were largely dominated by introduced species, and exhibited specialized and modular structure at local and regional scales, despite high interaction dissimilarity across communities. Furthermore, the structure and stability of the novel networks were similar to native-dominated communities worldwide. Our findings suggest that shared evolutionary history is not a necessary process for the emergence of complex network structure, and interaction patterns may be highly conserved, regardless of species identity and environment. Introduced species can quickly become well integrated into novel networks, making restoration of native ecosystems more challenging than previously thought.
Collapse
|
18
|
Hui C, Richardson DM. How to Invade an Ecological Network. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 34:121-131. [PMID: 30514581 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Invasion science is in a state of paradox, having low predictability despite strong, identifiable covariates of invasion performance. We propose shifting the foundation metaphor of biological invasions from a linear filtering scheme to one that invokes complex adaptive networks. We link invasion performance and invasibility directly to the loss of network stability and indirectly to network topology through constraints from the emergence of the stability criterion in complex systems. We propose the wind vane of an invaded network - the major axis of its adjacency matrix - which reveals how species respond dynamically to invasions. We suggest that invasion ecology should steer away from comparative macroecological studies, to rather explore the ecological network centred on the focal species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa; Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town 7945, South Africa.
| | - David M Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Landi P, Minoarivelo HO, Brännström Å, Hui C, Dieckmann U. Complexity and stability of ecological networks: a review of the theory. POPUL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-018-0628-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Landi
- Department of Mathematical SciencesStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
- Evolution and Ecology ProgramInternational Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
| | - Henintsoa O. Minoarivelo
- Department of Mathematical SciencesStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
- Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical SciencesWits UniversityJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Åke Brännström
- Evolution and Ecology ProgramInternational Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
- Department of Mathematics and Mathematical StatisticsUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Cang Hui
- Department of Mathematical SciencesStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
- Mathematical and Physical BiosciencesAfrican Institute for Mathematical SciencesMuizenbergSouth Africa
| | - Ulf Dieckmann
- Evolution and Ecology ProgramInternational Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hembry DH, Raimundo RLG, Newman EA, Atkinson L, Guo C, Guimarães PR, Gillespie RG. Does biological intimacy shape ecological network structure? A test using a brood pollination mutualism on continental and oceanic islands. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1160-1171. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David H. Hembry
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California
| | - Rafael L. G. Raimundo
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Erica A. Newman
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona
| | - Lesje Atkinson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California
| | - Chang Guo
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley California
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Rosemary G. Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Nuwagaba S, Zhang F, Hui C. Robustness of rigid and adaptive networks to species loss. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189086. [PMID: 29216245 PMCID: PMC5720727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Controversies in the complexity-stability debate have been attributed to the methodologies used such as topological vs. dynamical approaches or rigid vs. adaptive foraging behaviour of species. Here, we use a bipartite network model that incorporates both topological and population dynamics to investigate the robustness of 60 real ecological networks to the loss of generalist and specialist species. We compare the response in both adaptive and rigid networks. Our results show that the removal of generalists leads to the most secondary extinctions, implying that conservation strategies should aim to protect generalist species in the ecosystem. We also show that adaptive behaviour renders networks vulnerable to species loss at initial stages but enhances long term stability of the system. However, whether adaptive networks are more robust to species loss than rigid ones depends on the structure of the network. Specifically, adaptive networks with modularity < 0.3 are more robust than rigid networks of the same modularity. Interestingly, the more modular a network is, the less robust it is to external perturbations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Nuwagaba
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Feng Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Grassland Ecosystem and Center for Quantitative Biology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
- Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Muizenberg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Brosi BJ, Niezgoda K, Briggs HM. Experimental species removals impact the architecture of pollination networks. Biol Lett 2017. [PMID: 28637838 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic networks are key for the creation and maintenance of biodiversity, yet are threatened by global environmental change. Most simulation models assume that network structure remains static after species losses, despite theoretical and empirical reasons to expect dynamic responses. We assessed the effects of experimental single bumblebee species removals on the structure of entire flower visitation networks. We hypothesized that network structure would change following processes linking interspecific competition with dietary niche breadth. We found that single pollinator species losses impact pollination network structure: resource complementarity decreased, while resource overlap increased. Despite marginally increased connectance, fewer plant species were visited after species removals. These changes may have negative functional impacts, as complementarity is important for maintaining biodiversity-ecological functioning relationships and visitation of rare plant species is critical for maintaining diverse plant communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Berry J Brosi
- Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA .,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Kyle Niezgoda
- Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - Heather M Briggs
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA.,Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Donoso I, García D, Martínez D, Tylianakis JM, Stouffer DB. Complementary Effects of Species Abundances and Ecological Neighborhood on the Occurrence of Fruit-Frugivore Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
24
|
Dehling DM, Jordano P, Schaefer HM, Böhning-Gaese K, Schleuning M. Morphology predicts species' functional roles and their degree of specialization in plant-frugivore interactions. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2015.2444. [PMID: 26817779 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species' functional roles in key ecosystem processes such as predation, pollination or seed dispersal are determined by the resource use of consumer species. An interaction between resource and consumer species usually requires trait matching (e.g. a congruence in the morphologies of interaction partners). Species' morphology should therefore determine species' functional roles in ecological processes mediated by mutualistic or antagonistic interactions. We tested this assumption for Neotropical plant-bird mutualisms. We used a new analytical framework that assesses a species's functional role based on the analysis of the traits of its interaction partners in a multidimensional trait space. We employed this framework to test (i) whether there is correspondence between the morphology of bird species and their functional roles and (ii) whether morphologically specialized birds fulfil specialized functional roles. We found that morphological differences between bird species reflected their functional differences: (i) bird species with different morphologies foraged on distinct sets of plant species and (ii) morphologically distinct bird species fulfilled specialized functional roles. These findings encourage further assessments of species' functional roles through the analysis of their interaction partners, and the proposed analytical framework facilitates a wide range of novel analyses for network and community ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Matthias Dehling
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC-EBD), Avda. Americo Vespucio s/n, Isla de La Cartuja, E41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - H Martin Schaefer
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology,Hauptstraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Böhning-Gaese
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany Department of Biological Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
In plant-pollinator networks, foraging choices by pollinators help form the connecting links between species. Flexible foraging should therefore play an important role in defining network topology. Factors such as morphological trait complementarity limit a pollinator's pool of potential floral resources, but which potential resource species are actually utilized at a location depends on local environmental and ecological context. Pollinators can be highly flexible foragers, but the effect of this flexibility on network topology remains unclear. To understand how flexible foraging affects network topology, we examined differences between sets of locally realized interactions and corresponding sets of potential interactions within 25 weighted plant-pollinator networks in two different regions of the United States. We examined two possible mechanisms for flexible foraging effects on realized networks: (1) preferential targeting of higher-density plant resources, which should increase network nestedness, and (2) context-dependent resource partitioning driven by interspecific competition, which should increase modularity and complementary specialization. We found that flexible foraging has strong effects on realized network topology. Realized connectance was much lower than connectance based on potential interactions, indicating a local narrowing of diet breadth. Moreover, the foraging choices pollinators made, which particular plant species to visit and at what rates, resulted in networks that were significantly less nested and significantly more modular and specialized than their corresponding networks of potential interactions. Preferentially foraging on locally abundant resources was not a strong driver of the realization of potential interactions. However, the degree of modularity and complementary specialization both increased with the number of competing pollinator species and with niche availability. We therefore conclude that flexible foraging affects realized network topology more strongly through resource partitioning than through focusing on high-density resources.
Collapse
|
26
|
Minoarivelo HO, Hui C. Invading a mutualistic network: to be or not to be similar. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4981-96. [PMID: 27547328 PMCID: PMC4979722 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological invasion remains a major threat to biodiversity in general and a disruptor to mutualistic interactions in particular. While a number of empirical studies have directly explored the role of invasion in mutualistic pollination networks, a clear picture is yet to emerge and a theoretical model for comprehension still lacking. Here, using an eco‐evolutionary model of bipartite mutualistic networks with trait‐mediated interactions, we explore invader trait, propagule pressure, and network features of recipient community that contribute importantly to the success and impact of an invasion. High level of invasiveness is observed when invader trait differs from those of the community average, and level of interaction generalization equals to that of the community average. Moreover, multiple introductions of invaders with declining propagules enhance invasiveness. Surprisingly, the most successful invader is not always the one having the biggest impact on the recipient community. The network structure of recipient community, such as nestedness and modularity, is not a primary indicator of its invasibility; rather, the invasibility is best correlated with measurements of network stability such as robustness, resilience, and disruptiveness (a measure of evolutionary instability). Our model encompasses more general scenarios than previously studied in predicting invasion success and impact in mutualistic networks, and our results highlight the need for coupling eco‐evolutionary processes to resolve the invasion dilemma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henintsoa Onivola Minoarivelo
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Mathematical Sciences Stellenbosch University Matieland 7602 South Africa; Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Wits University Gauteng 2050 South Africa
| | - Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology Department of Mathematical Sciences Stellenbosch University Matieland 7602 South Africa; Theoretical Ecology Group African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Cape Town 7945 South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mougi A. Stability of an adaptive hybrid community. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28181. [PMID: 27323666 PMCID: PMC4914837 DOI: 10.1038/srep28181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to stable natural ecosystems, the classical ecological theory predicts that complex ecological communities are fragile. The adaptive switching of interaction partners was proposed as a key factor to resolve the complexity–stability problem. However, this theory is based on the food webs that comprise predator–prey interactions alone; thus, the manner in which adaptive behavior affects the dynamics of hybrid communities with multiple interaction types remains unclear. Here, using a bipartite community network model with antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, I show that adaptive partner shifts by both antagonists and mutualists are crucial to the persistence of communities. The results show that adaptive behavior destabilizes the dynamics of communities with a single interaction type; however, the hybridity of multiple interaction types within a community greatly improves the stability. Moreover, adaptive behavior does not create a positive complexity–stability relationship in communities with a single interaction type but it does in the hybrid community. The diversity of interaction types is predicted to play a crucial role in community maintenance in an adaptive world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Mougi
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue 690-8504, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Brosi BJ. Pollinator specialization: from the individual to the community. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:1190-1194. [PMID: 27038018 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
1190 I. 1190 II. 1191 III. 1191 IV. 1193 V. 1193 1194 References 1194 SUMMARY: Most spermatophytes need conspecific pollen in order to produce seed. This need for specialization seems to conflict with the generalized nature of most plant-pollinator interactions. Specialization and generalization are dynamic - not fixed - and exist simultaneously in multiple states at different levels of biological hierarchy. Over the short term, specialization ensures conspecific pollen transfer, whereas over the long term, generalization improves system-level robustness. The balance between specialization and generalization at different scales is critical for different kinds of ecological functioning and is an important factor in plant speciation and the evolution of plant mating systems. Community context, including diversity and interaction network structure at different levels of aggregation, is a key driver of specialization dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Berry J Brosi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Science Center, Emory University, 400 Dowman DR NE, STE E510, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Nuwagaba S, Zhang F, Hui C. A hybrid behavioural rule of adaptation and drift explains the emergent architecture of antagonistic networks. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150320. [PMID: 25925104 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological processes that can realistically account for network architectures are central to our understanding of how species assemble and function in ecosystems. Consumer species are constantly selecting and adjusting which resource species are to be exploited in an antagonistic network. Here we incorporate a hybrid behavioural rule of adaptive interaction switching and random drift into a bipartite network model. Predictions are insensitive to the model parameters and the initial network structures, and agree extremely well with the observed levels of modularity, nestedness and node-degree distributions for 61 real networks. Evolutionary and community assemblage histories only indirectly affect network structure by defining the size and complexity of ecological networks, whereas adaptive interaction switching and random drift carve out the details of network architecture at the faster ecological time scale. The hybrid behavioural rule of both adaptation and drift could well be the key processes for structure emergence in real ecological networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Nuwagaba
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - F Zhang
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - C Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa Mathematical and Physical Biosciences, African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Castro-Urgal R, Traveset A. Contrasting Partners' Traits of Generalized and Specialized Species in Flower-Visitation Networks. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150824. [PMID: 26938084 PMCID: PMC4777429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Much ecological research has focused on trying to understand why species are generalized or specialized in their interactions and how networks develop in a certain environment. It is now well known that traits such as phenology and abundance of a species are important determinants of its generalization level (i.e., number of different interactions or links to other species). Less information is available, however, on whether generalized and specialized species differ in particular traits of their interacting partners. Such partners might differ, for instance, in abundance and/or in the diversity of functional groups they belong to. Moreover, species might exhibit shifts through time (e.g., flowering season) in their partners’ traits, though we know close to nothing on whether these changes do indeed occur. Assessing how such network links in both types of species are established is important for a better understanding of how different types of disturbance can affect community dynamics. Using data from four quantitative flower-visitation networks and independent measures of flower availability obtained when recording interactions, we test for such differences between species which have been previously categorized according to two specialization indexes: (1) number of partners (links), also named linkage level; this is a qualitative index and (2) complementary specialization d’, named here selectiveness level; this is a quantitative index. We found that: (1) species with low linkage levels mainly interact with common species in the community whereas generalized species interact with a greater heterogeneity of partner’s abundances and functional richness, (2) both selective and opportunistic species (with high and low d’, respectively) interact with a similarly high functional richness (number of functional groups or families) of partners, and (3) generalized species are the only ones showing shifts along the season in their partners’ traits, driven by changes in community species composition. The risk of extinction in front of a disturbance is generally expected to be highest for specialized species (with few partners) and selective species (which visit non-abundant or scarce partners). However, our findings show that by linking to abundant and/or to functionally diverse partners, respectively, these species may be maintained in the community and be less vulnerable to disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Castro-Urgal
- Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Traveset
- Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
|
32
|
Liu Z, Zhang F, Hui C. Density-dependent dispersal complicates spatial synchrony in tri-trophic food chains. POPUL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-015-0515-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
33
|
Gilljam D, Curtsdotter A, Ebenman B. Adaptive rewiring aggravates the effects of species loss in ecosystems. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8412. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
|
34
|
|
35
|
Habitat heterogeneity stabilizes the spatial and temporal interactions between cereal aphids and parasitic wasps. Basic Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
36
|
|
37
|
|
38
|
Welti EAR, Joern A. Structure of trophic and mutualistic networks across broad environmental gradients. Ecol Evol 2014; 5:326-34. [PMID: 25691960 PMCID: PMC4314265 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to understand how inherent ecological network structures of nestedness and modularity vary over large geographic scales with implications for community stability. Bipartite networks from previous research from 68 locations globally were analyzed. Using a meta-analysis approach, we examine relationships between the structure of 22 trophic and 46 mutualistic bipartite networks in response to extensive gradients of temperature and precipitation. Network structures varied significantly across temperature gradients. Trophic networks showed decreasing modularity with increasing variation in temperature within years. Nestedness of mutualistic networks decreased with increasing temperature variability between years. Mean annual precipitation and variability of precipitation were not found to have significant influence on the structure of either trophic or mutualistic networks. By examining changes in ecological networks across large-scale abiotic gradients, this study identifies temperature variability as a potential environmental mediator of community stability. Understanding these relationships contributes to our ability to predict responses of biodiversity to climate change at the community level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen A R Welti
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506-4901
| | - Anthony Joern
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506-4901
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Stouffer DB, Cirtwill AR, Bascompte J, Bartomeus I. How exotic plants integrate into pollination networks. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014; 102:1442-1450. [PMID: 25558089 PMCID: PMC4277853 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing world-wide concern about the impact of the introduction of exotic species on ecological communities. Since many exotic plants depend on native pollinators to successfully establish, it is of paramount importance that we understand precisely how exotic species integrate into existing plant-pollinator communities. In this manuscript, we have studied a global data base of empirical pollination networks to determine whether community, network, species or interaction characteristics can help identify invaded communities. We found that a limited number of community and network properties showed significant differences across the empirical data sets - namely networks with exotic plants present are characterized by greater total, plant and pollinator richness, as well as higher values of relative nestedness.We also observed significant differences in terms of the pollinators that interact with the exotic plants. In particular, we found that specialist pollinators that are also weak contributors to community nestedness are far more likely to interact with exotic plants than would be expected by chance alone.Synthesis. By virtue of their interactions, it appears that exotic plants may provide a key service to a community's specialist pollinators as well as fill otherwise vacant 'coevolutionary niches'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Stouffer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC)c/ Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
- *Correspondence author. E-mail:
| | - Alyssa R Cirtwill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC)c/ Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Shi P, Hui C, Men X, Zhao Z, Ouyang F, Ge F, Jin X, Cao H, Li BL. Cascade effects of crop species richness on the diversity of pest insects and their natural enemies. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2014; 57:718-25. [PMID: 24907938 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-014-4681-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how plant species richness influences the diversity of herbivorous and predatory/parasitic arthropods is central to community ecology. We explore the effects of crop species richness on the diversity of pest insects and their natural enemies. Using data from a four-year experiment with five levels of crop species richness, we found that crop species richness significantly affected the pest species richness, but there were no significant effects on richness of the pests' natural enemies. In contrast, the species richness of pest insects significantly affected their natural enemies. These findings suggest a cascade effect where trophic interactions are strong between adjacent trophic levels, while the interactions between connected but nonadjacent trophic levels are weakened by the intermediate trophic level. High crop species richness resulted in a more stable arthropod community compared with communities in monoculture crops. Our results highlight the complicated cross-trophic interactions and the crucial role of crop diversity in the food webs of agro-ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- PeiJian Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Minoarivelo HO, Hui C, Terblanche JS, Pond SLK, Scheffler K. Detecting phylogenetic signal in mutualistic interaction networks using a Markov process model. OIKOS 2014; 123:1250-1260. [PMID: 25294947 DOI: 10.1111/oik.00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ecological interaction networks, such as those describing the mutualistic interactions between plants and their pollinators or between plants and their frugivores, exhibit non-random structural properties that cannot be explained by simple models of network formation. One factor affecting the formation and eventual structure of such a network is its evolutionary history. We argue that this, in many cases, is closely linked to the evolutionary histories of the species involved in the interactions. Indeed, empirical studies of interaction networks along with the phylogenies of the interacting species have demonstrated significant associations between phylogeny and network structure. To date, however, no generative model explaining the way in which the evolution of individual species affects the evolution of interaction networks has been proposed. We present a model describing the evolution of pairwise interactions as a branching Markov process, drawing on phylogenetic models of molecular evolution. Using knowledge of the phylogenies of the interacting species, our model yielded a significantly better fit to 21% of a set of plant - pollinator and plant - frugivore mutualistic networks. This highlights the importance, in a substantial minority of cases, of inheritance of interaction patterns without excluding the potential role of ecological novelties in forming the current network architecture. We suggest that our model can be used as a null model for controlling evolutionary signals when evaluating the role of other factors in shaping the emergence of ecological networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H O Minoarivelo
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - C Hui
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - J S Terblanche
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - S L Kosakovsky Pond
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - K Scheffler
- H. O. Minoarivelo and K. Scheffler ( ), Computer Science Division, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - HOM and C. Hui, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa. - KS and S. L. Kosakovsky Pond, Dept of Medicine, Univ. of California, San Diego, USA. - J. S. Terblanche, Centre for Invasion Biology, Dept of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch Univ., Matieland 7602, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
|
43
|
Mougi A, Kondoh M. Adaptation in a hybrid world with multiple interaction types: a new mechanism for species coexistence. Ecol Res 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-013-1111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
44
|
Song Z, Feldman MW. Adaptive foraging behaviour of individual pollinators and the coexistence of co-flowering plants. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 281:20132437. [PMID: 24352943 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although pollinators can play a central role in determining the structure and stability of plant communities, little is known about how their adaptive foraging behaviours at the individual level, e.g. flower constancy, structure these interactions. Here, we construct a mathematical model that integrates individual adaptive foraging behaviour and population dynamics of a community consisting of two plant species and a pollinator species. We find that adaptive foraging at the individual level, as a complementary mechanism to adaptive foraging at the species level, can further enhance the coexistence of plant species through niche partitioning between conspecific pollinators. The stabilizing effect is stronger than that of unbiased generalists when there is also strong competition between plant species over other resources, but less so than that of multiple specialist species. This suggests that adaptive foraging in mutualistic interactions can have a very different impact on the plant community structure from that in predator-prey interactions. In addition, the adaptive behaviour of individual pollinators may cause a sharp regime shift for invading plant species. These results indicate the importance of integrating individual adaptive behaviour and population dynamics for the conservation of native plant communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Song
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, , Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Spiesman BJ, Inouye BD. Habitat loss alters the architecture of plant–pollinator interaction networks. Ecology 2013; 94:2688-96. [DOI: 10.1890/13-0977.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
46
|
Network Dynamics Contribute to Structure: Nestedness in Mutualistic Networks. Bull Math Biol 2013; 75:2372-88. [PMID: 24222037 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-013-9896-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
47
|
Emergence of structural and dynamical properties of ecological mutualistic networks. Nature 2013; 500:449-52. [DOI: 10.1038/nature12438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
48
|
Díaz-Castelazo C, Sánchez-Galván IR, Guimarães PR, Raimundo RLG, Rico-Gray V. Long-term temporal variation in the organization of an ant-plant network. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 111:1285-93. [PMID: 23704116 PMCID: PMC3662513 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Functional groups of species interact and coevolve in space and time, forming complex networks of interacting species. A long-term study of temporal variation of an ant-plant network is presented with the aims of: (1) depicting its structural changes over a 20-year period; (2) detailing temporal variation in network topology, as revealed by nestedness and modularity analysis and other parameters (i.e. connectance, niche overlap); and (3) identifying long-term turnover in taxonomic structure (i.e. switches in ant resource use or plant visitor assemblages according to taxa). METHODS Fieldwork was carried out at La Mancha, Mexico, and ant-plant interactions were observed between 1989 and 1991, between 1998 and 2000, and between May 2010 and 2011. Occurrences of ants on extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) were recorded. The resulting ant-plant networks were constructed from qualitative presence-absence data determined by a species-species matrix defined by the frequency of occurrence of each pairwise ant-plant interaction. KEY RESULTS Network variation across time was stable and a persistent nested structure may have contributed to the maintenance of resilient and species-rich communities. Modularity was lower than expected, especially in the most recent networks, indicating that the community exhibited high overlap among interacting species (e.g. few species were hubs in the more recent network, being partly responsible for the nested pattern). Structurally, the connections created among modules by super-generalists gave cohesion to subsets of species that otherwise would remain unconnected. This may have allowed an increasing cascade-effect of evolutionary events among modules. Mutualistic ant-plant interactions were structured 20 years ago mainly by the subdominant nectarivorous ant species Camponotus planatus and Crematogaster brevispinosa, which monopolized the best extrafloral nectar resources and out-competed other species with broader feeding habits. Through time, these ants, which are still present, lost their position as network hubs and diminished in their importance in structuring the network; simultaneously, plants gained in importance. CONCLUSIONS The long-term network analysis reveals a decrease in attended plant species richness, a notable increase in plant species participation from 1990 to 2010 (sustained by less plant taxonomic similarity in the older 1990 network), an increase in the number of ant species and a diminishing dominance of super-generalist ants. The structure of the community has remained highly nested and connected with low modularity, suggesting overall a more participative, homogeneous, cohesive interaction network. Although previous studies have suggested that interactions between ants and EFN-bearing plants are susceptible to seasonality, abiotic factors and perturbation, this cohesive structure appears to be the key for biodiversity and community maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Víctor Rico-Gray
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz 91190, México
- For correspondence. E-mail or
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Sáyago R, Lopezaraiza-Mikel M, Quesada M, Álvarez-Añorve MY, Cascante-Marín A, Bastida JM. Evaluating factors that predict the structure of a commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte network. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20122821. [PMID: 23407832 PMCID: PMC3574374 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A central issue in ecology is the understanding of the establishment of biotic interactions. We studied the factors that affect the assembly of the commensalistic interactions between vascular epiphytes and their host plants. We used an analytical approach that considers all individuals and species of epiphytic bromeliads and woody hosts and non-hosts at study plots. We built models of interaction probabilities among species to assess if host traits and abundance and spatial overlap of species predict the quantitative epiphyte-host network. Species abundance, species spatial overlap and host size largely predicted pairwise interactions and several network metrics. Wood density and bark texture of hosts also contributed to explain network structure. Epiphytes were more common on large hosts, on abundant woody species, with denser wood and/or rougher bark. The network had a low level of specialization, although several interactions were more frequent than expected by the models. We did not detect a phylogenetic signal on the network structure. The effect of host size on the establishment of epiphytes indicates that mature forests are necessary to preserve diverse bromeliad communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sáyago
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
- Unidad Académica en Desarrollo Sustentable, Campus Costa Grande, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Carretera Nacional Acapulco Zihuatanejo Km 106+900, Colonia Las Tunas, Tecpan de Galeana, Guerrero 40900, México
| | - Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| | - Mauricio Quesada
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| | - Mariana Yolotl Álvarez-Añorve
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| | | | - Jesus Ma. Bastida
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Bahram M, Kõljalg U, Kohout P, Mirshahvaladi S, Tedersoo L. Ectomycorrhizal fungi of exotic pine plantations in relation to native host trees in Iran: evidence of host range expansion by local symbionts to distantly related host taxa. MYCORRHIZA 2013; 23:11-19. [PMID: 22592855 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-012-0445-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Introduction of exotic plants change soil microbial communities which may have detrimental ecological consequences for ecosystems. In this study, we examined the community structure and species richness of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi associated with exotic pine plantations in relation to adjacent native ectomycorrhizal trees in Iran to elucidate the symbiont exchange between distantly related hosts, i.e. Fagales (Fagaceae and Betulaceae) and Pinaceae. The combination of morphological and molecular identification approaches revealed that 84.6 % of species with more than one occurrence (at least once on pines) were shared with native trees and only 5.9 % were found exclusively on pine root tips. The community diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the pine plantations adjacent to native EcM trees was comparable to their adjacent native trees, but the isolated plantations hosted relatively a species-poor community. Specific mycobionts of conifers were dominant in the isolated plantation while rarely found in the plantations adjacent to native EcM trees. These data demonstrate the importance of habitat isolation and dispersal limitation of EcM fungi in their potential of host range expansion. The great number of shared and possibly compatible symbiotic species between exotic Pinaceae and local Fagales (Fagaceae and Betulaceae) may reflect their evolutionary adaptations and/or ancestral compatibility with one another.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Bahram
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, 40 Lai, 51005 Tartu, Estonia.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|