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Valdovinos FS, Bodini A, Jordán F. Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230163. [PMID: 39034705 PMCID: PMC11293845 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0163] [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: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This theme issue features 18 papers exploring ecological interactions, encompassing metabolic, social, and spatial connections alongside traditional trophic networks. This integration enriches food web research, offering insights into ecological dynamics. By examining links across organisms, populations, and ecosystems, a hierarchical approach emerges, connecting horizontal effects within organizational levels vertically across biological organization levels. The inclusion of interactions involving humans is a key focus, highlighting the need for their integration into ecology given the complex interactions between human activities and ecological systems in the Anthropocene. The comprehensive exploration in this theme issue sheds light on the interconnectedness of ecological systems and the importance of considering diverse interactions in understanding ecosystem dynamics. 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)
| | - Antonio Bodini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Ferenc Jordán
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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2
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Hale KRS, Curlis JD, Auteri GG, Bishop S, French RLK, Jones LE, Mills KL, Scholtens BG, Simons M, Thompson C, Tourville J, Valdovinos FS. A highly resolved network reveals the role of terrestrial herbivory in structuring aboveground food webs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230180. [PMID: 39034695 PMCID: PMC11293847 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Comparative studies suggest remarkable similarities among food webs across habitats, including systematic changes in their structure with diversity and complexity (scale-dependence). However, historic aboveground terrestrial food webs (ATFWs) have coarsely grouped plants and insects such that these webs are generally small, and herbivory is disproportionately under-represented compared to vertebrate predator-prey interactions. Furthermore, terrestrial herbivory is thought to be structured by unique processes compared to size-structured feeding in other systems. Here, we present the richest ATFW to date, including approximately 580 000 feeding links among approximately 3800 taxonomic species, sourced from approximately 27 000 expert-vetted interaction records annotated as feeding upon one of six different resource types: leaves, flowers, seeds, wood, prey and carrion. By comparison to historical ATFWs and null ecological hypotheses, we show that our temperate forest web displays a potentially unique structure characterized by two properties: (i) a large fraction of carnivory interactions dominated by a small number of hyper-generalist, opportunistic bird and bat predators; and (ii) a smaller fraction of herbivory interactions dominated by a hyper-rich community of insects with variably sized but highly specific diets. We attribute our findings to the large-scale, even resolution of vertebrate, insect and plant guilds in our food web.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)
- Kayla R. S. Hale
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - John David Curlis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Giorgia G. Auteri
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - Sasha Bishop
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rowan L. K. French
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lance E. Jones
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, UrbanaIL, USA
| | - Kirby L. Mills
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Meagan Simons
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Cody Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jordon Tourville
- Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Research Department, Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fernanda S. Valdovinos
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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3
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Illarze M, Arim M, Ramos-Jiliberto R, Borthagaray AI. Community connectivity and local heterogeneity explain animal species co-occurrences within pond communities. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:1123-1134. [PMID: 38877697 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14129] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Metacommunity processes have the potential to determine most features of the community structure. However, species diversity has been the dominant focus of studies. Nestedness, modularity and checkerboard distribution of species occurrences are main components of biodiversity organisation. Within communities, these patterns emerge from the interaction between functional diversity, spatial heterogeneity and resource availability. Additionally, the connectivity determines the pool of species for community assembly and, eventually, the pattern of species co-occurrence within communities. Despite the recognised theoretical expectations, the change in occurrence patterns within communities along ecological gradients has seldom been considered. Here, we analyse the spatial occurrence of animal species along sampling units within 18 temporary ponds and its relationship with pond environments and geographic isolation. Isolated ponds presented a nested organisation of species with low spatial segregation-modularity and checkerboard-and the opposite was found for communities with high connectivity. A pattern putatively explained by high functional diversity in ponds with large connectivity and heterogeneity, which determines that species composition tracks changes in microhabitats. On the contrary, nestedness is promoted in dispersal-limited communities with low functional diversity, where microhabitat filters mainly affect richness without spatial replacement between functional groups. Vegetation biomass promotes nestedness, probably due to the observed increase in spatial variance in biomass with the mean biomass. Similarly, the richness of vegetation reduced the spatial segregation of animals within communities. This result may be due to the high plant diversity of the pond that is observed similarly along all sampling units, which promotes the spatial co-occurrence of species at this scale. In the study system, the spatial arrangement of species within communities is related to local drivers as heterogeneity and metacommunity processes by means of dispersal between communities. Patterns of species co-occurrence are interrelated with community biodiversity and species interactions, and consequently with most functional and structural properties of communities. These results indicate that understanding the interplay between metacommunity processes and co-occurrence patterns is probably more important than previously thought to understand biodiversity assembly and functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Illarze
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - Matías Arim
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | | | - Ana I Borthagaray
- Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
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4
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Lemmen KD, Pennekamp F. Food web context modifies predator foraging and weakens trophic interaction strength. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14475. [PMID: 39060898 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14475] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Trophic interaction modifications (TIM) are widespread in natural systems and occur when a third species indirectly alters the strength of a trophic interaction. Past studies have focused on documenting the existence and magnitude of TIMs; however, the underlying processes and long-term consequences remain elusive. To address this gap, we experimentally quantified the density-dependent effect of a third species on a predator's functional response. We conducted short-term experiments with ciliate communities composed of a predator, prey and non-consumable 'modifier' species. In both communities, increasing modifier density weakened the trophic interaction strength, due to a negative effect on the predator's space clearance rate. Simulated long-term dynamics indicate quantitative differences between models that account for TIMs or include only pairwise interactions. Our study demonstrates that TIMs are important to understand and predict community dynamics and highlights the need to move beyond focal species pairs to understand the consequences of species interactions in communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley D Lemmen
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frank Pennekamp
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Neyret M, Le Provost G, Boesing AL, Schneider FD, Baulechner D, Bergmann J, de Vries FT, Fiore-Donno AM, Geisen S, Goldmann K, Merges A, Saifutdinov RA, Simons NK, Tobias JA, Zaitsev AS, Gossner MM, Jung K, Kandeler E, Krauss J, Penone C, Schloter M, Schulz S, Staab M, Wolters V, Apostolakis A, Birkhofer K, Boch S, Boeddinghaus RS, Bolliger R, Bonkowski M, Buscot F, Dumack K, Fischer M, Gan HY, Heinze J, Hölzel N, John K, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Marhan S, Müller J, Renner SC, Rillig MC, Schenk NV, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Seibold S, Socher SA, Solly EF, Teuscher M, van Kleunen M, Wubet T, Manning P. A slow-fast trait continuum at the whole community level in relation to land-use intensification. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1251. [PMID: 38341437 PMCID: PMC10858939 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45113-5] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Organismal functional strategies form a continuum from slow- to fast-growing organisms, in response to common drivers such as resource availability and disturbance. However, whether there is synchronisation of these strategies at the entire community level is unclear. Here, we combine trait data for >2800 above- and belowground taxa from 14 trophic guilds spanning a disturbance and resource availability gradient in German grasslands. The results indicate that most guilds consistently respond to these drivers through both direct and trophically mediated effects, resulting in a 'slow-fast' axis at the level of the entire community. Using 15 indicators of carbon and nutrient fluxes, biomass production and decomposition, we also show that fast trait communities are associated with faster rates of ecosystem functioning. These findings demonstrate that 'slow' and 'fast' strategies can be manifested at the level of whole communities, opening new avenues of ecosystem-level functional classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Neyret
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine, Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS - Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France.
| | | | | | - Florian D Schneider
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany
- ISOE - Institute for social-ecological research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dennis Baulechner
- Justus Liebig University, Department of Animal Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Franciska T de Vries
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Soil Ecology Department, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Anna Merges
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ruslan A Saifutdinov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadja K Simons
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Applied Biodiversity Sciences, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Andrey S Zaitsev
- Justus Liebig University, Department of Animal Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Senckenberg Museum for Natural History Görlitz, Görlitz, Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Institut of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ellen Kandeler
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Schloter
- Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, Research Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Oberschleissheim, Germany
- Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schulz
- Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, Research Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Michael Staab
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Volkmar Wolters
- Justus Liebig University, Department of Animal Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antonios Apostolakis
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Runa S Boeddinghaus
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department Plant Production and Production Related Environmental Protection, Center for Agricultural Technology Augustenberg (LTZ), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ralph Bolliger
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - François Buscot
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Soil Ecology Department, Halle/Saale, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle - Jena-, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kenneth Dumack
- Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Huei Ying Gan
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironments Tübingen (SHEP), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Heinze
- Department of Biodiversity, Heinz Sielmann Foundation, Wustermark, Germany
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina John
- Justus Liebig University, Department of Animal Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Forage Production and Grassland Systems, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sven Marhan
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Department of Nature Conservation, Heinz Sielmann Foundation, Wustermark, Germany
| | - Swen C Renner
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Autria, Germany
| | | | - Noëlle V Schenk
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Marion Schrumpf
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Freising, Germany
- TUD Dresden University of Technology, Forest Zoology, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Stephanie A Socher
- Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Department Environment and Biodiversity, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Emily F Solly
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Computation Hydrosystems Department, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Miriam Teuscher
- University of Göttingen, Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle - Jena-, Leipzig, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Community Ecology Department, Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Peter Manning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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Domínguez-García V, Kéfi S. The structure and robustness of ecological networks with two interaction types. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011770. [PMID: 38241353 PMCID: PMC10830016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Until recently, most ecological network analyses investigating the effects of species' declines and extinctions have focused on a single type of interaction (e.g. feeding). In nature, however, diverse interactions co-occur, each of them forming a layer of a 'multilayer' network. Data including information on multiple interaction types has recently started to emerge, giving us the opportunity to have a first glance at possible commonalities in the structure of these networks. We studied the structural features of 44 tripartite ecological networks from the literature, each composed of two layers of interactions (e.g. herbivory and pollination), and investigated their robustness to species losses. Considering two interactions simultaneously, we found that the robustness of the whole community is a combination of the robustness of the two ecological networks composing it. The way in which the layers of interactions are connected to each other affects the interdependence of their robustness. In many networks, this interdependence is low, suggesting that restoration efforts would not automatically propagate through the whole community. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple interactions simultaneously to better gauge the robustness of ecological communities to species loss and to more reliably identify key species that are important for the persistence of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Domínguez-García
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America
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7
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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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8
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Nauta J, Lammers C, Lexmond R, Christianen MJA, Borst A, Lamers LPM, van Lavieren H, Naipal S, Govers LL. Habitat complexity drives food web structure along a dynamic mangrove coast. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 196:115597. [PMID: 37832500 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115597] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Structurally complex habitats, such as mangrove forests, allow for rich assemblages of species that benefit from the provided space, volume and substrate. Changes in habitat complexity can affect species abundance, diversity and resilience. In this study, we explored the effects of habitat complexity on food web networks in four developmental stages of mangrove forests with differing structural complexities: climax > degrading > colonizing > bare, by analyzing food web structure, stable isotopes and habitat complexity. We found that food webs became gradually more biodiverse (species richness: +119 %), complex (link density: +39 %), and robust (connectance: -35 %) in climax versus bare stages with increasing complexity of the mangrove forest (i.e., number of trees, leaf cover, and pneumatophore densities). This study shows that habitat complexity drives food web network structure in dynamic mangrove forests. We recommend restoration practitioners to use this food web network approach to quantify habitat restoration successes complementary to traditional biodiversity metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Nauta
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 AA Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Carlijn Lammers
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 AA Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), 1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
| | - Robin Lexmond
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Plant Ecology and Physiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn J A Christianen
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Annieke Borst
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Leon P M Lamers
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; B-WARE Research Centre, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sieuwnath Naipal
- Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Leysweg 86, P.O.B. 9212, Paramaribo, Suriname
| | - Laura L Govers
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9700 AA Groningen, the Netherlands; Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Coastal Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ), 1790 AB Den Burg, the Netherlands
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9
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Lever JJ, Van Nes EH, Scheffer M, Bascompte J. Five fundamental ways in which complex food webs may spiral out of control. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1765-1779. [PMID: 37587015 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14293] [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: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Theory suggests that increasingly long, negative feedback loops of many interacting species may destabilize food webs as complexity increases. Less attention has, however, been paid to the specific ways in which these 'delayed negative feedbacks' may affect the response of complex ecosystems to global environmental change. Here, we describe five fundamental ways in which these feedbacks might pave the way for abrupt, large-scale transitions and species losses. By combining topological and bioenergetic models, we then proceed by showing that the likelihood of such transitions increases with the number of interacting species and/or when the combined effects of stabilizing network patterns approach the minimum required for stable coexistence. Our findings thus shift the question from the classical question of what makes complex, unaltered ecosystems stable to whether the effects of, known and unknown, stabilizing food-web patterns are sufficient to prevent abrupt, large-scale transitions under global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jelle Lever
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Egbert H Van Nes
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marten Scheffer
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Losapio G. Contextualizing the ecology of plant-plant interactions and constructive networks. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad035. [PMID: 37576876 PMCID: PMC10414809 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Botanical concepts have traditionally viewed the environment as a static box containing plants. In this box, plants compete with one another and act as passive resource consumers subjected to the environment in a top-down manner. This entails that plants have only negative effects on other plants and have no influence on the environment. By contrast, there is increasing evidence that plants have positive, bottom-up engineering effects and diversity effects on other plants and on the environment. Here, to overcome the limitations of top-down environmental control, antagonistic-only and pairwise interactions, I propose the concept of constructive networks. Constructive networks unify niche construction and network theory recognizing that (i) plants have manifold ecological functions and impacts on their neighbours, and (ii) the environment shapes and is shaped by diverse organisms, primarily plants. Constructive networks integrate both plant-environment and plant-plant interactions in a relational context. They address how plants influence the environment and support or inhibit other plant species by physically, biochemically and ecologically shaping environmental conditions. Constructive networks acknowledge the fact that diverse plants change and create novel environmental conditions and co-produce, share and transform resources, thereby influencing biological communities and the environment in constructive ways. Different interaction types are considered simultaneously in constructive networks. Yet, the main limitation to understanding constructive networks is the identification of plant links. This barrier may be overcome by applying complexity theory and statistical mechanics to comparative data and experimental field botany. Considering multiple interaction types and feedback between plants and the environment may improve our understanding of mechanisms responsible for biodiversity maintenance and help us to better anticipate the response of plant systems to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, UNIL Mouline, 1015, VD, Switzerland
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
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11
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Rojas E, Prosnier L, Pradeau A, Boyer N, Médoc V. Anthropogenic noise does not strengthen multiple-predator effects in a freshwater invasive fish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:1470-1480. [PMID: 37029524 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise has the potential to alter community dynamics by modifying the strength of nested ecological interactions such as predation. Direct effects of noise on per capita predation rates have received much attention but the context in which predation occurs is often oversimplified. For instance, many animals interact with conspecifics while foraging and these nontrophic interactions can positively or negatively influence per capita predation rates. These effects are often referred to as multiple-predator effects (MPEs). The extent to which noise can modulate MPEs and thereby indirectly alter per capita predation remains unknown. To address this question, we derived the relationship between per capita predation rate and prey density, namely the functional response (FR), of single and pairs of the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva when feeding on water fleas under two noise conditions: control ambient noise estimated at 95 dB re 1 μPa and ambient noise supplemented with motorboat sounds whose relative importance over ambient noise ranged from 4.81 to 27 dB. In addition, we used video recordings to track fish movements. To detect MPEs, we compared the observed group-level FRs to predicted group-level FRs inferred from the individual FRs and based on additive effects only. Regardless of the number of fish and the noise condition, the FR was always of type II, showing predation rate in a decelerating rise to an upper asymptote. Compared to the noiseless condition, the predation rate of single fish exposed to noise did not differ at high prey densities but was significantly lower at low prey densities, resulting in an FR with the same asymptote but a less steep initial slope. Noise also reduced fish mobility, which might explain the decrease in predation rate at low prey densities. Conspecific presence suppressed the individual response to noise, the FRs of two fish (observed group-level FRs) being perfectly similar between the two noise conditions. Although observed and predicted group-level FRs did not differ significantly, observed group-level FRs tended to fall in the low range of predicted group-level FRs, suggesting antagonism and a negative effect of nontrophic interactions on individual foraging performance. Interestingly, the difference between predicted and observed group-level FRs was not greater with noise, which means that noise did not strengthen MPEs. Our results show that when considering the social context of foraging, here through the presence of a conspecific, anthropogenic noise does not compromise foraging in the invasive P. parva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Rojas
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Loïc Prosnier
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Aurélie Pradeau
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Nicolas Boyer
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Vincent Médoc
- Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle (ENES), Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
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12
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González C. Evolution of the concept of ecological integrity and its study through networks. Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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13
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Barbosa M, Fernandes GW, Morris RJ. Experimental evidence for a hidden network of higher-order interactions in a diverse arthropod community. Curr Biol 2023; 33:381-388.e4. [PMID: 36563693 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.057] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Transcending pairwise interactions in ecological networks remains a challenge.1,2,3,4,5 Higher-order interactions (HOIs), the modulation of a pairwise interaction by a third species,6 are thought to play a particularly important role in stabilizing coexistence and maintaining species diversity.7,8,9,10,11,12 However, HOIs have so far only been demonstrated in models9,10,11,12,13,14 or isolated experimental systems including only a few interacting species.7,8,15 Their ubiquity and importance at a community level in the real world remain unknown. We hypothesized that a complex network of HOIs could be constantly modifying pairwise interactions and shaping ecological communities and that consequently the outcome of pairwise interactions would be a product of many influences from distinct sources. Using field experiments, we tested how multiple interactions within a diverse arthropod community associated with the tropical shrub Baccharis dracunculifolia D.C. (Asteraceae) were modified by the removal of ant species or live or hatched insect galls (a non-trophic engineering effect) of the dominant galler species. We revealed an extensive hidden network of HOIs modifying each other and the "visible" pairwise interactions. Most pairwise interactions were affected indirectly by the manipulation of non-interacting taxonomic groups. The pervasiveness of these interaction modifications challenges pairwise approaches to understanding interaction outcomes and could shift our thinking about the structure and persistence of ecological communities. Investigating coexistence mechanisms involving interaction modulation by HOIs may be key to elucidating the underlying causes of the stability and persistence of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milton Barbosa
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, CP 486, 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, CP 486, 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rebecca Jane Morris
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Life Sciences Building 85, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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14
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García-Herrera LV, Ramírez-Fráncel LA, Guevara G, Lim BK, Losada-Prado S. Wing morphology is related to niche specialization and interaction networks in stenodermatine bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Plant–animal interactions constitute some of the most important ecological processes for the maintenance of tropical forests. Bats are the only group of mammals capable of true flight and have been recognized as important dispersers of pioneer and secondary successional plant species. Although progress has been made in the study of Neotropical bats, morphological variation of the wing and its influence on niche separation between species is unknown. We evaluated relationships among habitat structures of selected Colombian tropical dry forest patches, the diet through interaction networks, and wing morphology of 11 species of bats in the Stenodermatinae subfamily (297 individuals) using geometric morphometry in a phylogenetic context. The results indicate that the phylogenetic signal for wing size is greater than for wing shape, thus providing some evidence for evolutionary convergence. Wing shape variation was associated primarily with the distal anatomical tip of the third finger and the joint between the humerus and the radius and ulna. Species with wide, short wings, as in the genus Artibeus had generalist diets and less nested positions within the interaction networks. In contrast, species with elongated and pointed wings, such as Sturnira and Platyrrhinus, had specialized diets and more nested positions within the interaction networks. We argue that wing shape variation may play an important role as a source of interspecific variation leading to food specialization within tropical bat communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leidy Viviana García-Herrera
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas and Grupo de Investigación en Zoología (GIZ), Facultad de Ciencias, IDEAD, Universidad del Tolima , Altos de Santa Elena, Ibagué 730004 , Colombia
| | - Leidy Azucena Ramírez-Fráncel
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas and Grupo de Investigación en Zoología (GIZ), Facultad de Ciencias, IDEAD, Universidad del Tolima , Altos de Santa Elena, Ibagué 730004 , Colombia
| | - Giovany Guevara
- Departamento de Biología and Grupo de Investigación en Zoología (GIZ), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Tolima , Altos de Santa Elena, Ibagué M5H 2N2 , Colombia
| | - Burton K Lim
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum , 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6 , Canada
| | - Sergio Losada-Prado
- Departamento de Biología and Grupo de Investigación en Zoología (GIZ), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Tolima , Altos de Santa Elena, Ibagué M5H 2N2 , Colombia
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15
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Hsieh HY, Vandermeer J, Perfecto I. Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19378. [PMID: 36371593 PMCID: PMC9653485 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23763-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most species are embedded in multi-interaction networks. Consequently, theories focusing on simple pair-wise interactions cannot predict ecological and/or evolutionary outcomes. This study explores how cascading higher-order interactions (HOIs) would affect the population dynamics of a focal species. Employing a system that involves a myrmecophylic beetle, a parasitic wasp that attacks the beetle, an ant, and a parasitic fly that attacks the ant, the study explores how none, one, and two HOIs affect the parasitism and the sex ratio of the beetle. We conducted mesocosm experiments to examine these HOIs on beetle survival and sex ratio and found that the 1st degree HOI does not change the beetle's survival rate or sex ratio. However, the 2nd degree HOI significantly reduces the beetle's survival rate and changes its sex ratio from even to strongly female-biased. We applied Bayes' theorem to analyze the per capita survival probability of female vs. male beetles and suggested that the unexpected results might arise from complex eco-evolutionary dynamics involved with the 1st and 2nd degree HOIs. Field data suggested the HOIs significantly regulate the sex ratio of the beetle. As the same structure of HOIs appears in other systems, we believe the complexity associated with the 2nd degree HOI would be more common than known and deserve more scientific attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsun-Yi Hsieh
- grid.17088.360000 0001 2150 1785Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA ,grid.17088.360000 0001 2150 1785Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA ,grid.17088.360000 0001 2150 1785Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Agroecosystem Research, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI USA
| | - John Vandermeer
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA ,grid.214458.e0000000086837370School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Ivette Perfecto
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
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16
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Koltz AM, Gough L, McLaren JR. Herbivores in Arctic ecosystems: Effects of climate change and implications for carbon and nutrient cycling. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1516:28-47. [PMID: 35881516 PMCID: PMC9796801 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Arctic terrestrial herbivores influence tundra carbon and nutrient dynamics through their consumption of resources, waste production, and habitat-modifying behaviors. The strength of these effects is likely to change spatially and temporally as climate change drives shifts in herbivore abundance, distribution, and activity timing. Here, we review how herbivores influence tundra carbon and nutrient dynamics through their consumptive and nonconsumptive effects. We also present evidence for herbivore responses to climate change and discuss how these responses may alter the spatial and temporal distribution of herbivore impacts. Several current knowledge gaps limit our understanding of the changing functional roles of herbivores; these include limited characterization of the spatial and temporal variability in herbivore impacts and of how herbivore activities influence the cycling of elements beyond carbon. We conclude by highlighting approaches that will promote better understanding of herbivore effects on tundra ecosystems, including their integration into existing biogeochemical models, new applications of remote sensing techniques, and the continued use of distributed experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Koltz
- Department of BiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA,The Arctic InstituteCenter for Circumpolar Security StudiesWashingtonDCUSA,Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - Laura Gough
- Department of Biological SciencesTowson UniversityTowsonMarylandUSA
| | - Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Texas El PasoEl PasoTexasUSA
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17
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Arboleda-Baena C, Pareja CB, Pla I, Logares R, De la Iglesia R, Navarrete SA. Hidden interactions in the intertidal rocky shore: variation in pedal mucus microbiota among marine grazers that feed on epilithic biofilm communities. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13642. [PMID: 36172502 PMCID: PMC9512015 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In marine ecosystems, most invertebrates possess diverse microbiomes on their external surfaces, such as those found in the pedal mucus of grazing gastropods and chitons that aids displacement on different surfaces. The microbes are then transported around and placed in contact with free-living microbial communities of micro and other macro-organisms, potentially exchanging species and homogenizing microbial composition and structure among grazer hosts. Here, we characterize the microbiota of the pedal mucus of five distantly related mollusk grazers, quantify differences in microbial community structure, mucus protein and carbohydrate content, and, through a simple laboratory experiment, assess their effects on integrated measures of biofilm abundance. Over 665 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) were found across grazers, with significant differences in abundance and composition among grazer species and epilithic biofilms. The pulmonate limpet Siphonaria lessonii and the periwinkle Echinolittorina peruviana shared similar microbiota. The microbiota of the chiton Chiton granosus, keyhole limpet Fissurella crassa, and scurrinid limpet Scurria araucana differed markedly from one another, and form those of the pulmonate limpet and periwinkle. Flavobacteriaceae (Bacteroidia) and Colwelliaceae (Gammaproteobacteria) were the most common among microbial taxa. Microbial strict specialists were found in only one grazer species. The pedal mucus pH was similar among grazers, but carbohydrate and protein concentrations differed significantly. Yet, differences in mucus composition were not reflected in microbial community structure. Only the pedal mucus of F. crassa and S. lessonii negatively affected the abundance of photosynthetic microorganisms in the biofilm, demonstrating the specificity of the pedal mucus effects on biofilm communities. Thus, the pedal mucus microbiota are distinct among grazer hosts and can affect and interact non-trophically with the epilithic biofilms on which grazers feed, potentially leading to microbial community coalescence mediated by grazer movement. Further studies are needed to unravel the myriad of non-trophic interactions and their reciprocal impacts between macro- and microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Arboleda-Baena
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas and Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, El Tabo, Chile,Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Claudia Belén Pareja
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Isadora Pla
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Región Metropolitana, Chile
| | - Ramiro Logares
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Rodrigo De la Iglesia
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Región Metropolitana, Chile,Marine Energy Research & Innovation Center (MERIC), Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Sergio Andrés Navarrete
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas and Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, El Tabo, Chile,Marine Energy Research & Innovation Center (MERIC), Santiago de Chile, Chile,Centro Basal COPAS-COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción
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18
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Kéfi S, Saade C, Berlow EL, Cabral JS, Fronhofer EA. Scaling up our understanding of tipping points. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210386. [PMID: 35757874 PMCID: PMC9234815 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are increasingly affecting ecosystems across the globe. Meanwhile, empirical and theoretical evidence suggest that natural systems can exhibit abrupt collapses in response to incremental increases in the stressors, sometimes with dramatic ecological and economic consequences. These catastrophic shifts are faster and larger than expected from the changes in the stressors and happen once a tipping point is crossed. The primary mechanisms that drive ecosystem responses to perturbations lie in their architecture of relationships, i.e. how species interact with each other and with the physical environment and the spatial structure of the environment. Nonetheless, existing theoretical work on catastrophic shifts has so far largely focused on relatively simple systems that have either few species and/or no spatial structure. This work has laid a critical foundation for understanding how abrupt responses to incremental stressors are possible, but it remains difficult to predict (let alone manage) where or when they are most likely to occur in more complex real-world settings. Here, we discuss how scaling up our investigations of catastrophic shifts from simple to more complex-species rich and spatially structured-systems could contribute to expanding our understanding of how nature works and improve our ability to anticipate the effects of global change on ecological systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological complexity and the biosphere: the next 30 years'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, CNRS, University of Montpellier, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Camille Saade
- ISEM, CNRS, University of Montpellier, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Juliano S. Cabral
- Ecosystem Modeling Group, Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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19
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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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20
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Wootton KL, Curtsdotter A, Jonsson T, Banks HT, Bommarco R, Roslin T, Laubmeier AN. Beyond body size—new traits for new heights in trait-based modelling of predator-prey dynamics. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0251896. [PMID: 35862348 PMCID: PMC9302725 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Food webs map feeding interactions among species, providing a valuable tool for understanding and predicting community dynamics. Using species’ body sizes is a promising avenue for parameterizing food-web models, but such approaches have not yet been able to fully recover observed community dynamics. Such discrepancies suggest that traits other than body size also play important roles. For example, differences in species’ use of microhabitat or non-consumptive effects of intraguild predators may affect dynamics in ways not captured by body size. In Laubmeier et al. (2018), we developed a dynamic food-web model incorporating microhabitat and non-consumptive predator effects in addition to body size, and used simulations to suggest an optimal sampling design of a mesocosm experiment to test the model. Here, we perform the mesocosm experiment to generate empirical time-series of insect herbivore and predator abundance dynamics. We minimize least squares error between the model and time-series to determine parameter values of four alternative models, which differ in terms of including vs excluding microhabitat use and non-consumptive predator-predator effects. We use both statistical and expert-knowledge criteria to compare the models and find including both microhabitat use and non-consumptive predator-predator effects best explains observed aphid and predator population dynamics, followed by the model including microhabitat alone. This ranking suggests that microhabitat plays a larger role in driving population dynamics than non-consumptive predator-predator effects, although both are clearly important. Our results illustrate the importance of additional traits alongside body size in driving trophic interactions. They also point to the need to consider trophic interactions and population dynamics in a wider community context, where non-trophic impacts can dramatically modify the interplay between multiple predators and prey. Overall, we demonstrate the potential for utilizing traits beyond body size to improve trait-based models and the value of iterative cycling between theory, data and experiment to hone current insights into how traits affect food-web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L. Wootton
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Uppsala, Sweden
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alva Curtsdotter
- Insect Ecology Lab, Zoology, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- EkoMod SpA, Comuna de Concon, Region de Valparaiso, Chile
| | - Tomas Jonsson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Uppsala, Sweden
- Ecological modelling group, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - H. T. Banks
- Center for Research in Scientific Computation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tomas Roslin
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda N. Laubmeier
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
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21
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Rahman T, Candolin U. Linking animal behavior to ecosystem change in disturbed environments. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.893453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental disturbances often cause individuals to change their behavior. The behavioral responses can induce a chain of reactions through the network of species interactions, via consumptive and trait mediated connections. Given that species interactions define ecosystem structure and functioning, changes to these interactions often have ecological repercussions. Here, we explore the transmission of behavioral responses through the network of species interactions, and how the responses influence ecological conditions. We describe the underlying mechanisms and the ultimate impact that the behavioral responses can have on ecosystem structure and functioning, including biodiversity and ecosystems stability and services. We explain why behavioral responses of some species have a larger impact than that of others on ecosystems, and why research should focus on these species and their interactions. With the work, we synthesize existing theory and empirical evidence to provide a conceptual framework that links behavior responses to altered species interactions, community dynamics, and ecosystem processes. Considering that species interactions link biodiversity to ecosystem functioning, a deeper understanding of behavioral responses and their causes and consequences can improve our knowledge of the mechanisms and pathways through which human activities alter ecosystems. This knowledge can improve our ability to predict the effects of ongoing disturbances on communities and ecosystems and decide on the interventions needed to mitigate negative effects.
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22
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Torres I, Parra A, Moreno JM. Effects of spatial distance and woody plant cover on beta diversity point to dispersal limitation as a driver of community assembly during postfire succession in a Mediterranean shrubland. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9130. [PMID: 35898419 PMCID: PMC9309027 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Beta diversity, and its components of turnover and nestedness, reflects the processes governing community assembly, such as dispersal limitation or biotic interactions, but it is unclear how they operate at the local scale and how their role changes along postfire succession. Here, we analyzed the patterns of beta diversity and its components in a herbaceous plant community after fire, and in relation to dispersal ability, in Central Spain. We calculated multiple-site beta diversity (βSOR) and its components of turnover (βSIM) and nestedness (βSNE) of all herbaceous plants, or grouped by dispersal syndrome (autochory, anemochory, and zoochory), during the first 3 years after wildfire. We evaluated the relationship between pairwise beta diversity (βsor), and its components (βsim, βsne), and spatial distance or differences in woody plant cover, a proxy of biotic interactions. We found high multiple-site beta diversity dominated by the turnover component. Community dissimilarity increased with spatial distance, driven mostly by the turnover component. Species with less dispersal ability (i.e., autochory) showed a stronger spatial pattern of dissimilarity. Biotic interactions with woody plants contributed less to community dissimilarity, which tended to occur through the nestedness component. These results suggest that dispersal limitation prevails over biotic interactions with woody plants as a driver of local community assembly, even for species with high dispersal ability. These results contribute to our understanding of postfire community assembly and vegetation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Torres
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
| | - Antonio Parra
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
| | - José M Moreno
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Toledo Spain
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23
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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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24
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Thierry M, Pardikes NA, Rosenbaum B, Ximénez-Embún MG, Hrček J. The presence of multiple parasitoids decreases host survival under warming, but parasitoid performance also decreases. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220121. [PMID: 35291840 PMCID: PMC8924747 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Current global changes are reshaping ecological communities and modifying environmental conditions. We need to recognize the combined impact of these biotic and abiotic factors on species interactions, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Specifically, the strength of predator-prey interactions often depends on the presence of other natural enemies: it weakens with competition and interference or strengthens with facilitation. Such effects of multiple predators on prey are likely to be affected by changes in the abiotic environment, altering top-down control, a key structuring force in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Here, we investigated how warming alters the effects of multiple predators on prey suppression using a dynamic model coupled with empirical laboratory experiments with Drosophila-parasitoid communities. While multiple parasitoids enhanced top-down control under warming, parasitoid performance generally declined when another parasitoid was present owing to competitive interactions. This could reduce top-down control over multiple generations. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for interactive effects between abiotic and biotic factors to better predict community dynamics in a rapidly changing world and thus better preserve ecosystem functioning and services such as biological control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Thierry
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005 Czech Republic,Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Nicholas A. Pardikes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Benjamin Rosenbaum
- Theory in Biodiversity Science, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Miguel G. Ximénez-Embún
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hrček
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005 Czech Republic,Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branisovska 31, 37005, Czech Republic
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25
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Zhong Z, Li G, Sanders D, Wang D, Holt RD, Zhang Z. A rodent herbivore reduces its predation risk through ecosystem engineering. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1869-1874.e4. [PMID: 35278348 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions are ubiquitous and powerful forces that structure ecological communities.1-3 Habitat complexity has been shown to be particularly important in regulating the strength of predator-prey interactions.4-6 While it is well established that changes in habitat structure can alter the efficacy of predatory and anti-predatory behaviors,7-9 little is known about the consequences of engineering activity by prey species who modify the external environment to reduce their own predation risk. Using field surveys and manipulative experiments, we evaluated how habitat modification by Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) influences predation risk from a principal avian predator (shrike; Lanius spp.) in a steppe grassland, located in Inner Mongolia, China. We found that voles actively modify habitat structure by cutting down a large, unpalatable bunchgrass species (Achnatherum splendens) in the presence of shrikes, a behavior that disappeared when these avian predators were excluded experimentally. The damage activities of these voless dramatically decreased the volume of unpalatable grasses, which in turn reduced visitations by shrikes and thus mortality rates. Our study shows that herbivorous prey that act as ecosystem engineers can directly reduce their own predation risk by modifying habitat structure. Given the ubiquity of predation risks faced by consumers, and the likely ability of many consumers to alter the habitat structure in which they live, the interplay between predation risk and ecosystem engineering may be an important but unappreciated mechanism at play in natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Robert D Holt
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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26
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Strydom T, Bouskila S, Banville F, Barros C, Caron D, Farrell MJ, Fortin M, Hemming V, Mercier B, Pollock LJ, Runghen R, Dalla Riva GV, Poisot T. Food web reconstruction through phylogenetic transfer of low‐rank network representation. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13835] [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)
- Tanya Strydom
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
| | - Salomé Bouskila
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal Canada
| | - Francis Banville
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Canada
| | - Ceres Barros
- Department of Forest Resources Management University of British Columbia Vancouver Canada
| | - Dominique Caron
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
- Department of Biology McGill University Montréal Canada
| | - Maxwell J. Farrell
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Marie‐Josée Fortin
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Canada
| | - Victoria Hemming
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver Canada
| | - Benjamin Mercier
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Canada
| | - Laura J. Pollock
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
- Department of Biology McGill University Montréal Canada
| | - Rogini Runghen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Canterbury New Zealand
| | - Giulio V. Dalla Riva
- School of Mathematics and Statistics University of Canterbury Canterbury New Zealand
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de Sciences Biologiques Université de Montréal Montréal Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montréal Canada
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27
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Yacine Y, Loeuille N. Stable coexistence in plant-pollinator-herbivore communities requires balanced mutualistic vs antagonistic interactions. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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28
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Mougi A. Predator interference and complexity-stability in food webs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2464. [PMID: 35165383 PMCID: PMC8844033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06524-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is predicted that ecological communities will become unstable with increasing species numbers and subsequent interspecific interactions; however, this is contrary to how natural ecosystems with diverse species respond to changes in species numbers. This contradiction has steered ecologists toward exploring what underlying processes allow complex communities to stabilize even through varying pressures. In this study, a food web model is used to show an overlooked role of interference among multiple predator species in solving this complexity–stability problem. Predator interference in large communities weakens species interactions due to a reduction in consumption rates by prey-sharing species in the presence of predators in response to territorial and aggressive behavior, thereby playing a key stabilizing role in communities. Especially when interspecific interference is strong and a community has diverse species and dense species interactions, stabilization is likely to work and creates a positive complexity–stability relationship within a community. The clear positive effect of complexity on community stability is not reflected by/intraspecific interference, emphasizing the key role of interspecific interference among multiple predator species in maintaining larger systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Mougi
- Institute of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Academic Assembly, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, 690-8504, Japan.
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29
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Rodriguez ID, Marina TI, Schloss IR, Saravia LA. Marine food webs are more complex but less stable in sub-Antarctic (Beagle Channel, Argentina) than in Antarctic (Potter Cove, Antarctic Peninsula) regions. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 174:105561. [PMID: 35026725 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105561] [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: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Food web structure plays an important role in determining ecosystem stability against perturbations. High-latitude marine ecosystems are being affected by environmental stressors and biological invasions. In the West Antarctic Peninsula these transformations are mainly driven by climate change, while in the sub-Antarctic region by anthropogenic activities. Understanding the differences between these areas is necessary to monitor the changes that are expected to occur in the upcoming decades. Here, we compared the structure and stability of Antarctic (Potter Cove) and sub-Antarctic (Beagle Channel) marine food webs. We compiled species trophic interactions (predator-prey) and calculated complexity, structure and stability metrics. Even if both food webs presented the same connectance, we found important differences between them. The Beagle Channel food web is more complex, but less stable and sensitive to the loss of its most connected species, while the Potter Cove food web presented lower complexity and greater stability against perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iara Diamela Rodriguez
- Biology and Bioinformatics Area, Instituto de Ciencias (ICI), Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento (UNGS), Juan María Gutiérrez 1150, CP 1613, Los Polvorines, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Tomás I Marina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Laboratorio de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, CP 9410, Ushuaia, Argentina
| | - Irene Ruth Schloss
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina; Laboratorio de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC-CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, CP 9410, Ushuaia, Argentina; Instituto Antártico Argentino (IAA), Av. 25 de Mayo 1147, CP 1650, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leonardo Ariel Saravia
- Biology and Bioinformatics Area, Instituto de Ciencias (ICI), Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento (UNGS), Juan María Gutiérrez 1150, CP 1613, Los Polvorines, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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30
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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
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31
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Beheshti KM, Williams SL, Boyer KE, Endris C, Clemons A, Grimes T, Wasson K, Hughes BB. Rapid enhancement of multiple ecosystem services following the restoration of a coastal foundation species. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02466. [PMID: 34614246 PMCID: PMC9285811 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The global decline of marine foundation species (kelp forests, mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses) has contributed to the degradation of the coastal zone and threatens the loss of critical ecosystem services and functions. Restoration of marine foundation species has had variable success, especially for seagrasses, where a majority of restoration efforts have failed. While most seagrass restorations track structural attributes over time, rarely do restorations assess the suite of ecological functions that may be affected by restoration. Here we report on the results of two small-scale experimental seagrass restoration efforts in a central California estuary where we transplanted 117 0.25-m2 plots (2,340 shoots) of the seagrass species Zostera marina. We quantified restoration success relative to persistent reference beds, and in comparison to unrestored, unvegetated areas. Within three years, our restored plots expanded ~8,500%, from a total initial area of 29 to 2,513 m2 . The restored beds rapidly began to resemble the reference beds in (1) seagrass structural attributes (canopy height, shoot density, biomass), (2) ecological functions (macrofaunal species richness and abundance, epifaunal species richness, nursery function), and (3) biogeochemical functions (modulation of water quality). We also developed a multifunctionality index to assess cumulative functional performance, which revealed restored plots are intermediate between reference and unvegetated habitats, illustrating how rapidly multiple functions recovered over a short time period. Our comprehensive study is one of few published studies to quantify how seagrass restoration can enhance both biological and biogeochemical functions. Our study serves as a model for quantifying ecosystem services associated with the restoration of a foundation species and demonstrates the potential for rapid functional recovery that can be achieved through targeted restoration of fast-growing foundation species under suitable conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Beheshti
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
| | - Susan L. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, DavisDavisCalifornia95616USA
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science CenterSan Francisco State UniversityTiburonCalifornia94920USA
| | - Charlie Endris
- Moss Landing Marine LaboratoriesMoss LandingCalifornia95039USA
| | - Annakate Clemons
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
| | - Tracy Grimes
- Department of EcologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCalifornia92182USA
| | - Kerstin Wasson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzCalifornia95060USA
- Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research ReserveRoyal OaksCalifornia95076USA
| | - Brent B. Hughes
- Department of BiologySonoma State UniversityRohnert ParkCalifornia94928USA
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32
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Hale KRS, Valdovinos FS. Ecological theory of mutualism: Robust patterns of stability and thresholds in two-species population models. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17651-17671. [PMID: 35003630 PMCID: PMC8717353 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature, provide important ecosystem services, and involve many species of interest for conservation. Theoretical progress on the population dynamics of mutualistic interactions, however, comparatively lagged behind that of trophic and competitive interactions, leading to the impression that ecologists still lack a generalized framework to investigate the population dynamics of mutualisms. Yet, over the last 90 years, abundant theoretical work has accumulated, ranging from abstract to detailed. Here, we review and synthesize historical models of two-species mutualisms. We find that population dynamics of mutualisms are qualitatively robust across derivations, including levels of detail, types of benefit, and inspiring systems. Specifically, mutualisms tend to exhibit stable coexistence at high density and destabilizing thresholds at low density. These dynamics emerge when benefits of mutualism saturate, whether due to intrinsic or extrinsic density dependence in intraspecific processes, interspecific processes, or both. We distinguish between thresholds resulting from Allee effects, low partner density, and high partner density, and their mathematical and conceptual causes. Our synthesis suggests that there exists a robust population dynamic theory of mutualism that can make general predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla R. S. Hale
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Fernanda S. Valdovinos
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
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33
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Tan L, Zeng WA, Xiao Y, Li P, Gu S, Wu S, Zhai Z, Feng K, Deng Y, Hu Q. Fungi-Bacteria Associations in Wilt Diseased Rhizosphere and Endosphere by Interdomain Ecological Network Analysis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:722626. [PMID: 34552573 PMCID: PMC8450586 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.722626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the plant rhizosphere and endosphere, some fungal and bacterial species regularly co-exist, however, our knowledge about their co-existence patterns is quite limited, especially during invasion by bacterial wilt pathogens. In this study, the fungal communities from soil to endophytic compartments were surveyed during an outbreak of tobacco wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. It was found that the stem endophytic fungal community was significantly altered by pathogen invasion in terms of community diversity, structure, and composition. The associations among fungal species in the rhizosphere and endosphere infected by R. solanacearum showed more complex network structures than those of healthy plants. By integrating the bacterial dataset, associations between fungi and bacteria were inferred by Inter-Domain Ecological Network (IDEN) approach. It also revealed that infected samples, including both the rhizosphere and endosphere, had more complex interdomain networks than the corresponding healthy samples. Additionally, the bacterial wilt pathogenic Ralstonia members were identified as the keystone genus within the IDENs of both root and stem endophytic compartments. Ralstonia members was negatively correlated with the fungal genera Phoma, Gibberella, and Alternaria in infected roots, as well as Phoma, Gibberella, and Diaporthe in infected stems. This suggested that those endophytic fungi may play an important role in resisting the invasion of R. solanacearum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tan
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Wei-Ai Zeng
- Changsha Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Yansong Xiao
- Chenzhou Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Chenzhou, China
| | - Pengfei Li
- Wenshan Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Wenshan, China
| | - Songsong Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute for Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shaolong Wu
- Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | | | - Kai Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute for Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiulong Hu
- Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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34
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Andersen ML, Bennett DE, Holbrook JD. Burrow webs: Clawing the surface of interactions with burrows excavated by American badgers. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11559-11568. [PMID: 34522324 PMCID: PMC8427590 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers are organisms that influence their environment, which includes alterations leading to habitat provisioning for other species. Perhaps the most well-examined guild of species provisioning habitat for other species is tree cavity excavators or woodpeckers (Picidae). Many studies have examined the suite of secondary cavity users that rely on woodpeckers, and how the ecological network of secondary users, collectively referred to as the nest web, changes across communities. Despite similar habitat provisioning processes, fewer studies have assessed the suite of species associated with burrowers providing access to subterranean habitat. Here, we begin to characterize the burrow web provisioned by American badgers (Taxidea taxus) and evaluate the diversity and frequency of species interactions we detected at abandoned badger burrows in Wyoming, USA. We deployed camera traps at 23 badger burrows and identified interactions with the burrow by birds, mammals, and reptiles. Overall, we discovered 31 other species utilizing badger burrows, consisting of 12 mammals, 18 birds, and 1 reptile. Mammals, other than American badgers themselves and other fossorial species such as ground squirrels (Urocitellus sp.), frequently using burrows included mice (Peromyscus sp.), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), and desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii). Of the 18 bird species detected, most accounted for <5% of overall detections, besides chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina) at 7.2%-11.5% of detections. The most common category of detection by bird species was foraging, contrary to mammals, which used the burrow frequently and were commonly observed entering and exiting the burrow. This work provides additional context on the ecological role of American badgers within their environment. More broadly, this work scratches the surface of many remaining questions to explore with the aim of advancing our understandings about burrow webs across the diversity of burrowing species and the communities in which they occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Andersen
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Drew E. Bennett
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
- Department of Zoology & PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
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González González C, Mora Van Cauwelaert E, Boyer D, Perfecto I, Vandermeer J, Benítez M. High-order interactions maintain or enhance structural robustness of a coffee agroecosystem network. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2021.100951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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36
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Gender differences in traditional knowledge of useful plants in a Brazilian community. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253820. [PMID: 34320019 PMCID: PMC8318302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genders differ in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about plants, but how gender influences TEK sharing is still poorly understood. Here, we examined how gender is associated with the diversity, transmission, and structure of TEK. We tested whether women and men differ in terms of plant knowledge (species richness, α-diversity), knowledge heterogeneity (β-diversity), and in the structure of social-ecological networks they form. The study was carried out in a suburban community in the city of Ouro Preto, Southeastern, Brazil. Using the snow-ball technique, semi-structured interviews, guided tours, and participant observation, we gathered information from 33 women and 33 men in the community. We collected information about their culture, social-economic profiles, and plant knowledge from which we identified 291 plant species in 10 use categories. Overall, our results indicated that the cognition and sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge are structured by gender. Women rated better in their plant knowledge repertory (greater α-diversity), while plant knowledge among men was more heterogeneous (greater β-diversity), suggesting less information sharing among them. We observed that the network among women is more connected, exhibited greater information sharing, with a greater number of central individuals, who likely provide the cohesion and maintenance of TEK in the community. Our findings indicate how social-ecological networks can provide insights and information to unveil social patterns of knowledge transmission. Understanding how TEK is fostered and shared among community members will favor better planning of ethnobotanical studies, as well as inform decision-makers about strategies for the conservation of plant TEK.
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37
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Le Provost G, Thiele J, Westphal C, Penone C, Allan E, Neyret M, van der Plas F, Ayasse M, Bardgett RD, Birkhofer K, Boch S, Bonkowski M, Buscot F, Feldhaar H, Gaulton R, Goldmann K, Gossner MM, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Krauss J, Renner S, Scherreiks P, Sikorski J, Baulechner D, Blüthgen N, Bolliger R, Börschig C, Busch V, Chisté M, Fiore-Donno AM, Fischer M, Arndt H, Hoelzel N, John K, Jung K, Lange M, Marzini C, Overmann J, Paŝalić E, Perović DJ, Prati D, Schäfer D, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Sonnemann I, Steffan-Dewenter I, Tschapka M, Türke M, Vogt J, Wehner K, Weiner C, Weisser W, Wells K, Werner M, Wolters V, Wubet T, Wurst S, Zaitsev AS, Manning P. Contrasting responses of above- and belowground diversity to multiple components of land-use intensity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3918. [PMID: 34168127 PMCID: PMC8225671 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23931-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. However, understanding how different components of land use drive biodiversity loss requires the investigation of multiple trophic levels across spatial scales. Using data from 150 agricultural grasslands in central Europe, we assess the influence of multiple components of local- and landscape-level land use on more than 4,000 above- and belowground taxa, spanning 20 trophic groups. Plot-level land-use intensity is strongly and negatively associated with aboveground trophic groups, but positively or not associated with belowground trophic groups. Meanwhile, both above- and belowground trophic groups respond to landscape-level land use, but to different drivers: aboveground diversity of grasslands is promoted by diverse surrounding land-cover, while belowground diversity is positively related to a high permanent forest cover in the surrounding landscape. These results highlight a role of landscape-level land use in shaping belowground communities, and suggest that revised agroecosystem management strategies are needed to conserve whole-ecosystem biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëtane Le Provost
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Jan Thiele
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Caterina Penone
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Margot Neyret
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manfred Ayasse
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Michael Bonkowski
- Institute of Zoology, Terrestrial Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Francois Buscot
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Feldhaar
- Animal Ecology I, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Rachel Gaulton
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Soil Ecology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin M Gossner
- Forest Entomology, WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 16, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 2, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Swen Renner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Ornithology, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Johannes Sikorski
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dennis Baulechner
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ralph Bolliger
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Börschig
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Verena Busch
- Department of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Melanie Chisté
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Markus Fischer
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- Institute of Zoology, General Ecology, University of Cologne, Köln (Cologne), Germany
| | - Norbert Hoelzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina John
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Markus Lange
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Carlo Marzini
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Esther Paŝalić
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David J Perović
- DPI Agriculture, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Cotton Research Institute, Narrabri, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Deborah Schäfer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Ilja Sonnemann
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservations Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Manfred Türke
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juliane Vogt
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Katja Wehner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christiane Weiner
- Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Michael Werner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Volkmar Wolters
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Susanne Wurst
- Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrey S Zaitsev
- Department of Animal Ecology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter Manning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBIK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt, Germany
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38
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Network motifs involving both competition and facilitation predict biodiversity in alpine plant communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2005759118. [PMID: 33526655 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005759118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological diversity depends on multiple, cooccurring ecological interactions. However, most studies focus on one interaction type at a time, leaving community ecologists unsure of how positive and negative associations among species combine to influence biodiversity patterns. Using surveys of plant populations in alpine communities worldwide, we explore patterns of positive and negative associations among triads of species (modules) and their relationship to local biodiversity. Three modules, each incorporating both positive and negative associations, were overrepresented, thus acting as "network motifs." Furthermore, the overrepresentation of these network motifs is positively linked to species diversity globally. A theoretical model illustrates that these network motifs, based on competition between facilitated species or facilitation between inferior competitors, increase local persistence. Our findings suggest that the interplay of competition and facilitation is crucial for maintaining biodiversity.
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Polymetallic nodules are essential for food-web integrity of a prospective deep-seabed mining area in Pacific abyssal plains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12238. [PMID: 34112864 PMCID: PMC8192577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91703-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymetallic nodule fields provide hard substrate for sessile organisms on the abyssal seafloor between 3000 and 6000 m water depth. Deep-seabed mining targets these mineral-rich nodules and will likely modify the consumer-resource (trophic) and substrate-providing (non-trophic) interactions within the abyssal food web. However, the importance of nodules and their associated sessile fauna in supporting food-web integrity remains unclear. Here, we use seafloor imagery and published literature to develop highly-resolved trophic and non-trophic interaction webs for the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ, central Pacific Ocean) and the Peru Basin (PB, South-East Pacific Ocean) and to assess how nodule removal may modify these networks. The CCZ interaction web included 1028 compartments connected with 59,793 links and the PB interaction web consisted of 342 compartments and 8044 links. We show that knock-down effects of nodule removal resulted in a 17.9% (CCZ) to 20.8% (PB) loss of all taxa and 22.8% (PB) to 30.6% (CCZ) loss of network links. Subsequent analysis identified stalked glass sponges living attached to the nodules as key structural species that supported a high diversity of associated fauna. We conclude that polymetallic nodules are critical for food-web integrity and that their absence will likely result in reduced local benthic biodiversity.
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40
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Lürig MD, Narwani A, Penson H, Wehrli B, Spaak P, Matthews B. Non-additive effects of foundation species determine the response of aquatic ecosystems to nutrient perturbation. Ecology 2021; 102:e03371. [PMID: 33961284 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Eutrophication is a persistent threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Foundation species, namely those that play a central role in the structuring of communities and functioning of ecosystems, are likely important for the resilience of aquatic ecosystems in the face of disturbance. However, little is known about how interactions among such species influence ecosystem responses to nutrient perturbation. Here, using an array (N = 20) of outdoor experimental pond ecosystems (15,000 L), we manipulated the presence of two foundation species, the macrophyte Myriophyllum spicatum and the mussel Dreissena polymorpha, and quantified ecosystem responses to multiple nutrient disturbances, spread over two years. In the first year, we added five nutrient pulses, ramping up from 10 to 50 μg P/L over a 10-week period from mid-July to mid-October, and in the second year, we added a single large pulse of 50 μg P/L in mid-October. We used automated sondes to measure multiple ecosystems properties at high frequency (15-minute intervals), including phytoplankton and dissolved organic matter fluorescence, and to model whole-ecosystem metabolism. Overall, both foundation species strongly affected the ecosystem responses to nutrient perturbation, and, as expected, initially suppressed the increase in phytoplankton abundance following nutrient additions. However, when both species were present, phytoplankton biomass increased substantially relative to other treatment combinations: non-additivity was evident for multiple ecosystem metrics following the nutrient perturbations in both years but was diminished in the intervening months between our perturbations. Overall, these results demonstrate how interactions between foundation species can cause surprisingly strong deviations from the expected responses of aquatic ecosystems to perturbations such as nutrient additions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz D Lürig
- Center for Adaptation to a Changing Environment (ACE), ETH Zürich, Zürich, CH-8092, Switzerland.,Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland.,Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technolog, Überland Strasse 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland
| | - Anita Narwani
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technolog, Überland Strasse 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland
| | - Hannele Penson
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technolog, Überland Strasse 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Wehrli
- Department of Surface Waters and Management, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland.,Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zürich, CH-8092, Switzerland
| | - Piet Spaak
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technolog, Überland Strasse 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
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41
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Nonaka E, Kuparinen A. A modified niche model for generating food webs with stage-structured consumers: The stabilizing effects of life-history stages on complex food webs. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4101-4125. [PMID: 33976797 PMCID: PMC8093700 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all organisms grow in size during their lifetime and switch diets, trophic positions, and interacting partners as they grow. Such ontogenetic development introduces life-history stages and flows of biomass between the stages through growth and reproduction. However, current research on complex food webs rarely considers life-history stages. The few previously proposed methods do not take full advantage of the existing food web structural models that can produce realistic food web topologies.We extended the niche model developed by Williams and Martinez (Nature, 2000, 404, 180-183) to generate food webs that included trophic species with a life-history stage structure. Our method aggregated trophic species based on niche overlap to form a life-history structured population; therefore, it largely preserved the topological structure of food webs generated by the niche model. We applied the theory of allometric predator-prey body mass ratio and parameterized an allometric bioenergetic model augmented with biomass flow between stages via growth and reproduction to study the effects of a stage structure on the stability of food webs.When life-history stages were linked via growth and reproduction, more food webs persisted, and persisting food webs tended to retain more trophic species. Topological differences between persisting linked and unlinked food webs were small to modest. The slopes of biomass spectra were lower, and weak interaction links were more prevalent in the linked food webs than the unlinked ones, suggesting that a life-history stage structure promotes characteristics that can enhance stability of complex food webs.Our results suggest a positive relationship between the complexity and stability of complex food webs. A life-history stage structure in food webs may play important roles in dynamics of and diversity in food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuko Nonaka
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Anna Kuparinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
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42
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Thierry M, Pardikes NA, Lue CH, Lewis OT, Hrček J. Experimental warming influences species abundances in a Drosophila host community through direct effects on species performance rather than altered competition and parasitism. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245029. [PMID: 33571220 PMCID: PMC7877627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming is expected to have direct effects on species through their sensitivity to temperature, and also via their biotic interactions, with cascading indirect effects on species, communities, and entire ecosystems. To predict the community-level consequences of global climate change we need to understand the relative roles of both the direct and indirect effects of warming. We used a laboratory experiment to investigate how warming affects a tropical community of three species of Drosophila hosts interacting with two species of parasitoids over a single generation. Our experimental design allowed us to distinguish between the direct effects of temperature on host species performance, and indirect effects through altered biotic interactions (competition among hosts and parasitism by parasitoid wasps). Although experimental warming significantly decreased parasitism for all host-parasitoid pairs, the effects of parasitism and competition on host abundances and host frequencies did not vary across temperatures. Instead, effects on host relative abundances were species-specific, with one host species dominating the community at warmer temperatures, irrespective of parasitism and competition treatments. Our results show that temperature shaped a Drosophila host community directly through differences in species’ thermal performance, and not via its influences on biotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Thierry
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicholas A. Pardikes
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Chia-Hua Lue
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Owen T. Lewis
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Hrček
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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43
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Stouffer DB, Novak M. Hidden layers of density dependence in consumer feeding rates. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:520-532. [PMID: 33404158 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Functional responses relate a consumer's feeding rates to variation in its abiotic and biotic environment, providing insight into consumer behaviour and fitness, and underpinning population and food-web dynamics. Despite their broad relevance and long-standing history, we show here that the types of density dependence found in classic resource- and consumer-dependent functional-response models equate to strong and often untenable assumptions about the independence of processes underlying feeding rates. We first demonstrate mathematically how to quantify non-independence between feeding and consumer interference and between feeding on multiple resources. We then analyse two large collections of functional-response data sets to show that non-independence is pervasive and borne out in previously hidden forms of density dependence. Our results provide a new lens through which to view variation in consumer feeding rates and disentangle the biological underpinnings of species interactions in multi-species contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand
| | - Mark Novak
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
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44
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Coupling ecological network analysis with high-throughput sequencing-based surveys: Lessons from the next-generation biomonitoring project. ADV ECOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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45
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Mourant A, Lecomte N, Moreau G. Size matters: When resource accessibility by ecosystem engineering elicits wood-boring beetle demographic responses. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:784-795. [PMID: 33520166 PMCID: PMC7820143 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic natural disturbances play a key role in ecosystem renewal, and ecological engineering could do so by transforming resource accessibility. While such coupling creates nontrophic and lasting interactions between resource consumers and ecosystem engineers, it is unclear how large the disturbance must be to sustain such coupling. Natural disturbances that occur from the ecological engineering by the Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis) modulate deadwood dynamics in many forest ecosystems. Relying on such episodes of fresh woody debris, primary wood-boring beetles, organisms that dig tunnels into those debris for reproduction, act as important deadwood decomposers in the ecosystem. Here, we investigate how the age and size of beaver disturbances act as predictors for primary wood-boring beetle abundance and species richness around beaver-altered habitat patches. To do so, we sampled beetles around 16 beaver-disturbed and unaltered watercourses within the Kouchibouguac National Park (Canada) and modeled beetle demographic responses to site conditions and their physical characteristics, distance from the watercourse, deadwood biomass, and the geographical location of the sites. Our results indicate that the size of the disturbance is positively associated with beetle abundance, which highlights unique deadwood dynamics inherent to large beaver ponds. The role of beavers in forest ecosystems by reaching multiple taxa at multiple spatiotemporal scales further exemplifies the need to study nontrophic interactions and their complex consequences in ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Mourant
- Département de biologieUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal EcologyUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal EcologyUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
| | - Gaétan Moreau
- Département de biologieUniversité de MonctonMonctonNBCanada
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46
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Tuomi M, Väisänen M, Ylänne H, Brearley FQ, Barrio IC, Anne Bråthen K, Eischeid I, Forbes BC, Jónsdóttir IS, Kolstad AL, Macek P, Petit Bon M, Speed JDM, Stark S, Svavarsdóttir K, Thórsson J, Bueno CG. Stomping in silence: Conceptualizing trampling effects on soils in polar tundra. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tuomi
- Section of Ecology Department of Biology University of Turku Turku Finland
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Maria Väisänen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Arctic Centre University of Lapland Rovaniemi Finland
| | - Henni Ylänne
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research Lund University Lund Sweden
| | - Francis Q. Brearley
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
| | - Isabel C. Barrio
- Agricultural University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
| | - Isabell Eischeid
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
- Norwegian Polar InstituteFRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment Tromsø Norway
| | | | - Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir
- Agricultural University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
- University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) Longyearbyen Norway
| | - Anders L. Kolstad
- Department of Natural History NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Petr Macek
- Centre for Polar Ecology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre ASCRInstitute of Soil Biology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Matteo Petit Bon
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries, and Economics The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) Longyearbyen Norway
| | - James D. M. Speed
- Department of Natural History NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Sari Stark
- Arctic Centre University of Lapland Rovaniemi Finland
| | | | | | - C. Guillermo Bueno
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences Department of Botany University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
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Puche E, Jordán F, Rodrigo MA, Rojo C. Non‐trophic key players in aquatic ecosystems: a mesocosm experiment. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Puche
- Cavanilles Inst. of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Valencia Spain
| | - Ferenc Jordán
- Balaton Limnological Inst., Centre for Ecological Research, Tihany, Hungary, and Evolutionary Systems Research Group, Centre for Ecological Research Tihany Hungary
| | - María A. Rodrigo
- Cavanilles Inst. of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Valencia Spain
| | - Carmen Rojo
- Cavanilles Inst. of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Valencia Spain
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48
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MacDonald AAM, Banville F, Poisot T. Revisiting the Links-Species Scaling Relationship in Food Webs. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 1:100079. [PMID: 33205136 PMCID: PMC7660400 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2020.100079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Predicting the number of interactions among species in a food web is an important task. These trophic interactions underlie many ecological and evolutionary processes, ranging from biomass fluxes, ecosystem stability, resilience to extinction, and resistance against novel species. We investigate and compare several ways to predict the number of interactions in food webs. We conclude that a simple beta-binomial model outperforms other models, with the added desirable property of respecting biological constraints. We show how this simple relationship gives rise to a predicted distribution of several quantities related to link number in food webs, including the scaling of network structure with space and the probability that a network will be stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Andrew Meahan MacDonald
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Francis Banville
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
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49
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Duchardt CJ, Porensky LM, Pearse IS. Direct and indirect effects of a keystone engineer on a shrubland-prairie food web. Ecology 2020; 102:e03195. [PMID: 33006165 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Keystone engineers are critical drivers of biodiversity throughout ecosystems worldwide. Within the North American Great Plains, the black-tailed prairie dog is an imperiled ecosystem engineer and keystone species with well-documented impacts on the flora and fauna of rangeland systems. However, because this species affects ecosystem structure and function in myriad ways (i.e., as a consumer, a prey resource, and a disturbance vector), it is unclear which effects are most impactful for any given prairie dog associate. We applied structural equation models (SEM) to disentangle direct and indirect effects of prairie dogs on multiple trophic levels (vegetation, arthropods, and birds) in the Thunder Basin National Grassland. Arthropods did not show any direct response to prairie dog occupation, but multiple bird species and vegetation parameters were directly affected. Surprisingly, the direct impact of prairie dogs on colony-associated avifauna (Horned Lark [Eremophila alpestris] and Mountain Plover [Charadrius montanus]) had greater support than a mediated effect via vegetation structure, indicating that prairie dog disturbance may be greater than the sum of its parts in terms of impacts on localized vegetation structure. Overall, our models point to a combination of direct and indirect impacts of prairie dogs on associated vegetation, arthropods, and avifauna. The variation in these impacts highlights the importance of examining the various impacts of keystone engineers, as well as highlighting the diverse ways that black-tailed prairie dogs are critical for the conservation of associated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney J Duchardt
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming, 82070, USA
| | - Lauren M Porensky
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources and Systems Research Unit, 1701 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - Ian S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue #C, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
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50
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Lurgi M, Galiana N, Broitman BR, Kéfi S, Wieters EA, Navarrete SA. Geographical variation of multiplex ecological networks in marine intertidal communities. Ecology 2020; 101:e03165. [PMID: 32798321 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of geographical variation in species distributions, and the resulting community structure, constitutes one of the grandest challenges in ecology. Geographical patterns of species richness and composition have been relatively well studied. Less is known about how the entire set of trophic and non-trophic ecological interactions, and the complex networks that they create by gluing species together in complex communities, change across geographical extents. Here, we compiled data of species composition and three types of ecological interactions occurring between species in rocky intertidal communities across a large spatial extent (~970 km of shoreline) of central Chile, and analyzed the geographical variability in these multiplex networks (i.e., comprising several interaction types) of ecological interactions. We calculated nine network summary statistics common across interaction types, and additional network attributes specific to each of the different types of interactions. We then investigated potential environmental drivers of this multivariate network organization. These included variation in sea surface temperature and coastal upwelling, the main drivers of productivity in nearshore waters. Our results suggest that structural properties of multiplex ecological networks are affected by local species richness and modulated by factors influencing productivity and environmental predictability. Our results show that non-trophic negative interactions are more sensitive to spatially structured temporal environmental variation than feeding relationships, with non-trophic positive interactions being the least labile to it. We also show that environmental effects are partly mediated through changes in species richness and partly through direct influences on species interactions, probably associated to changes in environmental predictability and to bottom-up nutrient availability. Our findings highlight the need for a comprehensive picture of ecological interactions and their geographical variability if we are to predict potential effects of environmental changes on ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Lurgi
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS-Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, 09200, France.,Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, United Kingdom
| | - Núria Galiana
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS-Paul Sabatier University, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Bernardo R Broitman
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales & Bioengineering Innovation Center, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Padre Hurtado 750, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Univ. Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, 34095, France
| | - Evie A Wieters
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, LINC Global, Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Osvaldo Marín 1672, Las Cruces, V Región, 2690000, Chile
| | - Sergio A Navarrete
- Estación Costera de Investigaciones Marinas, LINC Global, Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Osvaldo Marín 1672, Las Cruces, V Región, 2690000, Chile
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