scholarly journals Experimental evidence of the importance of multitrophic structure for species persistence

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (12) ◽  
pp. e2023872118
Author(s):  
Ignasi Bartomeus ◽  
Serguei Saavedra ◽  
Rudolf P. Rohr ◽  
Oscar Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Trophic Level ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Mathematical Approach ◽  
Species Persistence ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Ecological theory predicts that species interactions embedded in multitrophic networks shape the opportunities for species to persist. However, the lack of experimental support of this prediction has limited our understanding of how species interactions occurring within and across trophic levels simultaneously regulate the maintenance of biodiversity. Here, we integrate a mathematical approach and detailed experiments in plant–pollinator communities to demonstrate the need to jointly account for species interactions within and across trophic levels when estimating the ability of species to persist. Within the plant trophic level, we show that the persistence probability of plant species increases when introducing the effects of plant–pollinator interactions. Across trophic levels, we show that the persistence probabilities of both plants and pollinators exhibit idiosyncratic changes when experimentally manipulating the multitrophic structure. Importantly, these idiosyncratic effects are not recovered by traditional simulations. Our work provides tractable experimental and theoretical platforms upon which it is possible to investigate the multitrophic factors affecting species persistence in ecological communities.

scholarly journals In search for key biogeochemical factors affecting plant species persistence in heathland and acidic grasslands: a comparison of common and rare species

2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 680-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kleijn ◽  
Renée M. Bekker ◽  
Roland Bobbink ◽  
Maaike C. C. De Graaf ◽  
Jan G. M. Roelofs
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Species Persistence ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Biogeochemical Factors

The Community of Ecological Opportunities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. McPeek
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Intraguild Predation ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Apparent Competition ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Pollinator Species ◽  
Different Types

This chapter examines ecological opportunities that are available to species in various positions within a biological community, with particular emphasis on identifying the criteria necessary for an ecological opportunity to exist. Before discussing what performance capabilities a species must have to fill different types of ecological opportunities and what is required for invasibility of species into different functional positions in a community, the chapter considers the different frameworks that have been used to model species interactions. It then describes resource and apparent competition to show how resource availability from below and predation pressure from above can affect the types of species that can exploit specifc ecological opportunities. It also analyzes communities with three trophic levels, intraguild predation or omnivory, mutualism, the mechanisms that foster coexistence between one plant species and one pollinator species, and the case of one plant species with multiple pollinators.

scholarly journals On the temporally flexible structure of plant-pollinator interaction networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. CaraDonna ◽  
Nickolas M. Waser
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variation ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Activity Period ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Temporal Flexibility ◽  
Plant Pollinator

AbstractEcological communities consist of species that are joined in complex networks of interspecific interaction. The interactions that networks depict often form and dissolve rapidly, but this temporal variation is not well integrated into our understanding of the causes and consequences of network structure. If interspecific interactions exhibit temporal flexibility across time periods over which organisms co-occur, then the emergent structure of the corresponding network may also be temporally flexible, something that a temporally-static perspective would miss. Here, we use an empirical system to examine short-term flexibility in network structure (connectance, nestedness, and specialization), and in individual species interactions that contribute to that structure. We investigated weekly plant-pollinator networks in a subalpine ecosystem across three summer growing seasons. To link the interactions of individual species to properties of their networks, we examined weekly temporal variation in species’ contributions to network structure. As a test of the potential robustness of networks to perturbation, we also simulated the random loss of species from weekly networks. We then compared the properties of weekly networks to the properties of cumulative networks that aggregate field observations over each full season. A week-to-week view reveals considerable flexibility in the interactions of individual species and their contributions to network structure. For example, species that would be considered relatively generalized across their entire activity period may be much more specialized at certain times, and at no point as generalized as the cumulative network may suggest. Furthermore, a week-to-week view reveals corresponding temporal flexibility in network structure and potential robustness throughout each summer growing season. We conclude that short-term flexibility in species interactions leads to short-term variation in network properties, and that a season-long, cumulative perspective may miss important aspects of the way in which species interact, with implications for understanding their ecology, evolution, and conservation.

scholarly journals Multitrophic higher-order interactions modulate species persistence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Buche ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus ◽  
Oscar Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Species Persistence ◽  
Pairwise Interactions ◽  
Species Pairs ◽  
Diverse Communities ◽  
Plant Persistence ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Plant Pollinator

There is growing recognition that interactions between species pairs are modified in a multispecies context by the density of a third species. However, how these higher-order interactions (HOIs) affect species persistence remains poorly understood. To explore the effect of HOIs steaming from multiple trophic layers on plant persistence, we experimentally built a mutualistic system containing three plants and three pollinators species with two contrasting network structures. For both structures, we first estimated the statistically supported HOIs on plant species, in addition to the pairwise interactions among plants and plant-pollinators. Following a structuralist approach, we then assessed the effects of the supported HOIs on the persistence probability of each of the three competing plant species and their combinations. HOIs produced substantial effects on the strength and sign of per capita interactions between plant species to such an extent that predictions of species persistence differ from a non-HOIs scenario. Changes in network structure due to removing a plant-pollinator link further modulated the species persistence probabilities by reorganizing per capita interaction strengths of both pairwise interactions and HOIs. Our study provides empirical evidence of the joint importance of HOIs and network structure for determining the probability of species to persist within diverse communities.

scholarly journals Information arms race explains plant-herbivore chemical communication in ecological communities

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 368 (6497) ◽  
pp. 1377-1381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengjuan Zu ◽  
Karina Boege ◽  
Ek del-Val ◽  
Meredith C. Schuman ◽  
Philip C. Stevenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Communication ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Conflicting Information ◽  
Plant Herbivore

Plants emit an extraordinary diversity of chemicals that provide information about their identity and mediate their interactions with insects. However, most studies of this have focused on a few model species in controlled environments, limiting our capacity to understand plant-insect chemical communication in ecological communities. Here, by integrating information theory with ecological and evolutionary theories, we show that a stable information structure of plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can emerge from a conflicting information process between plants and herbivores. We corroborate this information “arms race” theory with field data recording plant-VOC associations and plant-herbivore interactions in a tropical dry forest. We reveal that plant VOC redundancy and herbivore specialization can be explained by a conflicting information transfer. Information-based communication approaches can increase our understanding of species interactions across trophic levels.

scholarly journals On the variability of Species Abundance Distributions with trophic guild and community structure

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David García-Callejas
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Level ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Trophic Guilds ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Trophic Guild ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Species Abundance Distributions

AbstractSpecies Abundance Distributions (SADs) are one of the most studied properties of ecological communities, and their variability has been studied mostly in the context of horizontal communities, i.e. sets of species from a particular trophic guild. However, virtually all ecological communities encompass several trophic guilds, and the trophic interactions between them are key for explaining the persistence and abundance of individual species. Here I ask whether trophic interactions are also important in shaping Species Abundance Distributions of the different guilds of a community. I analyze the variation in SAD shape across trophic guilds in model and empirical communities. For that, I use a theoretical model that allows tracking the variations in abundances across trophic levels. The relationship between SAD shape and (1) trophic level, and (2) degree of predator specialization is analyzed using mixed-effect models. I combine this approach with an analysis of 4676 empirical datasets spanning terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats, for which the variation in SAD shape is related to (1) trophic guild, and (2) habitat type. The evenness of model SADs is positively correlated to the trophic level of the guild considered, and also to the number of prey species per predator. These findings are confirmed by the empirical data: there is a significant relationship between SAD evenness and trophic guild, whereby primary producers display the most uneven SADs and pure carnivores the most even ones. Furthermore, regardless of trophic guild, SADs from marine habitats are the most even ones, with terrestrial SADs being the most uneven.

scholarly journals Community level individual-based plant-pollinator networks unveil pollen flow dynamics and plant reproductive success

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Allen-Perkins ◽  
María Hurtado ◽  
David García-Callejas ◽  
Oscar Godoy ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Heterospecific Pollen ◽  
Plant Reproductive Success ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Ecological networks are a widely used tool to understand the dynamics of ecological communities in which plants interact with their pollinator counterparts. However, while most mutualistic networks have been defined at the species level, ecological processes, such as pollination, take place at the individual level. This recognition has led to the development of individual-based networks, yet current approaches only account for individuals of a single plant species due to conceptual and mathematical limitations. Here, we introduce a multilayer framework designed to depict the conspecific and heterospecific pollen flows mediated by floral visitors among plant individuals belonging to different species. Pollen transfer is modeled as a transport-like system, where an ensemble of conspecific plant-pollinator “circuits” are coupled through pollinators. With this physical conceptualization of ecological processes, we investigate how the reproductive success of plant individuals is affected by the overall dynamics of the whole multilayer network (macrostructure), as well as by their local position within the network (mesostructure). To illustrate this multiscale analysis, we apply it to a dataset of nine well-resolved individual plant-pollinator interaction networks from annual plant grasslands. Our results show that the resulting individual-based networks are highly modular, with insect visitors effectively connecting individuals of the same and different plant species. We also obtain empirical evidence that network structure is critical for modulating individual plant reproduction. In particular, the mesoscale level is the best descriptor of plant reproductive success, as it integrates the net effect of local heterospecific and conspecific interactions on seed production of a given individual. We provide a simple, but robust set of metrics to scale down network ecology to functioning properties at the individual level, where most ecological processes take place, hence moving forward the description and interpretation of multitrophic communities across scales.

Presence of invasive Gambusia alters ecological communities and the functions they perform in lentic ecosystems

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Hinchliffe ◽  
Trisha Atwood ◽  
Quinn Ollivier ◽  
Edd Hammill
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Macroinvertebrate Communities ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Selective Predation

By acting as novel competitors and predators, a single invasive species can detrimentally affect multiple native species in different trophic levels. Although quantifying invasive effects through single-species interactions is important, understanding their effect on ecosystems as a whole is vital to enable effective protection and management. This is particularly true in freshwater ecosystems, where invasive species constitute the single greatest threat to biodiversity. Poeciliid fishes of the genus Gambusia are among the most widespread invasive species on earth. In the present study of lentic ecosystems (i.e. lakes), we first showed that Gambusia alter zooplankton community composition and size distribution, likely through size-selective predation. Second, we demonstrate that benthic macroinvertebrate communities significantly differ between sites with and without invasive Gambusia. The presence of Gambusia appears to reduce leaf-litter decomposition rates, which is likely an indirect effect of reductions in detritivore abundances. Reductions in decomposition rates found in the present study suggest that through trophic cascades, invasive Gambusia is able to indirectly alter ecosystem functions. The study has highlighted that the widespread effects of invasive aquatic species are able to permeate through entire ecosystems, being more pervasive than previously recognised.

scholarly journals Drifting Phenologies Cause Reduced Seasonality of Butterflies in Response to Increasing Temperatures

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachariah Gezon ◽  
Rebekah Lindborg ◽  
Anne Savage ◽  
Jaret Daniels
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ecological Changes

Climate change has caused many ecological changes around the world. Altered phenology is among the most commonly observed effects of climate change, and the list of species interactions affected by altered phenology is growing. Although many studies on altered phenology focus on single species or on pairwise species interactions, most ecological communities are comprised of numerous, ecologically similar species within trophic groups. Using a 12-year butterfly monitoring citizen science data set, we aimed to assess the degree to which butterfly communities may be changing over time. Specifically, we wanted to assess the degree to which phenological sensitivities to temperature could affect temporal overlap among species within communities, independent of changes in abundance, species richness, and evenness. We found that warming winter temperatures may be associated with some butterfly species making use of the coldest months of the year to fly as adults, thus changing temporal co-occurrence with other butterfly species. Our results suggest that changing temperatures could cause immediate restructuring of communities without requiring changes in overall abundance or diversity. Such changes could have fitness consequences for individuals within trophic levels by altering competition for resources, as well as indirect effects mediated by species interactions across trophic levels.

scholarly journals An objective-based prioritization approach to improve trophic complexity through ecological restoration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Ladouceur ◽  
Jennifer McGowan ◽  
Patrick Huber ◽  
Hugh Possingham ◽  
Davide Scridel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
List Type ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Random Draw ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractReassembling ecological communities and rebuilding habitats through active restoration treatments requires curating the selection of plant species to use in seeding and planting mixes. Ideally, these mixes should be assembled based on attributes that support ecosystem function and services, promote plant and animal species interactions and ecological networks in restoration while balancing project constraints. Despite these critical considerations, it is common for species mixes to be selected opportunistically. Reframing the selection of seed mixes for restoration around ecological objectives is essential for success but accessible methods and tools are needed to support this effort.We developed a framework to optimize species seed mixes based on prioritizing plant species attributes to best support different objectives for ecosystem functions, services, and trophic relationships such as pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory. We compared results to approaches where plant species are selected to represent plant taxonomic richness, dominant species, and at random. We tested our framework for 176 plant species found in European alpine grasslands and identified 163 associated attributes affiliated to trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services.In all cases, trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services can be captured more efficiently through objective-based prioritization using the functional identity of plant species. Solutions (plant species lists) can be compared quantitatively, in terms of costs, species, or objectives. We confirm that a random draw of plant species from the regional plant species pool cannot be assumed to support other trophic groups and ecosystem functions and services.Synthesis and Applications. Our framework is presented as a proof of concept to help restoration practitioners better apply quantitative decision–support to plant species selection in order to meet ecological restoration outcomes. Our approach may be tailored to any restoration initiative and habitat where seeding or planting mixes will be applied in active treatments. As global priority and resources are increasingly placed into restoration, this approach could be advanced to help make efficient decisions for many stages of the restoration process.

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