scholarly journals Species-area relationships emerge from multiple coexistence mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Garcia-Callejas ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus ◽  
Oscar Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Collective Effects ◽  
Demographic Stochasticity ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Species Area

The increase of species richness with area is a universal phenomenon on Earth. However, this observation contrasts with our poor understanding of how these species-area relationships (SARs) emerge from the collective effects of area, spatial heterogeneity, and local interactions. By combining a structuralist approach with five years of empirical observations in a highly-diverse grassland, we show that,contrary to expectations, spatial heterogeneity plays a little role in the accumulation of species richness with area in our system. Instead, as we increase the sampled area more species combinations are realized, and they coexist mainly due to direct pairwise interactions rather than by changes in single-species dominance or by indirect interactions. We also identify a small set of transient species with small population sizes that are consistently found across spatial scales. These findings empirically support the importance of the architecture of species interactions together with demographic stochasticity for driving SARs.

scholarly journals The spatial configuration of biotic interactions shapes coexistence-area relationships in an annual plant community

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David García-Callejas ◽  
Ignasi Bartomeus ◽  
Oscar Godoy
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Collective Effects ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Species Area

AbstractThe increase of species richness with area is a universal phenomenon on Earth. However, this observation contrasts with our poor understanding of how these species-area relationships (SARs) emerge from the collective effects of area, spatial heterogeneity, and local interactions. By combining a structuralist approach with five years of empirical observations in a highly-diverse Mediterranean grassland, we show that spatial heterogeneity plays a little role in the accumulation of species richness with area in our system. Instead, as we increase the sampled area more species combinations are realized, and they coexist mainly due to direct pairwise interactions rather than by changes in single-species dominance or by indirect interactions. We also identify a small set of transient species with small population sizes that are consistently found across spatial scales. These findings empirically support the importance of the architecture of species interactions together with stochastic events for driving coexistence- and species-area relationships.

Patterns of biological diversity

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-37
Author(s):  
Gary G. Mittelbach ◽  
Brian J. McGill
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Species Numbers ◽  
Diversity Gradient ◽  
Species Abundances ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Species Area Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter examines how biodiversity, the variety of life, is distributed across the globe and within local communities. It begins by considering some of the challenges associated with assessing biological diversity at different spatial scales. Then, three of the best-studied patterns in species richness are examined in detail—the species–area relationship, the distribution of species abundances, and the relationship between productivity and species richness. The chapter concludes with a detailed exploration of the most dramatic of Earth’s biodiversity patterns—the latitudinal diversity gradient. The above patterns constitute much of what community ecology seeks to explain about nature. Their study provides a foundation from which to explore mechanisms of species interactions, and to understand the processes that drive variation in species numbers and their distribution.

scholarly journals Do syntopic host species harbour similar symbiotic communities? The case ofChaetopterusspp. (Annelida: Chaetopteridae)

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e2930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temir A. Britayev ◽  
Elena Mekhova ◽  
Yury Deart ◽  
Daniel Martin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Intraspecific Interactions ◽  
Mean Intensity ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
High Species Richness ◽  
Symbiotic Community

To assess whether closely related host species harbour similar symbiotic communities, we studied two polychaetes,Chaetopterussp. (n = 11) andChaetopteruscf.appendiculatus(n = 83) living in soft sediments of Nhatrang Bay (South China Sea, Vietnam). The former harboured the porcellanid crabsPolyonyxcf.heokandPolyonyxsp., the pinnotherid crabTetriassp. and the tergipedid nudibranchPhestillasp. The latter harboured the polynoid polychaeteOphthalmonoe pettiboneae, the carapid fishOnuxodon fowleriand the porcellanid crabEulenaios cometes, all of which, exceptO. fowleri, seemed to be specialized symbionts. The species richness and mean intensity of the symbionts were higher inChaetopterussp. than inC.cf.appendiculatus(1.8 and 1.02 species and 3.0 and 1.05 individuals per host respectively). We suggest that the lower density ofChaetopterussp. may explain the higher number of associated symbionts observed, as well as the 100% prevalence (69.5% inC.cf.appenciculatus). MostChaetopterussp. harboured two symbiotic species, which was extremely rare inC.cf.appendiculatus, suggesting lower interspecific interactions in the former. The crab and nudibranch symbionts ofChaetopterussp. often shared a host and lived in pairs, thus partitioning resources. This led to the species coexisting in the tubes ofChaetopterussp., establishing a tightly packed community, indicating high species richness and mean intensity, together with a low species dominance. In contrast, the aggressive, strictly territorial species associated withC.cf.appendiculatusestablished a symbiotic community strongly dominated by single species and, thus, low species richness and mean intensity. Therefore, we suggest that interspecific interactions are determining species richness, intensity and dominance, while intraspecific interactions are influencing only intensity and abundance. It is possible that species composition may have influenced the differences in community structure observed. We hypothesize that both host species could originally be allopatric. The evolutionary specialization of the symbiotic communities would occur in separated geographical areas, while the posterior disappearance of the existing geographical barriers would lead to the overlapped distribution.

scholarly journals Species-area and network-area relationships in host–helminth interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1947) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tad A. Dallas ◽  
Pedro Jordano
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Trophic Interactions ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Species Interaction ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Scaling Relationship ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Network Area

The scaling relationship observed between species richness and the geographical area sampled (i.e. the species-area relationship (SAR)) is a widely recognized macroecological relationship. Recently, this theory has been extended to trophic interactions, suggesting that geographical area may influence the structure of species interaction networks (i.e. network-area relationships (NARs)). Here, we use a global dataset of host–helminth parasite interactions to test existing predictions from macroecological theory. Scaling between single locations to the global host–helminth network by sequentially adding networks together, we find support that geographical area influences species richness and the number of species interactions in host–helminth networks. However, species-area slopes were larger for host species relative to their helminth parasites, counter to theoretical predictions. Lastly, host–helminth network modularity—capturing the tendency of the network to form into separate subcommunities—decreased with increasing area, also counter to theoretical predictions. Reconciling this disconnect between existing theory and observed SAR and NAR will provide insight into the spatial structuring of ecological networks, and help to refine theory to highlight the effects of network type, species distributional overlap, and the specificity of trophic interactions on NARs.

scholarly journals A universal scaling method for biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.E. Barry ◽  
G.A. Pinter ◽  
J.W. Strini ◽  
K. Yang ◽  
I.G. Lauko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Species Area

SummaryGlobal biodiversity is declining at rates faster than at any other point in human history. Experimental manipulations of biodiversity at small spatial scales have demonstrated that communities with fewer species consistently produce less biomass than higher diversity communities. However, understanding how the global extinction crisis is likely to impact global ecosystem functioning will require applying these local and largely experimental findings to natural systems at substantially larger spatial and temporal scales. Here we propose that we can use two simple macroecological patterns – the species area curve and the biomass-area curve – to upscale the species richness-biomass relationship. We demonstrate that at local spatial scales, each additional species will contribute more to biomass production with increasing area sampled because the species-area curve saturates and the biomass-area curve increases monotonically. We use species-area and biomass-area curves from a Minnesota grassland and a Panamanian tropical dry forest to examine the species richness – biomass relationship at three and ten sampling extents, respectively. In both datasets, the observed relationship between biodiversity and biomass production at every sampling extent was predicted from simple species-area and biomass-area relationships. These findings suggest that macroecological patterns like the species-area curve underpin the scaling of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research and can be used to predict these relationships at the global scales where they are relevant for species loss.

scholarly journals Energetic and ecological constraints on population density of reef fishes

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1823) ◽  
pp. 20152186 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Barneche ◽  
M. Kulbicki ◽  
S. R. Floeter ◽  
A. M. Friedlander ◽  
A. P. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Reef Fishes ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Ecological Constraints

Population ecology has classically focused on pairwise species interactions, hindering the description of general patterns and processes of population abundance at large spatial scales. Here we use the metabolic theory of ecology as a framework to formulate and test a model that yields predictions linking population density to the physiological constraints of body size and temperature on individual metabolism, and the ecological constraints of trophic structure and species richness on energy partitioning among species. Our model was tested by applying Bayesian quantile regression to a comprehensive reef-fish community database, from which we extracted density data for 5609 populations spread across 49 sites around the world. Our results indicate that population density declines markedly with increases in community species richness and that, after accounting for richness, energetic constraints are manifested most strongly for the most abundant species, which generally are of small body size and occupy lower trophic groups. Overall, our findings suggest that, at the global scale, factors associated with community species richness are the major drivers of variation in population density. Given that populations of species-rich tropical systems exhibit markedly lower maximum densities, they may be particularly susceptible to stochastic extinction.

Spatial heterogeneity and plant species richness at different spatial scales under rabbit grazing

Oecologia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 156 (4) ◽  
pp. 825-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Olofsson ◽  
C. de Mazancourt ◽  
M. J. Crawley
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Rabbit Grazing

scholarly journals Linking intrinsic scales of ecological processes to characteristic scales of biodiversity and functioning patterns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuval R. Zelnik ◽  
Matthieu Barbier ◽  
David W. Shanafelt ◽  
Michel Loreau ◽  
Rachel M. Germain
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
As Species ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Systematic Understanding ◽  
Pattern Scale

Ecology is a science of scale, which guides our description of both ecological processes and patterns, but we lack a systematic understanding of how process scale and pattern scale are connected. Recent calls for a synthesis between population ecology, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology motivate the integration of phenomena at multiple levels of organization. Furthermore, many studies leave out the scaling of a critical process: species interactions, which may be non-local through mobility or vectors (resources or species) and must be distinguished from dispersal scales. Here, we use simulations to explore the consequences of different process scales (i.e. species interactions, dispersal, and the environment) on emergent patterns of biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and their relationship, in a spatially-explicit landscape. A major result of our study is that the spatial scales of dispersal and species interactions have opposite effects: a larger dispersal scale homogenizes spatial biomass patterns, while a larger interaction scale amplifies their heterogeneity. We find that an interesting interplay between process scales occurs when the spatial distribution of species is heterogeneous at large scales, i.e., when the environment is not too uniform and dispersal not very strong. Interestingly, the specific scale at which scales of dispersal and interactions begin to influence landscape patterns depends on the environmental heterogeneity of the landscape -- in other words, the scale of one process allows important scales to emerge in other processes. Finally, contrary to our expectations, we observe that the spatial scale of ecological processes is more clearly reflected in landscape patterns (i.e. distribution of local outcomes) than in global patterns such as Species-Area Relationships or large-scale biodiversity-functioning relationships.

scholarly journals Influence of spatial heterogeneity on an emerging infectious disease: the case of dengue epidemics

2005 ◽  
Vol 272 (1568) ◽  
pp. 1171-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charly Favier ◽  
Delphine Schmit ◽  
Christine D.M Müller-Graf ◽  
Bernard Cazelles ◽  
Nicolas Degallier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Individual Based Models ◽  
Homogeneous Models ◽  
Neighbourhood Scale ◽  
Dengue Epidemics ◽  
Dengue Epidemic

The importance of spatial heterogeneity and spatial scales (at a village or neighbourhood scale) has been explored with individual-based models. Our reasoning is based on the Chilean Easter Island (EI) case, where a first dengue epidemic occurred in 2002 among the relatively small population localized in one village. Even in this simple situation, the real epidemic is not consistent with homogeneous models. Conversely, including contact heterogeneity on different scales (intra-households, inter-house, inter-areas) allows the recovery of not only the EI epidemiological curve but also the qualitative patterns of Brazilian urban dengue epidemic in more complex situations.

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