scholarly journals The diversity of interaction types drives the functioning of ecological communities

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Miele ◽  
Christian Guill ◽  
Rodrigo Ramos-Jiliberto ◽  
Sonia Kéfi
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Community Functioning ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Predator Interference ◽  
Interaction Types ◽  
Multiple Interaction ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Diverse Interactions

AbstractEcological communities are undeniably diverse, both in terms of the species that compose them as well as the type of interactions that link species to each other. Despite this long-recognition of the coexistence of multiple interaction types in nature, little is known about the consequences of this diversity for community functioning. In the ongoing context of global change and increasing species extinction rates, it seems crucial to improve our understanding of the drivers of the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functioning.Here, using a multispecies dynamical model of ecological communities including various interaction types (e.g. competition for space, predator interference, recruitment facilitation), we studied the role of the presence and the intensity of these interactions for species diversity, community functioning (biomass and production) and the relationship between diversity and functioning.Taken jointly, the diverse interactions have significant effects on species diversity, whose amplitude and sign depend on the type of interactions involved and their relative abundance. They however consistently increase the slope of the relationship between diversity and functioning, suggesting that species losses might have stronger effects on community functioning than expected when ignoring the diversity of interaction types and focusing on feeding interactions only.

scholarly journals Stability of an adaptive hybrid community

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mougi
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Behavior ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Interaction Type ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Interaction Partners ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Interaction Types ◽  
Multiple Interaction ◽  
The Stability

Abstract Contrary to stable natural ecosystems, the classical ecological theory predicts that complex ecological communities are fragile. The adaptive switching of interaction partners was proposed as a key factor to resolve the complexity–stability problem. However, this theory is based on the food webs that comprise predator–prey interactions alone; thus, the manner in which adaptive behavior affects the dynamics of hybrid communities with multiple interaction types remains unclear. Here, using a bipartite community network model with antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, I show that adaptive partner shifts by both antagonists and mutualists are crucial to the persistence of communities. The results show that adaptive behavior destabilizes the dynamics of communities with a single interaction type; however, the hybridity of multiple interaction types within a community greatly improves the stability. Moreover, adaptive behavior does not create a positive complexity–stability relationship in communities with a single interaction type but it does in the hybrid community. The diversity of interaction types is predicted to play a crucial role in community maintenance in an adaptive world.

scholarly journals Earth history events shaped the evolution of uneven biodiversity across tropical moist forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (40) ◽  
pp. e2026347118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskar Hagen ◽  
Alexander Skeels ◽  
Renske E. Onstein ◽  
Walter Jetz ◽  
Loïc Pellissier
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Spatially Explicit Model ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Extinction Rates ◽  
Speciation Rates ◽  
Tectonic Reconstructions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Contemporary Climate

Far from a uniform band, the biodiversity found across Earth’s tropical moist forests varies widely between the high diversity of the Neotropics and Indomalaya and the relatively lower diversity of the Afrotropics. Explanations for this variation across different regions, the “pantropical diversity disparity” (PDD), remain contentious, due to difficulty teasing apart the effects of contemporary climate and paleoenvironmental history. Here, we assess the ubiquity of the PDD in over 150,000 species of terrestrial plants and vertebrates and investigate the relationship between the present-day climate and patterns of species richness. We then investigate the consequences of paleoenvironmental dynamics on the emergence of biodiversity gradients using a spatially explicit model of diversification coupled with paleoenvironmental and plate tectonic reconstructions. Contemporary climate is insufficient in explaining the PDD; instead, a simple model of diversification and temperature niche evolution coupled with paleoaridity constraints is successful in reproducing the variation in species richness and phylogenetic diversity seen repeatedly among plant and animal taxa, suggesting a prevalent role of paleoenvironmental dynamics in combination with niche conservatism. The model indicates that high biodiversity in Neotropical and Indomalayan moist forests is driven by complex macroevolutionary dynamics associated with mountain uplift. In contrast, lower diversity in Afrotropical forests is associated with lower speciation rates and higher extinction rates driven by sustained aridification over the Cenozoic. Our analyses provide a mechanistic understanding of the emergence of uneven diversity in tropical moist forests across 110 Ma of Earth’s history, highlighting the importance of deep-time paleoenvironmental legacies in determining biodiversity patterns.

scholarly journals The Role of Heavy Metals in Plant Response to Biotic Stress

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Morkunas ◽  
Agnieszka Woźniak ◽  
Van Mai ◽  
Renata Rucińska-Sobkowiak ◽  
Philippe Jeandet
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
Ion Homeostasis ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Growth Stimulation ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The present review discusses the impact of heavy metals on the growth of plants at different concentrations, paying particular attention to the hormesis effect. Within the past decade, study of the hormesis phenomenon has generated considerable interest because it was considered not only in the framework of plant growth stimulation but also as an adaptive response of plants to a low level of stress which in turn can play an important role in their responses to other stress factors. In this review, we focused on the defence mechanisms of plants as a response to different metal ion doses and during the crosstalk between metal ions and biotic stressors such as insects and pathogenic fungi. Issues relating to metal ion acquisition and ion homeostasis that may be essential for the survival of plants, pathogens and herbivores competing in the same environment were highlighted. Besides, the influence of heavy metals on insects, especially aphids and pathogenic fungi, was shown. Our intention was also to shed light on the relationship between heavy metals deposition in the environment and ecological communities formed under a strong selective pressure.

scholarly journals MÉTODOS QUANTITATIVOS PARA MENSURAR A DIVERSIDADE TAXONÔMICA EM PEIXES DE RIACHO

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (02) ◽  
pp. 398-414
Author(s):  
Naraiana Loureiro Benone ◽  
◽  
Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Diversity Patterns ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Habitat Variables

Species diversity is defined as the variety of species and their relative abundances, and can be decomposed in local (alpha), regional (gamma) and between-communities (beta) diversity. For decades, studies with Brazilian stream fish focused on the relationship between local environmental variables and diversity patterns. However, dispersal gained notoriety for being important to the organization of communities. Besides, large scale variables are increasingly being perceived as good predictors of diversity, complementing the role of habitat variables. We present here a brief review of the methods to obtain alpha and beta taxonomic diversity, considerations regarding their predictors, and their main analysis.

scholarly journals Experimental Evidence that Stochasticity Contributes to Bacterial Composition and Functioning in a Decomposer Community

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaeline B. N. Albright ◽  
Alexander B. Chase ◽  
Jennifer B. H. Martiny
Keyword(s):  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Stochastic Effects ◽  
Environmental Selection ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Decomposer Community

ABSTRACT Stochasticity emerging from random differences in replication, death, mutation, and dispersal is thought to alter the composition of ecological communities. However, the importance of stochastic effects remains somewhat speculative because stochasticity is not directly measured but is instead inferred from unexplained variations in beta-diversity. Here, we performed a field experiment to more directly disentangle the role of stochastic processes, environmental selection, and dispersal in the composition and functioning of a natural bacterial decomposer community in the field. To increase our ability to detect these effects, we reduced initial biological and environmental heterogeneity using replicate nylon litterbags in the field. We then applied two treatments: ambient/added precipitation and bacterial and fungal dispersal using “open” litterbags (made from 18.0-μm-pore-size mesh) (“open bacterial dispersal”) versus bacterial and fungal dispersal using “closed” litterbags (made from 22.0-μm-pore-size mesh) (“closed bacterial dispersal”). After 5 months, we assayed composition and functioning by the use of three subsamples from each litterbag to disentangle stochastic effects from residual variation. Our results indicate that stochasticity via ecological drift can contribute to beta-diversity in bacterial communities. However, residual variation, which had previously been included in stochasticity estimates, accounted for more than four times as much variability. At the same time, stochastic effects on beta-diversity were not attenuated at the functional level, as measured by genetic functional potential and extracellular enzyme activity. Finally, dispersal was found to interact with precipitation availability to influence the degree to which stochasticity contributed to functional variation. Together, our results demonstrate that the ability to quantify stochastic processes is key to understanding microbial diversity and its role in ecosystem functioning. IMPORTANCE Randomness can alter the diversity and composition of ecological communities. Such stochasticity may therefore obscure the relationship between the environment and community composition and hinder our ability to predict the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This study investigated the role of stochastic processes, environmental selection, and dispersal in microbial composition and its functioning on an intact field community. To do this, we used a controlled and replicated experiment that was similar to that used to study population genetics in the laboratory. Our study showed that, while the stochastic effects on taxonomic composition are smaller than expected, the degree to which stochasticity contributes to variability in ecosystem processes may be much higher than previously assumed.

scholarly journals Ecophysiology meets conservation: understanding the role of disease in amphibian population declines

2012 ◽  
Vol 367 (1596) ◽  
pp. 1688-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Blaustein ◽  
Stephanie S. Gervasi ◽  
Pieter T. J. Johnson ◽  
Jason T. Hoverman ◽  
Lisa K. Belden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Amphibian Population ◽  
Host Pathogen Interaction ◽  
Host Pathogen ◽  
Host Life ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
The Relationship

Infectious diseases are intimately associated with the dynamics of biodiversity. However, the role that infectious disease plays within ecological communities is complex. The complex effects of infectious disease at the scale of communities and ecosystems are driven by the interaction between host and pathogen. Whether or not a given host–pathogen interaction results in progression from infection to disease is largely dependent on the physiological characteristics of the host within the context of the external environment. Here, we highlight the importance of understanding the outcome of infection and disease in the context of host ecophysiology using amphibians as a model system. Amphibians are ideal for such a discussion because many of their populations are experiencing declines and extinctions, with disease as an important factor implicated in many declines and extinctions. Exposure to pathogens and the host's responses to infection can be influenced by many factors related to physiology such as host life history, immunology, endocrinology, resource acquisition, behaviour and changing climates. In our review, we discuss the relationship between disease and biodiversity. We highlight the dynamics of three amphibian host–pathogen systems that induce different effects on hosts and life stages and illustrate the complexity of amphibian–host–parasite systems. We then review links between environmental stress, endocrine–immune interactions, disease and climate change.

Choosing a Markov blanket

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Parr
Keyword(s):  
Markov Blanket ◽  
Target Article ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This commentary focuses upon the relationship between two themes in the target article: the ways in which a Markov blanket may be defined and the role of precision and salience in mediating the interactions between what is internal and external to a system. These each rest upon the different perspectives we might take while “choosing” a Markov blanket.

Staring Down Death

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Joiner ◽  
Melanie A. Hom ◽  
Megan L. Rogers ◽  
Carol Chu ◽  
Ian H. Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Specific Task ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Eye Blink ◽  
Eye Blinks ◽  
Potential Clinical Utility ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Background: Lowered eye blink rate may be a clinically useful indicator of acute, imminent, and severe suicide risk. Diminished eye blink rates are often seen among individuals engaged in heightened concentration on a specific task that requires careful planning and attention. Indeed, overcoming one’s biological instinct for survival through suicide necessitates premeditation and concentration; thus, a diminished eye blink rate may signal imminent suicidality. Aims: This article aims to spur research and clinical inquiry into the role of eye blinks as an indicator of acute suicide risk. Method: Literature relevant to the potential connection between eye blink rate and suicidality was reviewed and synthesized. Results: Anecdotal, cognitive, neurological, and conceptual support for the relationship between decreased blink rate and suicide risk is outlined. Conclusion: Given that eye blinks are a highly observable behavior, the potential clinical utility of using eye blink rate as a marker of suicide risk is immense. Research is warranted to explore the association between eye blink rate and acute suicide risk.

Parenting Behaviors and Anxiety in Young Adults

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin N. Stevens ◽  
Joseph R. Bardeen ◽  
Kyle W. Murdock
Keyword(s):  
Effortful Control ◽  
Parenting Behaviors ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Parental Overprotection ◽  
High Control ◽  
Development Of Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Parenting behaviors – specifically behaviors characterized by high control, intrusiveness, rejection, and overprotection – and effortful control have each been implicated in the development of anxiety pathology. However, little research has examined the protective role of effortful control in the relation between parenting and anxiety symptoms, specifically among adults. Thus, we sought to explore the unique and interactive effects of parenting and effortful control on anxiety among adults (N = 162). Results suggest that effortful control uniquely contributes to anxiety symptoms above and beyond that of any parenting behavior. Furthermore, effortful control acted as a moderator of the relationship between parental overprotection and anxiety, such that overprotection is associated with anxiety only in individuals with lower levels of effortful control. Implications for potential prevention and intervention efforts which specifically target effortful control are discussed. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual differences in self-regulatory abilities when examining associations between putative early-life risk factors, such as parenting, and anxiety symptoms.

Social Support, Emotional Intelligence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole L. Hofman ◽  
Austin M. Hahn ◽  
Christine K. Tirabassi ◽  
Raluca M. Gaher
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Exposure to traumatic events and the associated risk of developing Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is a significant and overlooked concern in the college population. It is important for current research to identify potential protective factors associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms unique to this population. Emotional intelligence and perceived social support are two identified protective factors that influence the association between exposure to traumatic events and PTSD symptomology. The current study examined the mediating role of social support in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD symptoms. Participants included 443 trauma-exposed university students who completed online questionnaires. The results of this study indicated that social support mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and reported PTSD symptoms. Thus, emotional intelligence is significantly associated with PTSD symptoms and social support may play an integral role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD. The current study is the first to investigate the role of social support in the relationship between emotional intelligence and PTSD symptoms. These findings have important treatment and prevention implications with regard to PTSD.

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