Stochastic Community Assembly Causes Higher Biodiversity in More Productive Environments

Science, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 328(5984), P. 1388 - 1391

Published: May 28, 2010

Biodiversity and Productivity When data are analyzed at relatively large spatial scales, biodiversity generally increases with productivity, but the pattern smaller scales is more variable. Chase (p. 1388 , published online 27 May) presents results from a 7-year experiment in artificial ponds. β-diversity (the variation species composition site to site) animal was persistently higher productivity among otherwise homogeneous environments this controlled experimental venue. This appeared result shifts relative importance of deterministic versus stochastic community assembly mechanisms along gradient. Thus, mechanism might be an important process determining relationship between productivity.

Language: Английский

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Drought mediates the importance of stochastic community assembly

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2007, Volume and Issue: 104(44), P. 17430 - 17434

Published: Oct. 18, 2007

Historically, the biodiversity and composition of species in a locality was thought to be influenced primarily by deterministic factors. In such cases, species' niches create differential responses environmental conditions interspecific interactions, which combine determine that locality's composition. More recently, proponents neutral theory have placed premium on how stochastic factors, as birth, death, colonization, extinction (termed “ecological drift”) influence diversity independent their niches. Here, I develop hypothesis relative importance ecological drift and/or priority effects depend harshness filter those habitats. established long-term experimental ponds explore community assembly history drought patterns compositional similarity among were otherwise similar conditions. show considerable site-to-site variation pond absence likely resulted from combination effects. However, experienced drought, found much higher communities niche-selection filtering out regional pool could not tolerate harshness. These results implicate critical role for understanding processes when examining at different spatial scales.

Language: Английский

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Stochasticity, succession, and environmental perturbations in a fluidic ecosystem

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 111(9)

Published: Feb. 18, 2014

Significance The study of ecological succession remains at the core ecology. Understanding trajectories and mechanisms controlling is crucial to predicting responses ecosystems environmental change projecting their future states. By definition, deterministic expected under homogeneous abiotic biotic starting conditions. This study, however, shows that groundwater microbial communities in response nutrient amendment primarily stochastic, but drivers biodiversity are dynamic rather than static. identifying community assembly succession, this makes fundamental contribution mechanistic understanding essential for a predictive ecology many systems ranging from microbiomes humans plants natural managed ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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Species divergence and trait convergence in experimental plant community assembly

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2005, Volume and Issue: 8(12), P. 1283 - 1290

Published: Oct. 12, 2005

Abstract Despite decades of research, it remains controversial whether ecological communities converge towards a common structure determined by environmental conditions irrespective assembly history. Here, we show experimentally that the answer depends on level community organization considered. In 9‐year grassland experiment, manipulated initial plant composition abandoned arable land and subsequently allowed natural colonization. Initial compositional variation caused to remain divergent in species identities, even though these same converged strongly traits. This contrast between divergence trait convergence could not be explained dispersal limitation or neutrality alone. Our results simultaneous operation trait‐based rules species‐level priority effects drives assembly, making both deterministic historically contingent, but at different levels organization.

Language: Английский

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Empirical approaches to metacommunities: a review and comparison with theory

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 26(9), P. 482 - 491

Published: June 18, 2011

Language: Английский

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Threshold models in restoration and conservation: a developing framework

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2009, Volume and Issue: 24(5), P. 271 - 279

Published: March 6, 2009

Language: Английский

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The ecology of restoration: historical links, emerging issues and unexplored realms

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2005, Volume and Issue: 8(6), P. 662 - 673

Published: April 28, 2005

Abstract Restoration ecology is a young academic field, but one with enough history to judge it against past and current expectations of the science's potential. The practice ecological restoration has been identified as providing ideal experimental settings for tests theory; was be ‘acid test’ our understanding. Over decade, science gained strong foothold, addressing problems faced by practitioners, bringing new focus existing theory fostering handful novel ideas. In particular, recent advances in plant community have strongly linked issues restoration. Evolving models succession, assembly state‐transition are at heart both Recent research on seed recruitment limitation, soil processes, diversity–function relationships also share links Further opportunities may lie ahead ontogeny, effects contingency, such year priority effects. Ecology inform practice, there considerable room greater integration between scientists practitioners.

Language: Английский

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Advances, challenges and a developing synthesis of ecological community assembly theory

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 366(1576), P. 2403 - 2413

Published: July 18, 2011

Ecological approaches to community assembly have emphasized the interplay between neutral processes, niche-based environmental filtering and species sorting in an interactive milieu. Recently, progress has been made terms of aligning our vocabulary with conceptual advances, assessing how trait-based functional parameters differ from expectation traits vary along gradients. Experiments confirmed influence these processes on addressed role dispersal shaping local assemblages. Community phylogenetics forged common ground ecologists biogeographers, but it is not a proxy for approaches. theory need comparative synthesis that addresses relative importance niche varies among taxa, gradients, across scales. Towards goal, we suggest set probably confer increasing neutrality regionality review influences stress, disturbance scale assembly. We advocate complexity experiments order assess multiple processes. As example, provide evidence dispersal, trait interdependencies about equal experimental grassland.

Language: Английский

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Assembly history dictates ecosystem functioning: evidence from wood decomposer communities

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 13(6), P. 675 - 684

Published: April 16, 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 675–684 Abstract Community assembly history is increasingly recognized as a fundamental determinant of community structure. However, little known to how may affect ecosystem functioning via its effect on Using wood‐decaying fungi model system, we provide experimental evidence that large differences in can be caused by small species immigration during assembly. Direct manipulation early resulted three‐fold fungal richness and composition and, consequence, the same magnitude rate decomposition carbon release from wood. These effects – which were attributable history‐dependent outcome competitive facilitative interactions significant across range nitrogen availabilities observed natural forests. Our results highlight importance considering explaining functioning.

Language: Английский

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Inferring community assembly mechanisms from functional diversity patterns: the importance of multiple assembly processes

Journal of Ecology, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 100(3), P. 652 - 661

Published: Jan. 4, 2012

Summary 1. Many studies of community assembly focus on two mechanisms: environmental filtering and competitive interactions. This ignores the importance other processes such as equalizing fitness facilitation. The contribution different to can be elucidated by examining functional diversity patterns traits that differ in their processes. 2. In alpine tundra, we explored trait along a stress–resource gradient varied productivity, nitrogen availability soil moisture. We explore whether is low abiotic stressful environments increases more benign competition becomes important, if facilitation affect diversity. calculated community‐weighted mean values for specific leaf area (SLA), area, stomatal conductance, plant height chlorophyll content well multivariate phylogenetic 3. At level, increased at both ends gradient: high resource was associated with greater lower SLA, content. As result this trade‐off among traits, did not change across gradient. Phylogenetic increasing availability. 4. find evidence least three Abiotic wind cold exposure may reduce end Also availability, suggests below‐ground resources. resource‐rich gradient, light or 5. Synthesis : Our results suggest multiple (abiotic filtering, above‐ground competition, competition) operate simultaneously structure communities These would obscured single index are only evident analysing individual traits.

Language: Английский

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