Rapid evolution promotes fluctuation‐dependent species coexistence

Yamamichi, Masato; Letten, Andrew D.

doi:10.1111/ele.13707

Cited by 24 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…These include, for example, the evolution of a defence trait in a prey species that equalises the competitive ability of its consumers, and thereby promotes their coexistence (van Velzen, 2020 ). Rapid evolution can also promote fluctuation‐dependent coexistence by changing the functional response of consumers to resources (Yamamichi & Letten, 2021 ) or promote exclusion when local adaptation prevents the colonisation of later‐arriving competitors (Leibold et al, 2019 ; Loeuille & Leibold, 2008 ; Thompson & Fronhofer, 2019 ; Urban & De Meester, 2009 ). The breadth of results showing how evolution shapes competitive outcomes necessitates an integrated theoretical framework for understanding the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of species coexistence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating eco‐evolutionary dynamics and modern coexistence theory

2022

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Community ecology typically assumes that competitive exclusion and species coexistence are unaffected by evolution on the time scale of ecological dynamics. However, recent studies suggest that rapid evolution operating concurrently with competition may enable species coexistence. Such findings necessitate general theory that incorporates the coexistence contributions of eco‐evolutionary processes in parallel with purely ecological mechanisms and provides metrics for quantifying the role of evolution in shaping competitive outcomes in both modelling and empirical contexts. To foster the development of such theory, here we extend the interpretation of the two principal metrics of modern coexistence theory—niche and competitive ability differences—to systems where competitors evolve. We define eco‐evolutionary versions of these metrics by considering how invading and resident species adapt to conspecific and heterospecific competitors. We show that the eco‐evolutionary niche and competitive ability differences are sums of ecological and evolutionary processes, and that they accurately predict the potential for stable coexistence in previous theoretical studies of eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Finally, we show how this theory frames recent empirical assessments of rapid evolution effects on species coexistence, and how empirical work and theory on species coexistence and eco‐evolutionary dynamics can be further integrated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating eco‐evolutionary dynamics and modern coexistence theory

2022

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“… The gleaner–opportunist trade‐off and fluctuation‐mediated stable coexistence via relative nonlinearity. (a) Fluctuation‐mediated stable coexistence is possible via negative frequency‐dependence (NFD) when the orange species stabilizes population cycles and prefers fluctuating environments whereas the blue species promotes population cycles and prefers stable environments (Yamamichi & Letten, 2021 ). (b) A conceptual figure showing requirements (zero net growth isocline, ZNGI; solid and dashed lines) and impacts (dotted arrows) of two species on the mean and variance of a single resource (Chase & Leibold, 2003 ; Yamamichi & Letten, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extending the gleaner–opportunist trade‐off

Yamamichi

Letten

2022

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Species exhibit various trade-offs that can result in stable coexistence of competitors. The gleaner-opportunist trade-off to fluctuations in resource abundance is one of the most intuitive, yet also misunderstood, coexistence-promoting tradeoffs. Here, we review its history as an ecological concept, discuss extensions to the classical theory and outline opportunities to advance its understanding.2. The mechanism of coexistence between species that grow relatively faster than their competitors in a low-resource environment (i.e. a gleaner) versus a highresource environment (i.e. an opportunist) was first proposed in the 1970s. Stable coexistence could emerge between gleaners and opportunists if the opportunist species (dominant in unstable environments) dampens resource fluctuations via relatively convex functional responses, while the gleaner species (dominant in stable environments) promotes fluctuations, or diminishes them less than the opportunist does, via relatively saturating functional responses. 3. This fluctuation-dependent coexistence mechanism has since been referred to by various names, including the Armstrong-McGehee mechanism and relative nonlinearity of competition. Several researchers have argued this mechanism likely plays a relatively minor role in species coexistence owing in part to the restricted range of conditions that allow it to operate. More recent theoretical research, however, suggests that relative nonlinearity can operate over wider conditions than previously thought.4. Here, we identify several novel, or little explored, extensions to the gleaneropportunist trade-off that can yield species coexistence under phenomena as diverse as fluctuations in predation/pathogen pressure, multiple resources, phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolution, amongst other phenomena.5. While the original definition of the gleaner-opportunist trade-off may be imperfect as a collective for these extensions, we argue that a subtle reframing of the trade-off focusing on species' performance in equilibrium versus fluctuating conditions (irrespective of preferences for high or low resources, predation pressure or other competitive factors) reveals their fundamental commonality in stable coexistence via relative nonlinearity. An extended framing shines a light on the potential ubiquity of this canonical trade-off in nature and on the breadth of theoretical and empirical terrain that remains to be trodden.

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“…Many potential resolutions to April 19, 2021 15/19 this paradox have been proposed such as chaotic dynamics [25], temporal heterogeneity [26], spatial heterogeneity [27], limitation by factors other than resource availability (e.g. predation) [28], or rapid evolution [29]. Recent work has suggested that both thermodynamic inhibition [6] and metabolic trade-offs [7] can allow more survivors than substrates, though it has since been suggested that metabolic trade-offs only support increased diversity for a very narrow and specific parameter range [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermodynamic constraints on the assembly and diversity of microbial ecosystems are different near to and far from equilibrium

Cook

Pawar

Endres

2021

Preprint

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Most biological processes are driven by non-equilibrium thermodynamics, but despite significant progress in theoretical ecology the constraints this places on ecosystem dynamics has been barely considered. Microbial ecosystems represent a natural place to begin this consideration, as many of the ways they interact, such as metabolite production and cross-feeding, can be described in thermodynamic terms. Previous work considered the impact of thermodynamics such as the rate-yield trade-off on individual species' competitive ability, but restrained from analyzing complex dynamical systems. To address this gap we developed a thermodynamic microbial consumer-resource model with fully reversible reaction kinetics, which allows direct consideration of free-energy dissipation. Using this model, we show that ecosystem diversity increases with supplied free energy, because greater availability of free energy allows for faster ecosystem development. Thus, when species from the initial community begin to go extinct more possible niches have been formed, facilitating increased diversity. Our model also shows that the inclusion of species utilising near-to-equilibrium reactions increases diversity under conditions of low free-energy supply. At low free energy supply thermodynamic interaction types reach comparable strength to the conventional (competition and facilitation) interactions yielding a more nuanced classification of interactions, and emphasising the key role thermodynamics plays in the dynamics. Though our model is valid for all microbial ecosystems where diversification from an initial substrate occurs it is of particular use when the initial substrate is recalcitrant (low-free energy).

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Rapid evolution promotes fluctuation‐dependent species coexistence

Cited by 24 publications

References 58 publications

Integrating eco‐evolutionary dynamics and modern coexistence theory

Integrating eco‐evolutionary dynamics and modern coexistence theory

Extending the gleaner–opportunist trade‐off

Thermodynamic constraints on the assembly and diversity of microbial ecosystems are different near to and far from equilibrium

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