Varying coefficient analysis for indeterminate species interactions with non-parametric estimation, exemplifying with a fig-fig wasp system

Abstract

Research on species interactions has generally assumed that species have a fixed interaction and therefore linear or non-linear parametric regression models (e.g. exponential, logistic) have been widely used to describe the species interaction. However, these models that describe the relationship between interacting species as a specific functional response might not be appropriate for real biological communities, for instance, in a chaotic system, when the species relationship varies among different situations. To allow a more accurate description of the relationship, we developed a species correlation model with varying coefficient analysis, in which a non-parametric estimation is applied to identify, as a function of related factors, variation in the correlation coefficient. This was applied to a fig-fig wasp model system. When the effect of the factors on the relationship can be described with parameters, the new method reduces to traditional parametric correlation analysis. In this way, the new method is more general and flexible for empirical data analyses, but different by allowing investigation of whether a species interaction varies with respect to factors, and of the factors that maintain or change the species interaction. This method will have important applications in both theoretical and applied research (e.g. epidemiology, community management).

Cooperation in an asymmetric volunteer’s dilemma game with relatedness

“…However, these theories assume that the interactions between members of the group are symmetrical, which makes it difficult to account for the uneven contributions often observed in natural systems. Asymmetric contributions to the common good have been observed in humans [9], bees [20], mole-rats [23], and a number of inter-specific mutualisms [15,17,26,30]. However, theoretical work has not shed light on how social asymmetries affect predicted patterns of volunteerism when members of the social group are related.…”

“…In the VoD game, Archetti [7,18] has also demonstrated that relatedness strongly influences the likelihood that players will exhibit cooperative behavior. In fact, both the effects of asymmetry and relatedness may simultaneously coexist in many real systems, such as eusocial system of ants and bees [20], inter-specific mutualistic of the yuccas and the yucca moth [15] and the figs and the fig wasp [16,17,21,30]. Here, we sought to explore how asymmetry combined with relatedness affects the behaviors of individuals in cooperative social systems by recombining and extending the models of Diekmann [19] and Archetti [7,18].…”

Asymmetric interaction and indeterminate fitness correlation between cooperative partners in the fig–fig wasp mutualism

“…For details of the varying coefficient analysis model and the comparison between the varying coefficient method and traditional linear regression or generalized linear regression see the electronic supplementary material, online appendix or the paper by Shi et al . [ 46 ].…”

Molecular demographic history of the Hainan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron katsumatae) and its conservation implications

“…Probabilities for range expansion are now hampered in the current islands of Southeast Asia, sustaining populations in situ is becoming the only option [47]. Currently, conservationists are paying more attention to in situ small and fragmented populations of species, as these are the ones at the greatest risk of extirpation [53][54][55][56][57][58][59]. Specifically, small isolated populations are sensitive to genetic erosion.…”