Biodiversity change under adaptive community dynamics

Compositional change is a ubiquitous response of ecological communities to environmental drivers of global change, but is often regarded as evidence of declining “biotic integrity” relative to historical baselines. Adaptive compositional change, however, is a foundational idea in evolutionary biology, whereby changes in gene frequencies within species boost population-level fitness, allowing populations to persist as the environment changes. Here, we present an analogous idea for ecological communities based on core concepts of fitness and selection. Changes in community composition (i.e., frequencies of genetic differences among species) in response to environmental change should normally increase the average fitnessof community members. We refer to compositional changes that improve the functional match, or “fit,” between organisms' traits and their environment as adaptive community dynamics. Environmental change (e.g., land-use change) commonly reduces the fit between antecedent communities and new environments. Subsequent change in community composition in response to environmental changes, however, should normally increase community-level fit, as the success of at least some constituent species increases. We argue that adaptive community dynamics are likely to improve or maintain ecosystem function (e.g., by maintaining productivity). Adaptive community responses may simultaneously produce some changes that are considered societally desirable (e.g., increased carbon storage) and others that are undesirable (e.g., declines of certain species), just as evolutionary responses within species may be deemed desirable (e.g., evolutionary rescue of an endangered species) or undesirable (e.g., enhanced virulence of an agricultural pest). When assessing possible management interventions, it is important to distinguish between drivers of environmental change (e.g., undesired climate warming) and adaptive community responses, which may generate some desirable outcomes. Efforts to facilitate, accept, or resist ecological change require separate consideration of drivers and responses, and may highlight the need to reconsider preferences for historical baseline communities over communities that are better adapted to the new conditions.     

功能多样性和功能冗余对高寒草甸群落稳定性的影响

功能多样性和功能冗余是影响群落稳定性的重要因素,但它们对稳定性影响的相对强弱尚有争论。通过在青藏高原高寒矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸为期6a的刈割(不刈割、留茬3cm、留茬1cm)和施肥(施肥、不施肥)控制实验对此进行了探讨。研究结果显示,群落稳定性随着功能多样性和功能冗余的增大而单调增加,但由于功能多样性的变异性大于功能冗余的变异性,功能多样性与物种多样性间的相关性强于功能冗余与物种多样性间的相关性,功能多样性与群落稳定性间的相关性也强于功能冗余与群落稳定性间的相关性,因此,尽管功能冗余产生的保险效应对维持群落稳定性具有促进作用,但功能多样性的互补效应对维持群落稳定性的作用更大。结果表明,功能多样性和功能冗余对群落稳定性的相对影响与其变化程度正相关,功能多样性与群落稳定性的变化具有更紧密的联系,能更好地预测生态系统稳定性的变化。研究为草原生态系统的可持续管理提供了重要启示。     

Bacterial community dynamics in two full‐scale wastewater treatment systems with functional stability

Aims: To characterize the bacterial community dynamics over 1 year in two full‐scale wastewater treatment systems operated under constant conditions and exhibiting stable performance. Methods and Results: Functional stability was defined and quantified by the effluent concentration of biological oxygen demand, total nitrogen and ammonia. Community dynamics were investigated using specific PCR followed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) of the 16S rRNA gene. The T‐RFLP results indicated that during the period of functional stability, the bacterial community structures in two full‐scale wastewater treatment systems were not stable, and the average change rates every 15 days of the two systems were 22·6 ± 6·9 and 21·6 ± 7·3%, respectively. The corresponding species with dominant T‐RFs were determined by clonal sequencing and T‐RFLP. Based on Pareto–Lorenz distribution curves, it was observed that only a small number of micro‐organisms were numerically dominant in the two systems. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that, throughout the period of the study, the bacterial community structure changed significantly in two full‐scale wastewater treatment systems despite the stable function. Significance and Impact of the Study: The findings enrich the theory involving the relation between bacterial community dynamics and functional stability in full‐scale wastewater treatment plants.     

Consequences of adaptive behaviour for the structure and dynamics of food webs

Species coexistence within ecosystems and the stability of patterns of temporal changes in population sizes are central topics in ecological theory. In the last decade, adaptive behaviour has been proposed as a mechanism of population stabilization. In particular, widely distributed adaptive trophic behaviour (ATB), the fitness-enhancing changes in individuals' feeding-related traits due to variation in their trophic environment, may play a key role in modulating the dynamics of feeding relationships within natural communities. In this article, we review and synthesize models and results from theoretical research dealing with the consequences of ATB on the structure and dynamics of complex food webs. We discuss current approaches, point out limitations, and consider questions ripe for future research. In spite of some differences in the modelling and analytic approaches, there are points of convergence: (1) ATB promotes the complex structure of ecological networks, (2) ATB increases the stability of their dynamics, (3) ATB reverses May's negative complexity-stability relationship, and (4) ATB provides resilience and resistance of networks against perturbations. Current knowledge supports ATB as an essential ingredient for models of community dynamics, and future research that incorporates ATB will be well positioned to address questions important for basic ecological research and its applications.     

Niche partitioning due to adaptive foraging reverses effects of nestedness and connectance on pollination network stability

Much research debates whether properties of ecological networks such as nestedness and connectance stabilise biological communities while ignoring key behavioural aspects of organisms within these networks. Here, we computationally assess how adaptive foraging (AF) behaviour interacts with network architecture to determine the stability of plant–pollinator networks. We find that AF reverses negative effects of nestedness and positive effects of connectance on the stability of the networks by partitioning the niches among species within guilds. This behaviour enables generalist pollinators to preferentially forage on the most specialised of their plant partners which increases the pollination services to specialist plants and cedes the resources of generalist plants to specialist pollinators. We corroborate these behavioural preferences with intensive field observations of bee foraging. Our results show that incorporating key organismal behaviours with well‐known biological mechanisms such as consumer‐resource interactions into the analysis of ecological networks may greatly improve our understanding of complex ecosystems.     

Domain-elongation NMR spectroscopy yields new insights into RNA dynamics and adaptive recognition

By simplifying the interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance spin relaxation and residual dipolar couplings data, recent developments involving the elongation of RNA helices are providing new atomic insights into the dynamical properties that allow RNA structures to change functionally and adaptively. Domain elongation, in concert with spin relaxation measurements, has allowed the detailed characterization of a hierarchical network of local and collective motional modes occurring at nanosecond timescale that mirror the structural rearrangements that take place following adaptive recognition. The combination of domain elongation with residual dipolar coupling measurements has allowed the experimental three-dimensional visualization of very large amplitude rigid-body helix motions in HIV-1 transactivation response element (TAR) that trace out a highly choreographed trajectory in which the helices twist and bend in a correlated manner. The dynamic trajectory allows unbound TAR to sample many of its ligand bound conformations, indicating that adaptive recognition occurs by “conformational selection” rather than “induced fit.” These studies suggest that intrinsic flexibility plays essential roles directing RNA conformational changes along specific pathways.     

银川不同湿地陆生昆虫群落多样性与稳定性

【目的】调查和分析银川不同湿地陆生昆虫群落结构组成、功能多样性及其稳定性变化。【方法】2016年5-10月选取银川黄河湿地(HH)、鸣翠湖湿地(MCH)、芦花台湿地(LHT)、水洞沟湿地(SDG)4种湿地生境,采用棋盘式扫网和陷阱捕捉的方法进行昆虫采集。根据调查数据进行昆虫群落结构多样性分析、主成分分析和聚类分析。【结果】4种湿地生境共采集昆虫38 668头,隶属13目97科370种。双翅目、同翅目、膜翅目在4种生境中均为优势类群。植食性(Ph)昆虫功能团的科数和种数在4种生境昆虫群落中占比均最大。植食性-中性昆虫(Ph-Ne)间个体数在4种生境下均存在显著负相关(P<0.01);植食性-捕食性昆虫(Ph-Pr)间个体数在MCH生境下存在显著正相关(P<0.05);中性-捕食性昆虫(Ne-Pr)间个体数在MCH生境下存在显著负相关(P<0.01),在LHT生境下存在显著负相关(P<0.05);4种功能团结构的其他组合的个体数在4种生境下均不存在显著相关性。主成分分析结果表明,捕食性类群是4个类群中影响构成昆虫群落组成的主要成分。同种功能团在4种生境下的多样性分析结果表明,捕食性功能团(Pr)与寄生性功能团(Pa)在4种生境群落中的群落丰富度、均匀程度［辛普森指数(Simpson index)］差异性显著(P<0.05),而植食性功能团(Ph)与中性功能团(Ne)的群落丰富度、均匀程度的差异性不显著(P>0.05);中性功能团(Ne)在4种生境群落中个体出现的不确定程度［香农-维纳指数(Shannon-Wiener index)］差异性不显著(P>0.05),在4种生境的均匀度指数(Pielou evenness index)差异性显著(P<0.05),其余3个功能团在4种生境下的香农-维纳指数均差异性显著(P<0.05),在4种生境下的均匀度指数均差异性不显著(P>0.05)。4种生境昆虫群落特征指数的聚类分析分为2类,永久性湿地HH和MCH为第1类,季节性湿地LHT和SDG为第2类。Ss/Si和Sa/Sp两个稳定性指标均显示MCH昆虫群落稳定性最高,4种生境昆虫群落最稳定的时期是5和9月。【结论】双翅目和膜翅目昆虫在银川不同湿地生境中均为优势类群,可作为环境指示参考;昆虫群落稳定性最好的湿地类型为永久性湖泊湿地;不同生境昆虫群落多样性随季节时序变化,在银川最稳定的时期是5和9月。气候因子、环境因素如何驱动各湿地昆虫群落多样性及稳定性的变化因素还有待开展研究。     

刈割留茬高度对大针茅草原群落结构及稳定性的影响

2014—2018年8月在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟毛登牧场大针茅典型草原,以围封为对照,设置2、5和8 cm 3个刈割留茬高度,研究刈割留茬高度对群落结构及稳定性的影响。结果表明: 群落中共出现15科23属27种植物;优势种为大针茅、知母、羊草及糙隐子草,累计相对重要值为76.1%。多年生杂类草15种,一、二年生植物5种,多年生丛生禾草和灌木半灌木植物各有3种,多年生根茎禾草有1种。大针茅等处于群落上层;知母、羊草等植物处于群落中层;糙隐子草、刺穗藜、猪毛菜等植物处于群落底层。刈割造成大针茅及多年生丛生禾草相对重要值降低,使得糙隐子草、刺穗藜、猪毛菜及一、二年生植物相对重要值增加。留茬2 cm降低羊草相对重要值,而留茬5、8 cm使其增加;留茬5 cm增加知母相对重要值,而留茬2、8 cm使其降低;留茬8 cm降低杂类草相对重要值,而留茬2、5 cm使其增加。物种及功能群多样性年度间差异显著。总体上,刈割对物种丰富度无显著影响,对其物种多样性影响较小,但对功能群多样性存在一定影响。表明在刈割过程中,群落各功能群存在一定的补偿作用,使得群落保持相对稳定。刈割使群落稳定性增加,留茬5和8 cm时群落稳定性较大;留茬5 cm时群落变异性较大,而留茬8 cm时最小。留茬8 cm时群落稳定性高且变异性小,能促进群落长期稳定。     

Pollinator functional response and plant population dynamics: Pollinators as a limiting resource

Summary During recent years, much work has focused on which factors limit the reproductive success in plants. Several studies show a strong influence of either resource limitation, pollen limitation or a combined effect of both. The theoretical arguments for resource limitation are abundant, but there has been very little work done concerning the effect of pollinator availability. In this paper we construct a model to study how the reproductive success in plants is influenced by the foraging behaviour of the pollinators. The pollinator population is assumed to have a constant population density. A functional response function for the pollinators is derived. It is similar to a Holling type II functional response. It is shown that, since the pollinators are regulated by factors not included in the model and their capability to pollinate is limited by the functional response, this is sufficient for regulating the plant population. There also exists a threshold condition for the persistence of the plant population that depended on the search rate of the pollinators and the demographic parameters of the plant population. If this threshold condition is not satisfied the plant population cannot persist and will become extinct. If the condition is satisfied the plant population grows until it is limited at the equilibrium mentioned above.     

The adaptive dynamics of Lotka-Volterra systems with trade-offs

We analyse the adaptive dynamics of a generalised type of Lotka-Volterra model subject to an explicit trade-off between two parameters. A simple expression for the fitness of a mutant strategy in an environment determined by the established, resident strategy is obtained leading to general results for the position of the evolutionary singular strategy and the associated second-order partial derivatives of the mutant fitness with respect to the mutant and resident strategies. Combinations of these results can be used to determine the evolutionary behaviour of the system. The theory is motivated by an example of prey evolution in a predator-prey system in which results show that only (non-EUS) evolutionary repellor dynamics, where evolution is directed away from a singular strategy, or dynamics where the singular strategy is an evolutionary attractor, are possible. Moreover, the general theory can be used to show that these results are the only possibility for all Lotka-Volterra systems in which aside from the trade-offs all parameters are independent and in which the interaction terms are of quadratic order or less. The applicability of the theory is highlighted by examining the evolution of an intermediate predator in a tri-trophic model.     

Influence of evolution on the stability of ecological communities

In randomly assembled communities, diversity is known to have a destabilizing effect. Evolution may affect this result, but our theoretical knowledge of its role is mostly limited to models of small food webs. In the present article, I introduce evolution in a two-species Lotka-Volterra model in which I vary the interaction type and the cost constraining evolution. Regardless of the cost type, evolution tends to stabilize the dynamics more often in trophic interactions than for mutualism or competition. I then use simulations to study the effect of evolution in larger communities that contain all interaction types. Results suggest that evolution usually stabilizes the dynamics. This stabilizing effect is stronger when evolution affects trophic interactions, but happens for all interaction types. Stabilization decreases with diversity and evolution becomes destabilizing in very diverse communities. This suggests that evolution may not counteract the destabilizing effect of diversity observed in random communities.     

How should we test for the role of behaviourin population dynamics?

The behaviour of an individual affects the probability that it will find food or a mate, and whether it will avoid becoming food itself. Because the birth and death of individuals are the constituents of the birth and death rates of populations, it seems likely that population dynamics is affected by variation in the behaviour of individuals. While intuitively appealing, there are few data to support this contention. I suggest that this lack of support stems from the failure to make use of manipulative experiments to test the hypothesis. Manipulative experiments are not the only approach to testing these hypotheses, but this powerful tool has not been used as effectively as it might. The behaviour of an animal can be manipulated with information-carrying chemicals in its environment, and pharmacologically. Variation in behaviour among individuals that is genetically based can also provide experimental material to test hypotheses about the role of behaviour in population dynamics. Manipulative experiments have the advantages of increased statistical power, and the elimination of unmeasured covariates. They have the disadvantage that they can introduce artifacts into the study system. It seems unlikely, however, that different kinds of manipulations would produce the same kinds of artifacts.     

Evolutionary stability under the replicator and the gradient dynamics

We unite two general models for evolutionary change under the forces of selection, mutation and reproduction, a genetic model (replicator dynamics) and a cultural model (gradient dynamics). Under the assumption of normality, we find that the mean and variance dynamics are essentially identical under the two models and we relate these to the ESS and convergence stability conditions.     

Compensatory dynamics and the stability of phytoplankton biomass during four decades of eutrophication and oligotrophication

The link between compensatory dynamics and regime shifts is not well understood. We analyse a regime shift in phytoplankton in a large lake with respect to: (1) environmental forcing and (2) the type of dynamics (compensatory or synchronous) between phytoplankton groups. The regime shift in phytoplankton was related to gradual changes in nutrient levels, but unrelated to an almost concurrent shift in climatic conditions. The relationship between total phytoplankton biomass and phosphorus concentrations was sigmoid. Trajectories of phytoplankton biomass and community dynamics suggest that eutrophication effects can successfully be reversed when management efforts decrease nutrient loading to a level sufficiently low to overcome community resilience. The regime shift was associated with a loss of biomass compensation and compensatory dynamics among the phytoplankton groups. This suggests that the type of interactions is important for a better understanding of the existence and shape of nonlinear responses of phytoplankton biomass to environmental change.     

应用中性理论分析局域群落中的物种多样性及稳定性

如何解释群落中物种的丰富与稀少,并对物种多样性和群落稳定性进行合理的量化评价是群落生态学研究中的一个热点问题。20世纪中期,MacArthur将影响自然群落稳定性的因素归结为物种数量多少以及物种间相互作用的大小,20世纪末Doak等学者提出群落的容纳能力和物种间的维持机制是决定群落稳定性的关键因素。同时对群落结构及物种间维持机制的研究也有了新的突破,Hubbell提出"生物多样性与生物地理学统一的中性理论(Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography)"为群落生态学研究提供了新的思路和方法。从群落中性理论的基本假设出发,对Hubbell中性理论中局域群落的物种多度动态模型进行分析,归纳得出群落中性理论中物种多样性与群落稳定性之间的量化关系。封闭的局域群落中,出现物种灭绝或单物种独占的时间与群落大小及物种相对多度成正比,物种多样性程度的增加可延长物种灭绝或独占的时间;开放的局域群落中,物种多度期望值与局域群落大小、物种在集合群落中的物种相对多度成正比,周围群落中物种的灭绝会引起局域群落中相应物种的灭绝,最终导致整个生态群落物种多样性的降低;群落中物种多度的方差与局域群落大小、迁移率、物种在集合群落中的物种相对多度相关,局域群落物种多度的波动幅度随着群落间生态隔离的减弱或物种多样性程度的增加而减小。由此,集合群落物种多样性是影响局域群落物种多样性的重要因素,生态隔离程度的减弱及物种多样性的增加都将增强群落的稳定性。     

龙眼园害虫群落结构与动态研究

研究结果表明,龙眼害虫群落包括8目38科62种,其中为害较严重的有10多种。荔枝蝽蟓、龙眼角颊木虱、荔枝蒂蛀虫、龙眼亥麦蛾、荔枝尖细蛾和三角新小卷蛾为害尤为严重,是龙眼害虫的关键物种。这些害虫直接影响龙眼的产量和质量,是生产上防治的重点。龙眼害虫群落的生物多样性指数全年变动范围为0．0919—2．2938,均匀度指数全年变动范围为0．0837—0．8273。总体上分析,龙眼害虫群落优势种的优势地位明显,生态优势度大,在药剂防治实践中,应该注意保护果园昆虫天敌和蜘蛛类等有益生物,保护果园生物多样性,达到害虫可持续控制目的。     

Terrestrial insects along elevation gradients: species and community responses to altitude

The literature on the response of insect species to the changing environments experienced along altitudinal gradients is diverse and widely dispersed. There is a growing awareness that such responses may serve as analogues for climate warming effects occurring at a particular fixed altitude or latitude over time. This review seeks, therefore, to synthesise information on the responses of insects and allied groups to increasing altitude and provide a platform for future research. It focuses on those functional aspects of insect biology that show positive or negative reaction to altitudinal changes but avoids emphasising adaptation to high altitude per se. Reactions can be direct, with insect characteristics or performance responding to changing environmental parameters, or they can be indirect and mediated through the insect's interaction with other organisms. These organisms include the host plant in the case of herbivorous insects, and also competitor species, specific parasitoids, predators and pathogens. The manner in which these various factors individually and collectively influence the morphology, behaviour, ecophysiology, growth and development, survival, reproduction, and spatial distribution of insect species is considered in detail. Resultant patterns in the abundance of individual species populations and of community species richness are examined. Attempts are made throughout to provide mechanistic explanations of trends and to place each topic, where appropriate, into the broader theoretical context by appropriate reference to key literature. The paper concludes by considering how montane insect species will respond to climate warming.     

Molecular dynamics perspective on the thermal stability of mandelate racemase

Mandelate racemase from Pseudomonas putida is a promising candidate for the dynamic kinetic resolution of α-hydroxy carboxylic acids. In the present study, the thermal stability of mandelate racemase was investigated through molecular dynamics simulations in the temperature range of 303–363 K, which can guide the design of mandelate racemase with higher stability. The basic features such as radius of gyration, surface accessibility, and secondary structure content suggested the instability of mandelate racemase at high temperatures. With increase in temperature, α-helix content reduced significantly, especially the α-helices exposed to the environment. At the simulation time scale considered, intra-protein hydrogen bonds, hydrogen bonds between protein and water decreased at 363 K, while the number of salt-bridges increased. The long-distance networks remarkably changed at 363 K. A considerable number of long-lived (percentage existence time higher than 90%) hydrogen bonds and Cα contacts were lost. Root mean square fluctuation analysis revealed regions with high fluctuation, which should be helpful in the reengineering of mandelate racemase for enhanced thermal stability.     

复合荔枝园节肢动物群落动态的研究

对单一荔枝和复合荔枝园节肢动物群落进行了调查、分析,结果表明：复合园的捕食性、寄生性昆虫以及蜘蛛类群的数量和丰富度明显高于单一园,而植食性类群的数量和主要害虫发生数量明显少于单一园。复合园各种类型的多样性指数季节变化,其总趋势比单一园大,波动程度比单一园低。复合园的均匀度全年维持在０．８以上,而单一园的则波动很大。