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Current unprecedented declines in biodiversity reduce the ability of ecological communities to provide many fundamental ecosystem services. Here we evaluate evidence that reduced biodiversity affects the transmission of infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants. In principle, loss of biodiversity could either increase or decrease disease transmission. However, mounting evidence indicates that biodiversity loss frequently increases disease transmission. In contrast, areas of naturally high biodiversity may serve as a source pool for new pathogens. Overall, despite many remaining questions, current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases., In June 2010, a new organization, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)--patterned after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)--was established to assess changes to the [...]

Biodiversity is good for you Changes in biodiversity have the potential to either increase or reduce the incidence of infectious disease in plants and animals -- including humans -- because they involve interactions among species. At a minimum, this requires a host and a pathogen; often many more species are involved, including additional hosts, vectors and other organisms with which these species interact. Felicia Keesing and colleagues review the evidence that reduced biodiversity affects the transmission of infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants. Despite important questions still to be answered, they conclude that the evidence that biodiversity exerts a protective effect on infectious diseases is sufficiently strong to include biodiversity protection as a strategy to improve health. Current unprecedented declines in biodiversity reduce the ability of ecological communities to provide many fundamental ecosystem services. Here we evaluate evidence that reduced biodiversity affects the transmission of infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants. In principle, loss of biodiversity could either increase or decrease disease transmission. However, mounting evidence indicates that biodiversity loss frequently increases disease transmission. In contrast, areas of naturally high biodiversity may serve as a source pool for new pathogens. Overall, despite many remaining questions, current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases., Author(s): Felicia Keesing [sup.1] , Lisa K. Belden [sup.2] , Peter Daszak [sup.3] , Andrew Dobson [sup.4] , C. Drew Harvell [sup.5] , Robert D. Holt [sup.6] , Peter Hudson [...]

G. Evelyn Hutchinson more than a half century ago proposed that one could characterize the ecological niche of a species as an abstract mapping of population dynamics onto an environmental space, the axes of which are abiotic and biotic factors that influence birth and death rates. If a habitat has conditions within a species' niche, a population should persist without immigration from external sources, whereas if conditions are outside the niche, it faces extinction. Analyses of species' niches are essential to understanding controls on species' geographical range limits and how these limits might shift in our rapidly changing world. Recent developments in ecology and evolutionary biology suggest it is time to revisit and refine Hutchinson's niche concept. After reviewing techniques for quantifying niches, I examine subtleties that arise because of impacts species have on their own environments, the density-dependent modulation of how individuals experience environments, and the interplay of dispersal and temporal heterogeneity in determining population persistence. Moreover, the evolutionary record over all time scales reveals a spectrum of rates of change in species' niches, from rapid niche evolution to profound niche conservatism. Substantial challenges revolving around the evolutionary dimension of the Hutchinsonian niche include quantifying the magnitude of evolved intraspecific and clade-level variation in niches and understanding the factors that govern where along the spectrum of potential evolutionary rates any given lineage lies. A growing body of theory provides elements of a conceptual framework for understanding niche conservatism and evolution, paving the way for an evolutionary theory of the niche. Allee effects | ecological niche | landscape texture | niche conservatism | niche evolution www.pnas.org.cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0905137106

Understanding local and global extinction is a fundamental objective of both basic and applied ecology. Island biogeography theory (IBT) and succession theory provide frameworks for understanding extinction in changing landscapes. We explore the relative contribution of fragment size vs. succession on species' declines by examining distributions of abundances for 18 plant species declining over time in an experimentally fragmented landscape in northeast Kansas, USA. If patch size effects dominate, early-successional species should persist longer on large patches, but if successional processes dominate, the reverse should hold, because in our system woody plant colonization is accelerated on large patches. To compare the patterns in abundance among patch sizes, we characterize joint shifts in local abundance and occupancy with a new metric: rank occupancy-abundance profiles (ROAPs). As succession progressed, statistically significant patch size effects emerged for 11 of 18 species. More early-successional species persisted longer on large patches, despite the fact that woody encroachment (succession) progressed faster in these patches. Clonal perennial species persisted longer on large patches compared to small patches. All species that persisted longer on small patches were annuals that recruit from the seed bank each year. The degree to which species declined in occupancy vs. abundance varied dramatically among species: some species declined first in occupancy, others remained widespread or even expanded their distribution, even as they declined in local abundance. Consequently, species exhibited various types of rarity as succession progressed. Understanding the effect of fragmentation on extinction trajectories requires a species-by-species approach encompassing both occupancy and local abundance. We propose that ROAPs provide a useful tool for comparing the distribution of local abundances among landscape types, years, and species. Key words: abundance; extinction; grassland; habitat fragmentation; island biogeography theory (IBT); occupancy; ROAP; species abundance distribution; succession.

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2008.16878.x Byline: Michael W. McCoy, Michael Barfield, Robert D. Holt Abstract: Ecological coupling by material exchanges or dispersal between spatially distinct communities has important impacts on ecological processes, such as diversity-stability relationships, ecosystem function, and food web dynamics. One important mode of coupling between ecosystems occurs via organisms with complex life histories, which often switch between distinct ecosystems during their life cycle, and so can be channels of material exchanges between these ecosystems. Some organisms with complex life histories (e.g. frogs, dragonflies) can be abundant and effective predators during one or more life stages, and so provide conduits for strong direct and indirect interactions across ecosystem boundaries, linking the dynamics of discrete and often quite dissimilar community types. We present simple models and a case study (tailored to pond ecosystems), to explore how interactions within larval habitats can indirectly impact ecological interactions in adult habitats. Using our case study as a springboard, we propose that cohorts of predators emerging from natal habitats (e.g. ponds) cast 'predation shadows' on the surrounding adult (e.g. terrestrial) landscape. Trophic interactions within ponds, and the distribution of ponds on the landscape, can thus affect the spatial pattern in the strength of these predation shadows, creating strong spatial patterning in terrestrial trophic cascades. Our findings emphasize the importance of organisms with complex life histories as generators of strong links across ecosystem boundaries, and as potential sources of spatial variation in the strength and indirect impacts of interspecific interactions. Article History: Manuscript Accepted 25 July 2008 Article note: M. W. McCoy (mwmccoy@bu.edu), M. Barfield and R. D. Holt, Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA. Present address for MWM: Dept of Biology, Boston Univ., 5 Cummington Street, Boston, MS 02215, USA.

Over the last several decades, there has been a growing appreciation of the importance of nonequilibrial phenomena and transient dynamics in explaining the structure of ecological communities. This paper provides an overview of theoretical themes related to resource pulses. Theoretical models suggest short-term responses to a single pulse can qualitatively differ from longer-term responses. Recurrent resource pulses can alter community structure, permitting coexistence that otherwise would not occur, or hamper coexistence mechanisms effective in stable environments. For a given resource input, system responses can be more dramatic with short pulses. Resource pulses can cause transitions between alternative states. Dispersal permits species to exploit locally sporadic resource pulses and persist in environments that on average are unsuitable. All these issues are ripe for further theoretical explorations. Key words: reactivity; resource pulses; spatiotemporal variation; transient dynamics.

Although the canonical concept of intraguild predation evokes images of predators and prey, several subdisciplines within ecology have developed theory not specifically framed in terms of predation and competition and often using system-specific terminology, yet functionally quite similar. Here, we formulate models combining exploitation and competition in predator prey, host-parasitoid, and host-pathogen communities to compare dynamics, food web structure, and coexistence criteria for these disparate communities. Although dynamic stability in the coexistence region varies strongly among systems, in all cases coexistence of two consumers on a single resource occurs only if the intraguild prey species is more efficient than the intraguild predator at suppressing the abundance of the basal resource, and if the intraguild predator accrues a sufficient gain from attacking the intraguild prey. In addition, equilibrial abundances of all species in all three formulations respond similarly to increases in productivity of the basal resource. Our understanding of predator-prey and parasitoid-host communities has benefited from explicit examination of intraguild predation (IGP) theory, and we suggest that future research examining pathogen communities, in particular, will benefit substantially from explicit recognition of predictions from IGP theory. Key words: coexistence; community module; competition; disease transmission; exploitation; food web; heuristic model; trophic interactions.

A rich body of theoretical literature now exists focused on the three-species module of intraguild predation (IGP), in which a top predator both attacks and competes with an intermediate predator. Simple models of intraguild predation are often unstable, either because one consumer is excluded, or because sustained oscillations emerge from long feedback loops. Yet, many natural IGP systems robustly persist. Standard models of intraguild predation simplify natural systems in crucial ways that could influence persistence; in particular, many empirical IGP systems are embedded in communities with alternative prey species. We briefly review the key conclusions of standard three-species IGP theory, and then present results of theoretical explorations of how alternative prey can influence the persistence and stability of a focal intraguild predation interaction. Key words: alternative prey; asymmetry; community modules; intraguild predation.

Why are cows sacred? Travel anywhere in India and they have the right of way. Travel anywhere in the eastern United States and you'll see squirrels, more than likely, as [...]

Author(s): Tiffany M. Knight (corresponding author) [1, 2]; Michael W. McCoy [1]; Jonathan M. Chase [2]; Krista A. McCoy [1]; Robert D. Holt [1] Predation can be intense, creating strong [...]

Secondary succession reflects, at least in part, community assembly--the sequences of colonizations and extinctions. These processes in turn are expected to be sensitive to the size of the site undergoing assembly and its location relative to source pools. In this paper we describe patterns of succession over 18 years in an experimentally fragmented landscape created in eastern Kansas, USA, in 1984. The design of the experiment permits one to assess the influence of patch size and landscape position on successional dynamics. The general trajectory of succession follows that typical of succession in much of the eastern United States. In the initial years of the study, there was relatively little effect of patch size or distance to sources. Here we show that spatial effects in this system have become increasingly evident with time, as gauged both by repeated-measures ANOVA and ordination techniques. Woody plants have colonized more rapidly (per unit area) on large and nearby patches. Species richness at a local (within-quadrat) scale in general has increased, with slightly greater richness in large than in small patches later in the study. Temporal stability in community composition has generally been greater in large patches. Spatial heterogeneity in community composition has increased during succession, but with different patterns in large and small patches. This long-term experiment suggests that landscape structure influences many aspects of community structure and dynamics during succession, and that such effects become more pronounced with the passage of time. Key words: community assembly; habitat fragmentation; island theory; old fields; patch size and distance effects; prairie-forest ecotone; spatial heterogeneity; species richness; succession; turnover.

Species-area relationships have been observed for virtually all major groups of macroorganisms that have been studied to date but have not been explored for microscopic phytoplankton algae, which are the dominant producers in many freshwater and marine ecosystems. Our analyses of data from 142 different natural ponds, lakes, and oceans and 239 experimental ecosystems reveal a strong species-area relationship with an exponent that is invariant across ecosystems that span > 15 orders of magnitude in spatial extent. A striking result is that the species-area relationship derived from small-scale experimental studies correctly scales up to natural aquatic ecosystems. These results significantly broaden our knowledge of the effects of island size on biodiversity and also confirm the relevance of experimentally derived data to the analysis and understanding of larger-scale ecological patterns. In addition, they confirm that patterns in microbial diversity are strongly consistent with those that have been repeatedly reported in the literature for macroorganisms. biodiversity | island biogeography | species-area | scale-invariance

Disturbance can directly affect the interactions among species at different trophic levels. Because disturbances are typically localized, and many consumers are constrained in their mobility, disturbances can generate spatial variability in trophic interactions. Here, we consider how fire alters plant-insect interactions in a longleaf pine ecosystem in central Florida, USA. We hypothesized that fire in the short term would directly depress herbivore abundance, and that the rate of re-colonization by herbivores would depend upon distance from the edge of the recently burned area. Thus, fire should generate spatially varying herbivory. Orthopterans are dominant insect consumers in our system, and many species are flightless, either as juveniles or adults; these species are particularly likely to show constrained post-fire mobility. We quantified insect abundance and herbivory levels on eight common understory plants in the edge and interior of three recently burned sites. As predicted, insect abundance at the edge of burned areas was much higher than in the interior. In addition, all plant species experienced at least twice the level of herbivory in the edge than in the interior of burned sites. This demonstrates that disturbance can create strong spatial variation in the magnitude of trophic interactions. We suggest that larger burns may aid in plant management by reducing herbivory, whereas the presence of unburned refugia may be critical to insect conservation. Key words: disturbance ecology: fire; Florida (USA) pine ecosystem; herbivory; Orthoptera; prescribed burn; sandhill ecosystem; spatial gradient; trophic interactions.

Ecological communities are open to the immigration of individuals and are variable through time. In open habitats immigration may permit populations of a species to persist locally even though local biotic and abiotic processes tend to exclude such 'sink' populations. A general model for a sink population reveals that autocorrelated environmental variation can dramatically inflate local abundance and that such populations display a characteristic 'outbreak' pattern. An experimental protist microcosm exhibits these predicted effects. Because the many ecological and environmental processes that set the rate of exclusion are typically autocorrelated, these theoretical and empirical results have broad implications for our understanding of community structure and highlight a previously unsuspected potential effect of anthropogenic climate change.

Selective herbivory by animals can have significant effects on the succession of a plant community. Damage resulting from major insect outbreaks has been shown to alter species dominance and competitive balance of woody plants in temperate North America. In this study we examine the effects over three seasons of a visually striking herbivory event: periodical cicada (Magicicada cassini) oviposition into an early successional tree community in the prairie-forest ecotone in eastern Kansas. Oviposition damage during cicada emergence in 1998 was large in overall magnitude, highly variable in space and varied by host tree species. From 1998-2000 we monitored four measures of tree growth on individuals of each tree species on the study site, and infructescence production on the dominant species (rough leaved dogwood, Comus drummondii). Cicada damage in 1998 was regressed against each measure of tree performance in following years. Only a few statistically significant results were found. Overall, we concluded that the widespread oviposition damage from periodical cicadas did not have any important effects on successional dynamics of the host plants, suggesting that the trees appeared to compensate sufficiently for physiological damage during the emergence. We suggest that documenting the absence of substantial impacts from episodes of herbivory is useful in gauging the general significance of herbivory in succession.

We investigate how coexistence between competitors may be influenced by habitat selection when habitats represent either sources or sinks, and given that dispersal is free to evolve. Evolutionary stable dispersal between source and sink habitats can occur if local fitnesses vary temporally, either due to intrinsic factors (e.g., chaotic dynamics) or extrinsic factors (e.g., environmental stochasticity). The model assumes locally linear Lotka-Volterra competition between two species. Given sufficiently low density-independent mortality in the sink, dispersal between habitats is an evolutionary stable strategy (ESS). Given a trade-off between competitive ability in the source and mortality in the sink, a sink habitat can promote species coexistence in the source habitat if the inferior competitor species experiences lower mortality in the sink. This highlights how sink habitats may provide mechanisms of coexistence in heterogeneous landscapes. In a second scenario, the competitors have distinct habitat preferences, resulting in the 'Ghost of Competition Past' (i.e., complete habitat partitioning) with stable population dynamics. With unstable population dynamics, dispersal between habitats becomes the ESS, and the Ghost vanishes leading either to coexistence of the competitors in both habitats or global exclusion of one species. Our results highlight the importance of jointly considering the effects of spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability when analyzing the coexistence of competing, mobile organisms. Key words: evolutionary stable strategy (ESS); Ghost of Competition Past; habitat selection; mechanisms of coexistence; source-sink dynamics; spatial stochasticity; temporal stochasticity.

The results from a literature survey to identify the experimental studies of terrestrial habitat fragmentation are presented. The comparisons showed a remarkable lack of consistency in results across studies, especially with regard to species richness and abundance relative to fragment size.

We evaluate the goals of meta-analysis, critique its recent application in ecology, and highlight an approach that more explicitly links meta-analysis and ecological theory. One goal of meta-analysis is testing null hypotheses of no response to experimental manipulations. Many ecologists, however, are more interested in quantitatively measuring processes and examining their systematic variation across systems and conditions. This latter goal requires a suite of diverse, ecologically based metrics of effect size, with each appropriately matched to an ecological question of interest. By specifying ecological models, we can develop metrics of effect size that quantify the underlying process or response of interest and are insensitive to extraneous factors irrelevant to the focal question. A model will also help to delineate the set of studies that fit the question addressed by the meta-analysis. We discuss factors that can give rise to heterogeneity in effect sizes (e.g., due to differences in experimental protocol, parameter values, or the structure of the models that describe system dynamics) and illustrate this variation using some simple models of plant competition. Variation in time scale will be one of the most common factors affecting a meta-analysis, by introducing heterogeneity in effect sizes. Different metrics will apply to different time scales, and time-series data will be vital in evaluating the appropriateness of different metrics to different collections of studies. We then illustrate the application of ecological models, and associated metrics of effect size, in meta-analysis by discussing and/or synthesizing data on species interactions, mutual interference between consumers, and individual physiology. We also examine the use of metrics when no single, specific model applies to the synthesized studies. These examples illustrate that the diversity of ecological questions demands a diversity of ecologically meaningful metrics of effect size. The successful application of meta-analysis in ecology will benefit by clear and explicit linkages among ecological theory, the questions being addressed, and the metrics used to summarize the available information. Key words: ecological models and meta-analysis; effect size in meta-analysis; interaction strength; meta-analysis goals, metrics, and models; metrics, ecological relevance; predation; ratio dependence; time scale., INTRODUCTION For the past forty years, experiments have been heralded as the most powerful tool in the ecologist's field kit. Indeed, since the seminal work of Connell (1961), field experiments [...]

We use simple mathematical models to explore the indirect interactions between two prey species that share a predator when all three species undergo population cycles. The results are compared to analogous findings for systems that reach a stable equilibrium point. It is common for removal of one prey from a cycling system to result in a decrease in the mean density of the remaining prey species, contrary to the usual logic of apparent competition. Even when apparent competition between prey exists, its magnitude is usually reduced by population cycles. This effect occurs when the predator has a concave-down relationship between prey abundance and its own per capita growth rate. Such relationships can occur because of a saturating functional or numerical response. We investigate how prey density dependence and the shape of the predator's functional and numerical responses affect the sign and magnitude of this indirect interaction between prey species. There may also be (+, -) interactions between prey that differ significantly in their susceptibility to the common predator. Key words: apparent competition; apparent mutualism; environmental variation; indirect effects; limit cycles; shared predation., INTRODUCTION Few, if any natural populations are constantly at equilibrium densities. Variation in the weather and other environmental parameters results in what we will term exogenous variability in populations. Endogenous [...]

The evolution of resistance by insect and weed pests to chemical pesticides is a problem of increasing importance in applied ecology. It is striking that the evolution of resistance by target pest species in biological control is much less frequently reported, particularly in control involving parasitoids and predators, rather than pathogens. Although it is conceivable that this reflects biases in reporting or frequency of application, we suggest that there is a puzzle here worthy of scrutiny, and we outline several potential underlying causes. In order of discussion (not necessarily of importance), these are: (1) lack of genetic variation; (2) genetic constraints on selection; (3) weak selection; (4) temporally varying selection; and (5) coevolutionary dynamics. We, in particular, focus on the potential for weak selection on the host for increased resistance, despite effective control. The very spatial mechanisms (e.g., refuges, metapopulation dynamics) believed to facilitate the persistence of many natural enemy-victim systems with strong biological control may also incidentally provide an environment where selection is weak on target pests to evolve improved resistance to control agents, thereby biasing coevolution toward the enemy. The basic insight is that in a spatially heterogeneous environment, a strong limiting factor on a population can be a weak selective factor. The hypotheses presented here provide ingredients needed to predict which biological control systems might be evolutionarily stable, and which not. Our aim in this thought piece is to stimulate more attention to the evolutionary dimension of biological control systems. Key words: coevolution; evolution of pest species; genetic constraints on selection; niche conservatism; resistance to biological control., INTRODUCTION One of the most enduring and societally important enterprises in applied ecology throughout this century has been the control of populations of economically damaging species, particularly of agricultural weed [...]

It is argued that a good understanding of population dynamics can lead to a better appreciation of the impact of immigration on niche conservatism at species' borders. It may also promote a deeper understanding of such impact on niche conservatism in any species with populations which would become extinct deterministically in the absence of regular immigration, and which is beyond its current niche due to immigration. A simple one-locus haploid model that considers population dynamics, gene flow and local selection is examined.

Spatial subsidization of food webs in species communities is affected by several variables. Movement of prey, consumers and detritus influence food availability and community population within the habitat. Landscape attributes, such as boundary permeability and perimeter/area ratio, impact spatial subsidization's degree and level of importance.

Dispersal or the movement between population is favored by chaotic population dynamics in constant but patchy environments. In such systems, subpopulations on different patches with minimally different initial conditions will diverge as their population curves unfold. In the long term, the rank order of geometric growth rate or fitness among patches should vary, even if the environment is constant. A model which illustrates the basic effect of this pattern is presented.

In spatially heterogeneous habitats, plant community change may reflect spatially localized population-level processes that are sensitive to the size of an average habitat patch. However, local species turnover can also be determined by initial conditions and large-scale processes, in which case patch size effects may be overridden. To examine the role of patch size in directing secondary succession, we subdivided a newly abandoned agricultural field into an array of experimental patches (32, 288, and 5000 [m.sup.2], grouped to sample equivalent portions of the field), and have thereafter censused the resident plant and animal communities at regular intervals. Here we report results from the first 6 yr of studies on the changing vascular plant community in an experimentally fragmented landscape. The general course of change in all patches followed a trajectory typical of old-field succession, toward increasing dominance by longer lived and larger plant species. The same group of species that dominated at the start of the study continued to dominate after 6 yr, although in very different proportional abundances. Larger patches were more species rich than their smaller counterparts, and had a higher proportion of nonshared species, but the additional species were transient and low in abundance. Spatial heterogeneity in vegetation, measured as local community dissimilarity, increased in all patches but to a lesser extent in the largest patches, where censuses of nearby permanent quadrats indicated less divergence over time. At a population level, the strongest effect of patch size was that local populations of clonal species were more prone to disappear from the smallest patches. Nevertheless, summary measures of temporal community change did not reflect significant differences in localized species turnover. We conclude that patch size does not markedly affect the rate or pattern of early secondary succession, at the scales imposed in our experiment. Key words: colonization; habitat fragmentation; old field; patch size; population persistence; secondary succession; spatial dynamics; spatial heterogeneity; species-area relations., INTRODUCTION The spatial context of plant succession Succession, directional temporal change in species composition or relative abundances, is a central theme in plant community ecology (Glenn-Lewin et al. 1992, Miles [...]

We studied the effects of habitat fragmentation on the movements of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) living in a fragmented landscape using 7.7 yr (1984-1992) of mark - recapture data. The study area included three kinds of 0.5-ha blocks: single large patches (5000 [m.sup.2]), clusters of medium patches (288 [m.sup.2]), and clusters of small patches (32 [m.sup.2]). We tested three predictions regarding animal movements. First, animals should move longer distances as fragmentation increases. Second, the proportion of animals moving will decrease as fragmentation increases. Third, species will show more movement from putative sources to putative sinks. In support of our first two predictions, all species (except male cotton rats) moved farther, and lower proportions of animals moved, as fragmentation increased. In testing our third prediction, we found no trends, for all species, between patch size and the net number of animals a block either imported or exported, indicating source-sink dynamics were probably not occurring on our study site. Furthermore, animals of all species (except female deer mice) switched more frequently to blocks of larger patches. For prairie voles in the spring and deer mice in the summer, relative abundances among blocks predicted from a Markov matrix model of switching probabilities showed high congruence with the actual abundances, indicating movement and abundances were related. In both cotton rats and prairie voles but not in deer mice, more juveniles and nonreproductive animals switched between blocks than did adults or reproductive animals. Deer mice switched more frequently than did either cotton rats or prairie voles; the latter species switched in similar frequencies. We discuss the implications of our data for modeling and conservation. Key words: dispersal; habitat fragmentation; Markov modeling; Microtus ochrogaster; movement; patchiness; Peromyscus maniculatus; scale; Sigmodon hispidus; space use; spatial heterogeneity; source-sink dynamics., INTRODUCTION Ecologists are becoming increasingly aware of the role of spatial heterogeneity in population and community dynamics (e.g., Ricklefs 1987, Karieva and Anderson 1988, Karieva 1990, Levin 1992). Movement by [...]

Understanding population responses to novel environments is a central concern of both evolutionary biology and ecology (Maynard Smith 1989; Bradshaw 1991; Hoffman and Parsons 1991; Peters and Lovejoy 1992; Kareiva [...]

Mathematical analysis shows that in a simple apparent competition model with two prey species and a shared predator, the dominant prey species is that which supports the highest predator density. In a more complex model, in which the two prey species also share the same resource, the dominant species decreases the resource to lower levels and increases the predator to higher levels than that of the other species, assuming that they have equal predation rates. When unequal predation rates are allowed, the rule to be applied depends on the relation between the mass-balance constraints of the two prey species.

Phenotypic and genetic variation in dispersal characters within and among communities and environmental sensitivity of dispersal propensity was quantified in experiments. A two-patch model was studied to analyze how patterns of spatial and temporal variation in carrying capacities affect natural selection on dispersal. A certain amount of dispersal was preferred by selection under most conditions of habitat variability. The system also defined parameters for coexistence of competing species in different environments.

Different components of an ecosystem can respond in very different ways to habitat fragmentation. An archipelago of patches, representing different levels of fragmentation, was arrayed within a successional field and studied over a period of 6 years. Ecosystem processes (soil mineralization and plant succession) did not vary with the degree of subdivision, nor did most measures of plant and animal community diversity. However, fragmentation affected vertebrate population dynamics and distributional patterns as well as the population persistence of clonal plant species. The results highlight the dangers of relying on broad community measures in lieu of detailed population analyses in studies of fragmented habitats., It is becoming increasingly necessary to understand the consequence of the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats [1]. Habitat fragmentation can influence the entire suite of processes studied by ecologists, [...]

Several experimental studies are conducted to explain the variations caused by the coevolution interactions in the fitness and diversity across different environments in a bacteria-bacteriophage system. The variations observed in the relative competitive ability of the hosts are shown to be highly dependent on time, as well as the environment.

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2006.01192.x Byline: RICARDO M. HOLDO, ROBERT D. HOLT, MICHAEL B. COUGHENOUR (*), MARK E. RITCHIE ([dagger]) Keywords: fire effects; fire-herbivore interactions; grazing optimization; migratory ungulates; nitrogen loss; nutrient cycling; primary productivity; Serengeti; spatial subsidies; wildebeest Abstract: Summary 1 Herbivores can play a key role in affecting ecosystem function, but their direct and indirect effects are often confounded with each other and have rarely been dissected. Predictions for open systems, i.e. those with cross-habitat nutrient fluxes and dispersal, may differ from those expected in closed systems, where no such transfers occur, but these differences have only recently begun to be characterized. 2 We present a theoretical model of plant productivity and soil nitrogen (N) based on the Serengeti ecosystem in order to investigate the interplay among herbivore movement, nutrient transport across habitats (spatial subsidies), the fire regime and the effects of herbivores on N cycling. 3 Model results suggest that the fire regime and herbivore migration are key determinants of primary productivity and fertility, and that the impact of these factors depends on grazing intensity. At low intensity, high grass biomass leads to extensive fires and N volatilization, but this effect is reduced at high grazing intensity. Without migration, the model predicts that primary productivity and fertility initially increase, then decline with increasing grazing intensity. Conversely, seasonal migration decouples the growing and grazing seasons, leading to a monotonic increase in productivity with grazing intensity. Cross-habitat N transport has a relatively modest effect on N dynamics, and the magnitude of the seasonality effect outweighs the spatial subsidy effect. 4 Our model suggests that herbivores and fire may play key interactive roles in regulating producers and determining ecosystem functional properties in grazing systems, both through consumption and via indirect effects on nutrient availability. The direction and magnitude of these effects could potentially vary greatly among ecosystems with resident vs. migratory herbivores, suggesting that spatial coupling through animal movement can be important at both the population and ecosystem levels. 5 This study suggests that the degree to which trophic interactions influence ecosystem function may be strongly modulated by whether systems are open or closed. It also suggests that direct and indirect effects of consumers on their resources (top-down effects) may be far more important than nutrient subsidies in open terrestrial systems. Author Affiliation: Article History: Received 23 March 2006 revision accepted 4 September 2006 Handling Editor: Bob Jefferies Article note: Correspondence: Ricardo M. Holdo, 223 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA (tel. +1 352 392 1040; fax +1 352 392 3704; e-mail rholdo@zoo.ufl.edu).

Invasion models in uniform and heterogeneous environments as a framework for understanding non-equilibrium range limits is considered and conditions under which invasions may cease to spread leaving behind a stationary range limit are explored. The aims are to provide a conceptual framework that captures the major population dynamical causes of range limits.