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Habitat heterogeneity mediates effects of individual variation on spatial species coexistence

Chen, Dongdong, Liao, Jinbao, Bearup, Daniel, Li, Zhenqing (2020) Habitat heterogeneity mediates effects of individual variation on spatial species coexistence. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287 (1919). ISSN 0962-8452. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.2436) (KAR id:80540)

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented the importance of individual variation (IV) in determining the outcome of competition between species. However, little is known about how the interplay between IV and habitat heterogeneity (i.e. variation and spatial autocorrelation in habitat quality) affects species coexistence at the landscape scale. Here, we incorporate habitat heterogeneity into a competition model with IV, in order to explore the mechanism of spatial species coexistence. We find that individual-level variation and habitat heterogeneity interact to promote species coexistence, more obviously at lower dispersal rates. This is in stark contrast to early non-spatial models, which predicted that IV reinforces competitive hierarchies and therefore speeds up species exclusion. In essence, increasing variation in patch quality and/or spatial habitat autocorrelation moderates differences in the competitive ability of species, thereby allowing species to coexist both locally and globally. Overall, our theoretical study offers a mechanistic explanation for emerging empirical evidence that both habitat heterogeneity and IV promote species coexistence and therefore biodiversity maintenance.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2436
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
Depositing User: Daniel Bearup
Date Deposited: 18 Mar 2020 14:52 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 17:31 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/80540 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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