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Dynamics of regional coexistence for more or less equal competitors

Dynamics of regional coexistence for more or less equal competitors
Dynamics of regional coexistence for more or less equal competitors
Competition between two species in a metapopulation involves each inhibiting the other's ability firstly to colonize an already occupied area and then to persist in it. Models for regional competition of this kind have 3-D dynamics, from which it has proved difficult to extract useful predictions except for special conditions. We introduce a 2-D general model for species that are equally vigorous at inhibiting the ability of others to remain in an occupied patch as to arrive there. The model covers the full spectrum of competitive interactions, from weak to strong and symmetrical to asymmetrical. Its Lotka–Volterra dynamics extend the general theory of competitive coexistence by generating clear predictions for community structure, amenable to cross-system comparisons and experimental manipulations.
Previous 2-D models of interactions between dominant and fugitive species are special cases of the 2-D general model. Moderately asymmetrical competition has two outcomes distinctly different from dominant–fugitive interactions, at both the scale of metapopulation and population: (i) slow growing and weak competitors coexist with faster growing superior competitors, albeit at reduced densities; and (b) habitat removal always yields relative gains in abundance for species with higher growth capacity, but the gains are absolute only for species subjected to competitive impacts that exceed within-species impacts. Extinctions of slow growing and weak competitors provide the most sensitive indication of habitat degradation, and their losses also have the least effect on community structure.
The 2-D general model further predicts that highly productive communities will tolerate differences between species in their capacity for population growth, whereas less productive communities will tolerate stronger competitive interactions between species. This prediction applies equally to a population of resource consumers as to a metapopulation of colonists. The model explicitly links local and regional population dynamics to r–K selection in community structure by predicting a prevalence of growth-orientated species in resource-poor habitats and competition-orientated species in resource-rich habitats.
competitive coexistence, exploitation, habitat loss, predator–prey
0021-8790
116-126
Doncaster, C. Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Pound, Graeme E.
84b1c8d4-20d8-4f47-b72b-12075cce1108
Cox, Simon J.
0e62aaed-24ad-4a74-b996-f606e40e5c55
Doncaster, C. Patrick
0eff2f42-fa0a-4e35-b6ac-475ad3482047
Pound, Graeme E.
84b1c8d4-20d8-4f47-b72b-12075cce1108
Cox, Simon J.
0e62aaed-24ad-4a74-b996-f606e40e5c55

Doncaster, C. Patrick, Pound, Graeme E. and Cox, Simon J. (2003) Dynamics of regional coexistence for more or less equal competitors. Journal of Animal Ecology, 72 (1), 116-126. (doi:10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00687.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Competition between two species in a metapopulation involves each inhibiting the other's ability firstly to colonize an already occupied area and then to persist in it. Models for regional competition of this kind have 3-D dynamics, from which it has proved difficult to extract useful predictions except for special conditions. We introduce a 2-D general model for species that are equally vigorous at inhibiting the ability of others to remain in an occupied patch as to arrive there. The model covers the full spectrum of competitive interactions, from weak to strong and symmetrical to asymmetrical. Its Lotka–Volterra dynamics extend the general theory of competitive coexistence by generating clear predictions for community structure, amenable to cross-system comparisons and experimental manipulations.
Previous 2-D models of interactions between dominant and fugitive species are special cases of the 2-D general model. Moderately asymmetrical competition has two outcomes distinctly different from dominant–fugitive interactions, at both the scale of metapopulation and population: (i) slow growing and weak competitors coexist with faster growing superior competitors, albeit at reduced densities; and (b) habitat removal always yields relative gains in abundance for species with higher growth capacity, but the gains are absolute only for species subjected to competitive impacts that exceed within-species impacts. Extinctions of slow growing and weak competitors provide the most sensitive indication of habitat degradation, and their losses also have the least effect on community structure.
The 2-D general model further predicts that highly productive communities will tolerate differences between species in their capacity for population growth, whereas less productive communities will tolerate stronger competitive interactions between species. This prediction applies equally to a population of resource consumers as to a metapopulation of colonists. The model explicitly links local and regional population dynamics to r–K selection in community structure by predicting a prevalence of growth-orientated species in resource-poor habitats and competition-orientated species in resource-rich habitats.

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Published date: January 2003
Keywords: competitive coexistence, exploitation, habitat loss, predator–prey

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 22715
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/22715
ISSN: 0021-8790
PURE UUID: 516e0584-f7f6-4619-8723-901fdf7ace43
ORCID for C. Patrick Doncaster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-9406-0693

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Date deposited: 24 Mar 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:49

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Contributors

Author: Graeme E. Pound
Author: Simon J. Cox

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