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Interaction modifications lead to greater robustness than pairwise non-trophic effects in food webs

Interaction modifications lead to greater robustness than pairwise non-trophic effects in food webs
Interaction modifications lead to greater robustness than pairwise non-trophic effects in food webs
1.Considerable emphasis has been placed recently on the importance of incorporating non-trophic effects in to our understanding of ecological networks. Interaction modifications are well established as generating strong non-trophic impacts by modulating the strength of inter-specific interactions.
2.For simplicity and comparison with direct interactions within a network context, the consequences of interaction modifications have often been described as direct pairwise interactions. The consequences of this assumption have not been examined in non-equilibrium settings where unexpected consequences of interaction modifications are most likely.
3.To test the distinct dynamic nature of these ‘higher-order’ effects we directly compare, using dynamic simulations, the robustness to extinctions under perturbation of systems where interaction modifications are either explicitly modelled or represented by corresponding equivalent pairwise non-trophic interactions.
4.Full, multi-species representations of interaction modifications resulted in a greater robustness to extinctions compared to equivalent pairwise effects. Explanations for this increased stability despite apparent greater dynamic complexity can be found in additional routes for dynamic feedbacks. Furthermore, interaction modifications changed the relative vulnerability of species to extinction from those trophically connected close to the perturbed species towards those receiving a large number of modifications.
5.Future empirical and theoretical research into non-trophic effects should distinguish interaction modifications from direct pairwise effects in order to maximise information about the system dynamics. Interaction modifications have the potential to shift expectations of species vulnerability based exclusively on trophic networks.
0021-8790
1732-1742
Terry, J. Christopher. D
45080e50-8452-43a1-8caa-3c08912e9e09
Morris, Rebecca J
f63d9be3-e08f-4251-b6a0-43b312d3997e
Bonsall, Michael B.
d0b21c0f-ede4-40e9-91a2-4fe41a06d3c6
Terry, J. Christopher. D
45080e50-8452-43a1-8caa-3c08912e9e09
Morris, Rebecca J
f63d9be3-e08f-4251-b6a0-43b312d3997e
Bonsall, Michael B.
d0b21c0f-ede4-40e9-91a2-4fe41a06d3c6

Terry, J. Christopher. D, Morris, Rebecca J and Bonsall, Michael B. (2019) Interaction modifications lead to greater robustness than pairwise non-trophic effects in food webs. Journal of Animal Ecology, 88 (11), 1732-1742. (doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13057).

Record type: Article

Abstract

1.Considerable emphasis has been placed recently on the importance of incorporating non-trophic effects in to our understanding of ecological networks. Interaction modifications are well established as generating strong non-trophic impacts by modulating the strength of inter-specific interactions.
2.For simplicity and comparison with direct interactions within a network context, the consequences of interaction modifications have often been described as direct pairwise interactions. The consequences of this assumption have not been examined in non-equilibrium settings where unexpected consequences of interaction modifications are most likely.
3.To test the distinct dynamic nature of these ‘higher-order’ effects we directly compare, using dynamic simulations, the robustness to extinctions under perturbation of systems where interaction modifications are either explicitly modelled or represented by corresponding equivalent pairwise non-trophic interactions.
4.Full, multi-species representations of interaction modifications resulted in a greater robustness to extinctions compared to equivalent pairwise effects. Explanations for this increased stability despite apparent greater dynamic complexity can be found in additional routes for dynamic feedbacks. Furthermore, interaction modifications changed the relative vulnerability of species to extinction from those trophically connected close to the perturbed species towards those receiving a large number of modifications.
5.Future empirical and theoretical research into non-trophic effects should distinguish interaction modifications from direct pairwise effects in order to maximise information about the system dynamics. Interaction modifications have the potential to shift expectations of species vulnerability based exclusively on trophic networks.

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Terry et al 2019 author accepted manuscript for Journal of Animal Ecology - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 10 June 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 9 July 2019
Published date: November 2019

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 432205
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/432205
ISSN: 0021-8790
PURE UUID: c8a1312f-2095-45c3-b6c6-dc7c6cd04736
ORCID for Rebecca J Morris: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0020-5327

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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:58

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Contributors

Author: J. Christopher. D Terry
Author: Michael B. Bonsall

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