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Experimental evidence for a hidden network of higher-order interactions in a diverse arthropod community

Experimental evidence for a hidden network of higher-order interactions in a diverse arthropod community
Experimental evidence for a hidden network of higher-order interactions in a diverse arthropod community
Transcending pairwise interactions in ecological networks remains a challenge.1,2,3,4,5 Higher-order interactions (HOIs), the modulation of a pairwise interaction by a third species,6 are thought to play a particularly important role in stabilizing coexistence and maintaining species diversity.7,8,9,10,11,12 However, HOIs have so far only been demonstrated in models9,10,11,12,13,14 or isolated experimental systems including only a few interacting species.7,8,15 Their ubiquity and importance at a community level in the real world remain unknown. We hypothesized that a complex network of HOIs could be constantly modifying pairwise interactions and shaping ecological communities and that consequently the outcome of pairwise interactions would be a product of many influences from distinct sources. Using field experiments, we tested how multiple interactions within a diverse arthropod community associated with the tropical shrub Baccharis dracunculifolia D.C. (Asteraceae) were modified by the removal of ant species or live or hatched insect galls (a non-trophic engineering effect) of the dominant galler species. We revealed an extensive hidden network of HOIs modifying each other and the “visible” pairwise interactions. Most pairwise interactions were affected indirectly by the manipulation of non-interacting taxonomic groups. The pervasiveness of these interaction modifications challenges pairwise approaches to understanding interaction outcomes and could shift our thinking about the structure and persistence of ecological communities. Investigating coexistence mechanisms involving interaction modulation by HOIs may be key to elucidating the underlying causes of the stability and persistence of ecological communities.
0960-9822
Barbosa, Milton
ea133eb1-5201-467d-8391-61ae9159e0e3
Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson
04c654dd-bd98-4825-8672-80a82ddb9707
Morris, Rebecca J
f63d9be3-e08f-4251-b6a0-43b312d3997e
Barbosa, Milton
ea133eb1-5201-467d-8391-61ae9159e0e3
Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson
04c654dd-bd98-4825-8672-80a82ddb9707
Morris, Rebecca J
f63d9be3-e08f-4251-b6a0-43b312d3997e

Barbosa, Milton, Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson and Morris, Rebecca J (2022) Experimental evidence for a hidden network of higher-order interactions in a diverse arthropod community. Current Biology. (doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.057).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Transcending pairwise interactions in ecological networks remains a challenge.1,2,3,4,5 Higher-order interactions (HOIs), the modulation of a pairwise interaction by a third species,6 are thought to play a particularly important role in stabilizing coexistence and maintaining species diversity.7,8,9,10,11,12 However, HOIs have so far only been demonstrated in models9,10,11,12,13,14 or isolated experimental systems including only a few interacting species.7,8,15 Their ubiquity and importance at a community level in the real world remain unknown. We hypothesized that a complex network of HOIs could be constantly modifying pairwise interactions and shaping ecological communities and that consequently the outcome of pairwise interactions would be a product of many influences from distinct sources. Using field experiments, we tested how multiple interactions within a diverse arthropod community associated with the tropical shrub Baccharis dracunculifolia D.C. (Asteraceae) were modified by the removal of ant species or live or hatched insect galls (a non-trophic engineering effect) of the dominant galler species. We revealed an extensive hidden network of HOIs modifying each other and the “visible” pairwise interactions. Most pairwise interactions were affected indirectly by the manipulation of non-interacting taxonomic groups. The pervasiveness of these interaction modifications challenges pairwise approaches to understanding interaction outcomes and could shift our thinking about the structure and persistence of ecological communities. Investigating coexistence mechanisms involving interaction modulation by HOIs may be key to elucidating the underlying causes of the stability and persistence of ecological communities.

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barbosa_etal_manuscript_2022_11_21 - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 23 November 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 December 2022

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 473178
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/473178
ISSN: 0960-9822
PURE UUID: cd20a2d7-78e8-480c-a040-293e87abe936
ORCID for Rebecca J Morris: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0020-5327

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Date deposited: 11 Jan 2023 17:55
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:36

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Contributors

Author: Milton Barbosa
Author: Geraldo Wilson Fernandes

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