Speaker
Description
Competition for shared resources has been shown to support species coexistence given trade-offs between resource consumption and resource supply. However, the number of coexisting species cannot exceed the number of resources when the latter do not vary over time. Allowing for resource fluctuations overcomes this competitive exclusion limitation and two species can coexist on a single resource. The trade-offs required are similar to those in the constant resource case, though certain subtleties distinguish the variable environment case and highlight the complexity of species coexistence. We present a graphical analysis of pair-wise species coexistence competing for a single resource, which fluctuates due to external environmental variability. We explore how differences in the growth functions of the two competitors can alter the likelihood of coexistence. Further, we demonstrate how positive feedbacks between the growth functions and resource fluctuations can induce priority effects. Finally, our analysis illustrates how species do not simply exist in an environment. Rather they shape it in ways that can make it favourable or unsuitable for other species. These, other species, further alter the environment creating a dialectical species-environment relationship. Our study links existing mathematical explorations and long-standing ecological intuition to elucidate how resource variability can support multi-species coexistence. We hope this analysis will help clarify the agreement and divergence between different theories of competition-mediated coexistence, ultimately pointing towards future research directions that will enhance our understanding of biodiversity responses to changing environments.
| Status Group | Postdoctoral Researcher |
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