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Related Experiment Videos

Alternative stable states and regional community structure.

Jonathan B Shurin1, Priyanga Amarasekare, Jonathan M Chase

  • 1National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California- Santa Barbara, 735 State St., Suite 300 Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA. shurin@zoology.ubc.ca

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|March 17, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Priority effects from alternative stable equilibria (ASE) are common in models but rare empirically. This study shows abiotic heterogeneity, not biotic, can maintain regional species coexistence despite local ASE.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Theoretical Ecology
  • Community Ecology

Background:

  • Models of species interactions often predict priority effects from alternative stable equilibria (ASE).
  • Empirical evidence for ASE is limited, potentially due to challenges in maintaining local ASE at regional scales.
  • Patch dynamic models are used to explore regional coexistence mechanisms for species with local ASE.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate mechanisms enabling regional coexistence of species exhibiting local alternative stable equilibria (ASE).
  • To differentiate the roles of biotic versus abiotic heterogeneity in maintaining regional species coexistence.

Main Methods:

  • Examined two mechanisms for regional coexistence in patch dynamic models: biotically generated heterogeneity and abiotic heterogeneity.

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  • Modeled habitat modification favoring conspecifics (biotic) and spatial variation in resource supply ratios (abiotic).
  • Analyzed outcomes under different environmental gradients and spatial scales.

    • Main Results:

    • Biotic heterogeneity led to regional exclusion of one species, creating alternative stable landscapes.
    • Abiotic heterogeneity, specifically resource supply ratio variation, facilitated local ASE and ensured regional coexistence with broad environmental gradients.
    • Abiotic heterogeneity can lead to regional exclusion if the dominant species' range is too small, while biotic heterogeneity can cause regional priority effects.

    Conclusions:

    • Abiotic heterogeneity, driven by resource supply gradients, is key for regional coexistence of species with local ASE.
    • Biotic heterogeneity promotes regional exclusion or priority effects, whereas abiotic heterogeneity can lead to regional determinism or coexistence.
    • Sufficiently broad environmental gradients in resource supply are crucial for the regional persistence of species demonstrating local ASE.