Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Asymmetric coevolutionary networks facilitate biodiversity maintenance
Jordi Bascompte1, Pedro Jordano, Jens M Olesen
1Integrative Ecology Group, Estaciòn Biològica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientìficas, Apartado 1056, E-41080 Sevilla, Spain. bascompte@ebd.csic.es
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 22, 2006
Summary
Plant-pollinator networks are highly asymmetric, meaning one species relies more on the other. This asymmetry may be key to maintaining biodiversity and allowing species to coexist long-term.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biodiversity Science
Background:
- Mutualistic interactions between plants and animals are crucial for maintaining biodiversity.
- Understanding the structure of these interactions is key to understanding ecosystem stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the architecture of quantitative mutualistic networks.
- To determine how coevolutionary interactions are shaped within species-rich communities.
- To explore the role of network asymmetry in biodiversity maintenance.
Main Methods:
- Characterized the architecture of quantitative mutualistic networks across a broad geographic range.
- Analyzed network asymmetry, where one species' dependence on another is disproportionate.
- Utilized a simple dynamical model to simulate network dynamics.
Main Results:
- Mutualistic networks exhibit high levels of asymmetry.
- In these networks, if a plant species strongly depends on an animal species, the animal species' dependence on the plant is weak.
- Network asymmetry was shown to potentially enhance long-term species coexistence.
Conclusions:
- Inherent asymmetries in coevolutionary networks can promote biodiversity maintenance.
- The structure of mutualistic interactions plays a significant role in ecosystem stability and species coexistence.
Related Concept Videos
00:57Inclusive Fitness
Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
02:39Gene Flow
Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
02:51Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...