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Eco-evolutionary dynamics of mutualists and exploiters.

Emily I Jones¹, Régis Ferrière, Judith L Bronstein

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. eijones@wsu.edu

The American Naturalist

|October 23, 2009

Summary

Mutualisms involving exploiters can lead to coevolutionary dynamics. This study models how mutualist and exploiter evolution impacts species coexistence and abundance, revealing conditions for stable interactions.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Theoretical Biology

Background:

Mutualisms are often complicated by the presence of exploiters.
Understanding the dynamics of mutualism with exploitation is crucial for ecological and evolutionary insights.
Obligate pollinating seed parasite mutualisms with nonpollinating exploiters serve as a key model system.

Purpose of the Study:

To model the coevolution between mutualist and exploiter birth rates.
To investigate the influence of coevolution on mutualist-exploiter coexistence, phenotypes, and species abundances.
To identify conditions promoting or hindering the stability of mutualistic systems with exploiters.

Main Methods:

Mathematical modeling of coevolutionary dynamics.
Analysis of mutualist and exploiter birth rates.
Examination of species interactions within an obligate pollinating seed parasite mutualism system.

Main Results:

Coevolution significantly influences mutualist-exploiter coexistence, phenotypes, and abundances.
Weak mutualist competition favors "evolutionary purging" of exploiters; weak exploiter competition leads to "evolutionary suicide."
Stable coexistence can result in persistent, parasitic exploiters with high mutualist densities, driven by mutualist evolution.

Conclusions:

Coevolutionary processes shape the outcomes of mutualisms with exploiters.
Specific competition levels dictate system stability, leading to purging or suicide.
Further empirical studies comparing populations with and without exploiters are needed to validate theoretical predictions.