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Metacommunity assembly and sorting in newly formed lake communities
Michael R Allen1, Jessica N Vandyke, Carla E Caceres
1Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 515 Morrill Hall, 505 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. mrallen2@illinois.edu
Ecology
|May 31, 2011
Summary
Community assembly in lakes follows varied paths influenced by colonization history and environmental factors. Paleoecological data reveal how early species arrival shapes long-term ecological sorting and community structure over decades.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Paleolimnology
- Community Ecology
Background:
- Community assembly trajectories can diverge due to factors like dispersal, priority effects, species interactions, and environmental gradients.
- Understanding long-term community dynamics is challenging due to the difficulty in tracking colonization and composition over extended periods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cladoceran (zooplankton) community assembly dynamics in lakes with different formation dates.
- To determine how assembly history influences current community structure and ecological sorting patterns over decades.
Main Methods:
- Compiled multiyear community composition data.
- Reconstructed past cladoceran communities using remains from sediment cores.
- Analyzed community clustering along a thermal stratification gradient.
Main Results:
- Current cladoceran communities are structured by thermal stratification, influencing predation.
- Assembling communities showed increased species sorting and decreased spatial structure over time.
- Lake community assembly histories varied, with colonization sequences impacting trajectories, particularly the timing of small- vs. large-bodied cladoceran arrival.
Conclusions:
- Assembly history significantly influences natural community structure for decades.
- Combining contemporary data with paleoecological records provides insights into long-term ecological sorting processes.
- Colonization sequences and timing play a crucial role in shaping lake community development.
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