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Published on: October 29, 2016
Competition-colonization dynamics in experimental bacterial metacommunities.
George Livingston1, Miguel Matias, Vincent Calcagno
1Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution - CNRS UMR 5554 - Université de Montpellier II, CC 065 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 05, France. glivingston@utexas.edu
Nature Communications
|December 6, 2012
Summary
Species coexistence is explained by the competition-colonization trade-off. This study experimentally validates this theory in bacteria, showing landscape changes impact diversity and productivity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Microbial Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The competition-colonization trade-off hypothesis posits that species can coexist if they balance competitive ability with colonization rates.
- Despite theoretical support, empirical validation of these dynamics, especially under landscape change, remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally test the competition-colonization trade-off dynamics in a controlled bacterial metacommunity.
- To investigate the influence of landscape change on species coexistence and community productivity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a controlled experimental metacommunity of two Pseudomonas bacterial strains.
- Directly manipulated trade-off strength and colonization rates to simulate various coexistence scenarios.
- Introduced habitat destruction to assess responses under changing landscape conditions.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated competition-colonization dynamics that align with theoretical predictions.
- Demonstrated that landscape change significantly influences coexistence patterns.
- Observed a negative relationship between community diversity and productivity at the metacommunity level.
Conclusions:
- Provides the first experimental illustration of competition-colonization dynamics, confirming theoretical predictions.
- Highlights the critical role of landscape change in modulating species coexistence.
- Suggests that increased biodiversity may not always lead to higher overall productivity in metacommunities.
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