Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Intrinsic time dependence in the diversity-invasibility relationship.
Graeme F Clark1, Emma L Johnston, Brian Leung
1Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 New South Wales, Australia. g.clark@unsw.edu.au
Ecology
|April 23, 2013
Summary
The invasion paradox, where experiments show negative diversity-invasibility links and surveys show positive, may be explained by temporal scale. Simulation models reveal that initial negative correlations shift to positive over time due to post-introduction processes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Invasion Biology
Background:
- The diversity-invasibility relationship presents contrasting patterns: negative in experiments and positive in field surveys, termed the "invasion paradox."
- While spatial scale is a proposed driver, field surveys show positive relationships across all spatial scales, challenging this hypothesis.
- Temporal dynamics of invasion processes may also contribute to the invasion paradox.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of temporal scale in the diversity-invasibility relationship using simulation models.
- To explore how invasion dynamics change over time and influence observed correlations between native and exotic species.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cellular automata simulation models to explore temporal changes in the diversity-invasibility relationship.
- Modeled invader colonization probability inversely related to native density.
- Simulated post-introduction processes including disturbance, dispersal, and recolonization.
Main Results:
- Initially, invader colonization showed a negative correlation with native density.
- Over time, shared post-introduction processes shifted the native-exotic correlation to positive.
- The rate of this temporal shift was primarily influenced by invader fecundity.
Conclusions:
- Temporal scale is a critical factor in resolving the invasion paradox.
- A unified conceptual model integrating both spatial and temporal scales is proposed for the diversity-invasibility relationship.
- Invader fecundity significantly affects the rate at which the diversity-invasibility relationship changes over time.
Related Concept Videos
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...
03:33Genetic Drift
Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
01:07Speciation Rates
Overview
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).
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.