The Labile Limits of Forbidden Interactions.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Trait-based Ecology

Background:

• Forbidden links describe pairwise interactions prevented by species' biological traits.
• The role of intraspecific trait variation in these interactions is often neglected.
• Current trait-based frameworks often use mean trait values, potentially oversimplifying complex ecological relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of intraspecific trait variation on the concept of forbidden links.
• To highlight how ontogenetic and spatiotemporal trait variability influences interaction prevalence.
• To assess the limitations of current trait-based models for inferring biotic interactions.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the forbidden link concept.
• Examination of how intraspecific trait variability affects interaction predictions.
• Discussion of behavioral influences on interactions.
• Critique of trait-based frameworks using mean trait values.

Main Results:

• Intraspecific trait variability, across scales and ontogeny, reduces the expected prevalence of forbidden interactions.
• Behavior can facilitate interactions that traits alone would predict as forbidden.
• Frameworks relying solely on mean trait values can lead to significant mispredictions of biotic interactions.

Conclusions:

• Intraspecific trait variability is crucial for accurately understanding forbidden links.
• Behavioral plasticity can override trait-based predictions.
• Ecological models must incorporate intraspecific variability for robust community dynamic inferences.
• Field validation guided by refined models is essential.