Environmental coupling in ecosystems: From oscillation quenching to rhythmogenesis

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Theoretical Ecology
• Mathematical Biology

Background:

• Landscape fragmentation is a key driver of ecosystem change.
• Understanding ecosystem diversity and stability in dynamic, fragmented habitats remains challenging.
• Species dispersal and environmental fluctuations significantly impact ecological networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model consumer-resource interactions in a fragmented landscape with species dispersal.
• To investigate the effects of a common dynamic environment on ecological network stability.
• To characterize collective behaviors arising from coupled ecological patches.

Main Methods:

• Developed a ring-type coupled network model for consumer-resource dynamics.
• Incorporated mechanisms of within-patch interaction, between-patch interaction, and common dynamic environment.
• Analyzed system dynamics, including oscillations, steady states, and bifurcations.

Main Results:

• Observed various collective behaviors, including rhythmogenesis (oscillation generation) and oscillation suppression (amplitude/oscillation death).
• Demonstrated that the interplay between dynamic environments and dispersal drives these behaviors.
• Identified a codimension-2 bifurcation for transitions between homogeneous and inhomogeneous steady states.
• Revealed a synchrony-stability relationship with in-phase and out-of-phase synchronization.

Conclusions:

• The coupled ecological model highlights the critical role of dynamic environments and dispersal in shaping ecosystem stability.
• Spatially extended systems exhibit complex collective behaviors, including synchronization phenomena.
• The findings provide insights into the intricate dynamics of fragmented ecosystems and their stability.