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Coexistence theory and the frequency-dependence of priority effects
Po-Ju Ke1, Andrew D Letten2,3,4
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. pojuke@stanford.edu.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|October 10, 2018
Summary
Priority effects, the order species arrive, impact ecological communities. Only priority effects with positive frequency-dependence are compatible with coexistence theory, regardless of system type.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Ecological Theory
Background:
- Priority effects describe how the order of species arrival influences ecological community properties like diversity, composition, and function.
- Existing research suggests reframing priority effects within the framework of coexistence theory, specifically focusing on stabilizing and equalizing mechanisms.
- Understanding the precise conditions under which priority effects promote or hinder species coexistence is crucial for ecological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the compatibility of different types of priority effects with core concepts of coexistence theory.
- To determine which specific characteristics of priority effects align with stabilizing and equalizing forces in ecological communities.
- To clarify the role of frequency-dependence in mediating the long-term effects of species arrival order.
Main Methods:
- The study theoretically analyzes the relationship between priority effects and coexistence mechanisms.
- It examines how different forms of priority effects, particularly those involving frequency-dependence, interact with stabilizing and equalizing processes.
- The analysis considers both equilibrium and non-equilibrium ecological systems.
Main Results:
- The research demonstrates that only priority effects exhibiting positive frequency-dependence are compatible with coexistence theory.
- This finding holds true irrespective of whether the ecological system is in equilibrium or not.
- Priority effects not characterized by positive frequency-dependence are inconsistent with the stabilizing and equalizing concepts of coexistence.
Conclusions:
- The study concludes that positive frequency-dependence is a critical characteristic for priority effects to be considered compatible with coexistence theory.
- This provides a unifying framework for understanding priority effects across diverse ecological contexts.
- Future research should focus on empirical validation of these theoretical links between priority effects and coexistence mechanisms.
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