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Intraguild predation enhances biodiversity and functioning in complex food webs.

Shaopeng Wang1, Ulrich Brose2,3, Dominique Gravel4

  • 1Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Bejing, 100871, China.

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Summary

Intraguild predation (IGP) increases species diversity and ecosystem functioning by altering energy flows. Food webs balance energy transfer efficiency with persistence, challenging previous assumptions about maximizing energy transfer.

Keywords:
biodiversityecosystem functioningenergy fluxfood websintraguild predation (IGP)network structuretrophic dynamics

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Food Web Dynamics
  • Ecosystem Functioning

Background:

  • Intraguild predation (IGP) involves consumers sharing resources, impacting food web structure and energy flow.
  • IGP can expand niche space and influence species diversity and ecosystem dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of intraguild predation (IGP) on species diversity and ecosystem functioning using food-web models.
  • To explore how varying strengths of IGP influence energy fluxes and biomass distribution across trophic levels.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated five-species food-web modules with varying IGP strengths at herbivore and/or carnivore levels.
  • Extended simulations to more diverse food webs to validate initial findings.
  • Analyzed changes in species diversity, total biomass, and energy fluxes in response to IGP.

Main Results:

  • Increased IGP strength led to higher species diversity and total biomass across trophic levels.
  • IGP altered energy fluxes, with increased biomass in resource levels due to predation release.
  • The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning was strengthened by IGP.

Conclusions:

  • Food web assembly is governed by a balance between energy transfer efficiency and ecological persistence, not solely efficiency.
  • IGP plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
  • Findings reconcile contrasting results from previous food-chain and food-web models regarding biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.