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Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions.
Hsun-Yi Hsieh1,2,3,4, John Vandermeer5,6, Ivette Perfecto6
1Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. hhsieh@umich.edu.
Scientific Reports
|November 13, 2022
Summary
Higher-order interactions (HOIs) significantly impact species dynamics. Second-degree HOIs drastically reduce beetle survival and skew sex ratios towards females, revealing complex ecological effects.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Dynamics
Background:
- Species interactions often occur in complex networks, not just simple pairs.
- Existing theories struggle to predict outcomes in multi-interaction systems.
- Higher-order interactions (HOIs) can significantly influence population dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of cascading HOIs on a focal species' population dynamics.
- To analyze how none, one, and two HOIs impact parasitism and sex ratio in a beetle species.
- To understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of complex interaction networks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a model system involving a beetle, wasp, ant, and fly.
- Conducted mesocosm experiments to observe beetle survival and sex ratio under varying HOIs.
- Applied Bayes' theorem to analyze per capita survival probabilities for male and female beetles.
Main Results:
- First-degree HOIs showed no significant effect on beetle survival or sex ratio.
- Second-degree HOIs significantly decreased beetle survival rates.
- Second-degree HOIs shifted the beetle's sex ratio from even to strongly female-biased.
Conclusions:
- Complex eco-evolutionary dynamics, driven by HOIs, can lead to unexpected population outcomes.
- HOIs, particularly second-degree ones, play a crucial role in regulating species' sex ratios.
- The complexity of second-degree HOIs is likely widespread and warrants further scientific investigation.
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