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When Do Trait-Based Higher Order Interactions and Individual Variation Promote Robust Species Coexistence?

Gaurav Baruah¹, György Barabás^2,3, Robert John⁴

¹Faculty of Biology, Theoretical Biology University of Bielefeld Bielefeld Germany.

Ecology and Evolution

|April 28, 2025

Summary

Higher-order interactions (HOIs) in ecological communities, especially trait-mediated ones, rarely promote species coexistence. Trait-based HOIs can create robust communities but often hinder diversity, suggesting complex interactions are key for coexistence.

Keywords:

Eco‐evolutionary dynamics higher order interactions intraspecific variation species coexistence stability trait clustering

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Theoretical Ecology

Background:

Ecological models often simplify interactions to pairwise competition.
Higher-order interactions (HOIs), where a third species affects a pairwise interaction, are increasingly recognized but their structure is poorly understood.
HOIs could be mediated by species traits, potentially creating structured interaction patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of trait-mediated higher-order interactions (HOIs) on species diversity, community structure, and coexistence.
To compare models of competition alleviated by trait distance versus hierarchical competition.
To analyze the role of individual variation and trait-based HOIs in community dynamics.

Main Methods:

Developed models incorporating both pairwise and trait-mediated HOIs.
Considered two classes of HOIs: trait distance-dependent competition and hierarchical competition.
Integrated evolutionary dynamics using quantitative genetics.
Analyzed the impact on species diversity, community patterns, and robustness of coexistence.

Main Results:

Trait-mediated HOIs generally hinder, rather than promote, species coexistence, with exceptions noted.
Communities structured by competitive trait hierarchies are vulnerable to perturbations, irrespective of HOIs.
Trait-based HOIs with distance-dependent competition yield the most robust communities, with less impact from individual variation.
Both individual variation and HOIs lead to a more even distribution of species traits.

Conclusions:

Trait-mediated HOIs promote coexistence only under specific conditions.
The effective interaction kernel, shaped by pairwise and HOI terms, predicts community outcomes.
Future research should explore if multi-trait HOIs are necessary to positively influence coexistence in competitive communities.