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Neutral theory of cooperative dynamics.

Jordi Piñero1, Artemy Kolchinsky2,3,4, Sidney Redner5

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.

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Summary

This study introduces a neutral theory for cooperator species, revealing that cooperation is key to maintaining biodiversity. A core of cooperating species ensures a diverse pool of long-lived species, even with low migration rates.

Keywords:
cooperationmutualismneutral theorystochastic processestheoretical ecology

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Theoretical Biology
  • Biodiversity Science

Background:

  • Mutualistic interactions are fundamental to ecosystem structure and biodiversity.
  • Cooperation, alongside competition, shapes complex ecosystems and their robustness.
  • Existing neutral theories often overlook the crucial role of interspecies cooperation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a stochastic neutral theory incorporating species cooperation for replication.
  • To investigate how cooperation influences species abundance distributions and biodiversity.
  • To explore the implications of cooperative dynamics in ecological and synthetic systems.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a novel stochastic neutral model where species replication depends on cooperation.
  • Analyzed the model's species-abundance distribution under varying migration rates.
  • Derived analytical expressions for steady-state distributions, diversity, and species residence times.

Main Results:

  • The model predicts a bimodal species-abundance distribution with low migration, driven by a core of cooperating species.
  • This cooperating core sustains a diverse community of long-lived species, even at minimal migration.
  • High migration rates cause the model to converge with classic neutral biodiversity theory.

Conclusions:

  • Cooperation is a critical factor in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem stability.
  • The proposed neutral theory of cooperators offers insights into microbiome dynamics, synthetic biology, and abiogenesis.
  • This framework highlights the importance of cooperative interactions in ecological resilience.