Neutral theory of cooperative dynamics

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.