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How Prospecting for Informed Dispersal Shapes Biodiversity Patterns in a Metacommunity
Marie-Sophie Rohwäder1, Florian Jeltsch1,2
1Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Potsdam Potsdam Germany.
Ecology and Evolution
|July 8, 2026
Summary
Prospecting for future breeding sites influences species interactions and diversity in metacommunities. Informed dispersal decisions, driven by prospecting effort, mediate the relationship between dispersal rate and species diversity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Metacommunity Dynamics
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Prospecting for future breeding sites is crucial for informed dispersal decisions.
- Understanding how prospecting mediates species co-occurrence versus competitive exclusion is key to metacommunity dynamics.
- The dispersal-diversity relationship can be significantly altered by prospecting behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of prospecting in mediating species co-occurrence and competitive exclusion.
- To determine how prospecting effort influences the dispersal-diversity relationship in a metacommunity.
- To explore the impact of dispersal costs and heritable prospecting traits on metacommunity diversity.
Main Methods:
- Developed an individual-based model (IBM) simulating a small mammal metacommunity with 10 theoretical species.
- Incorporated local resource competition and regional breeding dispersal.
- Tested three scenarios of prospecting effort: uniform, interspecific, and intraspecific differences, including heritability and dispersal costs.
Main Results:
- Informed settlement significantly influenced the dispersal-diversity relationship, with higher prospecting effort leading to a hump-shaped curve.
- High prospecting effort resulted in increased competition and reduced establishment success for species with high resource demands.
- Dispersal costs reduced metacommunity diversity, but increased prospecting effort partially mitigated this loss; heritable prospecting traits at low levels maximized diversity.
Conclusions:
- Prospecting effort is a critical factor in shaping metacommunity diversity by mediating competitive interactions.
- Informed dispersal decisions, influenced by prospecting, are vital for maintaining species diversity in metacommunities.
- The interplay between prospecting, dispersal costs, and heritable traits significantly impacts metacommunity structure and diversity.
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