Consequences of intraspecific variation for the structure and function of ecological communities Part 1. Model development and predicted patterns of diversity
Authored by John W Crawford, James L Bown, Elizaveta Pachepsky, Alistair Eberst, Ursula Bausenwein, Peter Millard, Geoff R Squire
Date Published: 2007
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.05.004
Sponsors:
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Flow charts
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Biodiversity is generally accepted to include both within species and
between species variation. Consequently, the contribution to the
functioning of ecosystems of variation among individuals should be
accounted for. However, very little is known about patterns of diversity
below the species level, and less still about the patterns of individual
diversity and their relation to ecosystem context and community
function. We present a model for the dynamics of individuals that is
physiologically based and spatially explicit. Individuals are defined in
terms of measurable parameters that relate environmental context to
phenotype and in this sense define the genotype. Estimates for the
variation in the parameter values are obtained from experiments
conducted on the species Rumex acetosa. Simulations are performed to
predict the form of the relative abundance distribution, and the
dependence of the predicted number of coexisting genotypes on patch area
(the genotype-area curve). We find that the predicted forms of the
abundance distribution and genotype-area curve are indistinguishable
from those measured at the species level. Furthermore, we identify the
importance of physiological trade-offs at the individual level in
promoting diversity and the sensitivity of genotype richness to the
degree of similarity of individuals in the community. The extension of
the model to include inter-species variation is discussed. (C) 2007
Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.
Tags
Productivity
Biodiversity
ecosystems
systems
architecture
allocation
Nitrogen