| Crossing habitat boundaries: coupling dynamics of ecosystems through complex life cycles. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 18371091 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Ecosystems are often indirectly connected through consumers with complex life cycles (CLC), in which different life stages inhabit different ecosystems. Using a structured consumer resource model that accounts for the independent effects of two resources on consumer growth and reproductive rates, we show that such indirect connections between ecosystems can result in alternative stable states characterized by adult-dominated and juvenile-dominated consumer populations. As a consequence, gradual changes in ecosystem productivity or mortality rates of the consumer can lead to dramatic and abrupt regime shifts across different ecosystems, hysteresis and counterintuitive changes in the consumer abundances. Whether these counter intuitive or abrupt responses occur depend on the relative productivity of both habitats and which consumer life-stage inhabits the manipulated ecosystem. These results demonstrate the strong yet complex interactions between ecosystems coupled through consumers with CLC and the need to think across ecosystems to reliably predict the consequences of natural or anthropogenic changes. |
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Authors:
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Sebastian Schreiber; Volker H W Rudolf |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Date: 2008-03-26 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Ecology letters Volume: 11 ISSN: 1461-0248 ISO Abbreviation: Ecol. Lett. Publication Date: 2008 Jun |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2008-05-08 Completed Date: 2008-08-05 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 101121949 Medline TA: Ecol Lett Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 576-87 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sschreiber@ucdavis.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Age Factors Animals Computer Simulation Ecosystem* Life Cycle Stages / physiology* Models, Biological* Population Dynamics |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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