2020/02/11 by Fernanda S. Valdovinos, Valdovinos, Fernanda S., Robert Marsland +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Plant and animal studies #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Plant Parasitism and Resistance
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2002.04484
Contemporary Niche Theory is a useful framework for understanding how\norganisms interact with each other and with their shared environment. Its\ngraphical representation, popularized by Tilman's Resource Ratio Hypothesis,\nfacilitates the analysis of the equilibrium structure of complex dynamical\nmodels including species coexistence. This theory has been applied primarily to\nresource competition since its early beginnings. Here, we integrate mutualism\ninto niche theory by expanding Tilman's graphical representation to the\nanalysis of consumer-resource dynamics of plant-pollinator networks. We\ngraphically explain the qualitative phenomena previously found by numerical\nsimulations, including the effects on community dynamics of nestedness,\nadaptive foraging, and pollinator invasions. Our graphical approach promotes\nthe unification of niche and network theories, and deepens the synthesis of\ndifferent types of interactions within a consumer-resource framework.\n