Aims Ecosystem engineers substantially modify the environment via their impact on abiotic conditions and the biota,resulting in facilitation of associated species that would not otherwise grow.Yet,reciprocal effects a...Aims Ecosystem engineers substantially modify the environment via their impact on abiotic conditions and the biota,resulting in facilitation of associated species that would not otherwise grow.Yet,reciprocal effects are poorly understood as studies of plant–plant interactions usually estimate only benefits for associated species,while how another trophic level may mediate direct and indirect feedback effects for ecosystem engineers is hardly considered.Methods We ran a field experiment with two ecosystem engineers(Arenaria tetraquetra and Hormathophylla spinosa)blooming either alone or with associated plants to decompose net effects and to test the hypothesis that pollinator-mediated interactions provide benefits that balance costs of facilitation by ecosystem engineers.Important Findings We found that net costs of facilitation are accompanied by pollinator-mediated benefits.Despite ecosystem engineers producing fewer flowers per plant,they were visited by more and more diverse pollinators per flower when blooming with associated plants than when blooming alone.Although seed production per plant was higher when ecosystem engineers bloomed alone,fruit set and seed set varied between species.In one case(A.tetraquetra),fruit and seed sets were negatively affected by the presence of associated plants,whereas,in another case(H.spinosa),fruit set and seed set were higher and unaffected when ecosystem engineers bloomed with associated plants,respectively.Our findings suggest that besides experiencing direct costs,ecosystem engineers can also benefit from facilitating other species via increasing their own visibility to pollinators.Thus,we highlight that pollination interactions can compensate for costs of facilitation depending on ecosystem engineer species.This study illuminates how the outcome of direct plant–plant interactions might be mediated by indirect interactions including third players.展开更多
Measurements of concentrations of easily extractable soil nitrogen(N) were carried out on samples collected at the Heron Wood Reserve,Scotland,concurrently with investigations of N associated with total microbial biom...Measurements of concentrations of easily extractable soil nitrogen(N) were carried out on samples collected at the Heron Wood Reserve,Scotland,concurrently with investigations of N associated with total microbial biomass and the abundances of bacteria,fungi,and invertebrates.Soil biota at the studied site appeared to be limited by N.There was a remarkable difference between the ambient(i.e.,easily extractable N) and biomass nitrogen.The abundance data of bacteria,protozoa and nematodes significantly negatively correlated with ambient N but showed positive correlations with the total microbial N content.There were,however,remarkable differences between the correlation patterns exhibited by the fungal and the bacterial pathways,as fungi did not show any correlations with chemical variables.These differences should be taken into account whilst interpreting biological interactions both at this important site and elsewhere.展开更多
We consider a model of the exploitative competition of two micro-organisms for two complementary nutrients in a chemostat and take into account the interspecific interac- tion. The growth functions occurring in the mo...We consider a model of the exploitative competition of two micro-organisms for two complementary nutrients in a chemostat and take into account the interspecific interac- tion. The growth functions occurring in the model are of general type and the interaction functions are monotonic and positive. By the mean of the Thieme-Zhao theorem, we establish conditions for uniform persistence of the model.展开更多
基金supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation[grant numbers 148261,170645 and 180195]by the ETH Biocommunication group.
文摘Aims Ecosystem engineers substantially modify the environment via their impact on abiotic conditions and the biota,resulting in facilitation of associated species that would not otherwise grow.Yet,reciprocal effects are poorly understood as studies of plant–plant interactions usually estimate only benefits for associated species,while how another trophic level may mediate direct and indirect feedback effects for ecosystem engineers is hardly considered.Methods We ran a field experiment with two ecosystem engineers(Arenaria tetraquetra and Hormathophylla spinosa)blooming either alone or with associated plants to decompose net effects and to test the hypothesis that pollinator-mediated interactions provide benefits that balance costs of facilitation by ecosystem engineers.Important Findings We found that net costs of facilitation are accompanied by pollinator-mediated benefits.Despite ecosystem engineers producing fewer flowers per plant,they were visited by more and more diverse pollinators per flower when blooming with associated plants than when blooming alone.Although seed production per plant was higher when ecosystem engineers bloomed alone,fruit set and seed set varied between species.In one case(A.tetraquetra),fruit and seed sets were negatively affected by the presence of associated plants,whereas,in another case(H.spinosa),fruit set and seed set were higher and unaffected when ecosystem engineers bloomed with associated plants,respectively.Our findings suggest that besides experiencing direct costs,ecosystem engineers can also benefit from facilitating other species via increasing their own visibility to pollinators.Thus,we highlight that pollination interactions can compensate for costs of facilitation depending on ecosystem engineer species.This study illuminates how the outcome of direct plant–plant interactions might be mediated by indirect interactions including third players.
基金Supported by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC),UKthe European Social Fund (ESF),UK.
文摘Measurements of concentrations of easily extractable soil nitrogen(N) were carried out on samples collected at the Heron Wood Reserve,Scotland,concurrently with investigations of N associated with total microbial biomass and the abundances of bacteria,fungi,and invertebrates.Soil biota at the studied site appeared to be limited by N.There was a remarkable difference between the ambient(i.e.,easily extractable N) and biomass nitrogen.The abundance data of bacteria,protozoa and nematodes significantly negatively correlated with ambient N but showed positive correlations with the total microbial N content.There were,however,remarkable differences between the correlation patterns exhibited by the fungal and the bacterial pathways,as fungi did not show any correlations with chemical variables.These differences should be taken into account whilst interpreting biological interactions both at this important site and elsewhere.
文摘We consider a model of the exploitative competition of two micro-organisms for two complementary nutrients in a chemostat and take into account the interspecific interac- tion. The growth functions occurring in the model are of general type and the interaction functions are monotonic and positive. By the mean of the Thieme-Zhao theorem, we establish conditions for uniform persistence of the model.
