Competition-colonization trade-offs and disturbance effects at multiple scales

• Published in: Ecology (Durham) 2007-04, Vol.88 (4), p.823-829
• Main Author: Cadotte, Marc William
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: abiotic stress; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; colonizing ability; Ecological competition; Ecological disturbance; Ecological genetics; Ecological succession; Ecology; Ecosystem; Eukaryota - growth & development; Eukaryota - physiology; Experiments; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; intermediate disturbance hypothesis; Marine ecology; metacommunity; Metapopulation ecology; microcosm; Microcosms; microhabitats; Microorganisms; Models, Biological; ponds; Population Dynamics; Population Growth; Porifera - growth & development; Porifera - physiology; prediction; Protozoa; provenance; regional vs. local; Rotifera; spatial data; spatial scale; Species; Species diversity; Species Specificity; succession; Synecology; Water - parasitology
• ISSN: 0012-9658; 1939-9170
• DOI: 10.1890/06-1117

The competition—colonization trade-off has long been a mechanism explaining patterns of species coexistence and diversity in nonequilibrium systems. It forms one explanation of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) for local communities—specifically that diversity should be maximized at intermediate disturbance frequencies, yet only a fraction of empirical studies support IDH predictions. Similarly, this trade-off is also a powerful explanation of coexistence at larger spatial scales. I show, with a microbial experimental system, that the diversity—disturbance relationship is dependent on the relative distribution of species along this trade-off. Here I show that, when species are skewed toward late-successional habits, local diversity declines with disturbance. Yet, despite this trait skew, diversity at scales larger than the patch appears insensitive to the trade-off distribution. Intermediate disturbance frequencies produce the greatest diversity in patch successional stage, thus benefiting the maximum number of species at larger scales.