Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOFOODWEB (Integrating biogeography and food web ecology to understand the influence of species diet breadth on their range size.)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-03-01 al 2024-02-29
Understanding the patterns of species range distributions and the mechanisms regulating them is at the basis of fundamental knowledge on species’ vulnerability to extinction in an increasingly modified world. Biogeographical studies analysing species range sizes have traditionally ignored the role of species interactions in determining large-scale biogeographical patterns.
BIOFOODWEB aims at bridging the gap between biogeographical studies and community ecology by disentangling the influence of species interactions in determining species geographical range size (i.e. the extent of its spatial distribution). Species geographical range size has been a central aspect of biogeographic research. Multiple studies have attempted to explain the variation in geographical range size across species using niche breadth (i.e. the set of environments or resources that it can inhabit or use). Intuitively, the wider the variety of conditions in which it can survive, the more widespread it will be, leading to a positive relationship between niche breadth and geographical range size. Yet, species niche breadth is a multidimensional concept. While some dimensions of the niche, such as habitat use or environmental tolerance, have been more prominently tested as predictors of species range size, the influence of diet breadth (i.e. set of interacting partners a species has) has been seldom explored.
The major goal of this project is to establish a general understanding of the relationship between species diet breadth and its range size. BIOFOODWEB aims to determine the role of spatial and biogeographical processes in this relationship, which is key to predict the response of the spatial distribution of species on earth to global environmental change. So far, a major obstacle to obtain a general understanding of the relationship between diet breadth and range size has been the lack of big datasets containing information on biotic interactions across large biogeographical gradients. BIOFOODWEB draws on novel datasets, combined with the development of new theoretical tools, to propose an integrative approach capable of bridging the gap between biogeographical studies and species interaction networks.
BIOFOODWEB aims at bridging the gap between biogeographical studies and community ecology by disentangling the influence of species interactions in determining species geographical range size (i.e. the extent of its spatial distribution). Species geographical range size has been a central aspect of biogeographic research. Multiple studies have attempted to explain the variation in geographical range size across species using niche breadth (i.e. the set of environments or resources that it can inhabit or use). Intuitively, the wider the variety of conditions in which it can survive, the more widespread it will be, leading to a positive relationship between niche breadth and geographical range size. Yet, species niche breadth is a multidimensional concept. While some dimensions of the niche, such as habitat use or environmental tolerance, have been more prominently tested as predictors of species range size, the influence of diet breadth (i.e. set of interacting partners a species has) has been seldom explored.
The major goal of this project is to establish a general understanding of the relationship between species diet breadth and its range size. BIOFOODWEB aims to determine the role of spatial and biogeographical processes in this relationship, which is key to predict the response of the spatial distribution of species on earth to global environmental change. So far, a major obstacle to obtain a general understanding of the relationship between diet breadth and range size has been the lack of big datasets containing information on biotic interactions across large biogeographical gradients. BIOFOODWEB draws on novel datasets, combined with the development of new theoretical tools, to propose an integrative approach capable of bridging the gap between biogeographical studies and species interaction networks.
The project has been articulated around four work packages. In the first work package I studied the relationship between species diet breadth and species range size. The analyses resulted in the publication of a scientific article in the high impact journal 'Global Ecology and Biogeography' entitled: 'Climate or diet? The importance of biotic interactions in determining species range size'. This study offered new insights into the importance of biotic interactions in determining species spatial distributions. We found that species with larger ranges have more interactions locally and they are also able to interact with a larger diversity of species across sites, resulting in a larger number of interactions at continental scales. I organised a symposium at the International Biogeography Society 11th Biennial Conference, Prague, January 2024 to disseminate and further develop the results of this project.
In the second work package, I analysed the interplay between the spatial distribution of species and their biotic interactions and the influence of the spatial scale of observation. For that, I developed a theoretical framework able to link the distribution of species across space and their biotic interactions, and tested the theoretical predictions with empirical data extracted from the literature. This resulted in a scientific article published in Nature Ecology and Evolution entitled: 'Power laws in species’ biotic interaction networks can be inferred from co-occurrence data'. This work elucidates the importance of the interplay between the spatial distribution of species and their biotic interactions for the assembly of ecological communities. We found that only 20% of co-occurrences correspond to actual interactions. Moreover, we showed that super-generalist species, possessing both broad environmental tolerance and diet generality, interact with a disproportionately large number of the species they co-occur with, leading to ecological networks with scale-free power law degree distributions. These findings represent an important advancement in understanding community assembly while providing unexpectedly realistic predictions of biotic interaction networks based on species co-occurrence information alone. This work has been presented in several national and international seminars.
The third work package was devoted to the analyses of the geographical variation of the relationship between species diet breadth and range size and the influence of different environmental variables. This work package led to the exhaustive examination of the literature to understand the differences across biomes in the relationship between species diet breadth and range size, and to identify the environmental factors affecting biotic interactions. All the knowledge acquired during the literature examination resulted in a review paper that is close to submission. In this review paper we identify the mechanisms by which biotic interactions affect large scale biogeographical patterns, how environmental gradients affect biotic interactions and how, in turn, these biotic interactions affect the environmental factors.
The fourth work package was focused around the development of a theoretical framework and causality inference of the relationship between diet breadth, range size and the environment. This work package has nourished several of the other work packages. For the proper development of this work package I received formation on species distribution modelling and machine learning techniques. I developed null model analyses that allowed us to infer causality in the relationship between species biotic interactions and their range size, and I developed a theoretical framework that establishes the basis of the relationship between species biotic interactions and their spatial distribution. I have also expanded this theoretical framework to understand how habitat loss will affect the relationship between species distributions and their biotic interactions.
In the second work package, I analysed the interplay between the spatial distribution of species and their biotic interactions and the influence of the spatial scale of observation. For that, I developed a theoretical framework able to link the distribution of species across space and their biotic interactions, and tested the theoretical predictions with empirical data extracted from the literature. This resulted in a scientific article published in Nature Ecology and Evolution entitled: 'Power laws in species’ biotic interaction networks can be inferred from co-occurrence data'. This work elucidates the importance of the interplay between the spatial distribution of species and their biotic interactions for the assembly of ecological communities. We found that only 20% of co-occurrences correspond to actual interactions. Moreover, we showed that super-generalist species, possessing both broad environmental tolerance and diet generality, interact with a disproportionately large number of the species they co-occur with, leading to ecological networks with scale-free power law degree distributions. These findings represent an important advancement in understanding community assembly while providing unexpectedly realistic predictions of biotic interaction networks based on species co-occurrence information alone. This work has been presented in several national and international seminars.
The third work package was devoted to the analyses of the geographical variation of the relationship between species diet breadth and range size and the influence of different environmental variables. This work package led to the exhaustive examination of the literature to understand the differences across biomes in the relationship between species diet breadth and range size, and to identify the environmental factors affecting biotic interactions. All the knowledge acquired during the literature examination resulted in a review paper that is close to submission. In this review paper we identify the mechanisms by which biotic interactions affect large scale biogeographical patterns, how environmental gradients affect biotic interactions and how, in turn, these biotic interactions affect the environmental factors.
The fourth work package was focused around the development of a theoretical framework and causality inference of the relationship between diet breadth, range size and the environment. This work package has nourished several of the other work packages. For the proper development of this work package I received formation on species distribution modelling and machine learning techniques. I developed null model analyses that allowed us to infer causality in the relationship between species biotic interactions and their range size, and I developed a theoretical framework that establishes the basis of the relationship between species biotic interactions and their spatial distribution. I have also expanded this theoretical framework to understand how habitat loss will affect the relationship between species distributions and their biotic interactions.
BIOFOODWEB achieved its major goal of establishing the relationship between species diet breadth and its range size. The interdisciplinary theoretical-empirical approach, which merges the development of computational and mathematical theoretical models for ecological systems with the analysis of large, complex datasets, has been key to achieve these objectives. By integrating network approaches with biogeographic principles, this project has enhanced our understanding of how the environment shapes ecological communities and how biotic interactions shape global biodiversity patterns. This knowledge is essential to comprehend and predict the future of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides in the current context of global environmental change.