In:
Scientific Reports, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 10, No. 1 ( 2020-11-20)
Abstract:
The current ecological understanding still does not fully explain how biodiversity is maintained. One strategy to address this issue is to contrast theoretical prediction with real competitive communities where diverse species share limited resources. I present, in this study, a new competitive coexistence theory-diversity of biological rhythms. I show that diversity in activity cycles plays a key role in coexistence of competing species, using a two predator-one prey system with diel, monthly, and annual cycles for predator foraging. Competitive exclusion always occurs without activity cycles. Activity cycles do, however, allow for coexistence. Furthermore, each activity cycle plays a different role in coexistence, and coupling of activity cycles can synergistically broaden the coexistence region. Thus, with all activity cycles, the coexistence region is maximal. The present results suggest that polyrhythmic changes in biological activity in response to the earth’s rotation and revolution are key to competitive coexistence. Also, temporal niche shifts caused by environmental changes can easily eliminate competitive coexistence.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2045-2322
DOI:
10.1038/s41598-020-77483-3
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2615211-3
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