Facilitation and the niche: Implications for coexistence, range shifts and ecosystem functioning


Abstract:

Viewing facilitation through the lens of the niche concept is one way to unify conceptual and empirical advances about the role of facilitation in community ecology. We clarify conceptually and through examples from marine and terrestrial environments how facilitation can expand species' niches and consider how these interactions can be scaled up to understand the importance of facilitation in setting a species' geographic range. We then integrate the niche-broadening influence of facilitation into current conceptual areas in ecology, including climate change, diversity maintenance and the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning. Because facilitation can influence the range of physical conditions under which a species can persist, it has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change on species distributions. Whereas facilitation has mostly been considered as a diversity-promoting interaction by ameliorating abiotic stresses, if facilitated species' niches expand and become less distinct as a result of habitat amelioration, the forces that maintain diversity and promote coexistence in regions or habitats dominated by the facilitator could be reduced (i.e. the sign of the effects of facilitation on populations could be species-specific). Finally, shifting or broadening ecological niches could alter the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning. A niche-based perspective on the effects of facilitation can foster a greater mechanistic understanding of the role played by facilitation in regulating species coexistence, range shifts and ecosystem functioning in a changing world.

Año de publicación:

2016

Keywords:

  • Climate Change
  • Niche overlapping
  • Foundation species
  • Spatial and temporal heterogeneity
  • Niche segregation
  • Environmental stress
  • Positive species interactions
  • Micro-habitat
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
  • Competitive exclusion

Fuente:

scopusscopus

Tipo de documento:

Article

Estado:

Acceso abierto

Áreas de conocimiento:

  • Ecología
  • Ecología

Áreas temáticas de Dewey:

  • Ecología
  • Historia natural de los organismos
  • Temas específicos de la historia natural de las plantas
Procesado con IAProcesado con IA

Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible:

  • ODS 15: Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
  • ODS 13: Acción por el clima
  • ODS 17: Alianzas para lograr los objetivos
Procesado con IAProcesado con IA