Diversity of Functional Traits and Interactions Perspectives on Community Dynamics

About this book

This book presents new theoretical perspectives on ecological community dynamics and in so doing casts fresh light on the enduring complexity–stability debate. Real ecological communities do not simply comprise diverse species and interactions, which respectively represented the nodes and links of the classic network theory. Rather, they are characterized by different types of complexity, and Diversity of Functional Traits and Interactions explains how this diversity of complexity is key to understanding the dynamics of ecological communities. It is shown how various properties in natural communities, such as life history, adaptation, density dependence, sex, interaction types, space, functional traits, and microbial processes, can dramatically increase the complexity in ecological communities. Furthermore, innovative methods are introduced that may be applied to cast light on very complex communities. With each chapter presenting the latest advances and approaches, the book sets the direction for future research on ecological community dynamics. It will be a "must read" for researchers and students in the field of ecology.

Contents

Part 1. Intra-specific trait diversity
Chapter 1. Incorporating ontogenetic niche shifts into hybrid community dynamics
Chapter 2. Effects of rapid evolution on population cycles and extinction in predator-prey systems
Chapter 3. The possibility that the evolution of sexual traits stabilizes ecological communities
Chapter 4. Spatiality and community stability

Part 2. Inter-specific trait and functional diversity
Chapter 5. Direct and Indirect Effects of Facilitation and Competition in Ecological
Chapter 6. Mathematical modeling on microbes and their roles in community and ecosystem: how to handle microbial diversity in modeling?

Part 3. Diversity of inter-specific interaction
Chapter 7. Ecology and evolution of density-dependence
Chapter 8. Interaction-type diversity and community stability

Part 4. A novel approach in community ecology
Chapter 9. Forecasting ecological time series using empirical dynamic modeling: a tutorial for simplex projection and S-map

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Biography

Akihiko Mougi is an associate professor in the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Shimane University. He completed his PhD at Hokkaido University and did postdoctoral work at Kyushu University and Ryukoku University. His research uses mathematical models to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of biological communities and the stability of ecosystems.