Mathematics is useful to explain everything, including the relationships established by the species of an ecosystem. A team in which the Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC) participates has developed an innovative mathematical framework that integrates various types of interactions between different species of plants, animals and fungiproviding a deeper and more complete view of the complexity of ecosystems. The work, which is published in the magazine Nature Communications, It is the result of the collaboration of scientists from the Institute of Interdisciplinary Physics and Complex Systems (IFISC-CSIC-UIB) and the Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMEDEA-CSIC-UIB).
Until now, most studies on ecological complexity have focused on specific interactions between species that mediate a single ecological function.such as, for example, pollination or herbivory. This perspective has overlooked the critical role that species play in simultaneously participating in multiple ecological functions. This new approach overcomes this limitation by integrating, in a single model, multiple types of interactions between species, allowing a more exhaustive analysis of functional patterns and their relationship with biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
The key to maintaining the balance of ecosystems
The study introduces a multi-layered approach, which integrates different interaction networks between species, providing a deeper understanding of how multifunctionality impacts the ecosystem. To test this model, more than 1,500 interactions between 691 species of plants, animals and fungi were analyzed on the islet of Na Redona, in the Balearic Islands, a small island community that, due to its relative simplicity and isolation, offers an ideal setting for test this innovative methodological framework. These species participated in six ecological functions: pollination, herbivory, seed dispersal, decomposition, nutrient absorption and fungal pathogenicity.
“Comparing a plant species pollinated by two animals with another that interacts with dozens of fungi is not always easy. However, by quantifying the probability of these interactions, we can make more precise comparisons between a plant’s pollination and its saprophytic interactions. This capacity for comparison was fundamental for the next steps in our research,” he highlights. Sandra Hervías-ParejoIMEDEA researcher and author of the work. Furthermore, the new framework of this study allows not only to identify the key species in the community but also the key functions in it, says Anna Traveset (IMEDEA), also author of the work.
The study reveals that interactions do not occur randomly, but are organized in a structured way. In addition, both species and key functions, such as woody plants and fungal decomposition, were identified as essential for maintaining ecosystem balance. The disappearance of these species could have a significant impact on the extinction of other organisms, triggering species extinction cascades. “A provocative idea that emerges from our research is the exploration of species-function duality,” reveals Sea Caves-WhiteIFISC researcher and author of the study. “We propose to consider ecological functions not only as connectors between species, but also as elements that, by themselves, are subject to evolution and extinction,” he points out. Lucas Lacasaalso a scientist at IFISC and author of the work.
Applications beyond ecology
What is innovative about this framework is that it is not only limited to ecological networks, but can be extended to other complex systems. For example, it can be applied to genetics to understand how genes interact to generate phenotypes or to economics, to study how goods are traded between countries in different economic sectors.
This dual approach, from species and function perspectives, opens new possibilities for quantifying the complexity of ecosystems and better understanding the influence of multifunctionality on their functioning and biodiversity.
In future research, we propose to apply this model to various environments and examine their spatial and temporal dynamics. This will allow for a more comprehensive and in-depth view of ecosystems, thus providing more effective guidance for conservation efforts in the face of stressors such as climate change and to mitigate biodiversity loss.