Co-adaptation impacts the robustness of predator-prey dynamics against perturbations.

ABSTRACT: Global change threatens the maintenance of ecosystem functions that are shaped by the persistence and dynamics of populations. It has been shown that the persistence of species increases if they possess larger trait adaptability. Here, we investigate whether trait adaptability also affects the robustness of population dynamics of interacting species and thereby shapes the reliability of ecosystem functions that are driven by these dynamics. We model co-adaptation in a predator-prey system as changes to predator offense and prey defense due to evolution or phenotypic plasticity. We investigate how trait adaptation affects the robustness of population dynamics against press perturbations to environmental parameters and against pulse perturbations targeting species abundances and their trait

SUBMITTER: Raatz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6468077 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature