Trait-mediated competition drives an ant invasion and alters functional diversity.

ABSTRACT: The assumption that differences in species' traits reflect their different niches has long influenced how ecologists infer processes from assemblage patterns. For instance, many assess the importance of environmental filtering versus classical limiting-similarity competition in driving biological invasions by examining whether invaders' traits are similar or dissimilar to those of residents, respectively. However, mounting evidence suggests that hierarchical differences between species' trait values can distinguish their competitive abilities (e.g. for the same resource) instead of their niches. Whether such trait-mediated hierarchical competition explains invasions and structures assemblages is less explored. We integrate morphological, dietary, physiological and behavioural trait analyse

SUBMITTER: Wong MKL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9240689 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature