The long and the short of it: Mechanisms of synchronous and compensatory dynamics across temporal scales.

ABSTRACT: Synchronous dynamics (fluctuations that occur in unison) are universal phenomena with widespread implications for ecological stability. Synchronous dynamics can amplify the destabilizing effect of environmental variability on ecosystem functions such as productivity, whereas the inverse, compensatory dynamics, can stabilize function. Here we combine simulation and empirical analyses to elucidate mechanisms that underlie patterns of synchronous versus compensatory dynamics. In both simulated and empirical communities, we show that synchronous and compensatory dynamics are not mutually exclusive but instead can vary by timescale. Our simulations identify multiple mechanisms that can generate timescale-specific patterns, including different environmental drivers, diverse life histories, dispe

SUBMITTER: Shoemaker LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285558 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature