Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions
Abstract Most species are embedded in multi-interaction networks. Consequently, theories focusing on simple pair-wise interactions cannot predict ecological and/or evolutionary outcomes. This study explores how cascading higher-order interactions (HOIs) would affect the population dynamics of a foca...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23763-z |
| _version_ | 1798018377474637824 |
|---|---|
| author | Hsun-Yi Hsieh John Vandermeer Ivette Perfecto |
| author_facet | Hsun-Yi Hsieh John Vandermeer Ivette Perfecto |
| author_sort | Hsun-Yi Hsieh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Most species are embedded in multi-interaction networks. Consequently, theories focusing on simple pair-wise interactions cannot predict ecological and/or evolutionary outcomes. This study explores how cascading higher-order interactions (HOIs) would affect the population dynamics of a focal species. Employing a system that involves a myrmecophylic beetle, a parasitic wasp that attacks the beetle, an ant, and a parasitic fly that attacks the ant, the study explores how none, one, and two HOIs affect the parasitism and the sex ratio of the beetle. We conducted mesocosm experiments to examine these HOIs on beetle survival and sex ratio and found that the 1st degree HOI does not change the beetle’s survival rate or sex ratio. However, the 2nd degree HOI significantly reduces the beetle’s survival rate and changes its sex ratio from even to strongly female-biased. We applied Bayes’ theorem to analyze the per capita survival probability of female vs. male beetles and suggested that the unexpected results might arise from complex eco-evolutionary dynamics involved with the 1st and 2nd degree HOIs. Field data suggested the HOIs significantly regulate the sex ratio of the beetle. As the same structure of HOIs appears in other systems, we believe the complexity associated with the 2nd degree HOI would be more common than known and deserve more scientific attention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:22:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28665ec65d01476eb1b742dab9669b4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:22:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-28665ec65d01476eb1b742dab9669b4b2022-12-22T04:14:16ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-11-0112111010.1038/s41598-022-23763-zSurprising effects of cascading higher order interactionsHsun-Yi Hsieh0John Vandermeer1Ivette Perfecto2Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State UniversityDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of MichiganSchool for Environment and Sustainability, University of MichiganAbstract Most species are embedded in multi-interaction networks. Consequently, theories focusing on simple pair-wise interactions cannot predict ecological and/or evolutionary outcomes. This study explores how cascading higher-order interactions (HOIs) would affect the population dynamics of a focal species. Employing a system that involves a myrmecophylic beetle, a parasitic wasp that attacks the beetle, an ant, and a parasitic fly that attacks the ant, the study explores how none, one, and two HOIs affect the parasitism and the sex ratio of the beetle. We conducted mesocosm experiments to examine these HOIs on beetle survival and sex ratio and found that the 1st degree HOI does not change the beetle’s survival rate or sex ratio. However, the 2nd degree HOI significantly reduces the beetle’s survival rate and changes its sex ratio from even to strongly female-biased. We applied Bayes’ theorem to analyze the per capita survival probability of female vs. male beetles and suggested that the unexpected results might arise from complex eco-evolutionary dynamics involved with the 1st and 2nd degree HOIs. Field data suggested the HOIs significantly regulate the sex ratio of the beetle. As the same structure of HOIs appears in other systems, we believe the complexity associated with the 2nd degree HOI would be more common than known and deserve more scientific attention.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23763-z |
| spellingShingle | Hsun-Yi Hsieh John Vandermeer Ivette Perfecto Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions Scientific Reports |
| title | Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| title_full | Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| title_fullStr | Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| title_short | Surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| title_sort | surprising effects of cascading higher order interactions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23763-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hsunyihsieh surprisingeffectsofcascadinghigherorderinteractions AT johnvandermeer surprisingeffectsofcascadinghigherorderinteractions AT ivetteperfecto surprisingeffectsofcascadinghigherorderinteractions |