Linking resource competition and biodiversity in meta-ecosystems

资源竞争是生态学中最基本的物种间相互作用之一。在过去的十年中，它作为生物群落结构和物种丰富度的主要驱动力而受到了广泛的研究。最近，人们越来越多地认识到，空间结构的社区不仅是由有机体的分散，但也通过物质和资源的流动连接。然而，尽管事实上，这样的元生态系统是一个新兴的话题在社区生态学，不太知道在空间结构的环境中，物种可能会改变资源分布的竞争。在拟议的研究项目中，我们的目标是获得一个机制的理解之间的关系，资源竞争，生物多样性和生态系统功能的元生态系统。为了解决这个问题，我们将开发一个框架来描述元生态系统中的资源竞争。我们将把一个元生态系统建模为一个由扩散连接的斑块组成的系统，这些斑块在资源的水平和比例上是不同的。这种方法使我们能够研究空间资源分布对生态系统功能的影响。特别是，我们将（i）确定在空间结构化环境中增强竞争能力的物种特征，（ii）量化单个物种如何塑造其空间资源环境，（iii）调查元生态系统中的两种和多种竞争，以及最大化生物多样性的条件，（iv）分析资源和生物量分布之间的反馈，以及它们对资源利用的影响，生产力和生物多样性，以及（五）探讨资源利用，初级生产和生物多样性模式之间的关系，在斑块元生态系统。最后，我们有独特的机会来验证我们的理论预测对实验与浮游生物群落在一个恒化器样系统组成的串联连接的船只，其中两个必需的营养物质是从系统的相对两端（所谓的gradostat）。我们的方法将能够评估的多样性和生产力都在系统和补丁的水平，并承认理论研究，产生一个新的，高分辨率的分析元生态系统的过程。本研究项目的结果将有助于弥合经典竞争理论和空间结构的元生态系统之间的差距差距，并将提高我们的物种共存和生物多样性功能的关系，在现场社区的理解具有普遍意义。

Resource competition is one of the most fundamental species interactions in ecology. It has been studied intensely in the last decade as a major driver for the structure and species richness of biological communities. Recently, it is increasingly acknowledged that spatially structured communities are not only connected by dispersal of organisms but also by flows of matter and resources. However, despite the fact that such meta-ecosystems are an emerging topic in community ecology, not much is known about competition in spatially structured environments where species may modify resource distributions. In the proposed research project we aim to gain a mechanistic understanding about the relationship between resource competition, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in meta-ecosystems. To address this question we will develop a framework for describing resource competition in meta-ecosystems. We will model a meta-ecosystem as a system of diffusively connected patches that differ in the levels and ratios of resources. This approach enables us to study the effects of spatial resource distributions on the eco-system functioning. In particular, we will (i) determine species traits that enhance competitive abilities in a spatially structured environment, (ii) quantify how a single species shapes its spatial resource environment, (iii) investigate two-species and multi-species competition in a meta-ecosystem, as well as conditions that maximize biodiversity, (iv) analyse feedbacks between resource and biomass distributions, and their influence on the resource-use, productivity and biodiversity, and (v) explore the relationship between resource-use, primary production and biodiversity patterns in patchy meta-ecosystems. Finally, we have the unique opportunity to validate our theoretical predictions against experiments with plankton communities in a chemostat-like system consisting of serially connected vessels where two essential nutrients are supplied from opposing ends of the system (so-called gradostat). Our approach will enable to assess the diversity and productivity both at the system and the patch level and admits theoretical investigations, yielding a novel, high-resolution analysis of meta-ecosystem processes. The results of this research project will help to bridge the gap between classic competition theory and spatially structured meta-ecosystems and will be of general relevance for enhancing our understanding of species coexistence and biodiversity-functioning relationships in field communities.