Trait-Based Theory of Network Reassembly

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Ecological networks emerge from the interactions among species. They depend on response traits that determine the environmental tolerances of a species and hence their abundance, and interaction traits, which govern the strength of interactions between species. In this project we combine simulations of species interactions with statistical analyses of observed networks to unravel the role of trait-matching and environmental tolerance for network structure and dynamics along a forest recovery gradient. Simulations allow us to strictly control response and interaction traits and investigate the resulting community dynamics. In parallel, we develop an analytical pipeline to recover the trait signals in observed interactions, and use the simulations as verification. In particular, we are interested in elucidating whether loose trait matches ("generality") yield different network structures and dynamics than tight matches ("specialisation"), and whether changes in the environment override trait-driven network structures. Another important point is the role of interactions within the same group (guild), in particular competition (e.g. among pollinators or among herbivores). The resulting models and analyses also form a crucial toolbox for syntheses across the other sub-projects within the Research Group, and hence we will organise workshops to generalise observations and link simulations closely to the systems under investigation.