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Effects of two traits of the ecological state equation on our understanding of species coexistence and ecosystem services

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  • Rodríguez, Ricardo A.
  • Delgado, Juan D.
  • Herrera, Ada Ma.
  • Riera, Rodrigo
  • Navarro, Rafael Ma.
  • Melián, Carlos
  • Dieguez, Lorenzo
  • Quirós, Ángel

Abstract

Species coexistence has been a fundamental issue to understand ecosystem functioning since the beginnings of ecology as a science. The search of a reliable and all-encompassing explanation for this issue has become a complex goal with several apparently opposing trends. On the other side, seemingly unconnected with species coexistence, an ecological state equation based on the inverse correlation between an indicator of dispersal that fits gamma distribution and species diversity has been recently developed. This article explores two factors, whose effects are inconspicuous in such an equation at the first sight, that are used to develop an alternative general theoretical background in order to provide a better understanding of species coexistence. Our main outcomes are: (i) the fit of dispersal and diversity values to gamma distribution is an important factor that promotes species coexistence mainly due to the right-skewed character of gamma distribution; (ii) the opposite correlation between species diversity and dispersal implies that any increase of diversity is equivalent to a route of “ecological cooling” whose maximum limit should be constrained by the influence of the third law of thermodynamics; this is in agreement with the well-known asymptotic trend of diversity values in space and time; (iii) there are plausible empirical and theoretical ways to apply physical principles to explain important ecological processes; (iv) the gap between theoretical and empirical ecology in those cases where species diversity is paradoxically high could be narrowed by a wave model of species coexistence based on the concurrency of local equilibrium states. In such a model, competitive exclusion has a limited but indispensable role in harmonious coexistence with functional redundancy. We analyze several literature references as well as ecological and evolutionary examples that support our approach, reinforcing the meaning equivalence between important physical and ecological principles.

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  • Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Delgado, Juan D. & Herrera, Ada Ma. & Riera, Rodrigo & Navarro, Rafael Ma. & Melián, Carlos & Dieguez, Lorenzo & Quirós, Ángel, 2013. "Effects of two traits of the ecological state equation on our understanding of species coexistence and ecosystem services," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 265(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:265:y:2013:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.06.001
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    2. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada M. & Riera, Rodrigo & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Quirós, Ángel & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Fernández-Palacios, José M. & Otto, Rüdiger & Escud, 2015. "Distribution of species diversity values: A link between classical and quantum mechanics in ecology," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 313(C), pages 162-180.
    3. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada Ma. & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Quirós, Ángel & Riera, Rodrigo & Fernández-Palacios, José Mª. & Otto, Rüdiger & Esc, 2015. "Uncertainty principle in niche assessment: A solution to the dilemma redundancy vs. competitive exclusion, and some analytical consequences," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 316(C), pages 87-110.
    4. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Duncan, Janelle & Riera, Rodrigo & Delgado, Juan D. & Quirós, Angel & Vanni, Michael J. & Camarena, Tomás & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Perdomo, María E. & Herrera, Ada M. & González, 2017. "Thermostatistical distribution of a trophic energy proxy: Extension for modelling energy pyramids at the inter-taxocene scale and under non-stationary conditions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 361(C), pages 113-121.
    5. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Herrera, Ada Ma. & Riera, Rodrigo & Delgado, Juan D. & Quirós, Ángel & Perdomo, María E. & Santander, Jacobo & Miranda, Jezahel V. & Fernández-Rodríguez, María J. & Jiménez-Rod, 2015. "Thermostatistical distribution of a trophic energy proxy with analytical consequences for evolutionary ecology, species coexistence and the maximum entropy formalism," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 296(C), pages 24-35.
    6. Song, Wei & Deng, Xiangzheng & Yuan, Yongwei & Wang, Zhan & Li, Zhaohua, 2015. "Impacts of land-use change on valued ecosystem service in rapidly urbanized North China Plain," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 245-253.
    7. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Riera, Rodrigo & Herrera, Ada M. & Duncan, Janelle M. & Vanni, Michael J. & Delgado, Juan D. & González, María J., 2019. "Degrees of freedom: Definitions and their minimum and most meaningful combination for the modelling of ecosystem dynamics with the help of physical principles," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 392(C), pages 226-235.
    8. Rodríguez, Ricardo A. & Duncan, Janelle M. & Delgado, Juan D. & Vanni, Michael J. & Riera, Rodrigo & Herrera, Ada M. & González, María J., 2017. "Assessment of ecosystem trophodynamic power: A model based on the power equation for an oscillating string," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 362(C), pages 80-86.

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