The Rise and Fall of Rare Species in a Community

Abstract

An ecological community is commonly composed of a few abundant species and a large number of rare species. However, the mechanism underlying this universal community structure remains controversial, particularly regarding how species abundances can dynamically respond to environmental change. Here, we provide a species-trait-based explanation. Using >30 year long phytoplankton time series data from Lake Biwa, Japan, we found those rare species that adapt to littoral habitats disappeared in the late 1980s in response to lake warming and changes of water level variations and trophic states. This functional response explained the rise and fall of rare species in structuring community over time.October 2014 457