Trait‐based inference of ecological network assembly: A conceptual framework and methodological toolbox

Abstract

The study of ecological networks has progressively evolved from a mostly descriptive science to one that attempts to elucidate the processes governing the emerging structure of multitrophic communities. To move forward, we propose a conceptual framework using trait-based inference of ecological processes to improve our understanding of network assembly and our ability to predict network reassembly amid global change. The framework formalizes the view that network assembly is governed by processes shaping the composition of resource and consumer communities within trophic levels and those dictating species' interactions between trophic levels. To illustrate the framework and show its applicability, we (1) use simulations to explore network

Explosive networking: The role of adaptive host radiations and ecological opportunity in a species‐rich host–parasite assembly

“…Our study is the first to quantify host-pathogen interactions in tilapias and to demonstrate the significance of ecological opportunity to host-parasite interactions. Host traits appear to determine interactions unlike parasite traits (Figure 5c) suggesting a resource-driven assembly of cichlid-Cichlidogyrus interactions similar to plant-frugivore networks (Marjakangas et al, 2021). Consequently, host switches occur more likely between ecologically similar hosts.…”

Towards a cohesive understanding of ecological complexity

“…Common narratives include the idea that complexity is typical of systems composed of multiple parts and structured across different organizational levels, a vision that puts networks (66,67) and hierarchies (5,68,69) at the core of complexity. Other concepts include spatiotemporal scale dependencies (34,63,(70)(71)(72), self-organization of the parts that compose a system in increasingly sophisticated modules (5,9,73), and feedback occurring both within and between each level of the system, which constrains both the whole system and its parts (12,15,34,63).…”

“…Our analysis also identified relationships expected based on current ecological theory, such as those between scales and hierarchies (69,77), and networks and interactions (66,67).…”

“…While these approaches will remain important for the study of complexity in ecology, there are emergent perspectives that will complement and expand these traditional views. For instance, analysis of networks (66,67) and artificial intelligence (87) have been used increasingly often to accommodate the complexity of ecological systems -at times combining the strengths of more than one of these approaches. Notably, studies of complexity are often developed following a reductionist framework, but progressing in our understanding of complexity will require embracing also novel perspectives developed in complexity science (21,88).…”

The ecologically relevant genetics of plant–plant interactions

“…We identified two complementary approaches to integrate G×G interactions in the modeling of plant-plant interactions. The trait-centric (at the level of genotypes) approach offers quantitative prediction methods ranging from statistical inference (e.g., multi-trait analyses) [71,72] and phenomenological models to mechanistic models (Figure 4C). In particular, the development of trait-based models for crop and weed population dynamics (e.g., FLORSYS, [73] VGL, [74]) appears (i) promising to integrate phenotypic traits and their connections, (ii) suitable to predict the outcome of plant-plant interactions both in intra-and interspecific plant mixtures, and (iii) helpful to prioritize the underlying traits and driving processes.…”