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By looking at microbial ecosystems, researchers have shown that more complex ecological communities (i.
e.
, those with greater diversity and interaction) tend to decline in stability over time and transition
between different dynamic phases, according to a new study.
These findings provide clues to general ecological principles, demonstrating predictable diversity and dynamic patterns
in ecological communities.
Ecological communities of all shapes and sizes – from our own microbial communities to the Earth's rainforests – often host large numbers of coexisting species that together perform important functions
.
However, these communities are also complex, their dynamics are difficult to predict, and it is often not feasible
to study these relationships in large ecosystems.
As a result, little is known about some key aspects of ecosystem functioning, such as whether the diversity of a community enhances or weakens its stability
.
Under highly controlled conditions, Jiliang Hu and colleagues directly tested an ecological theory by mathematically modeling and observing bacterial communities, which predicted that simple characteristics at the community level, such as diversity and interactions, determine community behavior
.
Hu et al.
found that more complex bacterial biomes become less stable over time, and they evolve in different but predictable ways, depending on their initial diversity and the intensity
of interactions between different species.
The authors demonstrate that as diversity or interactions increase, communities undergo different stage shifts: from a stable equilibrium state in which all species coexist, to partial coexistence, to continuous and dynamic fluctuations
in species abundance.
Based on these findings, communities that fluctuate tend to maintain high species abundance, suggesting that diversity and stability reinforce
each other.
Matthias Huelsmann and Martin Ackermann write in a related Perspective article: "Overall, the findings of Hu et al.
suggest that ecological communities often shift between stages as the intensity or diversity of interactions between species changes.
This is similar to the sudden transition
between different states of matter when temperature or pressure changes.
"
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