SEMINARI CREAF: "Coexistence and stability of plant-animal mutualisms under competition and antagonism"

Plant-animal mutualistic networks are embedded into larger and more complex networks of interactions. However, we know very little about the ecological and evolutionary consequences, in terms of stability and diversity, of merging different types of networks.

PONENT

Francisco Encinas-Viso, University of Groningen (en estada semestral al CREAF)

QUAN

Serà el 13 de juny  a les 15 hores, a la sala Polivalent (c5/1066)

RESUM SEMINARI

Plant-animal mutualistic networks are embedded into larger and more complex networks of interactions. However, we know very little about the ecological and evolutionary consequences, in terms of stability and diversity, of merging different types of networks.  In this talk, I will show two mathematical models that combine mutualism with other ecological interactions to explore their effects in the  diversity and stability of plant-animal mutualistic communities. The first model studies mutuaslistic network dynamics by considering species phenology and intra-guild competitive  interactions. The second model is a simpler model of plant-pollinator interactions, which deals with mutualistic and antagonistic effects exerted by insect pollinator species. The results of both models indicate that combining mutualism with other ecological interactions have profound consequences for stability-diversity relationship in plant-animal mutualistic communities. Furthermore, these results also point out important consequences for the evolution of generalist and specialist species in plant-animal mutualistic communities.