Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 284, Issue 1859, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0350
Keywords
food webs; species dispersal; patch fragmentation; competition-dispersal trade-off; patch-dynamic model
Categories
Funding
- DFG [FOR 1748]
- Opening Fund of Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education [PK2015004, TK2016002]
- Jiangxi Provincial Education Department [GJJ160274]
- Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Jiangxi Normal University [12017778]
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Habitat destruction, characterized by patch loss and fragmentation, is a key driver of biodiversity loss. There has been some progress in the theory of spatial food webs; however, to date, practically nothing is known about how patch configurational fragmentation influences multi-trophic food web dynamics. We develop a spatially extended patch-dynamic model for different food webs by linking patch connectivity with trophic-dependent dispersal (i.e. higher trophic levels displaying longer-range dispersal). Using this model, we find that species display different sensitivities to patch loss and fragmentation, depending on their trophic position and the overall food web structure. Relative to other food webs, omnivory structure significantly increases system robustness to habitat destruction, as feeding on different trophic levels increases the omnivore's persistence. Additionally, in food webs with a dispersal-competition trade-off between species, intermediate levels of habitat destruction can enhance biodiversity by creating refuges for the weaker competitor. This demonstrates that maximizing patch connectivity is not always effective for biodiversity maintenance, as in food webs containing indirect competition, doing so may lead to further species loss.
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