Spatially structured intraspecific trait variation can foster biodiversity in disturbed, heterogeneous environments

Trait variation within populations is an important area of research for empirical and theoretical ecologists. While differences between individuals are doubtlessly ubiquitous, their role for species coexistence is much less clear and highly debated. Both unstructured (random) and structured (linked to space, time or inheritance) intraspecific trait variation (ITV) may modify species interactions with nontrivial consequences for emerging community compositions. In many ecosystems, these compositions are further driven by prevalent disturbance regimes. I therefore explored the effects of unstructured as well as spatially structured ITV under disturbances in a generic ecological model of competing sessile species. Using spatially explicit, individual-based simulations, I studied how intraspecific variation in life history traits together with interspecific trade-offs and disturbance regimes shape long-term community composition. I found that (i) unstructured ITV does not affect species coe...

种群内的性状变异是实验与理论生态学家的重要研究方向。尽管个体间的差异无疑普遍存在，但其在物种共存中的作用却远未明晰，且广受争议。无结构（随机）与有结构（与空间、时间或遗传相关联）的种内性状变异（intraspecific trait variation, ITV）均可改变物种种间相互作用，对群落组成的形成产生非平凡的影响。在众多生态系统中，群落组成进一步受普遍存在的干扰制度调控。因此，本研究在一个竞争固着物种的通用生态模型中，探究了无结构以及空间结构化的种内性状变异在干扰条件下的效应。本研究采用空间显式的基于个体的模拟方法，探讨了生活史性状的种内变异，连同种间权衡与干扰制度，如何塑造长期群落组成。本研究发现（i）无结构的种内性状变异不会影响物种共……