Data from: Spatially cascading effect of perturbations in experimental meta-ecosystems

Ecosystems are linked to neighbouring ecosystems not only by dispersal, but also by the movement of subsidy. Such subsidy couplings between ecosystems have important landscape-scale implications because perturbations in one ecosystem may affect community structure and functioning in neighbouring ecosystems via increased/decreased subsidies. Here, we combine a general theoretical approach based on harvesting theory and a two-patch protist meta-ecosystem experiment to test the effect of regional perturbations on local community dynamics. We first characterized the relationship between the perturbation regime and local population demography on detritus production using a mathematical model. We then experimentally simulated a perturbation gradient affecting connected ecosystems simultaneously, thus altering cross-ecosystem subsidy exchanges. We demonstrate that the perturbation regime can interact with local population dynamics to trigger unexpected temporal variations in subsidy pulses from one ecosystem to another. High perturbation intensity initially led to the highest level of subsidy flows; however, the level of perturbation interacted with population dynamics to generate a crash in subsidy exchange over time. Both theoretical and experimental results show that a perturbation regime interacting with local community dynamics can induce a collapse in population levels for recipient ecosystems. These results call for integrative management of human-altered landscapes that takes into account regional dynamics of both species and resource flows.生态系统不仅通过生物扩散与邻近生态系统形成联结，同时还依托资源补贴（subsidy）的流动产生关联。这类生态系统间的资源补贴耦合具有重要的景观尺度效应：某一生态系统受到的扰动，可通过增减资源补贴的输入量，对邻近生态系统的群落结构与功能产生影响。本研究结合基于收获理论（harvesting theory）的通用理论框架与双斑块原生生物元生态系统（meta-ecosystem）实验，探究区域扰动对本地群落动态的影响。研究首先通过数学模型，明确了扰动模式与本地种群统计学特征对碎屑生产的调控关系。随后，本研究通过实验模拟了同时作用于连通生态系统的扰动梯度，以此改变跨生态系统的资源补贴交换过程。研究结果表明，扰动模式可与本地种群动态产生交互作用，进而引发生态系统间资源补贴脉冲的异常时间动态变化。高扰动强度在初始阶段会带来最高的资源补贴通量；但随着时间推移，扰动强度与种群动态的交互作用会导致资源补贴交换出现崩溃。理论与实验结果均证实：与本地群落动态产生交互作用的扰动模式，可导致接收资源补贴的生态系统出现种群水平的崩溃。本研究结果呼吁，在对受人类活动干扰的景观进行整合管理时，需同时纳入物种与资源流动的区域动态考量。