Phylogenetic tree shape and the structure of mutualistic networks

Species community composition is known to alter the network of interactions between two trophic levels, potentially affecting its functioning (e.g. plant pollination success) and the stability of communities. Phylogenies vary in shape with regard to the rate of evolutionary change across a tree (influencing tree balance) and variation in the timing of branching events (affecting the distribution of node ages in trees), both of which may influence the structure of species interaction networks. Because related species are likely to share many of the traits that regulate interactions, the shape of phylogenetic trees may provide some insights into the distribution of traits within communities, and hence the likelihood of interaction among species. However, little attention has been paid to the potential effects of changes in phylogenetic diversity (PD) on interaction networks. Phylogenetic diversity is influenced by species diversity within a community, but also how distantly-related the co...业已明确，物种群落组成可改变两个营养级之间的互作网络，进而可能影响该网络的生态功能（如植物传粉成功率）与群落整体稳定性。系统发育树（Phylogenies）的形态存在两类变异维度：一是跨树的进化速率（影响树体平衡性），二是分支事件发生时间的差异（影响树内节点年龄的分布格局），上述两种特征均可能对物种互作网络的结构产生影响。由于亲缘关系较近的物种往往共享诸多调控物种互作的功能性状，因此系统发育树的形态可用于解析群落内功能性状的分布规律，进而推断物种间发生互作的可能性。然而，当前针对系统发育多样性（Phylogenetic Diversity, PD）的变化对互作网络的潜在影响，相关研究仍较为匮乏。系统发育多样性既受群落内物种多样性的调控，同时也与共存物种间的亲缘疏远程度相关，但