Open AccessNiche Theory for Mutualism: A Graphical Approach to Plant-Pollinator Network Dynamics
Author(s) -
Fernanda S. Valdovinos,
Robert Marsland
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the american naturalist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 205
eISSN - 1537-5323
pISSN - 0003-0147
DOI - 10.1086/712831
Subject(s) - mutualism (biology) , nestedness , niche , ecology , niche construction , foraging , optimal foraging theory , niche differentiation , coevolution , pollinator , resource (disambiguation) , network dynamics , community structure , biology , computer science , mathematics , pollination , biodiversity , pollen , computer network , discrete mathematics
Contemporary niche theory is a useful framework for understanding how organisms interact with each other and with their shared environment. Its graphical representation, popularized by Tilman's resource ratio hypothesis, facilitates analysis of the equilibrium structure of complex dynamical models, including species coexistence. This theory has been applied primarily to resource competition since its early beginnings. Here, we integrate mutualism into niche theory by expanding Tilman's graphical representation to the analysis of consumer-resource dynamics of plant-pollinator networks. We graphically explain the qualitative phenomena previously found by numerical simulations, including the effects on community dynamics of nestedness, adaptive foraging, and pollinator invasions. Our graphical approach promotes the unification of niche and network theories and deepens the synthesis of different types of interactions within a consumer-resource framework.