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Gissi E, Goodman MC, Elahi R, McDevitt-Irwin JM, Arnoldi NS, Arafeh-Dalmau N, Knight CJ, Olguín-Jacobson C, Palmisciano M, Tillman CM, De Leo GA, Micheli F. Sex-specific variation in species interactions matters in ecological communities. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00171-X. [PMID: 39107207 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how natural communities and ecosystems are structured and respond to anthropogenic pressures in a rapidly changing world is key to successful management and conservation. A fundamental but often overlooked biological characteristic of organisms is sex. Sex-based responses are often considered when conducting studies at organismal and population levels, but are rarely investigated in community ecology. Focusing on kelp forests as a model system, and through a review of other marine and terrestrial ecosystems, we found evidence of widespread sex-based variation in species interactions. Sex-based variation in species interactions is expected to affect ecosystem structure and functioning via multiple trophic and nontrophic pathways. Understanding the drivers and consequences of sex-based variation in species interactions can inform more effective management and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gissi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; National Research Council, Institute of Marine Science, Venice, 30122, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy.
| | | | - Robin Elahi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Jamie M McDevitt-Irwin
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - Natalie S Arnoldi
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Nur Arafeh-Dalmau
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Department of Geography, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christopher J Knight
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | | | - Melissa Palmisciano
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Ceyenna M Tillman
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Giulio A De Leo
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA; Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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De Lisle SP, Schrieber SJ, Bolnick DI. Complex community-wide consequences of consumer sexual dimorphism. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:958-969. [PMID: 35262914 PMCID: PMC9314848 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is a ubiquitous source of within‐species variation, yet the community‐level consequences of sex differences remain poorly understood. Here, we analyse a bitrophic model of two competing resource species and a sexually reproducing consumer species. We show that consumer sex differences in resource acquisition can have striking consequences for consumer‐resource coexistence, abundance and dynamics. Under both direct interspecific competition and apparent competition between two resource species, sexual dimorphism in consumers' attack rates can mediate coexistence of the resource species, while in other cases can lead to exclusion when stable coexistence is typically expected. Slight sex differences in total resource acquisition also can reverse competitive outcomes and lead to density cycles. These effects are expected whenever both consumer sexes require different amounts or types of resources to reproduce. Our results suggest that consumer sexual dimorphism, which is common, has wide‐reaching implications for the assembly and dynamics of natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P De Lisle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269.,Present Address: Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sebastian J Schrieber
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
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