ECOLOGICAL TRAPS, MALADAPTATION, AND THE ROBUSTNESS OF METACOMMUNITY DYNAMICS

ANID/FONDECYT grant 1231321 (2023-2027), with Pablo Moisset de Espanés

Framework: Three main processes govern metacommunity dynamics: (1) density-independent responses to abiotic conditions, (2) density-dependent biotic interactions and (3) dispersal. Species adaptation to their abiotic and biotic environment is starting to be considered an essential mechanism that modulates each of the three main processes of metacommunity dynamics, and the system’s responses to environmental changes. Therefore, we aim to extend the metacommunity theory by integrating adaptation ability -and maladaptation level- into local and regional metacommunity processes. Maladaptation (including ecological traps) can lead to reduced local fitness but can also lead to unexpected outcomes in a spatial context. We address the following question: What is the effect of ecological traps and other forms of maladaptation on the robustness of metacommunity dynamics to shifts in landscape and community structure?

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL STRUCTURE AS DETERMINANTS OF THE COMPLEXITY-STABILITY RELATION IN ECOLOGICAL META-NETWORKS

ANID/FONDECYT grant 1190173 (2019-2023), with Pablo Moisset de Espanés