Abstract
Foundation species are basal species that play an important role in determining community composition by physically structuring ecosystems and modulating ecosystem processes. Foundation species largely operate via non‐trophic interactions, presenting a challenge to incorporating them into food web models. Here, we used non‐linear, bioenergetic predator‐prey models to explore the role of foundation species and their non‐trophic effects. We explored four types of models in which the foundation species reduced the metabolic rates of species in a specific trophic position. We examined the outcomes of each of these models for six metabolic rate “treatments” in which the foundation species altered the metabolic rates of associated species by one‐tenth to ten times their allometric baseline metabolic rates. For each model simulation, we looked at how foundation species influenced food web structure during community assembly and the subsequent change in food web structure when the foundation species was removed. When a foundation species lowered the metabolic rate of only basal species, the resultant webs were complex, species‐rich, and robust to foundation species removals. On the other hand, when a foundation species lowered the metabolic rate of only consumer species, all species, or no species, the resultant webs were species‐poor and the subsequent removal of the foundation species resulted in the further loss of species and complexity. This suggests that in nature we should look for foundation species to predominantly facilitate basal species.
Highlights
Foundation species are basal species that structure ecological communities by creating physical structure and modulating ecosystem processes (Ellison et al.2005)
Species richness varied with metabolic rate (F1, 1300 = 224.05, P < 0.001) and foundation species model (F3, 1300 = 13.33, P < 0.001), and there was a significant interaction between the model type and metabolic rate (F3, 1300= 49.37, P < 0.001) (Fig. 3A)
Species richness increased with increasing metabolic rate in the basal model webs, whereas it decreased with increasing metabolic rate in webs derived from the other three models
Summary
Foundation species (sensu Dayton 1972) are basal species that structure ecological communities by creating physical structure and modulating ecosystem processes (Ellison et al.2005). Numerous field studies have shown that foundation species can alter trajectories of the assembly of ecological communities (e.g., Gibson et al 2012, Schoeb et al 2012, Butterfield et al 2013, Martin and Charles 2013, Orwig et al.2013). Some examples of non-trophic actions of foundation species include; altering local climates and microclimates (e.g., Schoeb et al 2012, Butterfield et al 2013); changing soil temperature, moisture, and acidity (e.g., Prevey et al 2010, Lustenhouwer et al 2012, Martin and Charles 2013); providing refuge for prey species and perches for predators (e.g., Yakovis et al 2008, Tovar-Sanchez et al 2013) ; and stabilizing stream banks and shorelines against erosion (reviewed by Ellison et al 2005)
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