Right on the pulse of science: current research from the Natural History Museum Stuttgart as well as from (international) partner institutions is presented at our research colloquium. The colloquium serves the scientific exchange between researchers and all those interested in research. The lectures in English take place regularly every fortnight on Tuesdays at 4 pm at Museum am Löwentor and are transmitted via Zoom. We look forward to active participation on site or online!
Research colloquium
Contact:
Dr. Peter Warth
Tel: +49 (0) 711 / 8936-2810
E-Mail: peter.warth(at)smns-bw.de
What's next
Grafische Darstellung von Interaktionen zwischen Arten und deren Einfluss auf Biodiversität und Ökosysteme
Illustration: G. Albert
21.04.
Consequences of species interactions for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
Dr. Georg Albert, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Many ecological processes benefit from biodiversity, with evidence spanning experimental and natural ecosystems across the globe. Species interactions across multiple trophic levels are expected to play a crucial mechanistic role in this relationship, yet evidence remains rare and limited to few types of interactions.
To generalize how species interactions mediate effects of biodiversity, I assembled comprehensive interaction data from a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China, the BEF-China experiment. Specifically, I constructed and analyzed species interaction networks for 11 types of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions (e.g. mycorrhiza-plant, parasitoid-host). By quantifying their structural characteristics, I was then able to investigate how biodiversity determines the way species interact, and how species interactions modify ecosystem multifunctionality (i.e. multiple process rates such as primary production and herbivory). Additionally, I identified how species interactions contribute to buffering extinction cascades and thus determine the maintenance of biodiversity.
The analyses reveal two major properties of species interactions that are crucial for ecosystems. First, a higher number of interactions per species not only increases the risk of secondary extinction but also reduces ecosystem multifunctionality. Second, a higher degree of shared interaction partners between species minimizes extinction risks and enhances ecosystem multifunctionality. These findings suggest a tight association between stabilizing mechanisms and ecosystem process rates that comes about through species interactions.
Taken together, my findings provide evidence for the consequences of species interactions for ecosystems, which will serve as a foundation to discuss why we should and how we can work towards identifying their causes.
As usual, we will also broadcast via zoom for those who can not join in person: https://zoom.us/j/94510498226
All topics
- 14.04.
Racing evolution: How populations rapidly adapt and repeatedly evolve colour
Dr. Niloofar Alaei Kakhki, Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart - 21.04.
Consequences of species interactions for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
Dr. Georg Albert, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen - 09.06.
What remains: understanding the mechanisms of fossilisation through the lens of soft tissue preservation
Dr. Orla Bath Enright, Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart - 23.06.
Squamate chemoreception: hypotheses, challenges, and evolutionary perspectives
M.Sc. Ilse Barraza, Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart - 07.07.
Radical hope at the end of the Anthropocene
David John Cross, Universität Stuttgart - 14.07.
Large-scale digitization of insect morphology: recent advances in synchrotron X-ray imaging and data analysis
Dr. Thomas van de Kamp, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - 21.07.
Blackcap migration – adaptation in time and space
Prof. Dr. Miriam Liedvogel, Institut für Vogelforschung, Vogelwarte Helgoland