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Dynamics of Reciprocal Pulsed Subsidies in Local and Meta-Ecosystems

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Abstract

Temporally variable and reciprocal subsidies between ecosystems are ubiquitous. These spatial flows can generate a suite of direct and indirect effects in local and meta-ecosystems. The focus of most subsidy research, however, has been on the response of consumers in recipient ecosystems to constant subsidies over very short or very long time scales. We derive a meta-ecosystem model to explicitly consider the dynamic feedbacks between local ecosystems coupled through reciprocal pulsed subsidies. We predict oscillating reinforcing and dampening effects of reciprocal pulsed herbivore flows. Maximum reinforcing effects between reciprocal pulsed herbivore flows occur when these flows are in phase with the dynamics of neighboring predators. This prediction is robust to a range of pulse quantities and frequencies. Reciprocal pulsed herbivore subsidies lead to spatial and temporal variability in the strength of trophic cascades in local and meta-ecosystems but these cascading effects are the strongest when reciprocal pulsed subsidies are temporally concentrated. When predators demonstrate a behavioral response to prey abundance, reciprocal pulsed subsidies dampen the strength of local trophic cascades but lead to strong trophic cascades across local ecosystems. The timing of reciprocal pulsed subsidies is a critical component that determines the cascading effects of spatial flows. We show that spatial and temporal variabilities in resources and consumers can have a significant influence on the strength of cascading trophic interactions; therefore, our ability to detect and understand trophic cascades may depend on the scale of inquiry of ecological studies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank A. Hurford, R. Holt, F. Guichard, M. Scheffer, J. Shurin, and anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript. S. Leroux was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Quebec Nature and Technologies Research Fund (QNTRF), and McGill University. M. Loreau was also supported by the Canada Research Chair program, a Discovery Grant from NSERC, and a team research project from the QNRTF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 ave. Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1B1, Canada

    Shawn J. Leroux & Michel Loreau

  2. Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Shawn J. Leroux

  3. Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Experimental Ecology Station, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Moulis, 09200, France

    Michel Loreau

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  1. Shawn J. Leroux
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  2. Michel Loreau
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Correspondence to Shawn J. Leroux.

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Author contributions

SJL and ML designed the study and derived the meta-ecosystem model. SJL analyzed the model and ran the simulations. SJL and ML wrote the paper.

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Leroux, S.J., Loreau, M. Dynamics of Reciprocal Pulsed Subsidies in Local and Meta-Ecosystems. Ecosystems 15, 48–59 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9492-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9492-0

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