Journal article
The long and the short of it: Mechanisms of synchronous and compensatory dynamics across temporal scales
Ecology, Vol.103(4), Art. e3650
2022
Abstract
Synchronous dynamics (fluctuations that occur in unison) are universal phenomena with widespread implications for ecological stability. Synchronous dynamics can amplify the destabilizing effect of environmental variability on ecosystem functions such as productivity, whereas the inverse, compensatory dynamics, can stabilize function. Here we combine simulation and empirical analyses to elucidate mechanisms that underlie patterns of synchronous versus compensatory dynamics. In both simulated and empirical communities, we show that synchronous and compensatory dynamics are not mutually exclusive but instead can vary by timescale. Our simulations identify multiple mechanisms that can generate timescale-specific patterns, including different environmental drivers, diverse life histories, dispersal, and non-stationary dynamics. We find that traditional metrics for quantifying synchronous dynamics are often biased toward long-term drivers and may miss the importance of short-term drivers. Our findings indicate key mechanisms to consider when assessing synchronous versus compensatory dynamics and our approach provides a pathway for disentangling these dynamics in natural systems.
Details
- Title
- The long and the short of it: Mechanisms of synchronous and compensatory dynamics across temporal scales
- Authors/Creators
- L.G. Shoemaker (Author/Creator) - University of WyomingL.M. Hallett (Author/Creator) - University of OregonL. Zhao (Author/Creator) - China Agricultural UniversityD.C. Reuman (Author/Creator) - University of KansasS. Wang (Author/Creator) - Peking UniversityK.L. Cottingham (Author/Creator) - Dartmouth CollegeR.J. Hobbs (Author/Creator) - The University of Western AustraliaM.C.N. Castorani (Author/Creator) - University of VirginiaA.L. Downing (Author/Creator) - Ohio Wesleyan UniversityJ.C. Dudney (Author/Creator) - University of California, BerkeleyS.B. Fey (Author/Creator) - Reed CollegeL.A. Gherardi (Author/Creator) - Arizona State UniversityN. Lany (Author/Creator) - Michigan State UniversityC. Portales‐Reyes (Author/Creator)A.L. Rypel (Author/Creator) - University of California, DavisL.W. Sheppard (Author/Creator) - University of KansasJ.A. Walters (Author/Creator)K.N. Suding (Author/Creator) - Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
- Publication Details
- Ecology, Vol.103(4), Art. e3650
- Publisher
- Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.
- Identifiers
- 991005545183407891
- Copyright
- © 2022 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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