Coexistence introducing regulation of environmental conditions.
Interactions between environmental conditions and environment-affecting species have not been investigated extensively. In this study, the population dynamics of species yielding regulative feedback between temperature (a representative of environmental condition) and species with a temperature-altering trait was examined. We considered a simple closed model that described the population of two species (at least one of them had a temperature-altering trait) competing for one resource. The long-term outcomes of the competition and changes of temperature were explored against increasing background temperature. As a result of simulations, the regulation of temperature was accompanied by the coexistence of two species, which was contrary to the 'Gause's exclusion principle'. The steady-state analysis showed that (i) the temperature-altering trait allowed species to coexist and (ii) the coexistence of species with the trait could introduce the regulation of temperature. A 'trade-off' in their ability to utilize a resource plays a key role in this coexistence and homeostasis of temperature. This may imply that actual environmental conditions can be automatically stabilized by resource competition among species in natural ecosystems.
Seto
Mayumi
M
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
Akagi
Tasuku
T
D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D004777:Environment; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D020387:Food Chain; D008954:Models, Biological; D011157:Population Dynamics; D013269:Stochastic Processes; D013696:Temperature