The strengths of r- and K-selection shape diversity-disturbance relationships.
Disturbance is a key factor shaping species abundance and diversity in plant communities. Here, we use a mechanistic model of vegetation diversity to show that different strengths of r- and K-selection result in different disturbance-diversity relationships. R- and K-selection constrain the range of viable species through the colonization-competition tradeoff, with strong r-selection favoring colonizers and strong K-selection favoring competitors, but the level of disturbance also affects the success of species. This interplay among r- and K-selection and disturbance results in different shapes of disturbance-diversity relationships, with little variation of diversity with no r- and no K-selection, a decrease in diversity with r-selection with disturbance rate, an increase in diversity with K-selection, and a peak at intermediate values with strong r- and K-selection. We conclude that different disturbance-diversity relationships found in observations may reflect different intensities of r- and K-selection within communities, which should be inferable from broader observations of community composition and their ecophysiological trait ranges.
Biospheric Theory and Modelling Group, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany; Ecological Modelling, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany.
Kristin
K
Bohn
Biospheric Theory and Modelling Group, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
Ryan
R
Pavlick
Biospheric Theory and Modelling Group, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany; Department of Special Botany and Functional Biodiversity Research, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Björn
B
Reu
Biospheric Theory and Modelling Group, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany.
Axel
A
Kleidon
D044822:Biodiversity; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D063245:Plant Development; D063148:Plant Dispersal