Natural enemies and biodiversity: The double-edged sword of trophic interactions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.9.11417

Keywords:

apparent competition, coexistence, ecological opportunity, enemy-victim interactions, top-down regulation

Abstract

Natural enemies, that is, species that inflict harm on others while feeding on them, are fundamental drivers of biodiversity dynamics and represent a substantial portion of biodiversity as well. Along the life history of the Earth, natural enemies have been involved in probably some of the most productive mechanisms of biodiversity genesis; that is, adaptive radiation mediated by enemy-victim coevolutionary processes. At ecological timescales, natural enemies are a fundamental piece of food webs and can contribute to biodiversity preservation by promoting stability and coexistence at lower trophic levels through top-down regulation mechanisms. However, natural enemies often produce dramatic losses of biodiversity, especially when humans are involved.

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Author Biographies

Alexandre Mestre, Concordia University in Montreal (Canada).

Researcher at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology of the University of Valencia (Spain) and the Department of Biology of Concordia University in Montreal (Canada). His research interests are ecology and the evolution of symbiotic species. During his Master’s and PhD research, carried out at the University of Valencia, he investigated spatial segregation as a mechanism of coexistence in feather mites, and population patterns of symbiont-host co-invaders. Currently, his research focuses on the application of metapopulation and metacommunity theory to understand eco-evolutionary dynamics of symbionts and, more generally, of species that live in discrete and ephemeral habitats.

Robert D. Holt, University of Florida (USA).

Full Professor of Ecology at the University of Florida (USA). His core personal research focuses on a wide range of theoretical and conceptual issues at the population and community levels of ecological organization, and on the task of linking ecology with evolutionary biology. In addition to basic research, he is interested in bringing modern ecological theory to bear on significant applied problems, particularly in conservation biology. He has also carried out large-scale experiments on habitat fragmentation. His students include both theoreticians and empirical, experimental ecologists. He has historically collaborated with many faculty at a wide range of institutions, both inside and outside the USA.

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Published

2019-03-06

How to Cite

Mestre, A., & Holt, R. D. (2019). Natural enemies and biodiversity: The double-edged sword of trophic interactions. Metode Science Studies Journal, (9), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.9.11417
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Issue

The grounds of science (2019)

Section

In praise of life. The dynamic concept of biodiversity

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