Abstract Ecosystem structure is driven by connectivity via resource flows, ecosystem (patch) size, and disturbance regimes. However, while resource flows can interact with ecosystem size to affect ecosystem structure, we lack evidence on whether and how these two variables further interact with disturbance. Here, we empirically test how ecosystem size and disturbance jointly mediate the effects of connectivity via resource flows. We conducted a highly replicated microcosm experiment with two‐patch autotrophic‐heterotrophic meta‐ecosystems, manipulating resource flows (connected/unconnected), patch size (6.43, 9, 15, 45 mL), and disturbance (fixed magnitude or relative to patch size) to study their effects on biomass density across patches as a meta‐ecosystem structure. Our results showed an interaction between resource flows, patch size, and disturbance. When disturbance was fixed, resource flows increased meta‐ecosystem biomass density from intermediate‐small sizes upward (≥9 mL). In contrast, when disturbance was relative to ecosystem size, the positive effects of resource flows only occurred from intermediate‐large sizes upward (≥15 mL). Our results suggest that to understand the interactive effects of ecosystem size and resource flows on ecosystem structure, we might have to consider how disturbance covaries with ecosystem size.
The diversity of ecological interactions, both trophic and non-trophic, is central to understanding the assembly of communities. However, we have yet to study non-trophic processes through their action on ecosystem compartments such as detritus involved in both recycling and habitat provisioning. Here, we study a simple ecosystem model where the dual role of detritus as both resource and habitat allows us to define ecosystem engineering from non-trophic processes that interact with the cycling of matter at the ecosystem level. Our results show how habitat and resource limitations on consumer growth from detritus can affect ecosystem stability. We further predict that non-trophic processes can stabilize ecosystems via 1) asynchrony between trophic and non-trophic interactions, 2) weak trophic interactions emerging from non-trophic feedbacks, and 3) coupling between non-trophic and recycling processes that control top-down versus bottom-up trophic regulation. Our results show that ecosystem dynamics provide the relevant context to study the interplay between trophic and non-trophic processes.
Degraded urban soils often require reconstruction to restore their ecological functions, and earthworms are key ecosystem engineers that can contribute to the development of functional Technosols. Plant development is strongly influenced by earthworm-driven modifications of soil properties, yet the effects of co-occurring earthworm ecotypes remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that assemblages of ecologically distinct earthworm species enhance soil physical structure and promote plant growth through complementary processes. To test this, naturally co-occurring anecic, epigeic, and endogeic species were collected from an urban environment and inoculated, either alone or in combination, into constructed Technosols with increasing compost contents (10
Most insects have the ability to modify the odor landscape in order to communicate with their conspecies during key phases of their life cycle such as reproduction. They release pheromones in their nearby environment, volatile compounds that are detected by insects of the same species with exceptional specificity and sensitivity. Efficient pheromone detection is then an interesting lever for insect pest management in a precision agroecological culture context. A precise and early detection of pests using pheromone sensors offers a strategy for pest management before infestation. In this paper, we develop a biology-informed inverse problem framework that leverages temporal signals from a pheromone sensor network to build insect presence maps. Prior biological knowledge is introduced in the inverse problem by the mean of a specific penalty, using population dynamics PDE residuals. We benchmark the biological-informed penalty with other regularization terms such as Tikhonov, LASSO or composite penalties in a simplified toy model. We use classical comparison criteria, such as target reconstruction error, or Jaccard distance on pest presence-absence. But we also use more task-specific criteria such as the number of informative sensors during inference. Finally, the inverse problem is solved in a realistic context of pest infestation in an agricultural landscape by the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).
Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) aims to balance ecological and economic goals while employing precautionary measures to address uncertainties in knowledge and management. This study investigates fishing strategies to achieve this balance while minimizing the associated risks. Using a simplified prey-predator model, we explored various scenarios reflecting the diversity of global fisheries. The model integrates key ecological dynamics (bottom-up and top-down forces), economic factors (price structures), and aggregates the diversity of fishing practices by distributing fishing mortality across species. Our findings reveal that predators are always more affected by fishing than prey, regardless of the effort distribution. High yields are achieved by reducing predator densities -either maximizing predator catches when they are highly valued or reducing predation pressure to enhance prey harvests when prey prices are high. Such strategies result in significant ecological impacts, leading to systematic trade-offs. Elevated prey prices and top-down controlled systems intensify these trade-offs, increasing ecological risks. Regarding uncertainties, we demonstrate that maximizing yields poses risks to both biodiversity and profitability. Reconciliation is challenging but feasible when both species are fished. This balance can be achieved only in bottom-up controlled systems where prey valuation is not disproportionately high compared to predator prices. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
