Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Inferring community assembly processes from macroscopic patterns using dynamic eco-evolutionary models and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)

Pontarp, Mikael LU ; Brännström, Åke and Petchey, Owen L. (2019) In Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10(4). p.450-460
Abstract

Statistical techniques exist for inferring community assembly processes from community patterns. Habitat filtering, competition, and biogeographical effects have, for example, been inferred from signals in phenotypic and phylogenetic data. The usefulness of current inference techniques is, however, debated as a mechanistic and causal link between process and pattern is often lacking, and evolutionary processes and trophic interactions are ignored. Here, we revisit the current knowledge on community assembly across scales and, in line with several reviews that have outlined challenges associated with current inference techniques, we identify a discrepancy between the current paradigm of eco-evolutionary community assembly and current... (More)

Statistical techniques exist for inferring community assembly processes from community patterns. Habitat filtering, competition, and biogeographical effects have, for example, been inferred from signals in phenotypic and phylogenetic data. The usefulness of current inference techniques is, however, debated as a mechanistic and causal link between process and pattern is often lacking, and evolutionary processes and trophic interactions are ignored. Here, we revisit the current knowledge on community assembly across scales and, in line with several reviews that have outlined challenges associated with current inference techniques, we identify a discrepancy between the current paradigm of eco-evolutionary community assembly and current inference techniques that focus mainly on competition and habitat filtering. We argue that trait-based dynamic eco-evolutionary models in combination with recently developed model fitting and model evaluation techniques can provide avenues for more accurate, reliable, and inclusive inference. To exemplify, we implement a trait-based, spatially explicit eco-evolutionary model and discuss steps of model modification, fitting, and evaluation as an iterative approach enabling inference from diverse data sources. Through a case study on inference of prey and predator niche width in an eco-evolutionary context, we demonstrate how inclusive and mechanistic approaches—eco-evolutionary modelling and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)—can enable inference of assembly processes that have been largely neglected by traditional techniques despite the ubiquity of such processes. Much literature points to the limitations of current inference techniques, but concrete solutions to such limitations are few. Many of the challenges associated with novel inference techniques are, however, already to some extent resolved in other fields and thus ready to be put into action in a more formal way for inferring processes of community assembly from signals in various data sources.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biogeography, community assembly, community structure, ecology, evolution, process inference
in
Methods in Ecology and Evolution
volume
10
issue
4
pages
11 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85059347622
ISSN
2041-210X
DOI
10.1111/2041-210X.13129
project
Theoretical Macroevolutionary Ecology
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
44226d81-c8ad-4f90-b581-aedf6867da38
date added to LUP
2019-01-18 08:44:13
date last changed
2022-04-25 20:33:30
@article{44226d81-c8ad-4f90-b581-aedf6867da38,
  abstract     = {{<p>Statistical techniques exist for inferring community assembly processes from community patterns. Habitat filtering, competition, and biogeographical effects have, for example, been inferred from signals in phenotypic and phylogenetic data. The usefulness of current inference techniques is, however, debated as a mechanistic and causal link between process and pattern is often lacking, and evolutionary processes and trophic interactions are ignored. Here, we revisit the current knowledge on community assembly across scales and, in line with several reviews that have outlined challenges associated with current inference techniques, we identify a discrepancy between the current paradigm of eco-evolutionary community assembly and current inference techniques that focus mainly on competition and habitat filtering. We argue that trait-based dynamic eco-evolutionary models in combination with recently developed model fitting and model evaluation techniques can provide avenues for more accurate, reliable, and inclusive inference. To exemplify, we implement a trait-based, spatially explicit eco-evolutionary model and discuss steps of model modification, fitting, and evaluation as an iterative approach enabling inference from diverse data sources. Through a case study on inference of prey and predator niche width in an eco-evolutionary context, we demonstrate how inclusive and mechanistic approaches—eco-evolutionary modelling and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)—can enable inference of assembly processes that have been largely neglected by traditional techniques despite the ubiquity of such processes. Much literature points to the limitations of current inference techniques, but concrete solutions to such limitations are few. Many of the challenges associated with novel inference techniques are, however, already to some extent resolved in other fields and thus ready to be put into action in a more formal way for inferring processes of community assembly from signals in various data sources.</p>}},
  author       = {{Pontarp, Mikael and Brännström, Åke and Petchey, Owen L.}},
  issn         = {{2041-210X}},
  keywords     = {{biogeography; community assembly; community structure; ecology; evolution; process inference}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{450--460}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Methods in Ecology and Evolution}},
  title        = {{Inferring community assembly processes from macroscopic patterns using dynamic eco-evolutionary models and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13129}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/2041-210X.13129}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}