Perturbation responses in co-evolved model meta-communities

Abstract

A spatially-explicit eco-evolutionary model assembles simulated meta-communities which are subjected to species and community perturbation experiments to determine factors affecting the stability of the global ecosystem. Spatial structure and resource variety increases the persistence of the ensembles against the removal of an individual species, yet they remains vulnerable to re-invasion by an existing member of the meta-community if it is introduced to all patches with minimal population. Optimal reserve placement strategies are identified for maximally preserving global biodiversity from the effects of sequences of patch disruption, and targeted reserve placement that shields the most or the rarest biodiversity is usually effective, however if disturbed populations are permitted to resettle in neighbouring patches then reserves should also be situated remotely to isolate their residents from invasion.