Insights into the assembly rules of a continent-wide multilayer network
Mello et al, 2019.
Mello et al, 2019.
How are ecological systems assembled? Identifying common structural
patterns within complex networks of interacting species has been a major
challenge in ecology, but researchers have focused primarily on single
interaction types aggregating in space or time. Here, we shed light on
the assembly rules of a multilayer network formed by frugivory and
nectarivory interactions between bats and plants in the Neotropics. By
harnessing a conceptual framework known as the integrative hypothesis of
specialization, our results suggest that phylogenetic constraints
separate species into different layers and shape the network’s modules.
Then, the network shifts to a nested structure within its modules where
interactions are mainly structured by geographic co-occurrence. Finally,
organismal traits related to consuming fruits or nectar determine which
bat species are central or peripheral to the network. Our results
provide insights into how different processes contribute to the
assemblage of ecological systems at different levels of organization,
resulting in a compound network topology.
The bat–plant multilayer network. By compiling bat–plant interactions
(lines) across the Neotropics, we found a compound topology with a
strong separation between interaction types (layers) and guilds
(modules). The layers represent interactions of frugivory, nectarivory
and dual interactions. Modules were detected using the LPA.
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