Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2021, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (10): 1075-1093.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2020.0055

Special Issue: 生态系统结构与功能

• Reviews • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Biotic interactions and ecosystem dynamics under global change: from theory to application

HE Qiang*()   

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
  • Received:2020-03-03 Accepted:2020-07-02 Online:2021-10-20 Published:2020-07-03
  • Contact: HE Qiang
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870414)

Abstract:

Under intensifying human activities and climate change, spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem composition and structure are becoming increasingly drastic and intricate, and there are trends of degradation in many ecosystems. An improved understanding of ecosystem dynamics and their underlying mechanisms in the context of global change can not only help resolve fundamental theoretical questions in ecology, but can also inform applied issues in ecosystem restoration and conservation. Here, we review different models of ecosystem dynamics (gradual continuum, threshold/regime shift, and stochastic) and conceptualize the mechanisms by which biotic interactions can potentially modulate ecosystem dynamics. We then synthesize the state of understanding how biotic interactions regulate secondary succession, regime shift, and species range shift—ecosystem dynamics subject to intense recent investigation. We further discuss results from studies that applied theories on biotic interactions in ecosystem restoration and conservation. We show that there is a growing body of research revealing 1) that multiple types of biotic interactions, such as competition, facilitation (including mutualism), and trophic interactions, can drive or substantially alter the patterns, directions, and rates of ecosystem change at various spatiotemporal scales, and 2) that managing biotic interactions is likely to greatly enhance the performance of ecosystem restoration and conservation. To move forward, we highlight that further research is needed to better understand how the impacts of biotic interactions on ecosystem dynamics vary spatially and temporally, how biotic interactions modulate ecosystem dynamics under multiple anthropogenic disturbances, and how best to manage biotic interactions to optimize ecosystem conservation and restoration.

Key words: biotic interactions, secondary succession, regime shift, species range shift, restoration ecology, ecological application