Exploring Spatial Segregation Induced by Competition Avoidance as Driving Mechanism for Emergent Coexistence in Microbial Communities

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Mattei, Mattia, Arenas, Alex
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Mattei, Mattia
Arenas, Alex
author_facet Mattei, Mattia
Arenas, Alex
contents This study investigates the role of spatial segregation, prompted by competition avoidance, as a key mechanism for emergent coexistence within microbial communities. Recognizing these communities as complex adaptive systems, we challenge the sufficiency of mean-field pairwise interaction models and consider the impact of spatial dynamics. We developed an individual-based spatial simulation depicting bacterial movement through a pattern of random walks influenced by competition avoidance, leading to the formation of spatially segregated clusters. This model was integrated with a Lotka-Volterra metapopulation framework focused on competitive interactions. Our findings reveal that spatial segregation combined with low diffusion rates and high compositional heterogeneity among patches can lead to emergent coexistence in microbial communities. This reveals a novel mechanism underpinning the formation of stable, coexisting microbe clusters, which is nonetheless incapable of promoting coexistence in the case of isolated pairs of species. This study underscores the importance of considering spatial factors in understanding the dynamics of microbial ecosystems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_17048
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Exploring Spatial Segregation Induced by Competition Avoidance as Driving Mechanism for Emergent Coexistence in Microbial Communities
Mattei, Mattia
Arenas, Alex
Physics and Society
Biological Physics
Populations and Evolution
This study investigates the role of spatial segregation, prompted by competition avoidance, as a key mechanism for emergent coexistence within microbial communities. Recognizing these communities as complex adaptive systems, we challenge the sufficiency of mean-field pairwise interaction models and consider the impact of spatial dynamics. We developed an individual-based spatial simulation depicting bacterial movement through a pattern of random walks influenced by competition avoidance, leading to the formation of spatially segregated clusters. This model was integrated with a Lotka-Volterra metapopulation framework focused on competitive interactions. Our findings reveal that spatial segregation combined with low diffusion rates and high compositional heterogeneity among patches can lead to emergent coexistence in microbial communities. This reveals a novel mechanism underpinning the formation of stable, coexisting microbe clusters, which is nonetheless incapable of promoting coexistence in the case of isolated pairs of species. This study underscores the importance of considering spatial factors in understanding the dynamics of microbial ecosystems.
title Exploring Spatial Segregation Induced by Competition Avoidance as Driving Mechanism for Emergent Coexistence in Microbial Communities
topic Physics and Society
Biological Physics
Populations and Evolution
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.17048