"The role of phenotypic plasticity in the ecological theatre"Kalirad, AtaSpecies coexistence in ecological communities is a central feature of biodiversity. Different concepts, i.e., contemporary niche theory, modern coexistence theory, and the unified neutral theory, have identified many building blocks of such ecological assemblies. Phenotypic plasticity, the expression of multiple phenotypes of a trait by a single genotype, can strongly influence both the short-term interactions in ecological communities and the long-term evolutionary trajectories of natural populations. However, our understanding of how phenotypic plasticity shapes ecological assemblies, especially in animal systems, remains limited. In this contribution, I present an integrative theoretical–experimental framework using the nematode plasticity model Pristionchus pacificus. This nematode develops one of two alternative mouth forms: a non-predatory form, which feeds on bacteria, and a predatory form that engages in cannibalism. The probability of developing either of these two mouth forms is determined by the interaction between a gene regulatory network and environmental factors. In this framework, empirical measurements of life-history parameters are combined with probabilistic programming and individual-based modeling to elucidate how the interplay between plasticity and individual stochasticity affects the possibility of coexistence. |
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