Trait-mediated Indirect Interactions: Ecological and Evolutionary Perspectives

There is increasing evidence that the structure and functioning of ecological communities and ecosystems are strongly influenced by flexible traits of individuals within species. A deep understanding of how trait flexibility alters direct and indirect species interactions is crucial for addressing key issues in basic and applied ecology. This book provides an integrated perspective on the ecological and evolutionary consequences of interactions mediated by flexible species traits across a wide range of systems. It is the first volume synthesizing the rapidly expanding research field of trait-mediated indirect effects and highlights how the conceptual framework of these effects can aid the understanding of evolutionary processes, population dynamics, community structure and stability, and ecosystem function. It not only brings out the importance of this emerging field for basic ecological questions, but also explores the implications of trait-mediated interactions for the conservation of biodiversity and the response of ecosystems to anthropogenic environmental changes.

Takayuki Ohgushi is a Professor at the Center for Ecological Research at Kyoto University. His research focus is on population biology of insect herbivores, plant-herbivore interactions, multi-trophic interactions and the linkage from gene to ecosystem. In particular, he is interested in how trait-mediated indirect effects create ecological communities and biodiversity.

Oswald Schmitz is the Oastler Professor of Population and Community Ecology, in the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He studies the linkage between two important components of natural systems: biodiversity and ecosystem services, using field experimentation guided by formal mathematical theory of trait-based species interactions.

Robert D. Holt is Arthur R. Marshall, Jr Chair in Ecology and Eminent Scholar, in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida. He is an evolutionary and community ecologist whose contributions are principally theoretical, but always tied to concrete processes in the natural world. He has received the International Ecology Institute Prize in Terrestrial Ecology and the Sewall Wright Award from the American Society of Naturalists.