Population dynamics articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article | 18 July 2014

  Evolution of increased phenotypic diversity enhances population performance by reducing sexual harassment in damselflies

  The mechanisms by which morphological variation affect evolutionary dynamics are poorly understood. Here, the authors show that increased phenotypic diversity in female damselflies decreases the risk of sexual harassment by males, and enhances population performance.

  • Yuma Takahashi
  • , Kotaro Kagawa
  •  & Masakado Kawata

• Article | 02 May 2014

  Dynamics of a producer-freeloader ecosystem on the brink of collapse

  Ecosystems may irreversibly change after perturbations once the tipping point is reached. Here, the authors assess the dynamics of an experimental ecosystem on the brink of collapse and find that the producer populations grow in size as the environment deteriorates, but the collective dynamics slows down near the tipping point.

  • Andrew Chen
  • , Alvaro Sanchez
  •  & Jeff Gore

• Article | 12 August 2013

  Population structure determines functional differences among species and ecosystem processes

  Linking biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has been a longstanding challenge in ecology. Here, the authors demonstrate that changes in the demographic structure of populations can fundamentally alter the functional composition of natural communities and alter ecosystem processes long before any species are extirpated.

  • Volker H. W. Rudolf
  •  & Nick L. Rasmussen

• Article | 15 January 2013

  Different types of synchrony in chaotic and cyclic communities

  Natural populations are complex systems where interactions can lead to chaotic dynamics. This study tests how cyclic and chaotic microbial predator–prey communities synchronize, showing different phase-locking responses for cyclic and chaotic systems.

  • Lutz Becks
  •  & Hartmut Arndt

• Article | 09 August 2011

  Location-specific patterns of exposure to recent pre-pandemic strains of influenza A in southern China

  Population demographics affect influenza transmission at large spatial scales. Here, influenza immunity is shown to vary spatially in a way unexplained by differences in demographics, suggesting that there are aspects of locations that drive influenza transmission other than individual and household risk factors.

  • Justin Lessler
  • , Derek A.T. Cummings
  •  & Steven Riley

• Article
  24 August 2010 | Open Access

  The fitness of dispersing spotted hyaena sons is influenced by maternal social status

  Spotted hyaenas live in clans with a hierarchy of females with different social ranks. In this paper, the sons of high-ranking female hyaenas are shown to have greater fitness than sons born of mothers of medium and low rank. This study highlights the importance of maternal effects in evolution.

  • Oliver P. Höner
  • , Bettina Wachter
  •  & Marion L. East