Successful microbial colonization of space using an anti-aggregation strategy

Many organisms live in habitats with limited nutrients or space, competition for these resources is ubiquitous. Although spatial factors related to populations manner of colonizing space influences its success in spatial competition, what these factors are and to what extent they influence the outcome remains under-explored. Here, we applied a simulated competitive model to explore the spatial factors affecting outcomes of competition for space. By quantifying spatial factors using Space Accessibility, we show that colonizing space in an anti-aggregation manner contributes to microbial competitive success. We also find that the competitive edge derived from being anti-aggregation in colonizing space, which results in a higher Space Accessibility, neutralizes the disadvantage arising from either lower growth rate or lower initial abundance. These findings shed light on the role of space colonization manners on maintaining biodiversity within ecosystems and provide novel insights critical for understanding how competition for space drives evolutionary innovation.