Does the mid-domain effect shape interaction networks along environmental gradients?

Abstract

The mid-domain effect (MDE) predicts that geometric constraints drive unimodal species richness patterns within bounded gradients. However, the role of this effect in ecological networks is currently unexplored. Here we evaluate the role of the MDE in structuring interaction networks. We combine null-model simulations and empirical analyses of plant-pollinator and ant-plant networks along elevational gradients to assess whether the MDE can drive systematic variation in network structure. Our simulations demonstrated that the MDE alone can generate unimodal/U-shaped patterns in network metrics such as connectance, generality, and vulnerability. However, empirical networks only partially conformed to MDE predictions, with deviations indicating the likely influence of other ecological processes. MDE-based models best explained patterns in network-level specialization and nestedness, while only partially explaining patterns in connectance and generality. Because MDEs can shape interaction networks, MDE null models should be used when quantifying the influence of other ecological processes on network structure.