Exploring Spatial Segregation Induced by Competition Avoidance as Driving Mechanism for Emergent Coexistence in Microbial Communities

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that spatial segregation driven by competition avoidance, combined with low diffusion and heterogeneity, can promote stable coexistence in microbial communities, challenging traditional mean-field models.

Contribution

It introduces a spatially explicit individual-based model showing how segregation fosters coexistence, highlighting the importance of spatial dynamics over pairwise interactions.

Findings

Spatial segregation leads to stable coexistence.

Low diffusion rates enhance community stability.

Heterogeneity among patches supports coexistence.

Abstract

This study investigates the role of spatial segregation, prompted by competition avoidance, as a key mechanism for emergent coexistence within microbial communities. Recognizing these communities as complex adaptive systems, we challenge the sufficiency of mean-field pairwise interaction models and consider the impact of spatial dynamics. We developed an individual-based spatial simulation depicting bacterial movement through a pattern of random walks influenced by competition avoidance, leading to the formation of spatially segregated clusters. This model was integrated with a Lotka-Volterra metapopulation framework focused on competitive interactions. Our findings reveal that spatial segregation combined with low diffusion rates and high compositional heterogeneity among patches can lead to emergent coexistence in microbial communities. This reveals a novel mechanism underpinning the formation of stable, coexisting microbe clusters, which is nonetheless incapable of promoting coexistence in the case of isolated pairs of species. This study underscores the importance of considering spatial factors in understanding the dynamics of microbial ecosystems.