residence-time

residence-time quantifies residence time (τ) from the ratio of volume to flow rate to link physical ecosystem dynamics with biological growth and biodiversity patterns.

Key Features:

• Residence time calculation: Computes τ as the ratio of ecosystem volume to flow rate (τ = volume/flow rate).
• Individual-based modeling: Implements over 20,000 individual-based models to test ecological predictions and energetic cost hypotheses.
• Residence-time range: Evaluates ecological dynamics across six orders of magnitude of τ.
• Dispersal and resources integration: Incorporates dispersal mechanisms and resource availability into models to connect physical transport with biological processes.
• Multimetric outputs: Analyzes growth, productivity, abundance, diversity, turnover, commonness, rarity, and trait syndromes.
• Metabolic alignment analysis: Assesses alignment between dilution rate (1/τ) and basal metabolic rates to identify conditions for peak abundance, productivity, and species richness.

Scientific Applications:

• Ecological selection and energetic costs: Tests predictions about ecological selection and energetic cost trade-offs using individual-based simulations.
• Biodiversity patterns across residence-time gradients: Examines how abundance, productivity, species richness, and diversity metrics vary with τ and dilution rate.
• Dispersal–resource interactions: Investigates how dispersal mechanisms and resource availability jointly influence community composition and trait syndromes.
• Scaling from organisms to ecosystems: Links basal metabolic rates to ecosystem-scale dilution rates to predict conditions for optimal biodiversity across scales.

Methodology:

Calculates τ as volume/flow rate; runs over 20,000 individual-based models spanning six orders of magnitude of τ; integrates dispersal mechanisms and resource availability into those models; tests predictions related to ecological selection and energetic costs; and analyzes outputs for growth, productivity, abundance, diversity, turnover, commonness, rarity, and trait syndromes while evaluating dilution rate (1/τ) relative to basal metabolic rates.