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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

Chuliang Song @clsong.com · 01/06/2026

What have we actually learned from empirical applications of Modern Coexistence Theory? We reviewed 84 studies from the last two decades to find out. Read our new synthesis in Ecology Letters here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

What Have We Learned From Empirical Applications of Modern Coexistence Theory?

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology @iite-ecotheory.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

📣Next week, we restart our online series with Theo Gibbs (NYU) @theogibbs.bsky.social, who will present: ⭐Do higher-order interactions promote coexistence in diverse ecological communities?⭐ Free and open! Zoom link: iite.info/seminar/ Global time checker: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/f...

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

International Initiative for Theoretical Ecology @iite-ecotheory.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

📣We will be back soon with a new series of online theory seminars! As ever, free and open for all via Zoom. Follow us on here, or join our email list (iite.info/seminar-emai...) for details. In the meantime, all our past talks are on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@theoretical... See you there!

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

Jacob Levine @jacoblevine.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

🔥🔬🌲 Postdoc Opportunity at Duke! to study the drivers and impacts of post-fire forest loss in the western U.S. Position is part of the inaugural SCALES fellowship, an exciting program funding interdisciplinary research addressing key climate challenges. academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31549

academicjobsonline.org

Duke University, Biology

Job #AJO31549, Postdoctoral Associate, Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, US

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

Zach Gold @zachgold.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Our new paper in @pnas.org (co-led by @theogibbs.bsky.social) demonstrates that spatial patterns can modify interactions in plant communities of more than two species! (1/8)

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Psyched to share a new paper out today in @pnas.org! W/ @zachgold.bsky.social, Haylee Oyler, Jonathan Levine and @nathanjbkraft.bsky.social, we showed that spatial clustering modifies the strength of competition in a diverse annual plant community. Check it out here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

On a more personal note, this was the last chapter of my PhD and also my first real experiment. I learned so much from collaborating with everyone at Princeton, UCLA and Sedgwick Reserve in CA.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Overall, our results suggest that higher-order interactions can come about from the combination of spatial clustering and a competitive hierarchy. Because these two properties are prevalent in natural plant communities, higher-order interactions may be more common than previously thought.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

We hypothesized that a competitive hierarchy might underlie these changes in fecundity. To test this, we came up with a metric that quantifies the difference in competitive effect for each background species. Background species that are more imbalanced produce larger higher-order interactions.

The relationship between the absolute value of the difference in competitive effect (a measure of the imbalance between competitors) on the x axis and the difference in focal species fecundity due to the spatial arrangement on the y axis.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

These observed higher-order interactions are correlated with changes in the traits of background competitors due to their spatial arrangement, suggesting a possible mechanistic underpinning for the shifts in interaction strength.

Correlation between changes in the traits of background competitors on the x axis (quantified by the difference in the first axis of a PCA) and changes in fecundity of focal individuals on the y axis. Differences in both axes come about from the spatial arrangement.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Differences in the fecundity of focal individuals therefore reveal the relative strength of intra to interspecific higher-order interactions. Focal species fecundity changes as a result of the arrangement of competitors... in other words, we have found higher-order interactions!

The difference in fecundity between clustered and mixed treatments aggregated across focal species and plotted for each combination of background competitor species.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

In our experiment, we manipulated the spatial arrangement -- but not the number or identity -- of background species competing with focal individuals (see figure above). When competitors are clustered, they cannot engage in as many interspecific higher-order interactions as when they are mixed.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Happy to share a new preprint! W/ @zachgold.bsky.social, Haylee Oyler, Jonathan Levine and @nathanjbkraft.bsky.social. We use a spatially explicit experimental design to ask: do higher-order interactions structure the dynamics of annual plant communities? Link: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵

(A) A conceptual diagram of interspecific and intraspecific higher-order interactions among annual plants. (B) Conceptual diagrams (along with pictures of actual annual plants) of two different spatial arrangements of competitors to manipulate the relative frequecy of inter to intraspecific higher-order interactions.

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

Pamela Ferretti @pamferretti.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Last year, I joined a brilliant group of researchers for a 3-week deep dive into host–microbe systems. Each week explored a different theme, led by inspiring lecturers. I’m excited to share that videos of their talks — along with presentations by several team members — are now on YouTube:

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Reposted by Theo Gibbs

Ecological Society of America @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

URGENT! Contact your senators today to advocate to fund science agencies and programs! The Senate Appropriations Committee & its subcommittees are writing appropriation bills for the federal FY26 budget now. Here's how you can help: esa.org/esablog/2025...

the U.S. Capitol building on an overcast day, looking ominous

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

New paper w/ Jonathan Levine and @exp-evoeco.bsky.social! We induced plastic responses in annual plants through early-life competition. These responses tended to make subsequent species interactions stronger and coexistence less likely. Link: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

(A) Conceptual diagram of how early-season competition induces plastic responses in focal plants. (B) Species interactions are measured across a density gradient of resident competitors with no induction, with induction from individuals of the focal species or from the resident species.

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Theo Gibbs @theogibbs.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

If you’re a prospective graduate student interested in quantitative or computational biology, consider applying to the QCB Scholars program at Princeton! More info here: lsi.princeton.edu/education/qc... Please share widely!

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