Abstract
Despite evidence that seasonal variation may lead to the persistence of
competing species, studies on the effect of seasonality on community
network structures are limited. Furthermore, identifying whether
seasonal network changes are the result of species turnover or rewiring
(rearrangement of interactions among species), also remains
understudied. Here, we investigate seasonal network changes in a stream
fish community across Fall and Spring data. We find strong evidence that
seasonality influences species interactions, particularly through
rewiring. Moreover, we find that a species’ number of rewiring
interactions was best explained by its status as a
piscivore/non-piscivore and its maximum length. Overall, we argue that
rewiring may be a dominant process in communities experiencing seasonal
environments and that traits linked to trophic-level may identify
species contributing most to rewiring. As networks dominated by rewiring
may be more robust, understanding the causes of changes in species
interactions can help determine when communities may persist given a
disturbance.