Self-organized biodiversity and species abundance distribution patterns in ecosystems with higher-order interactions

Ju Kang, Yiyuan Niu, Yuanzhi Li and Chengjin Chu

Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 2026, vol. 202, issue P1

Abstract: Understanding the vast biodiversity observed in nature remains a fundamental issue in ecology. While classical theories have long assumed that species interact in simple pairs, real ecosystems are shaped by more complex, higher-order interactions (HOIs) involving multiple species simultaneously. Here, we show that incorporating these HOIs into ecological models not only prevents ecosystem collapse but actively stabilizes communities and maintains self-organized biodiversity. Our approach reveals how such interactions give rise to self-sustaining oscillations, quasi-periodic dynamics, and intermittent chaos, mirroring the rich variability seen in natural systems. Crucially, the model successfully reproduces real-world species abundance patterns, providing a quantitative explanation for how complex interactions maintain ecological diversity. These findings establish HOIs as a key mechanism organizing biodiversity and offer a transformative perspective for understanding ecosystem complexity.

Keywords: Self-organized biodiversity; Species abundance distribution patterns; Higher-order interactions; Ecosystems; Chaos (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chsofr:v:202:y:2026:i:p1:s0960077925014559

DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2025.117442

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