Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol.

98(3): 429-431, April 2003

429

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Apparent Competition Through Facilitation between Melanoides

tuberculata and Biomphalaria glabrata and the Control of
Schistosomiasis
Alexandre Giovanelli, Marcus Vinicius Vieira*, Cesar Luiz Pinto Ayres Coelho da Silva/+
Departamento de Biologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil *Laboratrio
de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Interactions between two species that result in reduced growth rates for both and extinction of one of the species
are generally considered cases of asymmetric interspecific competition. Exploitative or interference competition is
the usual mechanism invoked. Here we describe another mechanism producing the same result, named apparent
competition through facilitation (ACF), observed between Melanoides tuberculata and Biomphalaria glabrata populations. The superior competitor actually gives some benefit to the other species, whose population becomes unstable with progressively increasing oscillations, leading to extinction. A model of ACF using difference equations
suggests initial dynamics distinct from traditional interspecific competition. The dynamics of two freshwater snails
in the field and in laboratory experiments suggest ACF, and these relations should be considered in studies of
schistosomiasis control. ACF could occur in natural populations, but might have gone undetected because the final
result is similar to traditional interspecific competition.
Key words: apparent competition - population interactions - Biomphalaria glabrata - Melanoides tuberculata schistosomiasis control

Competition is traditionally viewed as a negative interaction because it reduces survivorship, growth or reproduction of the individuals concerned (Begon et al.
1996). In many circumstances, it is asymmetric leading to
extinction of inferior competitors. In others, the negative
effect of one species on another does not result from depletion of resources or a direct negative effect. Thus, in apparent competition (Holt 1977) or competition for enemyfree space (Jeffries & Lawton 1984), two species are prey
of a common predator and the increase in abundance of
one leads to an increase in abundance of the predator.
The predator exerts the negative effect on the survivorship of the other prey (Holt 1977, Jeffries & Lawton 1984).
One species of prey affects survivorship of the other negatively, but only indirectly, mediated by predation. Nevertheless, the interaction is still considered competition
because the result is one species affecting the other negatively.
Here in we stretch the concept of apparent competition to include facilitation as another mechanism leading
to a negative association between the abundance of two
species, hereafter named apparent competition through
facilitation (ACF). A simple scenario would be of two species that require similar resources and that are constantly

+ Corresponding

author. Fax:+55-21-2560.6474. E-mail:

[email protected]
Recevied 10 September 2002
Accepted 5 December 2002

colonizing or invading areas. Species A arrives first, and

is common and widespread when species B arrives. After
that, the abundance of A reduces or A goes extinct. Apparently, it is just one more case of competition for resources, however, right after the arrival of the late invader,
the abundance of the species A increases. Species B actually gives some initial benefit to the other species, producing vital nutrients or a substance that stimulates
growth. The result is a sudden increase in growth rates of
species A. This benefit could be just a waste product or
another substance produced by one species independently of the presence of the other. Increasing growth
rates tend to destabilize populations, increasing oscillations, producing chaotic dynamics (May 1974), or leading to extinction (review in Soul 1987). Thus, in a short
time the population of species A becomes unstable with
progressively increasing oscillations, and quickly goes
extinct. The final result appears as interspecific competition because survivorship, growth or reproduction of the
individuals concerned is reduced. However, the effect of
species B on the other species is initially positive.
Some cases of reputed interspecific competition may
actually be cases of ACF. At least in four studies of interspecific competition in freshwater snails, the inferior competitor initially increased in abundance when raised with
the superior competition (Santos et al. 1989, Gomez et al.
1990, Stryker et al. 1991, Giovanelli et al. 2002). ACF is
more likely in combinations of organisms and environment producing high intrinsic rates of natural increase.
Natural candidates are organisms with short generation
length and high fecundity in environments of initial and
intermediate stages of succession, and in environments
constantly being recolonized.

Apparent Competition Through Facilitation Alexandre Giovanelli et al.

N1 (t+1) = N1(t) exp{r1 [K1 - 11 N1(t) + 12 N2(t)] / K1}

N2 (t+1) = N2(t) exp {r2 [K2 - 21 N1(t) - 22 N2(t)] / K2}
To simulate the dynamics of the two snails in ACF, we
used realistic values for the parameters of the model
(Table). These values are similar to the observed in laboratory studies of M. tuberculata (Pointier et al. 1991) and
B. glabrata (Pointier et al. 1991, Giovanelli 2000). Densities of M. tuberculata in the field were always higher than
densities of Biomphalaria (Pointier 1993, Freitas & Santos
1995).
The projected dynamics of ACF suggests extinction
of B. glabrata after 26 generations, which could happen
in less than three years in the case of B. glabrata (Fig.
1A). Before going extinct, the population of B. glabrata
reached densities much higher than its carrying capacity.
If M. tuberculata had no effect on B. glabrata (12 = 0),
the two populations stabilize and B. glabrata reaches its
carrying capacity after a few generations (Fig 1B).
Traditional interspecific competition also was simulated using May (1974) original model with all interaction
coefficients negative. M. tuberculata was assumed to
have a greater impact on B. glabrata than vice-versa,
using -12 = 0.3 and -21 = 0.2. M. tuberculata reaches
carrying capacity and B. glabrata goes extinct after 30
generations (Fig. 1C). Thus, B. glabrata takes a little
longer to go extinct in interspecific than in ACF (Fig. 1A).

12
10

N/K

8
6
4
2
0
1

21

41

61

21

41

61

21

41

61

1.2
1
0.8
N/K

The scenario portrayed previously was observed in a

field study of two populations of Biomphalaria glabrata
and Melanoides tuberculata in the municipality of
Sumidouro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (220259"S,
424029"W). The first snail, B. glabrata, is the intermediate host of trematode Schistosoma mansoni, which
causes shistosomiasis in humans. The second, M.
tuberculata, is originally from Africa, but it was accidentally introduced in the West Indies and Venezuela and
used as biological control of B. glabrata (Pointier et al.
1991, Pointier & Guyard 1992, Schlegel et al. 1997). In
Brazil, the introduction was more likely an accident, a
byproduct of introductions of aquatic plants and fish for
fisheries (Vaz et al. 1986). The population of B. glabrata
in an irrigation channel in Sumidouro has been monitored
from May 1995 to September 1999. Periodic oscillations
related to precipitation occurred until July 1997. In August 1997, right before the first individual of M. tuberculata
was detected, the population of B. glabrata had one of
its longest periods of sustained growth, reaching one of
its highest densities (Giovanelli 2000). Densities declined
abruptly after this period, reaching its lowest densities
until September 1999. In a laboratory study of M.
tuberculata and B. glabrata collected in Sumidouro, the
fecundity of B. glabrata increased when raised with M.
tuberculata (Giovanelli et al. 2002). This apparent contradiction suggests the occurrence of ACF.
We used the discrete model of May (1974) to simulate
the dynamics of two species in a situation of ACF, classic
exploitative competition, and without interaction between
the two species. In the model of May (1974), interspecific
competition was created by a negative interaction coefficient, -12, representing the net effect of species 2 on 1.
We modeled ACF simply by making 12 positive:

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1

1.2
1
0.8
N/K

430

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1

Number of Generations
B. glabrata /k1

M. tuberculata /k2

N: population size; K: carrying capacity

Fig. 1: projected dynamics of two snails in three situations where
the effect of Melanoides tuberculata on Biomphalaria glabrata
was positive (A, +12 = 0.7), absent (B, 12 = 0), and negative (C, 12 = 0.3). The effect of B. glabrata on M. tuberculata was always
negative (-21 = 0.2). A population was considered extinct when N
< 1.

In the model of ACF presented, low to moderate growth

rates (r < 1) produces stable dynamics. Above this threshold, increasing growth rates produce oscillations of increasing magnitude, resulting in chaotic dynamics of the
inferior competitor, and eventually its extinction (Fig. 2).
Increasing the positive effect (+12) also produces increasing oscillations and possibly extinction of the inferior competitor. Therefore, even when growth rates are
low extinction of the inferior competitor is possible if the
positive effect is high. In the specific case of B. glabrata,
the number of generations necessary for extinction may
be lower if environmental factors are considered. For example, precipitation has a marked effect on populations
of Biomphalaria (Loreau & Baluku 1987, Baptista &
Jurberg 1993, Belot et al. 1993).
The occurrence of ACF in natural populations is difficult to evaluate at the moment based only on literature

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 98(3), April 2003
3
2.5
2

Extinction
chaos
cycles

r1 1.5
1
Stability

0.5
0
0

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

+12

Fig. 2: dynamics of an inferior competitor for different combinations of intrinsic rate of natural increase (r1) and intensity of positive interaction (+12). The effect of the inferior competitor on
the other species was always negative (-21= 0.2). A population
was considered extinct when N < 1.

TABLE
Values used in the simulation of apparent competition through
facilitation between two snails
Biomphalaria glabrata
(N1)

Melanoides tuberculata
(N2)

r1

K1

-11

+ 12

r2

K2

-22

-21

1.2

100

0.7

0.3

400

0.2

: interaction coefficient; K: carrying capacity; N: population;

r: observed growth rate

review, because the final result is similar to traditional

interspecific competition. However, ACF leads to a characteristic dynamics after the appearance of the late invader, the species that creates facilitation. The abundance
of the established species increases as well as its oscillations, possibly leading to its extinction. Studies of species interactions must consider this possibility, especially
when extinction of a previously established species occurs after the invasion of another. The bottom message
of ACF is that an initial positive effect might ultimately be
negative for a population. Actions of biological control
of schistosomiasis should consider population interactions such as ACF.
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