Jordi Bascompte(2009), Science 425: Asummaryof: A summary of:

 Incorporating network theory in Ecological Studies ◦ Review ◦ Benefits  Examine interaction patterns vs. species composition

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

“In the case of every species, many different checks, acting at different periods of life, and during different seasons or years, probably come into play; … When we look at the plants and bushes clothing an entangled bank, we are tempted to attribute their proportional numbers and kinds to what we call chance. But how false a view is this!”

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Definition: ◦ the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole); "a high level of biodiversity is desirable“  Value: ◦ At the ecosystem level, biodiversity provides the conditions and drives the processes that sustain the global economy – and our very survival as a species wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webw

 Past Studies: ◦ Count species, not their interactions ◦ Assume homogeneous interactions  Need: ◦ Incorporate network theory

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Food Webs = Trophic interactions ◦ Predator/Prey/Herbivore/Plant cmore.soest.hawaii.edu

 Food Webs = Trophic interactions ◦ Mutualism (pollinations/seed dispersal)

Montoya, J, S L Pimm, R V Sole (2006) Ecological Networks and their fragility. Nature, 442:doi: /nature04927

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Biodiversity Threats ◦ species extinctions, ◦ habitat loss ◦ anthropogenic influence  Coextinction avalanches ◦ phylogenetically similar species ◦ trophically unique species

Rezende, E, J E Lavabre, P R Guimeraes, P Jordano, J Bascompte (2007) Non-random coextinctions in phylogenetically structures in multualistic networks. Nature, 448:

Petchey, O, A Eklof, C Borrvall and B Ebenman (2008)Trophically Unique Species Are Vulnerable to Cascading Extinction. The American Naturalist, 171:

Trophic Modules Network Motifs

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Size: Number of species that can be supported by a network ◦ example

 Challenges linking architecture & function ◦ population dynamics network topology ◦ multiple interaction types ◦ species invasions, climate change, and other challenges

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Other types of ecological networks ◦ Habitat Fragments

 Other types of ecological networks ◦ Genetic variation in space

 Paper Overview  Entangled Bank  Biodiversity  Architecture ◦ Architecture of Biodiversity ◦ Architecture Influences Robustness ◦ Architecture Influences Network Size ◦ Beyond Species Interactions  Conclusion

 Networks useful descriptors of ecological systems  Assessment of perturbations/predictions  Enable heterogeneous studies  Show generalities among disparate systems

Thanks