Ecological networks: delving into the architecture of biodiversity

Abstract

In recent years, the analysis of interaction networks has grown popular as a framework to explore ecological processes and the relationships between community structure and its functioning. The field has rapidly grown from its infancy to a vibrant youth, as reflected in the variety and quality of the discussions held at the first international symposium on Ecological Networks in Coimbra-Portugal (23-25 October 2013). The meeting gathered 170 scientists from 22 countries, who presented data from a broad geographical range, and covering all stages of network analyses, from sampling strategies to effective ways of communicating results, presenting new analytical tools, incorporation of temporal and spatial dynamics, new applications and visualization tools.1 During the meeting it became evident that while many of the caveats diagnosed in early network studies are successfully being tackled, new challenges arise, attesting to the health of the discipline.

Understanding ecological change across large spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales: integrating data and methods in light of theory

“…Therefore, identifying common currencies that allow cross-talk across these large scales will be key (Barnosky et al 2017). However, other attributes of individuals, communities, localities or time periods may also provide equally useful common currencies for examining ecological communities across scales; these include area-or taxon-based climate velocity vectors (Loarie et al 2009, Tingley et al 2012, ecological network metrics (Heleno et al 2014, Toju et al 2017, species-or assemblage-level environmental equilibrium measures (Svenning and Skov 2004, Rapacciuolo et al 2014b, Svenning et al 2015, Blonder et al 2017, or estimates of community novelty (Urban et al 2012, Graham et al 2017. However, other attributes of individuals, communities, localities or time periods may also provide equally useful common currencies for examining ecological communities across scales; these include area-or taxon-based climate velocity vectors (Loarie et al 2009, Tingley et al 2012, ecological network metrics (Heleno et al 2014, Toju et al 2017, species-or assemblage-level environmental equilibrium measures (Svenning and Skov 2004, Rapacciuolo et al 2014b, Svenning et al 2015, Blonder et al 2017, or estimates of community novelty (Urban et al 2012, Graham et al 2017.…”

Plant–fungal symbioses as ecological networks: the need to characterize more than just interaction patterns

“…Thus, this approach has the potential to shed new light on the processes underpinning the ecological and co-evolutionary dynamics of symbiotic communities (Bascompte, 2009;Ulrich and Gotelli, 2013). However, field sampling schemes and numerical analyses need to be carefully designed in order to maximize the inference that can be extracted from data sets (Heleno et al, 2014). To emphasize this point, we have re-analyzed data describing the interactions found between plants and root-colonizing fungi in an oak-dominated temperate forest in Japan (Toju et al, 2013).…”

Protecting an Ecosystem Service

“…To answer such 634 questions we need to explore the mechanistic linkages between network assembly and 635 pollination processes across replicated environmental gradients and experimentally 636 manipulate field systems. Coupled with this, we should consider how other scientific 637 disciplines have transformed our understanding and ability to quantify network structure and 638 function (Heleno et al, 2014). For example, pollinator network ecology is currently 639 underpinned by traditional field approaches (e.g.…”

“…These approaches could be combined in either highly parameterised 1153 process-based models or more generic conceptual models to explore to what extent different 1154 actions deployed in different scenarios at landscape scales meet biodiversity protection goals 1155 or alter the delivery of more sustainable agriculture Lonsdorf et al, 1156Lonsdorf et al, 2009see: www.naturalcapitalproject.org/InVEST.html). 1157 provide pollinator services has increased in recent years (Baldock et al, 2015;Bates et al, 1163Bates et al, 2011Bonaszak & Zmihorski, 2012;Geslin et al, 2013;Hernandez et al, 2009;Ireneusz-1164Hennig & Ghazoul, 2012Sirohi et al, 2015). Pollinator services provided by insects in urban 1165 areas include pollination for urban food production (i.e.…”