The dimensionality of ecological networks
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: How many dimensions (trait-axes) are required to predict whether two species interact? This unanswered question originated with the idea of ecological niches, and yet bears relevance today for understanding what determines network structure. Here, we analyse a set of 200 ecological networks, including food webs, antagonistic and mutualistic networks, and find that the number of dimensions needed to completely explain all interactions is small ( < 10), with model selection favouring less than five. Using 18 high-quality webs including several species traits, we identify which traits contribute the most to explaining network structure. We show that accounting for a few traits dramatically improves our understanding of the structure of ecological networks. Matching traits for resources and consumers, for example, fruit size and bill gape, are the most successful combinations. These results link ecologically important species attributes to large-scale community structure.
Source: Ecology Letters
DOI: 10.1111/ele.12081
Authors: Anna Eklöf, Ute Jacob, Jason Kopp, Jordi Bosch, Rocío Castro‐Urgal, Natacha P. Chacoff, Bo Dalsgaard, Claudio de Sassi, Mauro Galetti, Paulo R. Guimarães, Silvia Beatriz Lomáscolo, Ana M. Martín González, Marco Aurelio Pizo, Romina Rader, Anselm Rodrigo, Jason M. Tylianakis, Diego P. Vázquez, Stefano Allesina
Institutions: University of Chicago, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Aridas, University of Copenhagen, University of Canterbury, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Universidade de São Paulo, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Stockholm University
Language: English
Topic: Plant and animal studies
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Division of Emerging Frontiers
OpenAlex ID: W2149644666