Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability

Canning, A.D., and Death, R.G. (2017) Trophic cascade direction and flow determine network flow stability. Ecological Modelling, 355. pp. 18-23.

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Abstract

The mechanisms for maintenance of food web structure and function in the face of frequent disturbance has been a question in ecology for many years. Local point-wise stability of theoretical food webs or robustness assessment of empirical binary food webs are the two principal techniques that have been used to address this question. However, many theoretical webs are often small, constructed randomly or from theoretical algorithms (such as Cascade or Niche models), and assume Lotka-Volterra dynamics. Whilst the binary webs used also assume all interactions are equal and that webs are donor controlled. Recent dynamic stability analysis of empirical quantitative webs has sought to improve this assessment. Here we investigate how aquatic food web structure and the direction of trophic cascades interact to affect the robustness of total carbon flow between species after a disturbance. The robustness of the 18 food webs is higher if predator control dominates. Webs with predator control were however stabilised by weak indirect interactions and short food chains.

Item ID: 64220
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1872-7026
Keywords: Indirect effects; Food web; Robustness; Stability; Ecological network; Community; Trophic cascade; Donor control; Recipient control; Trophic level; Connectance; Ascendency; Cycling; Omnivory; Energy flows
Copyright Information: © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Date Deposited: 01 Sep 2020 03:49
FoR Codes: 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4102 Ecological applications > 410299 Ecological applications not elsewhere classified @ 50%
31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310302 Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology) @ 50%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9606 Environmental and Natural Resource Evaluation > 960609 Sustainability Indicators @ 50%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9699 Other Environment > 969999 Environment not elsewhere classified @ 50%
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