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Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in evolving food webs.

K T Allhoff1, B Drossel2

  • 1Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France korinna.allhoff@upmc.fr.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|April 27, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Computer simulations reveal that while biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are clear during food web formation, ecosystem functioning remains stable during long-term evolution, suggesting weaker trophic cascades in complex food webs.

Keywords:
bioenergetics approachcommunity assemblyecosystem servicesevolutionary emergencefood web evolution modelsglobal change

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Theoretical Ecology
  • Food Web Dynamics

Background:

  • Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) are crucial for understanding ecological stability.
  • Food web structure and evolution significantly influence ecosystem processes.
  • Self-organized network formation and evolution are key to ecological complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the interplay between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) in evolving food webs.
  • To analyze how functional diversity relates to ecosystem functioning measures over ecological and evolutionary timescales.
  • To test the hypothesis regarding trophic cascade strength in complex food webs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing computer simulations to model food web formation and evolution.
  • Defining species by body mass, prey preference, and prey spectrum width.
  • Analyzing population dynamics for species viability and extinction on ecological timescales.
  • Modeling speciation as modifications of existing species on evolutionary timescales.

Main Results:

  • Clear BEF relationships observed during initial network build-up and parameter-driven effects (bottom-up/top-down).
  • Ecosystem functioning measures showed minimal fluctuation during long-term evolution under constant conditions, despite changes in functional diversity.
  • Functional diversity changes did not significantly alter ecosystem functioning in stable, evolved food webs.

Conclusions:

  • Ecosystem functioning is more stable in evolved, complex food webs than initially assumed.
  • Trophic cascades appear to be weaker in more complex, self-organized food webs.
  • The study supports the hypothesis that increased food web complexity dampens trophic cascade effects.