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Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
Giovanni Strona1, Kevin D Lafferty2
1European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy.
Nature Communications
|August 12, 2016
Summary
Ecological networks adapted to historical conditions are more robust to extinctions. However, changing environmental conditions, like those seen in global change, may collapse these otherwise resilient ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Ecological Networks
- Community Stability
Background:
- Complex ecological networks often appear robust to extinctions due to consumer resource specialization.
- Resource dependability is crucial for network stability but can be altered by changing environmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if adaptation to historical conditions enhances community robustness.
- To determine if historical adaptation can protect ecological networks from collapse under changing environmental conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized artificial life simulations to evolve digital consumer-resource networks.
- Assessed the response of empirical host-parasite networks to historical, random, and expected extinction sequences.
Main Results:
- Networks evolved under historical conditions demonstrated significantly greater robustness compared to those exposed to new conditions.
- Both simulated and empirical networks were more resilient when facing extinction sequences aligned with their evolutionary history.
Conclusions:
- Adaptation to historical conditions can increase the robustness of ecological networks.
- Environmental changes, particularly those associated with global change, pose a significant threat to the stability of even robust natural ecosystems, potentially leading to collapse.
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