Persistence Increases with Diversity and Connectance in Trophic Metacommunities
2011
Persistence in Trophic Metacommunities
Sample size: 175
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Dominique Gravel, Elsa Canard, Frédéric Guichard, Nicolas Mouquet
Primary Institution: McGill University
Hypothesis
Complex and diverse food webs will be more persistent than simple ones.
Conclusion
Diversity and connectance promote persistence at the regional scale in food webs.
Supporting Evidence
- Linkage proximity to primary producers and food web diversity generate a positive relationship between complexity and persistence.
- The most important element for food web persistence is the degree distribution.
- Persistence increases with connectance and diversity in food webs.
Takeaway
More types of plants and animals in a food web help it survive better, even if some species die off.
Methodology
The study used simulations of artificial and empirical food webs to assess the relationship between complexity, diversity, and persistence.
Limitations
The study did not consider species-specific colonization rates and used a simplified model of spatial dynamics.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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