Trophic network models explain instability of Early Triassic terrestrial communities.

ABSTRACT: Studies of the end-Permian mass extinction have emphasized potential abiotic causes and their direct biotic effects. Less attention has been devoted to secondary extinctions resulting from ecological crises and the effect of community structure on such extinctions. Here we use a trophic network model that combines topological and dynamic approaches to simulate disruptions of primary productivity in palaeocommunities. We apply the model to Permian and Triassic communities of the Karoo Basin, South Africa, and show that while Permian communities bear no evidence of being especially susceptible to extinction, Early Triassic communities appear to have been inherently less stable. Much of the instability results from the faster post-extinction diversification of amphibian guilds relative to amn

SUBMITTER: Roopnarine PD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2706195 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature