Effects of model choice, network structure, and interaction strengths on knockout extinction models of ecological robustness.

ABSTRACT: Analysis of ecological networks is a valuable approach to understanding the vulnerability of systems to disturbance. The tolerance of ecological networks to coextinctions, resulting from sequences of primary extinctions (here termed "knockout extinction models", in contrast with other dynamic approaches), is a widely used tool for modeling network "robustness". Currently, there is an emphasis to increase biological realism in these models, but less attention has been given to the effect of model choices and network structure on robustness measures. Here, we present a suite of knockout extinction models for bipartite ecological networks (specifically plant-pollinator networks) that can all be analyzed on the same terms, enabling us to test the effects of extinction rules, interaction weight

SUBMITTER: Bane MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6262911 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature