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Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile

Complex ecological networks appear robust to primary extinctions, possibly due to consumers' tendency to specialize on dependable (available and persistent) resources. However, modifications to the conditions under which the network has evolved might alter resource dependability. Here, we ask w...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Strona, Giovanni, Lafferty, Kevin D.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Nature Publishing Group 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4987532/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27511722
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12462
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author Strona, Giovanni
Lafferty, Kevin D.
author_facet Strona, Giovanni
Lafferty, Kevin D.
author_sort Strona, Giovanni
collection PubMed
description Complex ecological networks appear robust to primary extinctions, possibly due to consumers' tendency to specialize on dependable (available and persistent) resources. However, modifications to the conditions under which the network has evolved might alter resource dependability. Here, we ask whether adaptation to historical conditions can increase community robustness, and whether such robustness can protect communities from collapse when conditions change. Using artificial life simulations, we first evolved digital consumer-resource networks that we subsequently subjected to rapid environmental change. We then investigated how empirical host–parasite networks would respond to historical, random and expected extinction sequences. In both the cases, networks were far more robust to historical conditions than new ones, suggesting that new environmental challenges, as expected under global change, might collapse otherwise robust natural ecosystems.
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spelling pubmed-49875322016-08-30 Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile Strona, Giovanni Lafferty, Kevin D. Nat Commun Article Complex ecological networks appear robust to primary extinctions, possibly due to consumers' tendency to specialize on dependable (available and persistent) resources. However, modifications to the conditions under which the network has evolved might alter resource dependability. Here, we ask whether adaptation to historical conditions can increase community robustness, and whether such robustness can protect communities from collapse when conditions change. Using artificial life simulations, we first evolved digital consumer-resource networks that we subsequently subjected to rapid environmental change. We then investigated how empirical host–parasite networks would respond to historical, random and expected extinction sequences. In both the cases, networks were far more robust to historical conditions than new ones, suggesting that new environmental challenges, as expected under global change, might collapse otherwise robust natural ecosystems. Nature Publishing Group 2016-08-11 /pmc/articles/PMC4987532/ /pubmed/27511722 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12462 Text en Copyright © 2016, The Author(s) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
spellingShingle Article
Strona, Giovanni
Lafferty, Kevin D.
Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title_full Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title_fullStr Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title_full_unstemmed Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title_short Environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
title_sort environmental change makes robust ecological networks fragile
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4987532/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27511722
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12462
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