Network ecology in dynamic landscapes

Network ecology is an emerging field that allows researchers to conceptualize and analyze ecological networks and their dynamics. Here, we focus on the dynamics of ecological networks in response to environmental changes. Specifically, we formalize how network topologies constrain the dynamics of ecological systems into a unifying framework in network ecology that we refer to as the “ecological network dynamics framework”. This framework stresses that the interplay between species interaction networks and the spatial layout of habitat patches is key to identifying which network properties (number and weights of nodes and links). Determining how effective ecological networks change through space and time can help reveal their complex dynamics in a changing world. We used directed graphlets to analyze changes in species interaction networks from a forest site (forest web), an edge site (edge web), and both sites together (meta web) at two time periods.

网络生态学（Network ecology）是一门新兴学科，可为研究者实现生态网络及其动态的概念化建模与分析提供支撑。本研究聚焦于响应环境变化的生态网络动态。具体而言，我们将「网络拓扑如何约束生态系统动态」这一科学问题形式化，构建了网络生态学领域的统一分析框架，我们将其命名为「生态网络动态框架（ecological network dynamics framework）」。该框架强调，物种互作网络与生境斑块的空间布局之间的相互作用，是明确核心网络属性（节点与连接的数量、权重）的关键所在。厘清生态网络如何随空间与时间发生功能变化，有助于揭示其在全球变化背景下的复杂动态机制。本研究采用有向图元（directed graphlets），对两个时间周期内的三类物种互作网络开展动态变化分析：森林样地网络（forest web）、边缘生境样地网络（edge web），以及两类样地合并的复合网络（meta web）。