A parasite-inclusive food web for the California rocky intertidal zone

We present a highly resolved, species-rich food web, including parasitic
interactions, for the California rocky intertidal zone. The food web,
which is a meta-web inclusive of all rocky intertidal taxa in California,
is comprised of 1994 nodes, representing 1901 taxa, and 15,601 links that
illustrate trophic interactions between nodes. While only 670 links
represent parasitic interactions, we have assembled possibly the most
speciose parasite-inclusive food web ever published. The inclusion of all
nodes and links are justified using multiple lines of evidence which are
built into the dataset. In addition, metadata, including trophic strategy,
taxonomic information, habitat, and other ecological attributes allow the
data user to filter the food web to their specifications. The food web is
a powerful and flexible tool for researchers with questions about large
network properties, ecological dynamics of rocky shores, and the role of
parasites in ecosystems. Our food web can be used to predict how complex
ecosystems like the California rocky intertidal will respond to
anthropogenic change and management strategies.

本研究构建了一套高分辨率、物种类群丰富的加州潮间带岩石岸食物网，涵盖寄生相互作用。该食物网为涵盖加州所有潮间带岩石岸类群的元食物网（meta-web），包含1994个节点（对应1901个物种类群）与15601条连接，用于表征节点间的营养相互作用。尽管其中仅670条连接为寄生相互作用，但本数据集构建的含寄生类群的食物网，可能是迄今已发表的物种丰富度最高的同类食物网。所有节点与连接的纳入均基于多重证据支撑，相关证据已内嵌于本数据集当中。此外，数据集附带的元数据涵盖营养策略、分类学信息、生境类型及其他生态属性，可供使用者根据自身研究需求对食物网进行筛选定制。该食物网可为研究人员提供高效且灵活的研究工具，适用于大型网络属性、岩岸生态动态以及生态系统中寄生虫作用机制等相关议题的探究。本食物网还可用于预测加州潮间带岩石岸这类复杂生态系统对人为干扰与管理策略的响应模式。