Synthesizing and Analyzing Complex Ecological Networks with Ecoinformatics [1]
Principal Investigator(s):
The study of all kinds of networks is enjoying a scientific renaissance. Indeed, a new kind of "network science" is emerging among researchers studying social (e.g., friendship), biological (e.g., metabolic), and technological (e.g., Internet) networks. Ecologists have studied networks since Darwin recognized long ago that species evolve within ecological networks of interacting species. Based on a rich history of such ecological research, my work develops new advances in network science and applies them to the study of networks of feeding relationships among species called food webs. The fundamental need for food determines many of the effects of species' loss, invasion, and economic exploitation on ecosystems. My work will advance how well scientists can understand and predict these effects in a complex and changing world.
Additional Information at foodwebs.org [2]
