CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 138Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology ModelsEcosystem dynamics and resilienceEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 70 of the 72 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Self-regulation and the stability of large ecological networks

Open access
Barabás, György, Michalska-Smith, Matthew J., Allesina, Stefano·2017·Nature Ecology & Evolution
DOI 10.1038/s41559-017-0357-6
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

The stability of complex ecological networks depends both on the interactions between species and the direct effects of the species on themselves. These self-effects are known as 'self-regulation' when an increase in a species' abundance decreases its per-capita growth rate. Sources of self-regulation include intraspecific interference, cannibalism, time-scale separation between consumers and their resources, spatial heterogeneity and nonlinear functional responses coupling predators with their prey. The influence of self-regulation on network stability is understudied and in addition, the empirical estimation of self-effects poses a formidable challenge. Here, we show that empirical food web structures cannot be stabilized unless the majority of species exhibit substantially strong self-regulation. We also derive an analytical formula predicting the effect of self-regulation on network stability with high accuracy and show that even for random networks, as well as networks with a cascade structure, stability requires negative self-effects for a large proportion of species. These results suggest that the aforementioned potential mechanisms of self-regulation are probably more important in contributing to the stability of observed ecological networks than was previously thought.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/s41559-017-0357-6

Cites

70 of 70 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Citations

Cites

Show all 72 references

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Pimm, S. L. Food Webs (Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 2002).
  2. Chesson, P. in Ecological Systems: Selected Entries from the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology (ed. Leemans, R.) Ch. 13 (Springer, New York, 2013).

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

See all

Metadata

Authors
Barabás, G., Michalska-Smith, M. J., & Allesina, S.
Affiliations
Linköping University (SE)
Corresponding author
Barabás, György
ORCID
Venue
Nature Ecology & Evolution
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2017-10-23
Volume
1
Issue
12
Pages
1870-1875
ISSN
2397-334X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41559-017-0357-6
OpenAlex
W2766879503
Cited by
138
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
FWCI
8.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Applied Mathematics › Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Keywords
self-regulation, food webs, intraspecific interference, cannibalism, time-scale separation, spatial heterogeneity, predator-prey interactions, random networks, cascaded networks, per capita growth
MeSH terms
Models, Biological, Population Dynamics, Food Chain

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review