Mutualistic Networks

Jordi Bascompte is professor of ecology at the University of Zurich. He is the coauthor of Self-Organization in Complex Ecosystems (Princeton). Pedro Jordano is a professor at the Spanish Research Council and honorary professor at the University of Sevilla.

Preface xi Chapter 1. Biodiversity and Plant-Animal Coevolution 1 Historical Overview 1 A Bit of Natural History 6 Coevolution in Multispecific Mutualisms 12 Summary 14 Chapter 2. An Introduction to Complex Networks 15 A Network Approach to Complex Systems 17 Measures of Network Structure 21 Models of Network Buildup 31 Ecological Networks 32 Summary 41 Chapter 3. The Structure of Plant-Animal Mutualistic Networks 42 Degree Distribution 42 Nestedness 44 Small World 48 Modularity 50 Weighted Networks 54 Comparisons with other Ecological Networks 60 Summary 62 Chapter 4. Ecological and Evolutionary Mechanisms 64 Single Ecological Traits 67 Phylogenetic Effects 77 Summary 85 Chapter 5. Mutualistic Networks in Time and Space 87 Network Dynamics 88 Spatial Mosaics 98 Sampling and Robustness 102 Summary 106 Chapter 6. Consequences of Network Structure 107 Coextinction Cascades 108 Dynamic Stability 113 Global Change and Mutualistic Networks 120 Coevolutionary Implications 126 Implications for Nonbiological Systems 132 Summary 134 Chapter 7. Epilogue 136 Appendix A. Indices Used in Mutualistic Network Analyses 139 Appendix B. Fitting Degree Distributions 143 Appendix C. Measures of Nestedness 147 Appendix D. Measures of Modularity 150 Appendix E. Phylogenetic Methods and Network Analysis 154 Appendix F. Null Models for Assessing Network Structure 160 Appendix G. An Analytical Theory of Mutualistic Networks 167 Fixed Points and Local Stability 167 Effects of Network Structure on Competition and Biodiversity 169 Appendix H. Software for the Analysis of Complex Networks 175 Bibliography 179 Index 201