Predicting Community Dynamics from Food Web Structure

  • Manuel C. Gomes
  • Richard L. Haedrich
Chapter
Part of the NATO ASI Series book series (ASIC, volume 360)

Abstract

We have investigated the consequences of uncertainty about the model structure chosen to represent interactions among species in food webs. Using a 17-year data series and other detailed information from the Southern Grand Bank of Newfoundland, we have drawn alternative community configurations involving the seven most abundant long-lived species (mostly fishes) there. All configurations are plausible. The technique of press perturbations, in which individuals of a given species are continuously added to or removed from the community, is used to investigate mathematically the consequences of our inability to choose which configuration best describes the interactions among the species. The long-term outcome of press perturbations is quite sensitive to the details of model structure.

Keywords

Species Interaction Press Perturbation Minke Whale Viable Model Harp Seal 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • Manuel C. Gomes
    • 1
  • Richard L. Haedrich
    • 2
  1. 1.Faculty of Science of Lisbon (Deptm Vegetal Biology)LisboaPortugal
  2. 2.Ocean Sciences CenterMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sCanada

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