Stability and feedback levels in food web models

Matthew J Smith; Elizabeth Sander; György Barabás; Stefano Allesina

doi:10.1111/ele.12416

Stability and feedback levels in food web models

Ecol Lett. 2015 Jun;18(6):593-5. doi: 10.1111/ele.12416. Epub 2015 Apr 6.

Authors

Matthew J Smith¹, Elizabeth Sander¹, György Barabás¹, Stefano Allesina^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, 1101 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60302, USA.
² Computation Institute, University of Chicago, 5735 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.

PMID: 25847355
DOI: 10.1111/ele.12416

Abstract

Neutel & Thorne (Ecology Letters, 17:651-661, June 2014) provide an approximation for the leading eigenvalue of a food web community matrix involving coefficients of its characteristic polynomial. Though valuably incorporating three-way species interactions, two critical problems emerge when one considers the dimensions of the system, calling the approach's accuracy and precision into question.

Keywords: Complexity; food webs; negative feedback loop; population dynamics; stability.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Ecology / methods
Food Chain*
Models, Biological*