When is an ecological network complex? Connectance drives degree distribution and emerging network properties

Timothée Poisot; Dominique Gravel

doi:10.7717/peerj.251

When is an ecological network complex? Connectance drives degree distribution and emerging network properties

PeerJ. 2014 Feb 4:2:e251. doi: 10.7717/peerj.251. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Timothée Poisot¹, Dominique Gravel¹

Affiliation

¹ Université du Québec à Rimouski , Département de Biologie , Rimouski (QC) , Canada.

Abstract

Connectance and degree distributions are important components of the structure of ecological networks. In this contribution, we use a statistical argument and simple network generating models to show that properties of the degree distribution are driven by network connectance. We discuss the consequences of this finding for (1) the generation of random networks in null-model analyses, and (2) the interpretation of network structure and ecosystem properties in relationship with degree distribution.

Keywords: Connectance; Degree distribution; Ecological networks; Food webs; Network theory; Niche model; Null models; Power-law.

Grants and funding

TP was funded by a PBEEE post-doctoral scholarship. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.