Stabilization of large generalized Lotka-Volterra foodwebs by evolutionary feedback

I D Gallagher, Graeme Ackland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Conventional ecological models show that complexity destabilizes foodwebs, suggesting that foodwebs should have neither large numbers of species nor a large number of interactions. However, in nature the opposite appears to be the case. Here we show that if the interactions between species are allowed to evolve within a generalized Lotka-Volterra model such stabilizing feedbacks and weak interactions emerge automatically. Moreover, we show that trophic levels also emerge spontaneously from the evolutionary approach, and the efficiency of the unperturbed ecosystem increases with time. The key to stability in large foodwebs appears to arise not from complexity per se but from evolution at the level of the ecosystem which favors stabilizing (negative) feedbacks.

Original languageEnglish
Article number158701
Pages (from-to)-
Number of pages4
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume93
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Oct 2004

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • COMMUNITIES
  • COMPLEXITY
  • STABILITY
  • ECOSYSTEMS

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