Using food network unfolding to evaluate food–web complexity in terms of biodiversity: theory and applications. (17th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kato, Yoshikazu; Kondoh, Michio; Ishikawa, Naoto F.; Togashi, Hiroyuki; Kohmatsu, Yukihiro; Yoshimura, Mayumi; Yoshimizu, Chikage; Haraguchi, Takashi F.; Osada, Yutaka; Ohte, Nobuhito; Tokuchi, Naoko; Okuda, Noboru; Miki, Takeshi; Tayasu, Ichiro
• Editors: Jordan, Ferenc
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 21:Number 7(2018)
• Page Start: 1065
• Page End: 1074
• Publication Date: 2018-05-17
• Subjects: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio -- ecosystem functioning -- food network unfolding -- species diversity -- trophic level -- trophic position -- trophic pyramid; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.12973
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: Food–web complexity often hinders disentangling functionally relevant aspects of food–web structure and its relationships to biodiversity. Here, we present a theoretical framework to evaluate food–web complexity in terms of biodiversity. Food network unfolding is a theoretical method to transform a complex food web into a linear food chain based on ecosystem processes. Based on this method, we can define three biodiversity indices, horizontal diversity ( D H ), vertical diversity ( D V ) and range diversity ( D R ), which are associated with the species diversity within each trophic level, diversity of trophic levels, and diversity in resource use, respectively. These indices are related to Shannon's diversity index ( H′ ), where H′ = D H + D V − D R . Application of the framework to three riverine macroinvertebrate communities revealed that D indices, calculated from biomass and stable isotope features, captured well the anthropogenic, seasonal, or other within‐site changes in food–web structures that could not be captured with H′ alone.