On the structural stability of mutualistic systems

Abstract

A structural approach to species interactions What determines the stability of ecological networks? Rohr et al. devised a conceptual approach to study interactions between species that emphasizes the role of network structure (see the Perspective by Pawar). Using the example of mutualistic networks of communities of plants and their pollinator species, they show how the structure of networks can determine the persistence of the interactions. Network structures and architectures observed in nature intrinsically match the most stable solution. This approach has promise for application to questions of ecological community stability under global change. Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1253497 ; see also p. 383