Spatial Dynamics of Foodwebs

Abstract

Foodwebs are important units of biodiversity, and yet, our knowledge of their spatial dynamics is sketchy at best. Here I attempt to synthesize existing knowledge into a framework that can both identify crucial gaps in the theory as well as facilitate empirical investigations. The synthesis is based on two major axes, foodweb complexity and type of movement, and considers two types of spatial effects, foodweb persistence via a reduction in local extinction and foodweb diversity via an increase in species coexistence. It highlights both invariant properties that are robust to increasing foodweb complexity and emergent properties that result from the interplay between foodweb dynamics and type of movement. It underscores the need for a comparative theoretical framework that can yield testable predictions.