Relationship between stability and complexity in ecological networks of stream communities in tropical and temperate zones

• Grant number: 24/02873-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Victor Satoru Saito
• Grantee: Pedro Pontes Bueno Guerra
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Ecological networks arise from different types of ecological interactions among organisms. Due to their high complexity, characterizing these networks has been a challenge for ecologists since their early descriptions. Their importance, however, cannot be understated, as an accurate structuring of these networks enhances understanding of the studied ecosystem. Many factors are debated for their responsibility in the complexity of a network and its stability (the system's capacity to return to its original state after disturbance). This remains a significant debate in the field of network studies, with various lines of thought being explored and investigated. In this context, the project aims to analyze the factors that modulate the stability of ecological networks of aquatic macroinvertebrates, adding a comparison between networks from different climatic zones (tropical and temperate) and the differences observed in the composition of these networks. Additionally, some of the main complexity metrics of networks (connectivity, connectance, linkage density, and node degree) will be analyzed, along with how these variables are observed in these networks and how they correlate with their stability. To achieve this, monthly collections of these communities will be made over a year, along with the measurement of stream characteristics and surrounding vegetation. Collection, identification, and measurement methods will be standardized for both tropical communities (collected in Intervales State Park) and temperate communities (collected by the partnering American team in the Stoney Creek watershed). These collections are linked to the NSF/FAPESP project "Dimensions of Biodiversity / Biodiversity on a Changing Planet" under the guidance of the supervisor. Subsequently, network assemblies will be constructed using the fluxweb package, and the generated results will be correlated with calculated complexity metrics, allowing for the investigation of factors modulating the networks across different latitudinal gradients.