Structural and Dynamical Heterogeneity in Ecological Networks

Diversity is a key feature of biological systems. In complex ecological systems, which are composed of several components and multiple parallel interactions among them, it is increasingly needed to precisely understand structural and dynamical variability among components. This variability is the basis of adaptability and evolvability in nature, as well as adaptive management-based applications. The authors discuss how to quantify and characterize the structural and dynamical variability in ecological networks. They perform network analysis in order to quantify structure and we provide a process algebra-based stochastic simulation model and sensitivity analysis for better understanding the dynamics of the studied ecological system. They use a large, data-rich, real ecological network for illustration.