Natural ecosystems consist of a myriad of different types of organisms that, through their interactions, process the energy and matter flowing and cycling on Earth. A world without networks of ecological interactions would simply not function. Ecosystem networks, however, are much more challenging to measure and model than other types of networks such as computer ones, or financial and social ones. Even the identity of the nodes or what they represent, or the nature of the links connecting the nodes is extremely complex to define and ultimately model, which is sometimes also a major interdisciplinary barrier. There are, indeed, different types of network models that apply to ecosystems, from food webs to bipartite mutualistic networks, or combinations of different types of interactions and nodes in multilayers and multiplexes. In this seminar, I will pitch some key questions around some applications of network models in ecology with a focus on network nodes as species and network links as trophic links or “service links” (e.g. pollination/resource exchange). I will consider cases in which node size models population size to highlight how network models can be used to predict fluctuations in natural populations. I will specifically concentrate on the relationship between theory and experiments, and how network theory can guide experimental measurements necessary to test ecological theories around the stability and resilience of ecosystems facing perturbations.
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