BookWesley Dáttilo, Victor Rico-Gray, editors.
Summary: Based on graph theory studies this book seeks to understand how tropical species interact with each other and how these interactions are affected by perturbations in some of the most species-rich habitats on earth. Due to the great diversity of species and interactions in the tropics, this book addresses a wide range of current and future issues with empirical examples and complete revisions on different types of ecological networks: from mutualisms to antagonisms. The goal of this publication is not to be only for researchers but also for undergraduates in different areas of knowledge, and also to serve as a reference text for graduate-level courses mainly in the life sciences.
Contents:
Intro; Dedication; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; Contents;
Chapter 1: Tropical Biodiversity: The Importance of Biotic Interactions for Its Origin, Maintenance, Function, and Conservation; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Biotic Interactions and the Origin of Tropical Forest Biodiversity; 1.3 Biotic Interactions and the Maintenance of Tropical Biodiversity; 1.4 Biotic Interactions and Ecosystem Functioning; 1.5 Management and Conservation Implications; References;
Chapter 2: The History of Ecological Networks; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Pioneering Natural Historians. 2.3 Early Ecologists2.4 Food Web Models; 2.5 Modern Developments in Ecological Network Analysis; 2.6 Concluding Remarks; References;
Chapter 3: The Structure of Ecological Networks; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Indices to Describe the Topology of Ecological Networks; 3.3 Indices to Describe the Roles of Individual Species; 3.4 Factors That Influence the Structure of Ecological Networks; 3.5 Conclusions; References;
Chapter 4: Ecology and Evolution of Species-Rich Interaction Networks; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Ecological Dynamics; 4.3 Evolutionary Dynamics; 4.4 Eco-evolutionary Dynamics. 4.5 The Challenge Ahead: Eco-evolutionary Dynamics in Tropical, Species-Rich NetworksReferences;
Chapter 5: The Complex Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Relationship Within Tropical Ecological Networks; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Interactions in a Network Perspective; 5.3 Origin and Maintenance of Structural Patterns in Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Networks; 5.4 The Robustness of Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Networks; 5.5 Limitations and Recommendations for the Study of Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Networks; 5.6 Future Directions in the Study of Antâ#x80;#x93;Plant Networks; References;
Chapter 6: Plant-Pollinator Networks in the Tropics: A Review. 6.1 Introduction6.2 A Profile of Pollination Network Studies; 6.3 Global Distribution of the Studies; 6.4 Comprehensive Versus Partial Networks and Habitats Sampled; 6.5 Sampling Methods; 6.6 Structure and Drivers of Pollination Networks; 6.7 General Network Patterns; 6.7.1 Low Connectance; 6.7.2 Uneven Degree Distribution and Interaction Strength; 6.7.3 Asymmetric Interactions; 6.7.4 Nestedness; 6.7.5 Modularity; 6.8 Drivers of Network Structure and a Nicheâ#x80;#x93;Neutral Continuum Model for Interactions; 6.8.1 Contemporary Mechanisms. 6.8.2 A â#x80;#x9C;Neutralâ#x80;#x93;Niche Continuum Modelâ#x80;#x9D; for Species Interactions6.8.3 Evolutionary History May Shape Interactions by Its Influence on Species Traits; 6.8.4 Historical Drivers of Interactions; 6.9 Is There a Latitudinal Gradient of Specialization in Pollination Networks?; 6.10 Concluding Remarks; References;
Chapter 7: Tropical Seed Dispersal Networks: Emerging Patterns, Biases, and Keystone Species Traits; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Tropical Seed Dispersal Networks; 7.3 Basic Network Descriptors and Methodological Bias; 7.4 Methodological Bias.