Analysis and assembling of network structure in mutualistic systems

@article{citeulike:1219148, abstract = {It has been observed that mutualistic bipartite networks have a nested structure of interactions. In addition, the degree distributions associated with the two guilds involved in such networks (e.g., plants and pollinators or plants and seed dispersers) approximately follow a truncated power law (TPL). We show that nestedness and TPL distributions are intimately linked, and that any biological reasons for such truncation are superimposed to finite size effects. We further explore the internal organization of bipartite networks by developing a self-organizing network model (SNM) that reproduces empirical observations of pollination systems of widely different sizes. Since the only inputs to the SNM are numbers of plant and animal species, and their interactions (i.e., no data on local abundance of the interacting species are needed), we suggest that the well-known association between species frequency of interaction and species degree is a consequence rather than a cause, of the observed network structure.}, author = {Medan, Diego and Perazzo, Roberto P. and Devoto, Mariano and Burgos, Enrique and Zimmermann, Martin G. and Ceva, Horacio and Delbue, Ana M. }, citeulike-article-id = {1219148}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.12.033}, journal = {Journal of Theoretical Biology}, keywords = {nestedness}, posted-at = {2007-04-10 15:15:47}, priority = {5}, title = {Analysis and assembling of network structure in mutualistic systems}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.12.033}, volume = {In Press, Corrected Proof} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:1219148 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1219148 TI - Analysis and assembling of network structure in mutualistic systems JF - Journal of Theoretical Biology VL - In Press, Corrected Proof N2 - It has been observed that mutualistic bipartite networks have a nested structure of interactions. In addition, the degree distributions associated with the two guilds involved in such networks (e.g., plants and pollinators or plants and seed dispersers) approximately follow a truncated power law (TPL). We show that nestedness and TPL distributions are intimately linked, and that any biological reasons for such truncation are superimposed to finite size effects. We further explore the internal organization of bipartite networks by developing a self-organizing network model (SNM) that reproduces empirical observations of pollination systems of widely different sizes. Since the only inputs to the SNM are numbers of plant and animal species, and their interactions (i.e., no data on local abundance of the interacting species are needed), we suggest that the well-known association between species frequency of interaction and species degree is a consequence rather than a cause, of the observed network structure. KW - nestedness AU - Medan, Diego AU - Perazzo, Roberto AU - Devoto, Mariano AU - Burgos, Enrique AU - Zimmermann, Martin AU - Ceva, Horacio AU - Delbue, Ana UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.12.033 ER -