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Comparative network analysis toward characterization of systemic organization for human–environmental sustainability

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  • Fiscus, Daniel A.

Abstract

A preliminary study in comparative ecological network analysis was conducted to identify key assumptions and methodological challenges, test initial hypotheses and explore systemic and network structural characteristics for environmentally sustainable ecosystems. A nitrogen network for the U.S. beef supply chain – a small sub-network of the industrial food system analyzed as a pilot study – was constructed and compared to four non-human carbon and nitrogen trophic networks for the Chesapeake Bay and the Florida Everglades. These non-human food webs served as sustainable reference systems. Contrary to the main original hypothesis, the “window of vitality” and the number of network roles did not clearly differentiate between a human sub-network and the more complete non-human networks. The effective trophic level of humans (a partial estimate of trophic level based on the single food source of beef) was much higher (8.1) than any non-human species (maximum of 4.88). Network connectance, entropy, total dependency coefficients, trophic efficiencies and the ascendency to capacity ratio also indicated differences that serve as hypotheses for future tests on more comprehensive human food webs. The study elucidated important issues related to (1) the steady state assumption, which is more problematic for industrial human systems, (2) the absence or dearth of data on contributions of dead humans and human wastes to feed other species in an integrated food web, (3) the ambiguity of defining some industrial compartments as living versus non-living, and (4) challenges with constructing compartments and trophic transfers in industrial versus non-human food webs. The two main novel results are (1) the progress made toward adapting ecological network analysis (ENA) methodology for analysis of human food networks in industrial cultures and (2) characterizing the critical aspects of comparative ENA for understanding potential causes of the problems, and providing avenues for solutions, for environmental sustainability. Based on this work, construction and comparative network analysis of a more comprehensive industrial human food network seems warranted and likely to provide valuable insights for modifying structures of industrial food networks to be more like natural networks and more sustainable.

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  • Fiscus, Daniel A., 2009. "Comparative network analysis toward characterization of systemic organization for human–environmental sustainability," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 220(22), pages 3123-3132.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:220:y:2009:i:22:p:3123-3132
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.05.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oriana Gava & Francesca Galli & Fabio Bartolini & Gianluca Brunori, 2018. "Linking Sustainability with Geographical Proximity in Food Supply Chains. An Indicator Selection Framework," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Gava, Oriana & Galli, Francesca & Bartolini, Fabio & Brunori, Gianluca, 2014. "Sustainability of local versus global bread supply chains: a literature review," 2014 Third Congress, June 25-27, 2014, Alghero, Italy 173096, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    3. Mao, Xufeng & Yang, Zhifeng, 2011. "Functional assessment of interconnected aquatic ecosystems in the Baiyangdian Basin—An ecological-network-analysis based approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(23), pages 3811-3820.
    4. Kiss, Tibor & Hartung, Katalin & Hetesi, Zsolt, 2019. "Termelőüzem ökológiai szempontú tervezése [Ecologically oriented planning of production units]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 863-886.

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