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Topological analysis of the ecological importance of elasmobranch fishes: A food web study on the Gulf of Tortugas, Colombia

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  • Navia, Andrés F.
  • Cortés, Enric
  • Mejía-Falla, Paola A.

Abstract

We built a trophic network based on a matrix of interspecific trophic relationships to assess the role of elasmobranch fishes in shaping community structure of the Gulf of Tortugas in the Colombian Pacific Ocean. We analyzed diet similarities to define trophic components (nodes) – rather than taxonomical groups – in the network. We evaluated the ecological function of species or trophic entities through topological analysis of their structural importance in trophic networks by applying one local and several mesoscale network indices. We found that top predatory elasmobranchs play an important ecological role in top-down control and in propagating indirect effects through the system owing to high values of the node degree, centrality and topological importance indices. However, invertebrates and teleost fishes had higher connectivity and topological importance than other elasmobranchs in the network before and after removal of top predators from the system. Results from our study thus suggest that elasmobranchs at intermediate trophic levels – commonly referred to as “mesopredators” – are not so important in all complex coastal ecosystems as previously reported.

Suggested Citation

  • Navia, Andrés F. & Cortés, Enric & Mejía-Falla, Paola A., 2010. "Topological analysis of the ecological importance of elasmobranch fishes: A food web study on the Gulf of Tortugas, Colombia," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(24), pages 2918-2926.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:221:y:2010:i:24:p:2918-2926
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.09.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jordán, Ferenc & Okey, Thomas A. & Bauer, Barbara & Libralato, Simone, 2008. "Identifying important species: Linking structure and function in ecological networks," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 216(1), pages 75-80.
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    1. Jair J. Pineda-Pineda & C. T. Martínez-Martínez & J. A. Méndez-Bermúdez & Jesús Muñoz-Rojas & José M. Sigarreta, 2020. "Application of Bipartite Networks to the Study of Water Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Jose Sergio Hleap & Christian Blouin, 2014. "Inferring Meaningful Communities from Topology-Constrained Correlation Networks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-9, November.
    3. Xu, Wanying & Zhou, Chuanbin & Cao, Aixin & Luo, Min, 2016. "Understanding the mechanism of food waste management by using stakeholder analysis and social network model: An industrial ecology perspective," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 337(C), pages 63-72.
    4. Fourriére, Manon & Alvarado, Juan José & Cortés, Jorge & Taylor, Marc H. & Ayala-Bocos, Arturo & Azofeifa-Solano, Juan Carlos & Arauz, Randall & Heidemeyer, Maike & López-Garro, Andrés & Zanella, Ilen, 2019. "Energy flow structure and role of keystone groups in shallow water environments in Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, Eastern Tropical Pacific," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 396(C), pages 74-85.

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