Food web complexity analysis: Effects of ecosystem changes

Abstract

In this paper, we use a food web model to investigate the effects of habitat loss and species diversity on ecosystem spatial structure and its elasticity. Our model incorporates functional responses based on the Holling-type-II and the modified Lesie-Gower schemes. Criteria for local stability, global stability of the nonnegative equilibria are obtained. The permanent coexistence of the three species is also discussed. Finally, by computer simulations, we find that far-from equilibria, environmental quality is positively correlated patterns complexity communities. Knowledge of the distribution shape of interacting communities will allow us to make better predictions of environmental quality. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.