Biomedical subjects

Miguel A Fortuna

Publications and source records attributed to Miguel A Fortuna.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Spatial network structure and amphibian persistence in stochastic environments.

In the past few years, the framework of complex networks has provided new insight into the organization and function of biological systems. However, in spite of its potential, spatial ecology has not yet fully incorporated tools and concepts from network theory. In the present study, we identify a large spatial network of temporary ponds, which are used as breeding sites by several amphibian species. We investigate how the structural properties of the spatial network change as a function of the amphibian dispersal distance and the hydric conditions. Our measures of network topology suggest that the observed spatial structure of ponds is robust to drought (compared with similar random structures), allowing the movement of amphibians to and between flooded ponds, and hence, increasing the probability of reproduction even in dry seasons.

Amphibians↗

PubMed2006

Habitat loss and the structure of plant-animal mutualistic networks.

Recent papers have described the structure of plant-animal mutualistic networks. However, no study has yet explored the dynamical implications of network structure for the persistence of such mutualistic communities. Here, we develop a patch-model of a whole plant-animal community and explore its persistence. To assess the role of network structure, we build three versions of the model. In the first version, we use the exact network of interactions of two real mutualistic communities. In the other versions, we randomize the observed network of interactions using two different null models. We show that the community response to habitat loss is affected by network structure. Real communities start to decay sooner than random communities, but persist for higher destruction levels. There is a destruction threshold at which the community collapses. Our model is the first attempt to describe the dynamics of whole mutualistic metacommunities interacting in realistic ways.

Animal Population Groups↗