Ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of modularity in weighted seed-dispersal networks

Matthias Schleuning; Lili Ingmann; Rouven Strauß; Susanne A. Fritz; Bo Dalsgaard; D. Matthias Dehling; Michaela Plein; Francisco Saavedra; Brody Steven Sandel; Jens-Christian Svenning; Katrin Böhning-Gaese; Carsten F. Dormann

doi:10.1111/ele.12245

Ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of modularity in weighted seed-dispersal networks

Matthias Schleuning, Lili Ingmann, Rouven Strauß, Susanne A. Fritz, Bo Dalsgaard, D. Matthias Dehling, Michaela Plein, Francisco Saavedra, Brody Steven Sandel, Jens-Christian Svenning, Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Carsten F. Dormann

106 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Modularity is a recurrent and important property of bipartite ecological networks. Although well-resolved ecological networks describe interaction frequencies between species pairs, modularity of bipartite networks has been analysed only on the basis of binary presence-absence data. We employ a new algorithm to detect modularity in weighted bipartite networks in a global analysis of avian seed-dispersal networks. We define roles of species, such as connector values, for weighted and binary networks and associate them with avian species traits and phylogeny. The weighted, but not binary, analysis identified a positive relationship between climatic seasonality and modularity, whereas past climate stability and phylogenetic signal were only weakly related to modularity. Connector values were associated with foraging behaviour and were phylogenetically conserved. The weighted modularity analysis demonstrates the dominating impact of ecological factors on the structure of seed-dispersal networks, but also underscores the relevance of evolutionary history in shaping species roles in ecological communities.

Original language	English
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	17
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	454-463
Number of pages	10
ISSN	1461-023X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12245
Publication status	Published - Apr 2014

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@article{c4a66abdb36d427dabe0c4640b0adce4,

title = "Ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of modularity in weighted seed-dispersal networks",

abstract = "Modularity is a recurrent and important property of bipartite ecological networks. Although well-resolved ecological networks describe interaction frequencies between species pairs, modularity of bipartite networks has been analysed only on the basis of binary presence-absence data. We employ a new algorithm to detect modularity in weighted bipartite networks in a global analysis of avian seed-dispersal networks. We define roles of species, such as connector values, for weighted and binary networks and associate them with avian species traits and phylogeny. The weighted, but not binary, analysis identified a positive relationship between climatic seasonality and modularity, whereas past climate stability and phylogenetic signal were only weakly related to modularity. Connector values were associated with foraging behaviour and were phylogenetically conserved. The weighted modularity analysis demonstrates the dominating impact of ecological factors on the structure of seed-dispersal networks, but also underscores the relevance of evolutionary history in shaping species roles in ecological communities.",

author = "Matthias Schleuning and Lili Ingmann and Rouven Strau{\ss} and Fritz, {Susanne A.} and Bo Dalsgaard and Dehling, {D. Matthias} and Michaela Plein and Francisco Saavedra and Sandel, {Brody Steven} and Jens-Christian Svenning and Katrin B{\"o}hning-Gaese and Dormann, {Carsten F.}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.",

year = "2014",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1111/ele.12245",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

pages = "454--463",

journal = "Ecology Letters",

issn = "1461-023X",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of modularity in weighted seed-dispersal networks

AU - Schleuning, Matthias

AU - Ingmann, Lili

AU - Strauß, Rouven

AU - Fritz, Susanne A.

AU - Dalsgaard, Bo

AU - Dehling, D. Matthias

AU - Plein, Michaela

AU - Saavedra, Francisco

AU - Sandel, Brody Steven

AU - Svenning, Jens-Christian

AU - Böhning-Gaese, Katrin

AU - Dormann, Carsten F.

PY - 2014/4

Y1 - 2014/4

N2 - Modularity is a recurrent and important property of bipartite ecological networks. Although well-resolved ecological networks describe interaction frequencies between species pairs, modularity of bipartite networks has been analysed only on the basis of binary presence-absence data. We employ a new algorithm to detect modularity in weighted bipartite networks in a global analysis of avian seed-dispersal networks. We define roles of species, such as connector values, for weighted and binary networks and associate them with avian species traits and phylogeny. The weighted, but not binary, analysis identified a positive relationship between climatic seasonality and modularity, whereas past climate stability and phylogenetic signal were only weakly related to modularity. Connector values were associated with foraging behaviour and were phylogenetically conserved. The weighted modularity analysis demonstrates the dominating impact of ecological factors on the structure of seed-dispersal networks, but also underscores the relevance of evolutionary history in shaping species roles in ecological communities.

AB - Modularity is a recurrent and important property of bipartite ecological networks. Although well-resolved ecological networks describe interaction frequencies between species pairs, modularity of bipartite networks has been analysed only on the basis of binary presence-absence data. We employ a new algorithm to detect modularity in weighted bipartite networks in a global analysis of avian seed-dispersal networks. We define roles of species, such as connector values, for weighted and binary networks and associate them with avian species traits and phylogeny. The weighted, but not binary, analysis identified a positive relationship between climatic seasonality and modularity, whereas past climate stability and phylogenetic signal were only weakly related to modularity. Connector values were associated with foraging behaviour and were phylogenetically conserved. The weighted modularity analysis demonstrates the dominating impact of ecological factors on the structure of seed-dispersal networks, but also underscores the relevance of evolutionary history in shaping species roles in ecological communities.

U2 - 10.1111/ele.12245

DO - 10.1111/ele.12245

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24467289

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 17

SP - 454

EP - 463

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 4

ER -

Ecological, historical and evolutionary determinants of modularity in weighted seed-dispersal networks

Abstract

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