Analyzing overlaps in food webs

Abstract Food webs have overlaps of predator and prey species. Some structural tools found useful in the analysis of social networks are applied to the analysis of food webs. These deal with the overlaps in a natural way. Connectivity in a simplicial complex is used to discern those parts of the microstructure of a food web worthy of further attention. Measures of distinctiveness for the species in a food web are proposed. Qualitative simulations of species removal are used to explore the intergrative role of species in a food web.

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