Evolving eco-system: a network of networks

Ecology and evolution are inseparable. Motivated by some recent experiments, we have developed models of evolutionary ecology from the perspective of dynamic networks. In these models, in addition to the intra-node dynamics, which corresponds to an individual-based population dynamics of species, the entire network itself changes slowly with time to capture evolutionary processes. After a brief summary of our recent published works on these network models of eco-systems, we extend the most recent version of the model incorporating predators that wander into neighbouring spatial patches for food.

[1]  Stefan Bornholdt,et al.  Handbook of Graphs and Networks: From the Genome to the Internet , 2003 .

[2]  S. Ellner,et al.  Rapid evolution drives ecological dynamics in a predator–prey system , 2003, Nature.

[3]  Dietrich Stauffer,et al.  Unified “micro”- and “macro-” evolution of eco-systems: self-organization of a dynamic network , 2003, cond-mat/0307046.

[4]  D. Stauffer,et al.  Unification of small and large time scales for biological evolution: deviations from power law. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[5]  David Reguera,et al.  Statistical Mechanics of Biocomplexity , 1999 .

[6]  Solé,et al.  Extinction and self-organized criticality in a model of large-scale evolution. , 1996, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics.

[7]  Bak,et al.  Punctuated equilibrium and criticality in a simple model of evolution. , 1993, Physical review letters.

[8]  A. Sugden.  Trends in ecology and evolution. , 1986, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[9]  Ricard V. Solé,et al.  Criticality and unpredictability in macroevolution , 1997 .

[10]  Reinhard Lipowsky.  Statistical Mechanics of Biocomplexity , 1999 .

[11]  J. N. Thompson,et al.  The evolution of species interactions. , 1999, Science.

[12]  Dietrich Stauffer,et al.  Food-web based unified model of macro- and microevolution. , 2003, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[13]  B. Drossel,et al.  Modelling Food Webs , 2002, nlin/0202034.

[14]  B. Drossel.  Biological evolution and statistical physics , 2001, cond-mat/0101409.

[15]  Martin Meyer,et al.  Environmental Changes, Coextinction, and Patterns in the Fossil Record , 1998, cond-mat/9804102.

[16]  Andrew P. Hendry,et al.  Contemporary evolution meets conservation biology , 2003 .

[17]  Sitabhra Sinha,et al.  Examining the effects of species richness on community stability: an assembly model approach , 2002 .

[18]  Guillermo Abramson,et al.  Ecological model of extinctions , 1996, adap-org/9609001.

[19]  R. Solé.  Statistical mechanics of network models of macroevolution and extinction , 1999 .