Western Kentucky University
Conserving Ecological Systems: Study 2: Microbial Networks Create Pathway Proliferation in Marine Food Webs
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Albert Meier; Danielle Racke; Larry Johnson
Abstract
The role of the microbial food web is little studied, but it often comprises the majority of the biomass in many ecosystems. We explored the effects of experimentally adding microbial loops and microbial webs to existing published food webs and modeled their effects on network properties. Addition of microbial loops dramatically increased indirect paths and greatly modified ecosystem behavior. Eigenvalue analyses were performed, and demonstrated high degrees of pathway proliferation resulting from microbial networks.
Conserving Ecological Systems: Study 2: Microbial Networks Create Pathway Proliferation in Marine Food Webs
The role of the microbial food web is little studied, but it often comprises the majority of the biomass in many ecosystems. We explored the effects of experimentally adding microbial loops and microbial webs to existing published food webs and modeled their effects on network properties. Addition of microbial loops dramatically increased indirect paths and greatly modified ecosystem behavior. Eigenvalue analyses were performed, and demonstrated high degrees of pathway proliferation resulting from microbial networks.