Constructing Networks to Represent Small Aquatic Ecosystems
http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0040324
The attached article studies the effects of various changes on a small ecosystem that forms in the water that gathers in the cup shaped leaves of a plant called Sarracenia purpurea. The leaves collect rain water, and a small ecosystem soon forms in the leaf. Researchers constructed a network relating the different species present in the miniature ecosystem by observing the effects of certain changes. Examples of these changes include removing water or certain larvae from the leaves. These actions helped the researchers gain a better understanding of the relationships present between different groups in the aquatic ecosystem and helped them construct a network describing these relationships. The effort of such research is to use these networks to understand how habitat loss affects different communities and their members, allowing scientists to predict the consequences of a variety of actions.
I found this research interesting because it involves networks similar to those discussed in class, but looks at them from a different point of view. Rather than using already constructed networks to analyze relationships as we have done in class, this article observes the relationships present and uses them to construct a network. This network gives them a broader idea of how different species interact with each other and allows them to predict how ecosystems will respond to various events. I also found it interesting because it shows how complex networks can develop in simple circumstances. The aquatic environment that develops is much more complex than I would expect for something that starts with water gathering in a cup-shaped leaf. The majority of networks that we study come from much larger origins, such as Facebook. The fact that a network (albeit smaller and not as complex) can develop from much humbler origins is inspiring if nothing else.