Why nestedness in mutualistic networks?
We investigate the relationship between the nested organization of mutualistic systems and their robustness against the extinction of species. We establish that a nested pattern of contacts is the best possible one as far as robustness is concerned, but only when the least linked species have the greater probability of becoming extinct. We introduce a coefficient that provides a quantitative measure of the robustness of a mutualistic system.
Burgos
Enrique
E
Departamento de Física, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Avenida del Libertador 8250, C1429BNP Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ceva
Horacio
H
Perazzo
Roberto P J
RP
Devoto
Mariano
M
Medan
Diego
D
Zimmermann
Martín
M
María Delbue
Ana
A
D000818:Animals; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D006126:Group Processes; D008954:Models, Biological; D013045:Species Specificity