title: FORUM: Ecological networks: the missing links in biomonitoring science.
abstract: Monitoring anthropogenic impacts is essential for managing and conserving ecosystems, yet current biomonitoring approaches lack the tools required to deal with the effects of stressors on species and their interactions in complex natural systems.Ecological networks (trophic or mutualistic) can offer new insights into ecosystem degradation, adding value to current taxonomically constrained schemes. We highlight some examples to show how new network approaches can be used to interpret ecological responses.Synthesis and applications. Augmenting routine biomonitoring data with interaction data derived from the literature, complemented with ground-truthed data from direct observations where feasible, allows us to begin to characterise large numbers of ecological networks across environmental gradients. This process can be accelerated by adopting emerging technologies and novel analytical approaches, enabling biomonitoring to move beyond simple pass/fail schemes and to address the many ecological responses that can only be understood from a network-based perspective.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK ; Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Environment Canada @ Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick 10 Bailey Drive, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: Institute for Hydrobiology and Fisheries Science, University of Hamburg Grosse Elbstrasse 133, 22767 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
authors.forename: Eoin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'Gorman
authors.affiliation: School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK.
authors.forename: Xueke
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London London, E1 4NS, UK.
authors.forename: Athen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J O
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pocock
authors.affiliation: Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schuwirth
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Woodward
keywords: anthropogenic stress; climate change; conservation; food web; global warming; mutualism; pollination