The architecture of mutualistic networks minimizes competition and increases biodiversity

Ugo Bastolla, Miguel A. Fortuna, Alberto Pascual-García, Antonio Ferrera, Bartolo Luque and Jordi Bascompte ()
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Ugo Bastolla: Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid – CSIC
Miguel A. Fortuna: Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
Alberto Pascual-García: Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid – CSIC
Antonio Ferrera: ETSI Aeronáuticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Plaza Cardenal Cisneros 3, Madrid 28040, Spain
Bartolo Luque: ETSI Aeronáuticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Plaza Cardenal Cisneros 3, Madrid 28040, Spain
Jordi Bascompte: Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, c/ Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain

Nature, 2009, vol. 458, issue 7241, 1018-1020

Abstract: Competition versus biodiversity One of the abiding questions of ecology is how so many species can exist given that they are competing with one another for resources. Theories of biodiversity have in the main assumed that species interact randomly with each other or have ignored inter-species interactions. Recent work, however, has shown that the interactions between species aren't a free-for-all, but are highly structured or even nested. Bastolla et al. look at the mutualistic networks between plants and animals and find that the 'nestedness' of mutualistic interactions acts to minimize competition and enhance biodiversity. Nested networks seem to occur in many biological and social contexts, suggesting that the results are relevant in a wide range of fields — from biology to banking.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07950

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