Predators, parasites and food web stability.

Predator-prey interactions and their influence on food web stability is a major topic of ecological research. The investigation of parasitic interactions, which are another fundamental part of the most ecological communities, has been less intensive. To close that gap, we used generalized modelling to study several million replicates of food webs with different proportions of parasitic species. In this way we determine the impact of parasitism on different food web properties and how these properties affect food web stability. Specifically, we show that a moderate proportion of parasitic species enhances food web stability.

Return