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Using ecological networks to answer questions in global biogeography and ecology
Author(s) -
Windsor Fredric M.,
Hoogen Johan,
Crowther Thomas W.,
Evans Darren M.
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
journal of biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1365-2699
pISSN - 0305-0270
DOI - 10.1111/jbi.14447
Subject(s) - ecology , biogeography , functional ecology , ecological network , landscape ecology , geography , natural (archaeology) , macroecology , global change , environmental resource management , biology , climate change , environmental science , ecosystem , habitat , archaeology
Abstract Ecological networks have classically been studied at site and landscape scales, yet recent efforts have been made to collate these data into global repositories. This offers an opportunity to integrate and upscale knowledge about ecological interactions from local to global scales to gain enhanced insights from the mechanistic information provided by these data. By drawing on existing research investigating patterns in ecological interactions at continental to global scales, we show how data on ecological networks, collected at appropriate scales, can be used to generate an improved understanding of many aspects of ecology and biogeography—for example, species distribution modelling, restoration ecology and conservation. We argue that by understanding the patterns in the structure and function of ecological networks across scales, it is possible to enhance our understanding of the natural world.