Changes in Mutualistic Network Architecture in Response to Human Change

Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change impacts nearly all ecosystems on the planet through a number of mechanisms, one of which may be the altering of mutualistic interactions. Species turnover due to invasion and extinction, mismatches in species phenology, and other factors may fundamentally alter the architecture of mutualistic networks in many systems. These architectural changes may have predictable impacts on network features such as network stability or strength of hysteresis. Understanding how the structure of mutualistic networks are changing in general as well how these changes effect emergent network properties can allow us to better predict and manage threatened ecosystems.