Physics reveals why diverse food webs survive collapse better than simple ones
Researchers used mathematical models from physics to show that ecosystems with many interconnected species are more stable and resistant to sudden collapse than previously thought. The finding suggests that preserving biodiversity isn't just an environmental goal—it's a practical hedge against ecosystem breakdown that affects agriculture, fisheries, and food supply chains.
Originaltitel: Hamiltonian dynamics for complex food webs
<p>We investigate stability and dynamics of large ecological networks by introducing classical methods of dynamical system theory from physics, including Hamiltonian and averaging methods. Our analysis exploits the topological structure of the network, namely the existence of strongly connected nodes (hubs) in the networks. We reveal new relations between topology, interaction structure, and network dynamics. We describe mechanisms of catastrophic phenomena leading to sharp changes of dynamics and hence completely altering the ecosystem. We also show how these phenomena depend on the structure of interaction between species. We can conclude that a Hamiltonian structure of biological interactions leads to stability and large biodiversity.</p>