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Sustainability
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Impact of Ecological Network Structure on Ecosystem Dynamics and Function
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Impact of Ecological Network Structure on Ecosystem Dynamics and Function

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 5417

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hui Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ecology Department, College of Resources & Environments, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: complex ecological network; interspecific relationship network; food web; trait network of plants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecosystems are highly self-organized complex systems, within which interactions among system components (e.g., species and environmental variables) are complex, as changes in one component will affect others. The complex interactions are at the heart of ecology and drive many of key questions of ecology. For example: What are the roles of species interactions in ecological systems? When and why is biological diversity important? What factors influence the long-term dynamics of ecosystems? The key purpose of ecological research is resolving how these complex interactions affect the structure, functioning, stability, and resilience of ecosystems. However, traditional ecological research methodologies give limited insights into understanding the complex ecological interactions and complex systems. Fortunately, the ecological network provides a new perspective for resolving ecological interactions among entities from molecule to ecosystem, and for investigating the structure, function, and evolution of ecological systems at many scales and levels of organization. Although ecological network analyses have been widely used in many aspects of ecology, knowledge about the impact of the ecological network structure on ecosystem dynamics and function is still limited. Therefore, we still need more research cases and data, especially in the context of the strong impact caused by human activities and climate change.
This Special Issue aims to promote scientific communication and discussion about the impact of the ecological network structure on ecosystem dynamics and function.
The systems studied for this Special Issue mainly include interaction networks, ecological network structures, ecological network dynamics, and the effects of ecological networks on ecosystem dynamics and function. Research conducted on other types of ecological networks is also welcome. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

1) The dynamics of interaction networks in all types of ecosystems.

2) The structure and dynamics of ecological networks under human impacts, such as climate change and pollution.

3) The relationship between ecological network structures and ecosystem function and stability.

4) Reviews on ecological network research and analyses.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Hui Fu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecosystem stability
  • biodiversity
  • complex system
  • ecological network
  • ecosystem functions

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7772 KiB  
Article
Evolution and Optimization of an Ecological Network in an Arid Region Based on MSPA-MCR: A Case Study of the Hexi Corridor
by Xifeng Zhang, Xiaowei Cui and Shuiming Liang
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041704 - 19 Feb 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1172
Abstract
Under the background of climate change, the problems of water resource allocation and desertification in arid areas are becoming increasingly prominent, which seriously threatens the sustainable development of society. Constructing an ecological network is an important measure to improve the ecological environment and [...] Read more.
Under the background of climate change, the problems of water resource allocation and desertification in arid areas are becoming increasingly prominent, which seriously threatens the sustainable development of society. Constructing an ecological network is an important measure to improve the ecological environment and maintain ecological service function. This study takes the Hexi Corridor as an example and relies on land use data from 2000 to 2020, and comprehensively applies methods, such as morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR), and the network evaluation index to construct and optimize the ecological network of the Hexi Corridor. Our results show: (1) the spatial distribution of the landscape elements in the Hexi Corridor was not uniform and that the ecological foundation in the north was poor; (2) the resistance surface was “low in the south and high in the north”, with low-value areas mainly located to the south of Jiuquan City, Zhangye City, and Wuwei City, and the high-value areas were mainly located in the middle and to the north of Jiuquan City and Wuwei City; (3) the ecological source areas, corridors, and nodes showed a fluctuating upward trend, and they were mainly located to the southwest of Zhangye City, Jiuquan City, and Wuwei City; (4) the network closure (α), line point rate (β), and network connectivity (γ) showed a W-shaped change trend; (5) after the ecological network optimization, 22 new ecological source areas, 78 new corridors, and 61 new nodes were added, as a result, the α, β, and γ indices all increased. Our results provide a reference for ecological environment restoration research and serve as a regionally balanced means of sustainably developing the Hexi Corridor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Ecological Network Structure on Ecosystem Dynamics and Function)
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19 pages, 5421 KiB  
Article
Construction of Green Ecological Network in Qingdao (Shandong, China) Based on the Combination of Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis and Biodiversity Conservation Function Assessment
by Ling Tao, Yanni Chen, Fang Chen and Haifang Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16579; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416579 - 6 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1666
Abstract
Building urban green ecological network systems and increasing urban and rural landscape connectivity are effective ways to improve urban biodiversity and landscape sustainability. The ecological sources in the main urban area of Qingdao City (Shandong, China) were identified based on morphological spatial pattern [...] Read more.
Building urban green ecological network systems and increasing urban and rural landscape connectivity are effective ways to improve urban biodiversity and landscape sustainability. The ecological sources in the main urban area of Qingdao City (Shandong, China) were identified based on morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) combined with a biodiversity conservation function assessment, with the ecological corridors established and the ecological network structure optimized. The results showed that (1) the study area lacked high-quality patches with strong landscape connectivity; (2) the potential green ecological network of the study area was composed of 38 ecological sources, 703 ecological corridors, and 284 ecological nodes, effectively connecting urban and suburban green spaces; (3) after optimization, the green ecological network contained a total of 223 important corridors and 61 key nodes, with significantly increased network connectivity; (4) the optimal ecological corridor width in Qingdao was determined to be 30 m. Our study provided important guidance for the construction of ecological security patterns and scientific evidence to support urban green space planning and sustainable development in Qingdao. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Ecological Network Structure on Ecosystem Dynamics and Function)
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12 pages, 1410 KiB  
Article
Influence of Seasonal Water Level Fluctuations on Food Web Structure of a Large Floodplain Lake in China
by Huan Zhang, Yuyu Wang and Jun Xu
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10724; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310724 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1531
Abstract
Seasonal shifts in hydrology are known to alter the abundance and diversity of basal production resources and habitats and hence strongly influence the structure and function of river ecosystems. However, equivalent knowledge of natural lake ecosystems in floodplain regions is lacking. Here, we [...] Read more.
Seasonal shifts in hydrology are known to alter the abundance and diversity of basal production resources and habitats and hence strongly influence the structure and function of river ecosystems. However, equivalent knowledge of natural lake ecosystems in floodplain regions is lacking. Here, we used stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen to assess available primary production sources and consumer taxa during the dry and wet seasons in a large floodplain lake connected to the Yangtze River. Fish species showed distinct δ13C values between two hydrological periods but only small changes in δ15N values. Most of the fish species had higher estimated trophic levels in the dry season, likely indicating greater carnivory. Results of Bayesian mixing models revealed that benthic algae and benthic organic matter (BOM), combined with C3 vegetation, were the principal food sources supporting the biomass of most fish species during the low-water period, whereas benthic algae and seston were the most important carbon sources during the flood period. Overall, these findings demonstrate that seasonal hydrological changes, such as water-level fluctuations, can affect the trophic structure and ecosystem functioning of floodplain lake food webs in the subtropical zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Ecological Network Structure on Ecosystem Dynamics and Function)
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