A food web is a conceptual and graphical representation of trophic interactions within an ecological community, depicting how energy and biomass move through interconnected food chains. Nodes in a food web represent species or trophic groups, while links denote predation, herbivory, or other consumer–resource relationships. Food web analysis quantifies properties such as connectance, trophic levels, modularity, and stability, and is central to understanding ecosystem structure, dynamics, and resilience. It provides a framework for modeling top-down and bottom-up controls, indirect effects (e.g., trophic cascades), and responses of communities to perturbations such as species extinctions, invasions, and environmental change.
A study led by Associate Professor Kelton McMahon at University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography has found that food webs on tropical reefs are more fragile than we once thought. Instead of being part of ...
Ecology
Jul 23, 2025
0
24
Ecosystems are characterized by interconnected structure and functions. A study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Casey Benkwitt at Lancaster University, United Kingdom and colleagues suggests that restoring ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2025
0
47
Just how effective protected areas are at safeguarding habitats and the species that live within them is the focus of a new Swansea University study.
Plants & Animals
Jun 16, 2025
0
39
