Biodiv Sci ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (11): 1391-1404.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2020240

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Food web structure and functioning: Theoretical advances and outlook

Shaopeng Wang*()   

  1. Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871
  • Received:2020-06-15 Accepted:2020-07-26 Online:2020-11-20 Published:2020-09-13
  • Contact: Shaopeng Wang

Abstract:

The relationship between food web structure and functioning can have important implications for predicting the responses of ecosystems to global changes. Previous studies have mainly explored food web structure and functioning separately or in simple food web models (e.g. food chains), but recent studies made significant progress in understanding the structure and functioning of complex food webs. This paper reviews the theoretical approaches and recent advances of complex food webs. In particular, I summarize the multiple metrics for quantifying the structure, biodiversity, and functioning of complex food webs, explain the theoretical framework for modeling complex food webs, and review the recent progress in understanding the relationships between food web structure, biodiversity, and functioning, and how they respond to global changes. I end with discussion on potential future directions by integrating food web theory with functional trait, ecological stoichiometry, other types of ecological networks, metacommunity theory, and evolutionary models.

Key words: omnivory, modularity, horizontal diversity, vertical diversity, energy flux