Interaction Matrix (IMAGE)

University of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute

Interaction Matrix

Caption

Mathematically, coexistence means that a path through the interaction matrix, formed by all species in the food web, can be found. The figure visualizes an example interaction matrix, with white boxes connecting neighbor trophic levels contain non-zero elements. The path consists of using the combination of a given row and column only once, as shown by blue boxes. The connections to the nutrient source, shown by yellow, which feeds all species at the bottom layer, can - but need not - be used as a part of the path. In the given case, there are 4 basal species, e.g. plants, 5 plant eaters, and 2 top predators.

Credit

(Credit: Jan Härter, Niels Bohr Institutet)

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(Credit: Jan Härter, Niels Bohr Institutet)

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