Persistence in multilayer ecological network consisting of harvested patches

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Network Theory
• Mathematical Biology

Background:

• Ecological systems, particularly prey-predator interactions, present complex challenges.
• Complex network theory offers a robust framework for analyzing these systems.
• Multilayer networks provide a natural structure to model interconnected ecological complexities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the robustness of multilayer prey-predator networks under gradual harvesting.
• To analyze the impact of asymmetric dispersal strengths and network topologies on species persistence.
• To analytically derive the critical harvesting point for network sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Modeling prey-predator patches with small-world dispersal topologies across two network layers.
• Simulating the effects of varying interlayer and intralayer dispersal strengths and topologies.
• Analytical derivation of critical thresholds for species persistence.

Main Results:

• Introduced asymmetries in dispersal and topology significantly impact global species persistence.
• Analytical methods confirm simulation findings regarding critical harvesting points.
• Cross-layer interactions can lead to species recovery in initially extinct layers.

Conclusions:

• Multilayer network formalism effectively captures complex ecological dynamics.
• Inter-layer species rescue demonstrates the resilience of these ecological networks.
• Findings are consistent across different prey-predator systems, indicating model-independent outcomes.