Deep-time perspectives on the robustness of ecological network structure and dynamics

It is increasingly apparent that an ecological network perspective, which encompasses direct and indirect effects among interacting taxa, is critical for understanding, predicting, and managing the impacts of species loss and invasion, habitat conversion, and climate change. The basic research challenge of developing a general framework for understanding ecological robustness at whole-system and component levels, in terms of both external perturbations and internal dynamics, is important for setting and achieving conservation goals. An effective framework will have a scope that extends beyond the usual focus on contemporary systems. Examples from a biocomplexity project based in the Aleutian Islands and a “paleofoodweb” project demonstrate how research at the interface of ecology and network theory can be fruitfully extended across archaeological and paleontological time scales, deepening our understanding of ecological robustness.