Interactions between green and brown food webs: consequences on ecosystem functioning and stability
Classical food-web theory on ecosystem functioning and stability has focused either on food webs based on primary production (green food webs) or on food webs based on detritus (brown food webs) and generally ignored nutrient cycling. However, nutrient cycling connects the two food webs, which questions traditional concepts of food web theory. Studying the mechanisms driving the interactions between green and brown food webs is crucial to understand the functioning and the stability of ecosystems.
Here I present several ecosystem models integrating these two food webs and nutrient cycling, and show how nutrient cycling as well as interactions between decomposers and primary producers affect ecosystem functioning and stability.
Host: Sabine Wollrab