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Science 28 February 2003:
Vol. 299. no. 5611, pp. 1388 - 1391
DOI: 10.1126/science.1079154
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Reports

Foraging Adaptation and the Relationship Between Food-Web Complexity and Stability

Michio Kondoh

Ecological theory suggests that complex food webs should not persist because of their inherent instability. "Real" ecosystems often support a large number of interacting species. A mathematical model shows that fluctuating short-term selection on trophic links, arising from a consumer's adaptive food choice, is a key to the long-term stability of complex communities. Without adaptive foragers, food-web complexity destabilizes community composition; whereas in their presence, complexity may enhance community persistence through facilitation of dynamical food-web reconstruction that buffers environmental fluctuations. The model predicts a linkage pattern consistent with field observations.

Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kamitanakami, Otsu 520-2113, Japan.
Present address: Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Post Office Box 915, Cardiff CF10 3TL, UK. E-mail: kondohm{at}cf.ac.uk

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Inaugural Article: Honor thy symbionts.
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Comment on "Foraging Adaptation and the Relationship Between Food-Web Complexity and Stability".
U. Brose, R. J. Williams, and N. D. Martinez (2003)
Science 301, 918b
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Response to Comment on "Foraging Adaptation and the Relationship Between Food-Web Complexity and Stability".
M. Kondoh (2003)
Science 301, 918c
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