Data Set Citation:
When using this data, please cite the data package:
NCEAS: 11201: Bascompte: ComplexEcosystems , National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis , Bascompte J , Melian C , and Sala E.
Caribbean food web
bowdish.272.36 (http://knb.ecoinformatics.org/knb/metacat/bowdish.272.36/nceas)
General Information:
Title:Caribbean food web
Identifier:bowdish.272
Abstract:
This is a Data set of the Caribbean food web that was analyzed in Bascompte, Melián and Sala (2005), Interaction strength combinations and the overfishing of a marine food web. PNAS 102: 5443-5447. The stability of ecological communities largely depends on the strength of interactions between predators and their prey. Here we show that these interaction strengths are structured nonrandomly in a large Caribbean marine food web. Specifically, the cooccurrence of strong interactions on two consecutive levels of food chains occurs less frequently than expected by chance. Even when they occur, these strongly interacting chains are accompanied by strong omnivory more often than expected by chance. By using a food web model, we show that these interaction strength combinations reduce the likelihood of trophic cascades after the overfishing of top predators.
Keywords:
  • community stability
  • omnivory
  • trophic chain
  • trophic cascade
  • quantitative networks
  • species interactions
  • predation
  • Food-web Dynamics
  • Caribbean
Data Table, Image, and Other Data Details:
Metadata download: Ecological Metadata Language (EML) File
Data Table:Dataset-PNAS-05_Species_codes.txt ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:Interaction_Strength_Matrix.txt ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:Caribbean_NBM-1.txt ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:TopTenSpecies.txt ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:15_Basal_Species.txt ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:DCij_Opitz.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:QBj_withSpeciesCodes.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:Bi.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:DCij.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:QBj.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:DCijxQBj.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:PCISAnnual.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:PCISday.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)
Data Table:PCISday_code.csv ( View Metadata | Download File download)

Involved Parties

Data Set Creators:
Organization:NCEAS: 11201: Bascompte: ComplexEcosystems
Organization:National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
Individual: Jordi Bascompte
Email Address:
bascompte@ebd.csic.es
Individual: Carlos Melian
Email Address:
melian@nceas.ucsb.edu
Individual: Enric Sala
Data Set Contacts:
Individual: Jordi Bascompte
Email Address:
bascompte@ebd.csic.es

Data Set Characteristics

Geographic Region:
Geographic Description:Caribbean
Bounding Coordinates:
West:  -84.875  degrees
East:  -65.375  degrees
North:  23.75  degrees
South:  17.125  degrees
Taxonomic Range:
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Carcharhinus
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Carcharhinus acronotus
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Carcharhinus
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Carcharhinus falciformis
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Carcharhinus
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Carcharhinus perezi
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Galeocerdo
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Galeocerdo cuvier
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Ginglymostoma
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Ginglymostoma cirratum
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Mustelus
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Mustelus canis
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Negaprion
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Negaprion porosus
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Sphyrna
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Sphyrna lewini
Classification:
Rank Name:Genus
Rank Value:Sphyrna
Classification:
Rank Name:Species
Rank Value:Sphyrna tiburo

Sampling, Processing and Quality Control Methods

Step by Step Procedures
Step 1:  
Description:

Data: Strengths and Limitations

We have compiled and analyzed a large quantitative food-web. First, while the bulk of previous studies use food-webs with a number of species ranging from 25 to 94 (only one food web has as much as 181 species), our food web has 249 species. Second, in the previously published foodwebs the level of aggregation is really high (nodes of the web correspond to trophic species, not taxonomic species). In contrast, the bulk of species in our food web correspond to taxonomic species. Third, almost all previously studied food-webs are qualitative, while we present quantitative information. However, our data have still weaknesses which need to be acknowledged to put our conclusions in perspective. There are two potential limitations: the variability in diet and biomass estimates and the unequal level of resolution.
Instrument(s): Calculations of interaction strength are based on estimates of diet preferences, biomass (calculated as the average number of individuals per square meter times their average body mass), and the number of times an age-structured population of predator j consumes it own weight per day (Q/B)j .
Instrument(s): Bascompte et al. 10.1073/pnas.0501562102 at http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0501562102/DC1 has more detailed information about the methods.

Data Set Usage Rights

Access Control:
Auth System:knb
Order:denyFirst
Metadata download: Ecological Metadata Language (EML) File