Summary: Boyd (2012)

Boyd (2012) indicates that, although ecological models may be limited in their ability to predict various ecosystem responses, they are important for determining what drives ecosystem vulnerability in the face of disturbance. He provides a brief review of Mougi & Kondoh's (2012) network models. These models suggest that positive (mutualistic) and negative (agonistic) interactions play a role in ecosystem stability. He further suggests that ecological network models, while limiting, are important for describing ecosystem characteristics on a general level and for providing an indication of how these systems respond under stressful conditions. He further stresses that management decisions are likely to be driven by the status keystone species in ecological networks.