Using food web theory to conserve ecosystems (2014-2017)

Species interact with each other and the management of one species can impact other species. These interactions are often ignored in conservation decision making. Food web theory is the obvious basis for considering links between species when making conservation decisions, but actually contains little explicit guidance for the management of multiple species. Using a novel application of optimization approaches pioneered in Artificial Intelligence research, we aim to demonstrate how food web theory can guide the management of multiple species. In doing so, we will also test the effectiveness of widely used approaches to multi-species management, such as keystone species, umbrella species, and bottom-up control.