Climate change alters the structure of arctic food webs

What is it about?

The structure of food webs has implications for dynamics and functioning of ecosystems. This paper shows that arctic marine food web structure is less connected and more modular than boreal marine food webs. Owing to climate warming arctic marine food web structure is changing due to the climate-driven poleward movement of boreal generalist. The arctic marine food web is becoming more connected and less modular.

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Why is it important?

This publication is unique because it follows interacting marine species over a large spatial scale in the arctic region. It is timely because it deals with climate change effects on the structure of arctic communities. As species distribution change due to climate change, food web structure alters. This, in turn, will lead to alterations in food-web dynamics and functioning.