Understanding the evolution of ecosystems requires to understand the interactions between species, in particular trophic relationships (who feeds on whom?). Scientists often represent these links as networks. In practice, it is difficult to observe or identify all these interactions. Within the framework of an international collaboration (USA, Belgium, New Zealand), Lucy Van Kleunen and François Massol (CIIL, CNRS UMR9017, INSERM U1019, Univ. Lille) have developed a new method to predict the missing interactions within food websThe researchers considered existing data on networks and species characteristics. They then developed an algorithm to improve our understanding of interactions between species, in particular trophic relationshipsThis algorithm will allow for a better understanding of how ecosystems function and perhaps for predicting other types of biological interactions. This study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications..
Predicting missing links in food webs using stacked models and species traits
Van Kleunen, LB, Dee, LE, Wootton, KL, Massol, F and Clauset A
Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68769-7
Lille Infection and Immunity Center
University of Lille, CNRS, Inserm, Pasteur Institute of Lille, Lille University Hospital
