Functional Motifs in Foodwebs and Networks

Abstract: When studying a complex system it is often useful to think of the system as a network of interacting units. One can then ask if some properties of the entire network are already explained by a small part of the network - a network motif. A famous example of an ecological motif is competitive exclusion in foodwebs, where the presence of two species competing for a shared resource precludes the existence of a stable equilibrium for the whole system. However, other examples of motifs with such direct impacts on stability are not known. Here we explain why small motifs that allow conclusions on systemic stability are rare. Moreover, we show that another dynamical property, reactivity, is naturally rooted in motifs. Computing the reactivity in motifs can reveal which parts of a network are prone to respond violently to perturbations. This highlights motif reactivity as a useful property to measure in real-world systems to understand likely modes of systemic failure in foodwebs, epidemics, supply chains and other applications.