Ecological Networks In The Tropics: An Integrative Overview Of Species Interactions From Some Of The Most Species-rich Habitats On Earth

Wesley Dáttilo · Victor Rico-Gray Editors Ecological Networks in the Tropics An Integrative Overview of Species Interactions from Some of the Most Species-Rich Habitats on Earth Ecological Networks in the Tropics Wesley Dáttilo  •  Victor Rico-Gray Editors Ecological Networks in the Tropics An Integrative Overview of Species Interactions from Some of the Most Species-Rich Habitats on Earth Editors Wesley Dáttilo Red de Ecoetologia Instituto de Ecologia AC Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico Victor Rico-Gray Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico ISBN 978-3-319-68227-3    ISBN 978-3-319-68228-0 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68228-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017959324 © Springer International Publishing AG 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Wesley Dáttilo dedicates this book to all his mentors who supported him throughout his academic career on ecological interaction networks, especially Thiago Izzo, Victor Rico-Gray, Paulo Guimarães, Kléber Del-Claro, and Pedro Jordano. Victor Rico-Gray dedicates this book to Alex Rico Palacios, Carmelo Rico Belestá, Thomasina Gray Wilkinson, and Leonard B. Thien. Foreword The astonishing diversity of life is simultaneously a source of wonder and a challenge for those trying to understand how the earth’s millions of species are organized across continents and oceans. One approach is to study how each species has adapted to its physical environment and its interactions with other species. Another approach, at the other extreme, is to describe how local or regional ecosystems are organized into broader biogeographic patterns. The study of ecological networks has provided a way of bridging the gap between