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Scientific Article details

Title Cycling and reciprocity in weighted food webs and economic networks
ID_Doc 18355
Authors Iskrzynski, M; Janssen, F; Picciolo, F; Fath, B; Ruzzenenti, F
Title Cycling and reciprocity in weighted food webs and economic networks
Year 2022
Published Journal Of Industrial Ecology, 26.0, 3
DOI 10.1111/jiec.13217
Abstract Networks of mass flows describe the basic structure of ecosystems as food webs, and of economy as input-output tables. Matter leaving a node in these networks can return to it immediately as part of a reciprocal flow, or completing a longer, multi-node cycle. Previous research comparing cycling of matter in ecosystems and economy was limited by relying on unweighted or few networks. Overcoming this limitation, we study mass cycling in large datasets of weighted real-world networks: 169 mostly aquatic food webs and 155 economic networks. We quantify cycling as the portion of all flows that is due to cycles, known as the Finn Cycling Index (FCI). We find no correlation between FCI and the largest eigenvalues of unweighted adjacency matrices used as a cycling proxy in the past. Unweighted networks ignore the actual flow values that in reality can differ by even 10 orders of magnitude. FCI can be decomposed into a sum of contributions of individual nodes. This enables us to quantify how organisms recycling dead organic matter dominate mass cycling in weighted food webs. FCI of food webs has a geometric mean of 5%. We observe lower average mass cycling in the economic networks. The global production network had an FCI of 3.7% in 2011. Cycling in economic networks (input-output tables and trade relationships) and food webs strongly correlates with reciprocity. Encouraging reciprocity could enhance cycling in the economy by acting locally, without the need to perfectly know its global structure.
Author Keywords cycling; economic networks; food webs; industrial ecology; network analysis; reciprocity
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000731361600001
WoS Category Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics; Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
PDF https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/232453897/J_of_Industrial_Ecology_2021_Iskrzy_ski_Cycling_and_reciprocity_in_weighted_food_webs_and_economic_networks.pdf
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