Figure 2.

(a) Definition of basic interaction types between producers, resources and consumers and (b) an example ecological network based on these interactions. The key point is the separation between species, and the resources that they produce and consume. These resources can be assessed implicitly and explicitly. Multiple species can contribute to the same resource compartment or class, and multiple consumers can exploit resources, irrespective of the species that contributed to or forms the resource compartment. graniv., granivorous; herbiv, herbivorous; sp, species.