IREES colloquium: Ecological Network Analysis: Methods to reveal indirect pathways, application to urban metabolism | guest lecture Prof. Brian D. Fath
| When: | Tu 19-11-2019 10:00 - 12:00 |
| Where: | 5159.0196, Energy Academy |
Title: Ecological Network Analysis: Methods to reveal indirect pathways, application to urban metabolism.
Speaker: Brian D. Fath, Professor at Towson University.
Abstract:
Ecological Network Analysis is a powerful methodology that provides a simultaneous whole-system investigation. Almost all complex systems can be conceptualized as a set of interacting nodes and arcs connecting them, based on the transfer of energy/material/information between the nodes. Once realized as such network methodologies can be applied to assess the direct and indirect influences between compartments and the pairwise interactions between any two nodes.
In this presentation, specifically methodologies that have been developed to explore ecological systems (mostly energy flow in food webs) are used to investigate energy, material and water flow in urban networks. In comparison with ecological networks we see that urban metabolism networks do not generate as many mutualistic relations, which gives some insight how to better manage our cities.