Assessing the Ecological Network of Svalbard Through Scaled Interaction Strength Data: Insights From a Century of Research.

The Arctic is a hotspot of environmental change, as demonstrated by various monitoring programs and studies north of the Polar Circle. As these activities primarily focus on detecting shifts in biodiversity and phenology, the functional dynamics of the terrestrial ecological community of Arctic systems remain comparatively understudied. Current research coverage of actual species interactions exhibits considerable temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Nevertheless, there have been numerous attempts to synthesize existing knowledge into conceptual frameworks, including for well-studied regions such as Svalbard. However, these schemes often do not incorporate the idea of interaction strength. In this work, we aim to integrate existing knowledge on interaction strengths into a conceptual model of the Svalbard Ecological Network. In doing so, we also highlight current knowledge gaps and the challenges of establishing a robust baseline of species interactions in the region. Such current challenges cannot be overcome without coordinated efforts among multiple research groups.