2025 Hyper Recent •CC0 1.0 Universal

This work is dedicated to the public domain. No rights reserved.

Access Preprint From Server
May 23rd, 2025
Version: 1
CSIRO Environment
ecology
biorxiv

Automated Diet Matrix Construction for Marine Ecosystem Models Using Generative AI

Spillias, S.Open in Google Scholar•Fulton, E. A.Open in Google Scholar•Boschetti, F.Open in Google Scholar•Bulman, C.Open in Google Scholar•Strzelecki, J.Open in Google Scholar•Trebilco, R.Open in Google Scholar

This study introduces a novel Large Language Model (LLM) driven framework for automated species grouping and diet matrix generation in Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) ecosystem models, addressing a critical bottleneck in model development. The framework (i) retrieves a marine species list from an area; (ii) uses LLMs to classify them into functional groups; and (iii) synthesises trophic interactions from diverse data sources including global biodiversity databases, species interaction repositories, and unstructured user-provided text. We evaluate the framework across four large Australian marine regions to assess both consistency and ecological accuracy of the resulting functional groups and diet proportions. The framework demonstrates high reproducibility in species grouping decisions (>99.7% consistency) and diet matrix construction, with 51-59% of predator-prey interactions showing consistent diet proportions across multiple runs. Validation against expert-derived matrices for the Great Australian Bight ecosystem reveals strong ecological alignment and accuracy, with 92.6% of taxonomic assignments being at least partially correct (>75% fully correct), and correctly identifying 85% of trophic interactions, while estimating diet proportions within 0.2 of expert values for 80% of interactions. These findings demonstrate the framework\'s potential to generate reproducible, ecologically meaningful components for ecosystem model development while significantly reducing development time.

Similar Papers

biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Herbarium specimens reveal a constrained seasonal climate niche despite diverged annual climates across a wildflower clade
Quantifying species' niches across a clade reveals how environmental tolerances evolve, and offers insights into present and future distributions. We use herbarium specimens to explore climate niche evolution across 14 annual species of the Streptanthus (s.l.) clade (Brassicaceae), which originated in deserts and diversified into cooler, moister areas. To understand how climate niches evolved, we ...
Bontrager, M.
•
Worthy, S. J.
•
Cacho, N. I.
•
Leventhal, L.
...•
Strauss, S. Y.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Developmental constraints mediate the summer solstice reversal of climate effects on European beech bud set
Predicting the growing season of temperate zone trees under climate change requires factoring in developmental constraints that determine tree resource allocation. Recent work has identified the summer solstice (21 June) as a phenological \"switch point,\" with pre-solstice warming advancing autumn bud set and post-solstice warming delaying it. However, the flexibility of this switch point remains...
Rebindaine, D.
•
Crowther, T. W.
•
Renner, S. S.
•
Wu, Z.
...•
Zohner, C. M.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Worldwide spread of Hylurgus ligniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), and the potential role of bridgehead invasions
Hylurgus ligniperda (F.) is a highly successful invader among bark beetles (Scolytinae) and forest insects in general. Native to the western Palearctic region, it has become established in every continent where its host plants (Pinus spp.) occur. Especially in southern hemisphere regions with large pine plantations, it is often highly abundant. As a repeat invader with a wealth of information on v...
Brockerhoff, E. G.
•
Schläfli, L.
•
Cornejo, C.
•
Kappeler, J.
...•
Prospero, S.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Population dynamics of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a semirural area under subtropical monsoon climate of Bangladesh
Fruit flies belonging to Tephritidae family are highly destructive agricultural pests, posing a significant threat to various fruits and vegetables grown in Bangladesh. A comprehensive year round survey was conducted at Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) campus located in the central region of Bangladesh. Three types of male lures (methyl eugenol, cue-lure and zingerone) were used to dete...
Momen, M.
•
Hossain, M. A.
•
Seheli, K.
•
Hossain, M. F.
•
Bari, M. A.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Directing conservation action for the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle to mitigate mining impacts and maximize indigenous land management
As habitat destruction intensifies due to expanding human infrastructure, balancing biodiversity conservation with resource extraction has become a global challenge. Thus, quantifying the extent and location of proposed mining operations is key to mitigating the impacts on threatened species. This issue is particularly acute in the biodiversity hotspots of southeast Asia, where rapid economic grow...
Sutton, L. J.
•
Ibanez, J. C.
•
Salvador, D. I.
•
Tirona, A. V. M. C.
...•
McClure, C. J. W.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
High-severity fires undermine resilience of black spruce-dominated boreal forests in eastern North America
Climate-induced fire regime shifts may reduce post-fire resilience of black spruce-dominated (BS; Picea mariana) North American boreal forests. While post-fire vulnerability of immature BS stands has been extensively studied, no study has evaluated simultaneous effects of fire severity and seasonality on the post-fire regeneration of mature (> 60-year-old) BS stands. This study aims to quantify po...
Fortin, S.
•
Boucher, Y.
•
Bergeron, Y.
•
Simard, M.
...•
Valeria, O.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Viral infection induces oxylipin chemical signaling at the end of a summer upwelling bloom: implications for carbon cycling.
Diatoms are large phytoplankton that form the base of the marine food web and often bloom first when nutrients are injected into the surface ocean through upwelling or deep ocean mixing 1,2. Diatoms contribute 20% of global photosynthesis3 while disproportionately representing 40% of carbon export4, with most export occurring along the continental margins5. Oxylipin chemical signaling by diatoms h...
Edwards, B. R.
•
Thamatrakoln, K.
•
Kranzler, C. F.
•
Ossolinski, J.
...•
Van Mooy, B.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Specimen-tailored "lived" climate reveals precipitation onset and amount best predict specimen phenology, but only weakly predict estimated reproduction across a clade
Herbarium specimens are broadly distributed in space and time, enabling investigation of climate impacts on phenology and fitness. We reconstructed specimen "lived" climate from knowledge of germination cues and collection dates for 14 annual species in the Streptanthus (s.l.) clade (Brassicaceae) to ask: Which climate attributes, including the timing of precipitation onset, best explain specimen ...
Bontrager, M. G.
•
Worthy, S. J.
•
Leventhal, L. C.
•
Maloof, J.
...•
Strauss, S. Y.
biorxiv
Thu May 22 2025
The effects of predator recovery and climate change on the long-term demography of a flagship herbivore
In the western United States, ecosystems are being reshaped from both bottom-up and top-down processes. Widespread carnivore recolonizations after 20th century extirpations have returned top-down pressures to ecosystems, and climate change is reshaping bottom-up forces through shifts in the timing and length of growing seasons, resulting in reduced forage quality and quantity. Large herbivores, su...
Loonam, K.
•
Brown, C.
•
Clark, D.
•
Rowland, M.
...•
Levi, T.