TY - JOUR A1 - Heckmann, Tobias A1 - Schwanghart, Wolfgang T1 - Geomorphic coupling and sediment connectivity in an alpine catchment - Exploring sediment cascades using graph theory JF - Geomorphology : an international journal on pure and applied geomorphology N2 - Through their relevance for sediment budgets and the sensitivity of geomorphic systems, geomorphic coupling and (sediment) connectivity represent important topics in geomorphology. Since the introduction of the systems perspective to physical geography by Chorley and Kennedy (1971), a catchment has been perceived as consisting of landscape elements (e.g. landforms, subcatchments) that are coupled by geomorphic processes through sediment transport. In this study, we present a novel application of mathematical graph theory to explore the network structure of coarse sediment pathways in a central alpine catchment. Numerical simulation models for rockfall, debris flows, and (hillslope and channel) fluvial processes are used to establish a spatially explicit graph model of sediment sources, pathways and sinks. The raster cells of a digital elevation model form the nodes of this graph, and simulated sediment trajectories represent the corresponding edges. Model results are validated by visual comparison with the field situation and aerial photos. The interaction of sediment pathways, i.e. where the deposits of a geomorphic process form the sources of another process, forms sediment cascades, represented by paths (a succession of edges) in the graph model. We show how this graph can be used to explore upslope (contributing area) and downslope (source to sink) functional connectivity by analysing its nodes, edges and paths. The analysis of the spatial distribution, composition and frequency of sediment cascades yields information on the relative importance of geomorphic processes and their interaction (however regardless of their transport capacity). In the study area, the analysis stresses the importance of mass movements and their interaction, e.g. the linkage of large rockfall source areas to debris flows that potentially enter the channel network. Moreover, it is shown that only a small percentage of the study area is coupled to the channel network which itself is longitudinally disconnected by natural and anthropogenic barriers. Besides the case study, we discuss the methodological framework and alternatives for node and edge representations of graph models in geomorphology. We conclude that graph theory provides an excellent methodological framework for the analysis of geomorphic systems, especially for the exploration of quantitative approaches towards sediment connectivity. KW - Geomorphic coupling KW - Sediment connectivity KW - Sediment cascades KW - Graph theory Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.10.033 SN - 0169-555X VL - 182 IS - 2 SP - 89 EP - 103 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heckmann, Tobias A1 - Schwanghart, Wolfgang A1 - Phillips, Jonathan D. T1 - Graph theory-recent developments of its application in geomorphology JF - Geomorphology : an international journal on pure and applied geomorphology N2 - Applications of graph theory have proliferated across the academic spectrum in recent years. Whereas geosciences and landscape ecology have made rich use of graph theory, its use seems limited in physical geography, and particularly in geomorphology. Common applications of graph theory analyses of connectivity, path or transport efficiencies, subnetworks, network structure, system behaviour and dynamics, and network optimization or engineering all have uses or potential uses in geomorphology and closely related fields. In this paper, we give a short introduction to graph theory and review previous geomorphological applications or works in related fields that have been particularly influential. Network-like geomorphic systems can be classified into nonspatial or spatially implicit system components linked by statistical/causal relationships and spatial units linked by some spatial relationship, for example by fluxes of matter and/or energy. We argue that, if geomorphic system properties and behaviour (e.g., complexity, sensitivity, synchronisability, historical contingency, connectivity etc.) depend on system structure and if graph theory is able to quantitatively describe the configuration of system components, then graph theory should provide us with tools that help in quantifying system properties and in inferring system behaviour. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Graph theory KW - Network analysis KW - Spatial and nonspatial graphs KW - Geomorphic systems KW - Modelling Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.12.024 SN - 0169-555X SN - 1872-695X VL - 243 SP - 130 EP - 146 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Larhlimi, Abdelhalim A1 - Blachon, Sylvain A1 - Selbig, Joachim A1 - Nikoloski, Zoran T1 - Robustness of metabolic networks a review of existing definitions JF - Biosystems : journal of biological and information processing sciences N2 - Describing the determinants of robustness of biological systems has become one of the central questions in systems biology. Despite the increasing research efforts, it has proven difficult to arrive at a unifying definition for this important concept. We argue that this is due to the multifaceted nature of the concept of robustness and the possibility to formally capture it at different levels of systemic formalisms (e.g, topology and dynamic behavior). Here we provide a comprehensive review of the existing definitions of robustness pertaining to metabolic networks. As kinetic approaches have been excellently reviewed elsewhere, we focus on definitions of robustness proposed within graph-theoretic and constraint-based formalisms. KW - Robustness KW - Metabolic networks KW - Graph theory KW - Constraint-based approaches Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.06.002 SN - 0303-2647 VL - 106 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Phillips, Jonathan D. A1 - Schwanghart, Wolfgang A1 - Heckmann, Tobias T1 - Graph theory in the geosciences JF - Earth science reviews : the international geological journal bridging the gap between research articles and textbooks N2 - Graph theory has long been used in quantitative geography and landscape ecology and has been applied in Earth and atmospheric sciences for several decades. Recently, however, there have been increased, and more sophisticated, applications of graph theory concepts and methods in geosciences, principally in three areas: spatially explicit modeling, small-world networks, and structural models of Earth surface systems. This paper reviews the contrasting goals and methods inherent in these approaches, but focuses on the common elements, to develop a synthetic view of graph theory in the geosciences. Techniques applied in geosciences are mainly of three types: connectivity measures of entire networks; metrics of various aspects of the importance or influence of particular nodes, links, or regions of the network; and indicators of system dynamics based on graph adjacency matrices. Geoscience applications of graph theory can be grouped in five general categories: (1) Quantification of complex network properties such as connectivity, centrality, and clustering; (2) Tests for evidence of particular types of structures that have implications for system behavior, such as small-world or scale-free networks; (3) Testing dynamical system properties, e.g., complexity, coherence, stability, synchronization, and vulnerability; (4) Identification of dynamics from historical records or time series; and (5) spatial analysis. Recent and future expansion of graph theory in geosciences is related to general growth of network-based approaches. However, several factors make graph theory especially well suited to the geosciences: Inherent complexity, exploration of very large data sets, focus on spatial fluxes and interactions, and increasing attention to state transitions are all amenable to analysis using graph theory approaches. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Graph theory KW - Geosciences KW - Networks KW - Spatially explicit models KW - Structural models KW - Complexity Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.02.002 SN - 0012-8252 SN - 1872-6828 VL - 143 SP - 147 EP - 160 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -