Examining the ecology of commodity trade networks using an ecological information-based approach : Toward strategic assessment of resilience

Commodity trade networks exhibit certain patterns in the configuration of material flows that are similar to natural ecological networks. This article develops and explores an ecological information-based approach to examine the ecology of commodity trade networks. We demonstrate that commodity trade networks show a pattern of commonality when viewed through the introduced ecological information-based metrics. Specifically, we show how the network metrics of effective connectivity and effective number of roles can convey boundaries where commodity trade networks are robust. Further, the temporal trends of these metrics suggest the existence of multiple basins of attractions and provide clues on the dynamics of resilience of these networks over time.