WAND: an ecological network analysis user-friendly tool

Ecological network analysis is a modelling approach that requires one to represent ecosystems as networks wherein matter/ energy enters compartments (species-trophospecies), is exchanged between them and finally leaves the system as dissipation or usable export. The systematic analysis of the ecosystem flow networks is comprised of several techniques, aiming to interpret ecosystems structure and functioning and to estimate their size and developmental stage. The implementation and improvement of this modelling technique depends strongly upon the availability of appropriate software and access to technical expertise to easily and speedily execute the huge amount of computation required. With the package WAND presented in this manuscript the authors intended to promulgate a new, more user-friendly version of some existing environmental software, NETWRK, to analyze networks of trophic exchanges in ecosystems. A Windows—compatible version of NETWRK has been developed, along with ancillary software to facilitate the estimation of new networks and the translation of existing data sets between text and Excel formats.