Journal ArticleDOI
Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs.
TLDR
The commonly observed high diversity of trees in tropical rain forests and corals on tropical reefs is a nonequilibrium state which, if not disturbed further, will progress toward a low-diversity equilibrium community as mentioned in this paper.Abstract:
The commonly observed high diversity of trees in tropical rain forests and corals on tropical reefs is a nonequilibrium state which, if not disturbed further, will progress toward a low-diversity equilibrium community. This may not happen if gradual changes in climate favor different species. If equilibrium is reached, a lesser degree of diversity may be sustained by niche diversification or by a compensatory mortality that favors inferior competitors. However, tropical forests and reefs are subject to severe disturbances often enough that equilibrium may never be attained.read more
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Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge
D. U. Hooper,F. S. Chapin,John J. Ewel,Andy Hector,P. Inchausti,Sandra Lavorel,John H. Lawton,David M. Lodge,Michel Loreau,Shahid Naeem,Bernhard Schmid,Heikki Setälä,Amy J. Symstad,John Vandermeer,David A. Wardle,David A. Wardle +15 more
TL;DR: Understanding this complexity, while taking strong steps to minimize current losses of species, is necessary for responsible management of Earth's ecosystems and the diverse biota they contain.
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Quantifying biodiversity: procedures and pitfalls in the measurement and comparison of species richness
TL;DR: A series of common pitfalls in quantifying and comparing taxon richness are surveyed, including category‐subcategory ratios (species-to-genus and species-toindividual ratios) and rarefaction methods, which allow for meaningful standardization and comparison of datasets.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mechanisms of Maintenance of Species Diversity
TL;DR: Stabilizing mechanisms are essential for species coexistence and include traditional mechanisms such as resource partitioning and frequency-dependent predation, as well as mechanisms that depend on fluctuations in population densities and environmental factors in space and time.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecology of Seed Dispersal
Henry E Howe,Judith Smallwood +1 more
TL;DR: A general objective of this paper is to explore the degree to which dispersal process and mode are integrated and, in so doing, to catalyze their union.
Journal ArticleDOI
Catastrophes, phase shifts, and large-scale degradation of a Caribbean coral reef.
TL;DR: A dramatic phase shift has occurred in Jamaica, producing a system dominated by fleshy macroalgae (more than 90 percent cover), and immediate implementation of management procedures is necessary to avoid further catastrophic damage.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Herbivores and the Number of Tree Species in Tropical Forests
TL;DR: Any event that increases the efficiency of the predators at eating seeds and seedlings of a given tree species may lead to a reduction in population density of the adults of that species and/or to increased distance between new adults and their parents.
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Mechanisms of succession in natural communities and their role in community stability and organization
TL;DR: In the majority of natural communities succession is frequently interrupted by major disturbances, such as fires, storms, insect plagues, etc., starting the process all over again, but if not interrupted, it eventually reaches a stage in which further change is on a small scale as individuals die and are replaced.
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Resource Partitioning in Ecological Communities
TL;DR: To conclude with a list of questions appropriate for studies of resource partitioning, questions this article has related to the theory in a preliminary way.
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A General Hypothesis of Species Diversity
TL;DR: A new hypothesis, based on differences in the rates at which populations of competing species approach competitive equilibrium (reduction or exclusion of some species), is proposed to explain patterns of species diversity.