Ebook: Ecological Heterogeneity

An attractive, promising, and frustrating feature of ecology is its complex­ ity, both conceptual and observational. Increasing acknowledgment of the importance of scale testifies to the shifting focus in large areas of ecology. In the rush to explore problems of scale, another general aspect of ecolog­ ical systems has been given less attention. This aspect, equally important, is heterogeneity. Its importance lies in the ubiquity of heterogeneity as a feature of ecological systems and in the number of questions it raises­ questions to which answers are not readily available. What is heterogeneity? Does it differ from complexity? What dimensions need be considered to evaluate heterogeneity ade­ quately? Can heterogeneity be measured at various scales? Is heterogeneity apart of organization of ecological systems? How does it change in time and space? What are the causes of heterogeneity and causes of its change? This volume attempts to answer these questions. It is devoted to iden­ tification of the meaning, range of applications, problems, and methodol­ ogy associated with the study of heterogeneity. The coverage is thus broad and rich, and the contributing authors have been encouraged to range widely in discussions and reflections. vi Preface The chapters are grouped into themes. The first group focuses on the conceptual foundations (Chapters 1-5). These papers exarnine the meaning of the term, historical developments, and relations to scale. The second theme is modeling population and interspecific interactions in hetero­ geneous environments (Chapters 6 and 7).

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Introduction: The Heterogeneity of Heterogeneity: A Glossary....Pages 1-23
Concept and Terminology of Homogeneity and Heterogeneity in Ecology....Pages 24-46
Role of Heterogeneity in Scaling of Ecological Systems Under Analysis....Pages 47-68
Heterogeneity as a Multiscale Characteristic of Landscapes....Pages 69-84
Heterogeneity and Spatial Hierarchies....Pages 85-96
Communities in Patchy Environments: A Model of Disturbance, Competition, and Heterogeneity....Pages 97-122
Stochastic Population Models....Pages 123-143
Managing and Monitoring Ecosystems in the Face of Heterogeneity....Pages 144-159
Biological Heterogeneity in Aquatic Ecosystems....Pages 160-180
Working with Heterogeneity: An Operator’s Guide to Environmental Gradients....Pages 181-201
Relations Among Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity, Population Abundance, and Variability in a Desert....Pages 202-223
Ecological Consequences of Heterogeneity of Consumable Resources....Pages 224-255
Spatial Heterogeneity During Succession: A Cyclic Model of Invasion and Exclusion....Pages 256-269
Physical Heterogeneity and the Organization of Marine Communities....Pages 270-320
Back Matter....Pages 321-332

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Introduction: The Heterogeneity of Heterogeneity: A Glossary....Pages 1-23
Concept and Terminology of Homogeneity and Heterogeneity in Ecology....Pages 24-46
Role of Heterogeneity in Scaling of Ecological Systems Under Analysis....Pages 47-68
Heterogeneity as a Multiscale Characteristic of Landscapes....Pages 69-84
Heterogeneity and Spatial Hierarchies....Pages 85-96
Communities in Patchy Environments: A Model of Disturbance, Competition, and Heterogeneity....Pages 97-122
Stochastic Population Models....Pages 123-143
Managing and Monitoring Ecosystems in the Face of Heterogeneity....Pages 144-159
Biological Heterogeneity in Aquatic Ecosystems....Pages 160-180
Working with Heterogeneity: An Operator’s Guide to Environmental Gradients....Pages 181-201
Relations Among Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity, Population Abundance, and Variability in a Desert....Pages 202-223
Ecological Consequences of Heterogeneity of Consumable Resources....Pages 224-255
Spatial Heterogeneity During Succession: A Cyclic Model of Invasion and Exclusion....Pages 256-269
Physical Heterogeneity and the Organization of Marine Communities....Pages 270-320
Back Matter....Pages 321-332
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