Ebook: Competition and Coexistence

The question "Why are there so many species?" has puzzled ecologist for a long time. Initially, an academic question, it has gained practical interest by the recent awareness of global biodiversity loss. Species diversity in local ecosystems has always been discussed in relation to the problem of competi­ tive exclusion and the apparent contradiction between the competitive exclu­ sion principle and the overwhelming richness of species found in nature. Competition as a mechanism structuring ecological communities has never been uncontroversial. Not only its importance but even its existence have been debated. On the one extreme, some ecologists have taken competi­ tion for granted and have used it as an explanation by default if the distribu­ tion of a species was more restricted than could be explained by physiology and dispersal history. For decades, competition has been a core mechanism behind popular concepts like ecological niche, succession, limiting similarity, and character displacement, among others. For some, competition has almost become synonymous with the Darwinian "struggle for existence", although simple plausibility should tell us that organisms have to struggle against much more than competitors, e.g. predators, parasites, pathogens, and envi­ ronmental harshness.

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The global loss of biodiversity has led to a renewed interest in the underlying mechanisms that explain spatial differences and temporal change of diversity. This book synthesises recent advances in our understanding of interactions that enhance or diminish coexistence among competing species. It features an innovative, spatial view of competition and coexistence. The chapters are logically grouped and stitched together by the central organising principle of spatial distribution and mobility of competing species and their resources. The text also covers ecological modelling and experimental evidence in the search for general principles across ecosystems, from lake plankton and rocky shore benthos to grasslands and insects.

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The global loss of biodiversity has led to a renewed interest in the underlying mechanisms that explain spatial differences and temporal change of diversity. This book synthesises recent advances in our understanding of interactions that enhance or diminish coexistence among competing species. It features an innovative, spatial view of competition and coexistence. The chapters are logically grouped and stitched together by the central organising principle of spatial distribution and mobility of competing species and their resources. The text also covers ecological modelling and experimental evidence in the search for general principles across ecosystems, from lake plankton and rocky shore benthos to grasslands and insects.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XI
Introduction....Pages 1-5
Competition in Well-Mixed Habitats: From Competitive Exclusion to Competitive Chaos....Pages 7-42
Spatial Models of Competition....Pages 43-78
Competition and Coexistence in Plankton Communities....Pages 79-108
Competition and Coexistence of Mobile Animals....Pages 109-131
Competition, Coexistence and Diversity on Rocky Shores....Pages 133-163
Competition and Coexistence in Terrestrial Plants....Pages 165-206
Synthesis: Back to Santa Rosalia, or No Wonder There Are So Many Species....Pages 207-218
Back Matter....Pages 219-221

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The global loss of biodiversity has led to a renewed interest in the underlying mechanisms that explain spatial differences and temporal change of diversity. This book synthesises recent advances in our understanding of interactions that enhance or diminish coexistence among competing species. It features an innovative, spatial view of competition and coexistence. The chapters are logically grouped and stitched together by the central organising principle of spatial distribution and mobility of competing species and their resources. The text also covers ecological modelling and experimental evidence in the search for general principles across ecosystems, from lake plankton and rocky shore benthos to grasslands and insects.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XI
Introduction....Pages 1-5
Competition in Well-Mixed Habitats: From Competitive Exclusion to Competitive Chaos....Pages 7-42
Spatial Models of Competition....Pages 43-78
Competition and Coexistence in Plankton Communities....Pages 79-108
Competition and Coexistence of Mobile Animals....Pages 109-131
Competition, Coexistence and Diversity on Rocky Shores....Pages 133-163
Competition and Coexistence in Terrestrial Plants....Pages 165-206
Synthesis: Back to Santa Rosalia, or No Wonder There Are So Many Species....Pages 207-218
Back Matter....Pages 219-221
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