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The role of indirect interactions in structuring tropical insect communities
Author(s) -
Morris Rebecca J.,
Lewis Owen T.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0706.2002.970216.x
Subject(s) - structuring , temperate climate , competition (biology) , ecology , insect , biology , tropics , coexistence theory , community structure , finance , economics
Apparent competition is a form of indirect interaction among species that can potentially structure biological communities. In insect communities, parasitoid‐mediated apparent competition has been proposed as a particularly important structuring force. We argue that short‐term apparent competition may be less important in structuring insect communities in tropical regions, compared with temperate regions. This prediction arises because, compared with temperate insects, tropical insects that share natural enemies are more likely to be isolated in both space and time.