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Abundance–occupancy relationships
Author(s) -
Gaston Kevin J.,
Blackburn Tim M.,
Greenwood Jeremy J.D.,
Gregory Richard D.,
Quinn Rachel M.,
Lawton John H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of applied ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.503
H-Index - 181
eISSN - 1365-2664
pISSN - 0021-8901
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2664.2000.00485.x
Subject(s) - occupancy , intraspecific competition , abundance (ecology) , interspecific competition , ecology , biology , biodiversity , fauna , generality , relative abundance distribution , relative species abundance , psychology , psychotherapist
1. The abundance and distribution of species tend to be linked, such that species declining in abundance often tend also to show declines in the number of sites they occupy, while species increasing in abundance tend also to be increasing in occupancy. Therefore, intraspecific abundance–occupancy relationships are commonly positive. 2. The intraspecific pattern is mirrored by more general positive interspecific abundance–occupancy relationships: widespread species tend to be abundant, and narrowly distributed species rare. 3. Here, we review recent research on these patterns based on the flora and fauna of the British Isles. We assess their generality, describe what is currently known about their structure, and summarize the results of tests of the several hypotheses proposed to explain their existence. 4. The positive form generally exhibited by abundance–occupancy relationships, intraspecific or interspecific, has consequences for several areas of applied ecology, including conservation, harvesting, biological invasions and biodiversity inventorying. These implications are discussed briefly.