Premium
The succession of minima in the abundance of species
Author(s) -
Bell Graham
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18655.x
Subject(s) - ecological succession , abundance (ecology) , population , biology , ecology , relative species abundance , population size , biological dispersal , demography , sociology
Many of the leading ecological and evolutionary characteristics of populations are governed by their effective population size, which in turn is strongly influenced by the minimum census size. The succession of minima of increasing rank R in time is described by the expected value of the next minimum ω R and by the expected time T R elapsing before it occurs. The relationships of ω R and T R with R together determine the minimal population expected to be encountered within a given period of time. These relationships depend on the dynamic model for species abundance. The four main types of model investigated here have characteristically different successions. – Random: ω R log‐linear and T R log‐linear on R; – Forced: ω R linear and T R log‐linear on R; – Neutral community: ω R linear and T R linear on R; – Foodweb: ω R log‐linear and T R linear on R; Data on species abundance in long‐term surveys of plankton communities suggests that the Foodweb model best represents nature. This implies that each species is likely to encounter new minima on time‐scales much shorter than species longevity. Either local selection and dispersal or large population size may help to alleviate frequent bottlenecks, but it is likely that the internal dynamics of trophically structured communities may lead to continual change in species composition.