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SPECIES CO‐OCCURRENCE: A META‐ANALYSIS OF J. M. DIAMOND'S ASSEMBLY RULES MODEL
Author(s) -
Gotelli Nicholas J.,
McCabe Declan J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[2091:scoama]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - null model , ecology , diamond , co occurrence , meta analysis , community , contrast (vision) , community structure , biology , habitat , computer science , chemistry , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence , medicine
J. M. Diamond's assembly rules model predicts that competitive interactions between species lead to nonrandom co‐occurrence patterns. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 96 published presence–absence matrices and used a realistic “null model” to generate patterns expected in the absence of species interactions. Published matrices were highly nonrandom and matched the predictions of Diamond's model: there were fewer species combinations, more checkerboard species pairs, and less co‐occurrence in real matrices than expected by chance. Moreover, nonrandom structure was greater in homeotherm vs. poikilotherm matrices. Although these analyses do not confirm the mechanisms of Diamond's controversial assembly rules model, they do establish that observed co‐occurrence in most natural communities is usually less than expected by chance. These results contrast with previous analyses of species co‐occurrence patterns and bridge the apparent gap between experimental and correlative studies in community ecology.