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Multiplicative partition of true diversity yields independent alpha and beta components; additive partition does not
Author(s) -
Baselga Andrés
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/09-0320.1
Subject(s) - multiplicative function , partition (number theory) , beta diversity , alpha (finance) , diversity (politics) , mathematics , statistics , ecology , combinatorics , biology , sociology , biodiversity , anthropology , mathematical analysis , construct validity , psychometrics
The need for a measure of beta diversity independent of alpha diversity was stressed long time ago (Wilson and Shmida 1984), in order to ensure a ‘‘useful application of a measure [of beta diversity] to systems with different alpha diversities.’’ It should be noted that this requirement refers to the independence of beta diversity of mean alpha diversity, and not to the independence of beta diversity with regard to differences in alpha diversity between sites. The latter issue was addressed by several authors (Harrison et al. 1992, Lennon et al. 2001, Koleff et al. 2003, Baselga 2007) because beta diversity measures that are dependent on the variation in alpha diversity consider spatial turnover and nestedness patterns as being equivalent (Baselga et al. 2007). However, the dependence of beta diversity on the mean value of alpha diversity is even more critical because it compromises the comparability of beta diversity Manuscript received 25 February 2009; revised 13 April 2009; accepted 16 April 2009. Corresponding Editor: A. M. Ellison. For reprints of this Forum, see footnote 1, p. 1962. 1 E-mail: andres.baselga@usc.es FORUM 1974 Ecology, Vol. 91, No. 7