Title

The dual nature of community variability

Authors

Fiorenza Micheli
Kathryn L. Cottingham
Jordi Bascompte
Ottar N. Bjørnstad
Ginny L. Eckert
Janet M. Fisher
Timothy H. Keitt
Bruce E. Kendall
Jennifer L. Klug, Fairfield UniversityFollow
James A. Rusak

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1999

Abstract

Community variability has a dual nature. On the one hand, there is compositional variability, changes in the relative abundance of component species. On the other hand, there is aggregate vari- ability, changes in summary properties such as total abundance, biomass, or production. Although these two aspects of variability have received much individual attention, few studies have explic- itly related the compositional and aggregate variability of natu- ral communities. In this paper, we show how simultaneous consideration of both aspects of community variability might advance our understanding of ecological communities. We use the distinction between compositional and aggregate variability to develop an organizational framework for describ- ing patterns of community variability. At their extremes, compo- sitional and aggregate variability combine in four different ways: (1) stasis, low compositional and low aggregate variability; (2) synchrony, low compositional and high aggregate variability; (3) asynchrony, high compositional and high aggregate variability; and (4) compensation, high compositional and low aggregate variability. Each of these patterns has been observed in natural communities, and can be linked to a suite of abiotic and biotic mechanisms. We give examples of the potential relevance of variability patterns to applied ecology, and describe the method- ological developments needed to make meaningful comparisons of aggregate and compositional variability across communities. Finally, we provide two numerical examples of how our approach can be applied to natural communities.

Comments

Copyright 1999 Nordic Society Oikos, published by Wiley

A link to full text has been provided for authorized users.

Publication Title

Oikos

Repository Citation

Micheli, Fiorenza; Cottingham, Kathryn L.; Bascompte, Jordi; Bjørnstad, Ottar N.; Eckert, Ginny L.; Fisher, Janet M.; Keitt, Timothy H.; Kendall, Bruce E.; Klug, Jennifer L.; and Rusak, James A., "The dual nature of community variability" (1999). Biology Faculty Publications. 56.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/biology-facultypubs/56

Published Citation

Micheli, F., Cottingham, K. L., Bascompte, J., Bjørnstad, O. N., Eckert, G. L., Fischer, J. M., ... & Rusak, J. A. (1999). The dual nature of community variability. Oikos, 85(1), 161-169. doi:10.2307/3546802.

DOI

10.2307/3546802