Are communities saturated? On the relationship between α, β and γ diversity
M Loreau - Ecology letters, 2000 - Wiley Online Library
A popular way to suggest a regional influence on local species diversity has been to plot
local versus regional diversity. The form of these curves has been interpreted as evidence
for or against “community saturation” due to species interactions. This interpretation,
however, is unwarranted. Using the concepts of α, β and γ diversity, I show that local–
regional richness curves are determined by the way total diversity is partitioned between its
α and β components, which itself is a matter of scale. Changing the scale of the local …
local versus regional diversity. The form of these curves has been interpreted as evidence
for or against “community saturation” due to species interactions. This interpretation,
however, is unwarranted. Using the concepts of α, β and γ diversity, I show that local–
regional richness curves are determined by the way total diversity is partitioned between its
α and β components, which itself is a matter of scale. Changing the scale of the local …
