Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Understanding how disturbance affects biodiversity is important for both fundamental and applied reasons. Here, I investigate how disturbances with different ecological effects change biodiversity metrics. I define three main types of disturbance effects: D disturbance (shifts in mortality rate), B disturbance (shifts in reproductive rates) and K disturbance (shifts in carrying capacity). Numerous composite disturbances can be defined including any combination of these three types of ecological effects. The consequences of D, B and K disturbances, as well as of composite DBK disturbances are examined by comparing metrics before and after a disturbance, in disturbed and undisturbed communities. I use simulations of neutral communities and examine species richness, total abundance and species abundance distributions. The patterns of change in biodiversity metrics are consistent among different types of disturbance. K disturbance has the most severe effects, followed by D disturbance, and B disturbance has nearly negligible effects. Consequences of composite DBK disturbances are more complex than any of the three types of disturbance, with unimodal relationships along a disturbance gradient arising when D, B and K are negatively correlated. Importantly, regardless of disturbance type, community isolation enhances the negative consequences and hinders the positive effects of disturbances.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3719-3727 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological Sciences |
Volume | 365 |
Issue number | 1558 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 27 Nov 2010 |
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Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Special issue
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
ID: 18742157