Community structure and the niche.

Abstract

Defines community structure and species diversity, and traces the development of the concept of the niche, focusing on niche width, overlap and dynamics. The position of a species and its response to factors of the community in n-dimensional hyperspace defines its niche; the distinction is made between fundamental niche (related to limits of tolerance) and realized niche (following biotic interaction, especially predation, competition and the possibilities of coexistence). The idea of community saturation is explored, the implications of trends in species diversity are examined, and the significance of the relative abundance of species to various theoretical developments is underlined. Finally, the patterns and rules of community structure are indicated; community structure reflects the adaptations that are selected for in part by the activities of coexisting species. -P.J.Jarvis