The guild concept: From feudalism to community ecology

Abstract

The origin and evolution of the term guild are analyzed, as well as its application in ecology, considering the multiple connotations that have been given and the confusion that has been generated by using it improperly. Likewise, the importance of homogenizing the terms and clearly defining the guilds is discussed, to have a language that allows understanding the scope of the term without ambiguities. The use of the term, as well as its persistence in ecological studies, suggests that it has considerable relevance depending on the form and the way it is used. The inappropriate or derivative use of this term is risky and dangerous since it tends to reduce the term to an empty word with multiple meanings. Also, this trivialization constitutes a threat to the proper use of the guild concept in ecology and its meaning as a whole.