Describing a Community

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Describing a Community

• Abundance
• Diversity
• Productivity
• Complexity
• Stability
• Structure

How does the community deal with change?

• Consistencydegree of stability
• Inertiaresistance to change
• Renewalability to recover from change

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Forest
High consistency, High inertia, Low Renewal
3
Grassland
Low consistency, Low inertia, High Renewal
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Describing a Community

• Abundance
• Diversity
• Productivity
• Complexity
• Stability
• Structure

How is the community organized?
Horizontal Vertical
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Community Structure
Random
Regular
Clumped
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Community Structure
Random
Regular
Clumped
7
Community Structure
Random
Regular
Clumped
8
Vertical Structure in a Forest
Overstory
Canopy
Understory
Floor
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How do we measure these characteristics?

• Abundance
• Diversity
• Productivity
• Complexity
• Stability
• Structure