The importance of importance
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Oikos. 2005, vol. 109, n° 1, p. 63-70
Nordic Ecological Society
English Abstract
Failure to distinguish between 'importance' and 'intensity' of competition has hindered our ability to resolve key questions about the role interactions may play in plant communities. Here we examine how appropriate ...Read more >
Failure to distinguish between 'importance' and 'intensity' of competition has hindered our ability to resolve key questions about the role interactions may play in plant communities. Here we examine how appropriate application of metrics of importance and intensity is integral to investigating key theories in plant community ecology and how ignoring this distinction has lead to confusion and possibly spurious conclusions. We re-explore the relationship between competition intensity and importance for individuals across gradients, and apply our review of concepts to published data to help clarify the debate. We demonstrate that competition importance and intensity need not be correlated and show how explicit application of the intensity and importance of competition may reconcile apparently incompatible paradigms.Read less <
English Keywords
Positive interactions
plant interactions
competition intensity
field
experiments
models
productivity
communities
diversity
gradients
stress
Origin
Hal imported