Is interspecific competition a major structuring force in animal communities?
Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie/South African Journal of Science and Technology
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Is interspecific competition a major structuring force in animal communities? Is interspesiekompetisie ’n belangrike struktuurontwikkelingskrag in diergemeenskappe? | |
| Creator | Ryke, P. A. J. | |
| Description | Until recently the view that competition is the dominant ecological interaction was the prevailing one. Interspecific competition was widely regarded as a principal mechanism in determining community structure and organization and thus the distribution and abundance of species. The volume of literature that provides indirect evidence in favour of competition (observational approach) greatly exceeds the number of studies that provide direct evidence (experimental approach). In part for this reason the importance of competition in community ecology is questioned by some ecologists. The strongest evidence for competition is derived from controlled field experiments which manipulate the abundancies of putative competitor species. It is stressed that to be able to study competition in the field and to test its theories, interaction coefficients have to be measured. In community studies the question should be asked how important competition, relative to other processes, is. A mechanistic perspective could be a powerful heuristic tool for community ecologists. Dit is tot onlangs nog aanvaar dat kompetisie die oorheersende ekologiese wisselwerking is. Interspesiekompetisie is algemeen beskou as die hoofmeganisme wat gemeenskapstruktuur en -organisasie bepaal en dus vir die verspreiding en talrykheid van spesies verantwoordelik is. Die literatuurvolume wat indirekte getuienis tewer ten gunste van kompetisie (waarnemingsbenadering) is baie grater as die getal ondersoeke wat direkte getuienis verskaf (eksperimentele benadering). Dit is deels die rede waarom die belang van kompetisie in gemeenskapekologie dear sommige ekoloë bevraagteken word. Die sterkste getuienis vir kompetisie is afkomstig van beheerde veldeksperimente wat die getalle van vermeende mededingers manipuleer. Dit word beklemtoon dat die bepaling van wisselwerkingkoëffisiënte noodsaaklik is vir die bestudering van kompetisie in die veld en om die teorieë te toets. In gemeenskapstudies moet die vraag gevra word hoe belangrik kompetisie is gemeet teen die relatiewe waardes van ander prosesse. ’n Meganistiese perspektief kan ’n kragtige heuristiese werktuig vir gemeenskapekoloe wees. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 1987-03-17 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/satnt.v6i4.962 | |
| Source | Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie; Vol 6, No 4 (1987); 153-165 Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie; Vol 6, No 4 (1987); 153-165 2222-4173 0254-3486 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://journals.satnt.aosis.co.za/index.php/satnt/article/view/962/2001
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