Unified Neutral Theory Research Articles

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this articles: The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography. S. P. Hubbell. Australian Rainforests: Islands of Green in a Land of Fire. D. M. J. S. Bowman. Seed Dispersal and Frugivory: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. Edited by D. J. Levey, W. R. Silva and M. Galetti. Monitoring Ecological Impacts: Concepts and Practice in Flowing Waters B. J. Downes, L. A. Barmuta, P. G. Fairweather, D. P. Faith, M. J. Keough, P. S. Lake, B. D. Mapstone and G. P. Quinn.

Biotic Globalization: Does Competition from Introduced Species Threaten Biodiversity?

Abstract The introduction of new predators and pathogens has caused numerous well-documented extinctions of long-term resident species, particularly in spatially restricted environments such as islands and lakes. However, there are surprisingly few instances in which extinctions of resident species can be attributed to competition from new species. This suggests either that competition-driven extinctions take longer to occur than those caused by predation or that biological invasions are much more likely to threaten species through intertrophic than through intratrophic interactions. The likely threat of introduced species to resident controphics (species in the same trophic level) can be assessed with the help of existing biodiversity and extinction data sets and of two recent theories: (1) the fluctuating resource availability hypothesis, developed to account for changes in the invasibility of communities, and (2) the unified neutral theory, proposed to account for patterns of biodiversity at the commun...

Book Review: The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography

Book Review: The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography