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Density dependence: an ecological Tower of Babel.
Salvador Herrando-Pérez1, Steven Delean, Barry W Brook
1The Environment Institute and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia. salvador.herrando-perez@adelaide.edu.au
Oecologia
|June 1, 2012
Summary
Density dependence, crucial for understanding population dynamics, suffers from over 60 terms. Simplifying this ecological concept
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Biology
- Theoretical Ecology
Background:
- Density dependence describes how population size impacts demographic rates.
- It encompasses social and trophic mechanisms like competition, cooperation, parasitism, and predation.
- The field uses over 60 terms, creating a complex and often inconsistent lexicon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the vocabulary used for density dependence in modern ecological literature.
- To trace the evolution of this terminology from foundational works.
- To propose solutions for terminological inconsistency.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of ecological studies focusing on density dependence.
- Analysis of the historical development of density dependence terminology.
- Identification of key foundational contributions to the concept.
Main Results:
- A vast and often redundant lexicon of over 60 terms for density dependence was identified.
- Significant terminological inconsistency and polysemy exist in current ecological literature.
- Foundational concepts by Smith, Allee, Haldane, Neave, and Varley were examined.
Conclusions:
- A few simple rules can reduce terminological inconsistency and enhance the biological meaning of density dependence.
- Correct citation of original references is crucial for improving terminological standards.
- Standardizing terminology will prevent linguistic confusion in complex ecological patterns.
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