Food webs and niche space

摘要: What is the minimum dimension of a niche space necessary to represent overlaps among observed niches? This book presents new technique for obtaining partial answer this elementary question about space. The author bases his on relation between combinatorial structure food webs and mathematical theory interval graphs. Professor Cohen collects more than thirty from ecological literature analyzes their statistical properties in detail. As result, he able generalize: within habitats certain limited physical temporal heterogeneity, niches, along trophic (feeding) dimensions, can be represented one-dimensional far often would expected by chance alone perhaps always. compatibility has not previously been noticed. It indicates that real fall small subset mathematically possible webs. discusses other apparently features webs, including constant ratio number kinds prey predators describe community. In conclusion extensions limitations results suggests directions future research.