Field Experiments on Interspecific Competition

摘要: The study of interspecific competition has long been one ecology's most fashionable pursuits. Stimulated in part by a simple theory (Lotka 1932; Volterra 1926; Gause 1934; Hutchinson 1959; MacArthur and Levins 1967), ecologists gathered numerous data on the apparent ways species competitively coexist or exclude another (reviews Schoener 1974b, 1983). As is typical science, early were observational, few experimental studies mostly performed laboratory rather than field. Though never lacking its doubters, belief natural importance now being severely questioned (review 1982). Many putatively supportive observations have challenged as statistically indistinguishable from random contrivance. Most such attacks rebutted, but not without some modification original conclusions (e.g., papers Strong et al. New for certain systems, suggesting lack caused patterns catalyzing variable environment view Wiens (1977) which seen temporally sporadic, often impotent, interaction. Other critics charged that field evidence would preclude acceptance regardless quality observational data. Indeed, results earlier experiments are responsible competition's presently beleaguered state. Connell (1975), after reviewing known to him through 1973, concluded predation, competition, appears be predominant ecological interaction should given "conceptual priority." Shortly afterward, Schroder Rosenzweig (1975) showed experimentally two desert rodents overlapping substantially habitat did appear affect another's abundances. This result was interpreted contradicting crucial assumption theory, almost linchpin: greater resource overlap between species, coefficient, measure intensity (relative intraspecific competition; 1967; review Roughgarden 1979).