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Emergent neutrality leads to multimodal species abundance distributions

Author

Listed:
  • Remi Vergnon

    (Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University)

  • Egbert H. van Nes

    (Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University)

  • Marten Scheffer

    (Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University)

Abstract

Recent analyses of data sampled in communities ranging from corals and fossil brachiopods to birds and phytoplankton suggest that their species abundance distributions have multiple modes, a pattern predicted by none of the existing theories. Here we show that the multimodal pattern is consistent with predictions from the theory of emergent neutrality. This adds to the observations, suggesting that natural communities may be shaped by the evolutionary emergence of groups of similar species that coexist in niches. Such self-organized similarity unifies niche and neutral theories of biodiversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Remi Vergnon & Egbert H. van Nes & Marten Scheffer, 2012. "Emergent neutrality leads to multimodal species abundance distributions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-6, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:3:y:2012:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1663
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1663
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    Cited by:

    1. Shana M. Sundstrom & David G. Angeler & Ahjond S. Garmestani & Jorge H. García & Craig R. Allen, 2014. "Transdisciplinary Application of Cross-Scale Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-24, October.

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