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The effect of habitat structure on the spatial distribution of freshwater invertebrate populations

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Book cover Habitat Structure

Part of the book series: Population and Community Biology Series ((PCBS,volume 8))

Abstract

For thousands of years, philosophers, writers, poets and artists have been aware both of the physical diversity of the fabric of nature and of the relationship of the bio tic community to this framework. For example, a religious writer wrote the following parable nearly 2000 years ago:

A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold. (Luke 8: 5–8),

indicating that the ancients were aware not only of the variability of the physical mosaic, but of the geometric consequences of this patchiness to the successful elaboration of living biomass.

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Susan S. Bell , Earl D. McCoy  & Henry R. Mushinsky ,  & 

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Downing, J.A. (1991). The effect of habitat structure on the spatial distribution of freshwater invertebrate populations. In: Bell, S.S., McCoy, E.D., Mushinsky, H.R. (eds) Habitat Structure. Population and Community Biology Series, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_5

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