Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Community stability, complexity and species life history strategies

  • Published:
Vegetatio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The essence of the contradiction between traditional ecological complexity-stability hypothesis and recent theoretical results is clarified. The distinction between resilience and resistance is stressed. The possibilities of field verification of May's model are discussed. No satisfactory method for estimation of connectance and mean interaction strength in plant communities has been found. Relation between these parameters and stability in real communities remains an open question. The relation between connectance and stability (resilience) in purely competitive model communities is more complicated than May's rule predicts. The certain value of connectance having been achieved, stability increases with increasing connectance. We assessed the positive relation between species diversity and resistance, and negative relation between species diversity and resilience in plant communities during old-field succession in xeric habitat. But there is no causal relationship between species diversity and both kinds of stability. Resistance and resilience of the plant communities studied were determined primarily by life history strategies of constituent species. The results are interpreted in terms of Grimes' life history strategies and imply the validity of Gleasonian, population-centered explanation of community phenomena.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrams, P. A., 1981. Comparing randomly constructed and real communities: a comment. Amer. Natur. 188: 776–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D. M. & King, C. C., 1978. A method for broad-scale environmental evaluation as applied in an environmental analysis of central Ohio. Ohio J. Sci. 78: 177–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, L., 1969. Zur asymptotischen Verteilung der Eigenwerte zufälliger Matrizen. Habilitationschrift, Universität Stuttgart, 82 pp.

  • Auclair, A. N. D., Bouchard, A. & Pajaczkowski, J., 1976. Productivity relations in a Carex-dominated ecosystem. Oecologia 26: 9–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, S. & Storey, C., 1970. Matrix methods in stability theory. Nelson, London. 148 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumova, H., 1981. The influence of mowing on the vegetation structure of selected successional old-field stages. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 85 pp. In Czech.

  • Berendse, F., 1979. Competition between plant populations with different rooting depths. Oecologia 43: 19–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braakhekke, W. G., 1980. On coexistence: a causal approach to diversity and stability in grassland vegetation. Agric. Res. Rep. 902: 1–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureš, L., 1976. Pflanzengesellschaften der Brachfelder im Böhmischen Karst. Preslia 48: 21–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Czarnowski, M. S., 1978. Zarys ekologii roślin, l\cadowych. Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa. 458 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drury, W. H. & Nisbet, I. C. T., 1971. Succession. J. Arnold Arboretum 54: 331–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elton, C., 1958. The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants. Methuen, London. 181 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fassatiová, O., 1978. Soil micromycetes in abandoned fields in Bohemian Karst. Česká Mykologie 32: 226–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Girko, V. L., 1980. Teorija slučajnych determinantov. Viša škola, Kiev. 367 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goh, B. S., 1979. Robust stability concepts for ecosystem models. In: E., Halfon (ed). Theoretical Systems Ecology, p. 467–487. Academic Press, London.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Goh, B. S., 1980. Management and Analysis of Biological Populations. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 288 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goh, B. S., Jennings, L. S., 1977. Feasibility and stability in randomly assembled Lotka-Volterra models. Ecol. Model. 3: 63–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grime, J. P., 1979. Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes. Willey, Chichester. 222 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, J. R. W., 1979. The evidence for species guilds is an artefact. Nature 279: 350–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, G. W., 1979. Stability under environmental stress: resistance, resilience, persistence, and variability. Amer. Natur. 113: 659–669.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, M. O., 1973. Diversity and evenness: a unifying notation and its consequences. Ecology 54: 427–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holling, C. S., 1973. Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 4: 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, B., 1978. The effects of the 1976 drought on chalk grassland in Sussex, England. Biol. Conserv. 14: 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huhta, V., 1979. Evaluation of different similarity indices as measures of succession in arthropod communities of the forest floor after clearcutting. Oecologia 41: 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huml, O., 1978. Allelopathy and change of dominants in the initial stages of succession. Thesis, Charles University, Praha. 74 pp. In Czech.

  • Hurd, L. E. et al., 1971. Stability and diversity at three trophic levels in terrestrial successional ecosystems. Science 173: 1134–1136.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hulst, R.van, 1979. On the dynamics of vegetation: succession in model communities. Vegetatio 39: 85–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jong, P.de, Aarssen, L. W. & Turkington, R., 1980. The analysis of contact sampling data. Oecologia 45: 322–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindlmann, P. & Rejmánek, M., 1982. Continuous vs. discrete models of multispecies systems: how much less stable are the latter ones? J. Theor. Biol. 94: 989–993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindlmann, P., Lepš, J. & Rejmánek, M., 1982. complexity and stability of model competitive systems. J. Theor. Biol. (in press).

  • Klimková, N., 1977. Behaviour of phosphorus in the soil-vegetation-detritus system in selected old-field successional stages in Bohemian Karst. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 128 pp. In Czech.

  • Knapp, R., 1977. Dauerflächen-Untersuchungen über die Einwirkung von Haustieren und Wild während trockener und feuchter Zeiten in Mesobromion-Halbtrockenrasen in Hessen. Mitt. flor.-soz. Arb.-Gemein. N.F. 19/20: 269–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kosinová, J. & Rejmánek, M., 1979. Primary production and population structure of old-field plant communities in Bohemian Karst. Final Report, Dept. of Botany, Charles University, Praha. In Czech.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lane, P. A., Lauff, G. H. & Levins, R., 1974. The feasibility of using a holistic approach in ecosystem analysis. In: S. A., Levin (ed.). Ecosystem Analysis and Prediction, p. 111–128. SIAM, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawlor, L. R., 1978. A comment on randomly constructed model ecosystems. Amer. Natur. 112: 445–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawton, J. H. & Rallinson, S. P., 1979. Stability and diversity in grassland communities. Nature 279: 351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepš, J., 1977. The development of horizontal structure of vegetation in the course of secondary succession. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 158 pp. In Czech.

  • Lepš, J. & Prach, K., 1981. Simple mathematical model of the secondary succession of shrubs. Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 16: 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maarel, E. van der & Werger, M. J. A., 1978. On the treatment of succession data. In: J. B. Faliński (ed.). Vegetation Dynamics. Phytocenosis 7: 257–278.

  • MacDonald, N., 1978. Complexity and stability. Nature 276: 117–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margalef, R., 1968. Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago 111 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margalef, R., 1974. Ecologia. Omega, Barcelona. 951 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marks, P. L., 1974. The role of the pin cherry (Prunus pensilvanica L.) in the maintenance of stability in northern hardwood ecosystems. Ecol. Monogr. 44: 73–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M., 1972. Will a large complex system be stable? Nature 238: 413–414.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M., 1973. Stability and Complexity in Model Ecosystems. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton. 235 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M., 1976. (ed.) Theoretical Ecology. Blackwell, Oxford. 317 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, R. M., 1979. The structure and dynamics of ecological communities. In: R. M., Anderson, B. D., Turner & L. R., Taylor (eds.). Population Dynamics, p. 385–407. Blackwell, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, R. P., 1980. The relationship between succession and the recovery process in ecosystems. In: J., CairnsJr. (ed.). The Recovery Process in Damaged Ecosystems, p. 11–62. Ann Arbor Science Publ. Ann Arbor.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, S. J., 1978. Stability and diversity of ecological communities. Nature 274: 251–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, S. J., 1979. Stability and diversity in grassland communities — a reply. Nature 279: 351–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, S. J. & Wolf, L. L., 1973. General Ecology. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York. 710 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melinger, M. V. & McNaughton, S. J., 1975. Structure and function of successional vascular plant communities in central New York. Ecol. Monogr. 45: 161–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mestenhauserová, M., 1979. The role of phosphorus in the ecosystems of selected stages of secondary succession. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 186 pp. In Czech.

  • Michálek, J., 1979. The stability of secondary succession stages and the effect of herbicides. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 124 pp. In Czech.

  • Miles, J., 1979. Vegetation Dynamics. Chapman & Hall, London. 80 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nunney, L., 1980. Density compensation, isocline shape and single-level competition models. J. Theor. biol. 86: 323–349.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Odum, E. P., 1969. The strategy of ecosystem development. Science 164: 262–270.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Odum, E. P., 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. Saunders, Philadelphia. 574 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orians, G. H., 1974. Diversity, stability, and maturity in natural ecosystems. In: W. H.van, Dobben & R. H., Lowe-McConnell (eds.), Unifying Concepts in Ecology, p. 139–150. Junk, The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orlóci, L., 1978. Multivariate Analysis in Vegetation Research. Junk, The Hague. 2nd ed. 451 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimm, S. L., 1979. The structure of food webs. Theor. Popul. Biol. 16: 144–158.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poole, R. W., 1974. An Introduction to Quantitative Ecology. McGraw-Hill, New York. 532 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Post, W. M., Shugart, H. H. & DeAngelis, D. L., 1978. Stability criteria for multispecies ecological communities. Oak Ridge Nat. Lab. Tech. Mem. 6475.

  • Post, W. M. & Travis, C. C. 1979. Quantitative stability in models of ecological communities. J. Theor. Biol. 79: 547–553.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prach, K., 1981. Selected characteristics of shrubby successional stages of abandoned fields in the Bohemian Karst. Preslia 53: 159–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rambousková, H., 1980. Water dynamics of some abandoned fields of the Bohemian Karst (Czechoslovakia). Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 15: 369–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rauch, O., 1978. Some aspects of stability of two old-field successional stages in Bohemian Karst. Thesis, Charles University, Praha, 117 pp. In Czech.

  • Rejmánek, M., 1977. The concept of structure in phytosociology with references to classification of plant communities. Vegetatio 35: 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek, M., 1979. Stability and complexity in biotic communities: theoretical and empirical approach. In: M., RužičKa (ed.). Proc. 5th Intern. Symp. Probl. Ecol. Land. Res., p. 65–72. SAV, Bratislava.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek, M., 1981. Corrections to the indices of community dissimilarity based on species diversity measures. Oecologia 48: 290–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek, M. & Jeník, J., 1978. Biogeochemical cycles: phosphorus problem. In: B., Moldan & Pačes (eds.). Biogeochemical Cycle in Countryside, p. 60–64. Geological Survey, Praha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánek, M. & Starý, P., 1979. Connectance in real biotic communities and critical values for stability of model ecosystems. Nature 280: 311–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smedes, G. W. & Hurd, L. E., 1981. An empirical test of community stability: resistance of a fouling community to a biological patch forming disturbance. Ecology 62: 1561–1572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snaydon, R. W., 1979. A new technique for studying plant interactions. J. Appl. Ecol. 16: 281–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sousa, W. P., 1980. The responses of a community to disturbance: the importance of successional age and species life histories. Oecologia 45: 72–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svirežev, Ju. M. & Logofet, D. O., 1978. Ustojčivost biologičeskich soobščestv. Nauka, Moskva. 352 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sykora, K. V., 1979. The effects of the severe drought of 1976 on the vegetation of some moorland pools in the Netherlands. Biol. Conserv. 16: 145–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wchster, J. R., Waide, J. B. & Patten, B. C., 1975. Nutrient recycling and the stability of ecosystems. In: F. G., Howell (ed.). Mineral Cycling in Southeastern Ecosystems, p. 1–27. ERDA Symp. Ser. CONF-740513. Natl. Tech. Inf. Serv. Springfield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westman, W. E., 1978. Measuring the inertia and resilience of ecosystems. BioScience 28: 705–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wigner, E. P., 1967. Random matrices in physics. SIAM Rev. 9: 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willems, J. H. 1980. Observations on north-west European limestone grassland communities. Proc. Koninklijke Nederl. Aked. Wetensch. Ser. C. 83: 279–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker, B. H., 1970. The population structure of vegetation. In: R., Tüxen (ed.). Gesellschaftsmorphologic, p. 39–59. Junk, The Hague.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Yodzis, P., 1978. Competition for Space and the Structure of Ecological Communities. Springer. Berlin. 191 pp.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yodzis, P., 1980. The connectance of real ecosystems. Nature 284: 544–545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. Lepš & M. Rejmánek

    Present address: Centre of Biomathematics, Institute of Entomology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 702, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha, Czechoslovakia

    J. Lepš, J. Osbornová-Kosinová & M. Rejmánek

Authors
  1. J. Lepš
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Osbornová-Kosinová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Rejmánek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

The nomenclature of plants follows F. Ehrendorfer, 1973, Liste der Gefässpflanzen Mitteleuropas, 2. Aufl. G. Fischer, Stuttgart.

Acknowledgements. We thank Pavel Kindlmann for helpful discussion. We are also grateful to reviewers for suggesting ways to improve this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lepš, J., Osbornová-Kosinová, J. & Rejmánek, M. Community stability, complexity and species life history strategies. Vegetatio 50, 53–63 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00120678

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00120678

Keywords

Search

Navigation