Summary
A simple mathematical model describing the species-area relation was developed. This paper dealt with the case that discrete random samples are combined.
Modelling was made on the assumption that the occurrence probability of a species in a quadrat has a continuous density distribution. The model, given by the equation (6), holds only for a particular size of quadrat (i.e. the characteristic area). More general form applicable to the quadrats the size of which is near to the characteristic area was represented by the equation (9).
Validity of the model was examined for the data of plant and insect communities, and it was concluded that the observation can be predicted by the model unless the size of sampling unit considerably differs from the characteristic area.
The uniformity of specific density (i. e. the number of species per quadrat) and the size of characteristic area were discussed as being important in an understanding of community structure.
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Contributions from JIBP-CT No. 144.
An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02514088.
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Kobayashi, S. The species-area relation I. A model for discrete sampling. Res Popul Ecol 15, 223–237 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02510669
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02510669