The classical approach to understanding ecological communities is based on the niche, and relates local environmental conditions to the species found in a community. Recent challenges to this approach emphasize the importance of processes that act over broader spatial scales, such as dispersal and extinction. While it is likely that natural communities are influenced by both local and regional factors, the interaction between these has been extremely difficult to study. This EAGER project will develop new theory, statistical tools, and experimental protocols to quantify the roles of dispersal limitation, extinction, and niche-based community assembly in natural, unmanipulated communities. Because few of the proposed approaches are thoroughly developed, the research is risky. It promises to transform the field of community ecology from its current dichotomous and therefore simplistic view of community regulation to one that integrates diverse processes across broad spatial scales. As a result, scientific understanding of natural communities and the maintenance of biodiversity will be significantly improved.
By extending existing theory and developing a new, statistical toolbox to test this theory in natural communities, the work will contribute significantly to the general field of ecology. Results will be directly applicable to critical questions in conservation of biodiversity. The project will involve a workshop to consolidate links between theoretical metacommunity ecology and conservation biology. Through this workshop, research that is primarily theoretical will gain practical application. Undergraduate students, graduate students and a postdoctoral researcher will participate in the project, gaining experience in linking theory with experimentation. The project will also engage secondary school teachers in association with the University of Texas U Teach program.
