Intermediate disturbance in the ecology of phytoplankton and the maintenance of species diversity : a synthesis

The value of Connell's Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) relating to phytoplankton ecology is discussed against a background of papers presented at a Workshop at Baja in 1991. It was useful as a word-model explaining the non-steady state of most ecosystems and the effect of disturbance...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrobiologia 1993-01, Vol.249 (1-3), p.183-188
Main Authors: REYNOLDS, C. S, PADISAK, J, SOMMER, U
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Synecology
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Summary:The value of Connell's Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) relating to phytoplankton ecology is discussed against a background of papers presented at a Workshop at Baja in 1991. It was useful as a word-model explaining the non-steady state of most ecosystems and the effect of disturbance upon them. Its weakness lay in the recognition and measurement of disturbance and the problem that the same disturbance could have widely differing effects on various systems. The Workshop agreed to define disturbances as primarily non-biotic, stochastic events that resulted in distinct and abrupt changes in the composition and which interfered with internally driven progress towards self-organization and ecological equilibrium. Generally, IDH was too useful a concept to reject. Further investigation needed to concentrate on the separation and quantification of the stimulus and response components of disturbance.
ISSN:0018-8158
1573-5117
DOI:10.1007/BF00008853