群集生態学の最近の動向について : 平衡と非平衡群集

抄録

The balance of nature has been a background concept in community ecology. In contrast to the concept, the variability of biological populations has been appreciated in mature, such as in outbreak and extinction of species. The two concepts have been transformed into density dependent and density independant regulation in population dynamics and then into equilibrium and non-equilibrium community theories. The competition-equilibrium community theory has been advanced in the empirical and theoretical studies of community and has explained the community organization by the niche theory. The non-equilibrium community theory has argued the importance of non-equilibrium conditions of populations in nature and the reconsideration of community organization from the individualistic or auto-ecological studies of populations constituting communities. The two theroies represent the opposite ends in the continuum of the community patterns in the nature. In the recent 20 years, community ecology has advanced in the diversity studies, competitive-equiliblium and non-equilibrium community theories and now is entering a new stage over these past community studies.