Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
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The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis is an ecological hypothesis which proposes that that biodiversity is highest when disturbance is neither too rare nor too frequent. With low disturbance, competitive exclusion by the dominant species arises. With high disturbance, only species tolerant of the stress can persist. The notion that disturbance can increase biodiversity opposes the older idea that diversity is highest in undisturbed ecosystems. It was proposed by Joseph Connell in 1978, drawing in part on Henry Horn's 1975 paper.
[edit] See also
In addition, the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis has to do with the chance of start of a disturbance and the chance of spread of a disturbance (such as a forest fire or a disease).
[edit] References
- Connell, J. H. 1978. Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199:1302–1310.
- Horn, H. S. 1975. Markovian properties of forest succession. Pp. 196–211 in M. L. Cody and J. M. Diamond (editors) Ecology and evolution of communities. Belknap Press,Cambridge, Massachusetts. ISBN 0-674-22444-2
