Metacommunity organisation, spatial extent and dispersal in aquatic systems: patterns, processes and prospects

Summary Metacommunity ecology addresses the situation where sets of local communities are connected by the dispersal of a number of potentially interacting species. Aquatic systems (e.g. lentic versus lotic versus marine) differ from each other in connectivity and environmental heterogeneity, suggesting that metacommunity organisation also differs between major aquatic systems. Here, we review findings from observational field studies on metacommunity organisation in aquatic systems. Species sorting (i.e. species are ‘filtered’ by environmental factors and occur only at environmentally suitable sites) prevails in aquatic systems, particularly in streams and lakes, but the degree to which dispersal limitation…

• FD
  Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

  Award: 2013/50424-1
• AO
  Academy of Finland
• MJ
  Maj ja Tor Nesslingin Säätiö