FACTORS INFLUENCING

THE
STRUCTURE OF
COMMUNITIES
The Fundamental Niche
Constrains Community Structure
 Istilah relung fundamental (fundamental niche)
mengacu pada kumpulan sumberdaya yang
secara teoristis mampu digunakan oleh suatu
populasi dibawah keadaan ideal.
Pada kenyataannya, masing-masing populasi
terlibat dalam jaring-jaring interaksi dengan
populasi spesies lain, dan pembatas biologis,
seperti kompetisi, predasi, atau ketidakhadiran
beberapa sumberdaya yang dapat digunakan,
bisa memaksa populasi tersebut untuk hanya
menggunakan sebagian relung fundamentalnya.
Species Interactions Are
Diffuse
Diffuse interactions, where one species
may be influenced by interactions with
many different species, is not limited to
competition.
 example of predatorprey cycles, a
variety of predator species (including the
lynx, coyote, and horned owl) are
responsible for periodic cycles observed
in the snowshoe hare population
 example of diffuse mutualisms relating
to both pollination and seed dispersal.
where a single plant species may
depend on a variety of animal species
for successful reproduction
Food Webs Illustrate Indirect
Interactions
Food webs also illustrate a second
important feature of species interactions
within the community.
Indirect interactions occur when one
species does not interact with a second
species directly, but instead influences a
third species that does directly interact
with the second
Food Webs Suggest Controls
of Community Structure
To understand the role of species interactions in
structuring communities, food webs are often
simplifi ed by placing species into functional
groups based on their similarity in using resources
or their role within the community. One such
functional classifi cation divides species into
trophic levels based on general feeding groups
(primary producers, herbivores, carnivores,etc.).
The resulting food chains suggest the possibility of
either bottom-up (primary producers) or top-down
(top carnivores) control on community structure
and function.
bottom-up control.

top-down control
Species Interactions along
Environmental Gradients Involve
Both Stress Tolerance and
Competition

biological structure of a community is

first constrained by the environmental
tolerances of the species (fundamental
niche).
These tolerances are in turn modified
through direct and indirect interactions
with other species (realized niche).
 The trade-off between tolerance and
competitive ability is also evident in the
patterns of zonation along gradients of soil
moisture
 Salah satu contoh lain dalam kompetitif
adalah
Environmental Heterogeneity
Influences Community Diversity
Environmental conditions are not homogeneous
within a given community, and spatial variations
in environmental conditions within the
community can function to increase diversity by
supporting a wider array of species.

The structure of vegetation has a pronounced

influence on the diversity of animal life within the
community. Increased vertical structure means
more resources and living space and a greater
diversity of habitats.
Resource Availability Can Influence
Plant Diversity within a Community
 A variety of studies have shown an
inverse relationship between nutrient
availability and plant diversity in
communities. By reducing growth rates,
low nutrient availability functions to
reduce competitive displacement.

 As nutrient availability in terrestrial

communities increases, competition shifts
from belowground (symmetrical
competition) to aboveground
(asymmetrical competition). The net result
is an increase in competitive
displacement and a reduction in plant
species diversity as the faster-growing,
taller plant species dominate the light
resource.
 Unlike the pattern observed in terrestrial
plant communities, fertilization results in
an increase in the species richness of
autotrophs in both freshwater and
marine communities.