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Ecología de metacomunidades

Abstract

This paper analyses the structure and dynamics of metacommunities, emphasizing that natural communities are dynamic systems and not independent of regional processes. It presents theoretical models of metacommunity organization that describe patterns of this level of organization. These include the Clementsian, Gleasonian, uniform distribution, random and nested sets models. To analyze the structure of metacommunities, three key elements are used: coherence, species turnover and range boundary clustering. These structures would be defined by different combinations of deterministic and stochastic factors that influence the metacommunity structure. These factors would be integrated into the models of patch dynamics, species selection, mass effect and neutral. The metacommunity approach is fundamental to understand and confront processes such as land use change, habitat fragmentation and climate change.