Hubbell's neutral theory of biodiversity has challenged the classic niche-based view of
ecological community structure. Although there have been many attempts to falsify Hubbell's …

The biodiversity of the plankton has been interpreted largely through the monocle of
competition. The spatial distancing of phytoplankton in nature is so large that cell boundary …

Naturally occurring populations of bacteria and archaea are vital to life on the earth and are
of enormous practical significance in medicine, engineering and agriculture. However, the …

Probably no ecologist in the world with even a modicum of field experience would seriously
question the existence of niche differences among competing species on the same trophic …

Since the publication of the unified neutral theory in 2001, there has been much discussion
of the theory, pro and con. The hypothesis of ecological equivalence is the fundamental yet …

We describe a general framework for testing neutral theory. We summarize similarities and
differences between ten different versions of neutral theory. Two central predictions of …

We present an analytical model that unifies two of the most influential theories in community
ecology, namely, island biogeography and niche theory. Our model captures the main …

The increasing use of computer simulation by theoretical ecologists started a move away
from models formulated at the population level towards individual-based models. However …

The simplest theories often have much merit and many limitations, and, in this vein, the
value of neutral theory (NT) of biodiversity has been the subject of much debate over the …

Macroecology has traditionally relied on descriptive characterization of large-scale
ecological patterns to offer narrative explanations for the origin and maintenance of those …