Coexistence mechanisms that require environmental variation to operate contribute
importantly to the maintenance of biodiversity. One famous hypothesis of diversity …

This paper reviews empirical studies relating communities of coral‐reef fishes to the
characteristics of the underlying habitat, and the effects of habitat disturbance. Many …

Habitat complexity is one of the most important factors structuring biotic assemblages, yet we
still lack basic understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Although it is one of the primary …

THE EVOLUTIONARY STRATEGIES THAT SHAPE ECOSYSTEMS In 1837 a young Charles
Darwin took his notebook, wrote “I think”, and then sketched a rudimentary, stick-like tree …

Diversity (or biodiversity) is typically measured by a species count (richness) and sometimes
with an evenness index; it may also be measured by a proportional statistic that combines …

Species-area curves calculated from line-intercept transect surveys on 15 reefs in three
regions of Indonesia allow estimation of the relative decrease in within-habitat coral species …

Coral reefs provide a number of ecosystem services including coastal defense from storms,
the generation of building materials, and fisheries. It is increasingly clear that the …

Salvage logging—removing trees from a forested area in the wake of a catastrophic event
such as a wildfire or hurricane—is highly controversial. Policymakers and those with an …

Some authors argue that overfishing is an important reason that reef corals have declined in
recent decades. Their reasoning is that overfishing removes herbivores, releasing …

According to Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH), diversity within a
community is maximal at intermediate frequencies and intensities of disturbances. In order to …