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Quantitative Aspects of Community Structure Examined in a Semi‐arid Grassland by J. Bastow Wilson; John B. Steel; James E. Newman; Warren MCG. King is a Environmental Science article available to read on EtoBox.

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## Summary **1** Community structure was examined by analysing the spatial distribution of species' biomass–abundance, as well as species' occurrences, in two semi‐arid grassland sites in New Zealand. This is the first attempt to search for a range of assembly rules (variance in species occurrence, guild proportionality and intrinsic guilds) using quantitative data. **2** One site, with a greater proportion of native species, had a larger species pool, greater species richness and greater biomass. At this site, variance in richness was generally greater than expected at random, but variance in biomass tended to be less than expected at random, probably indicating competition. Microsites which had lower biomass and fewer species tended to be dominated by exotic species; it is suggested that these are more recently disturbed microsites. **3** At a second site, dominated by exotic species, there was no significant evidence for community structure, i.e. no non‐random patterns in richness or biomass, i.e. no assembly rules. **4** Guild proportionality was not seen in a priori guilds: dicots, monocots, cryptogams, native species and exotic species. **5** Searches for intrinsic guilds pro

Who reads Quantitative Aspects of Community Structure Examined in a Semi‐arid Grassland?

Author

J. Bastow Wilson; John B. Steel; James E. Newman; Warren MCG. King

Publisher

John Wiley and Sons; Wiley (Blackwell Publishing); Blackwell Publishing Inc.; Wiley; JSTOR (ISSN 0022-0477)

Published

2000

Language

EN

Field

Environmental Science (Physical Sciences)