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1 - The Species–Area Relationship: Both General and Protean?

from Part I - Introduction and History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2021

By
Thomas J. Matthews ,
Kostas A. Triantis  and
Robert J. Whittaker
Edited by
Thomas J. Matthews ,
Kostas A. Triantis  and
Robert J. Whittaker
Thomas J. Matthews
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
Kostas A. Triantis
Affiliation:
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Robert J. Whittaker
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

We briefly describe the species-area relationship (SAR) and summarize the different types, including the main dichotomy of island species–area relationship (ISAR) and species accumulation curves (SAC). We discuss the classification of the ISAR as a fundamental ecological law, despite its protean nature. Exploring this protean behaviour, we review the different ways in which ISAR form has been shown to vary between datasets. The final section outlines the structure of the book and provides a summary of the remaining chapters.

Keywords

Power modelisland species–area relationshipscalediversity–area relationshipspecies accumulation curveconservation
Type
Chapter
Information
The Species–Area Relationship
Theory and Application
 , pp. 3 - 19
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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