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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 June 2025
Spatial structure is key to understanding diversity in ecological systems, being affected by both location and scale. The effects of scale are often dealt with as the hierarchy of alpha (local area), beta (between areas) and gamma (largest areas) diversity. All have spatial aspects, but beta diversity may be most interesting for spatial analysis because it involves complex responses such as intermediate-scale nestedness and species turnover with or without environmental gradients. In addition to species diversity within communities, the diversity of species composition or combinations as a function of location is an important characteristic of ecological assemblages. Many aspects of spatial diversity are best understood by spatial graphs, with sites as nodes and edges quantifying inter-site relationships. Temporal information, when available, can provide crucial insights about spatial diversity through understanding the dynamics of the system.
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