Abstract
There are at least two features of natural systems that ecologists agree on: (1) they are abiotically heterogeneous in time and space; and (2) they are variable in organism abundance (e.g., Sousa, 1984). In the literature there are discrepancies as to the usage of the terms heterogeneity and variability (see Chapter 1); therefore we define our usage of the terms. Heterogeneity refers to composition of parts of different kinds, and variability indicates changes in values of one kind (Random House Dictionary).
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Shachak, M., Brand, S. (1991). Relations Among Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity, Population Abundance, and Variability in a Desert. In: Kolasa, J., Pickett, S.T.A. (eds) Ecological Heterogeneity. Ecological Studies, vol 86. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3062-5_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3062-5_11
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