This book presents new theoretical perspectives on ecological community dynamics and in so doing casts fresh light on the enduring complexity-stability debate. Real ecological communities do not simply comprise diverse species and interactions, which respectively represented the nodes and links of the classic network theory. Rather, they are characterized by different types of complexity, and this book explains how this diversity of complexity is key to understanding the dynamics of ecological communities. It is shown how various properties in natural communities, such as life history, adaptation, density dependence, sex, interaction types, space, functional traits, and microbial processes, can dramatically increase the complexity in ecological communities. Furthermore, innovative methods are introduced that may be applied to cast light on very complex communities. With each chapter presenting the latest advances and approaches, the book sets the direction for future research on ecological community dynamics. It will be a "must read" for researchers and students in the field of ecology.

Autorentext

Akihiko Mougi is an associate professor in the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the Shimane University. He completed his Ph.D. at Hokkaido University and did postdoctoral work at the Kyushu University and Ryukoku University. His research uses mathematical models to understand ecological and evolutionary dynamics of biological communities and the stability of ecosystems.

Inhalt
Part 1. Intra-specific trait diversity.- Chapter 1. Incorporating ontogenetic niche shifts into hybrid community dynamics.- Chapter 2. Effects of rapid evolution on population cycles and extinction in predator-prey systems.-  Chapter 3. The possibility that the evolution of sexual traits stabilizes ecological communities.- Chapter 4. Spatiality and community stability.- Part 2.  Inter-specific trait and functional diversity.- Chapter 5. Direct and Indirect Effects of Facilitation and Competition in Ecological.-  Chapter 6. Mathematical modeling on microbes and their roles in community and ecosystem: how to handle microbial diversity in modeling?.- Part 3. Diversity of inter-specific interaction.- Chapter 7. Ecology and evolution of density-dependence.- Chapter 8. Interaction-type diversity and community stability.- Part 4. A novel approach in community ecology.- Chapter 9. Forecasting ecological time series using empirical dynamic modeling: a tutorial for simplex projection and S-map.