TY - JOUR
T1 - Density dependence
T2 - an ecological Tower of Babel
AU - Herrando-Pérez, Salvador
AU - Delean, Steve
AU - Brook, Barry W
AU - Bradshaw, Corey J A
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - The concept of density dependence represents the effect of changing population size on demographic rates and captures the demographic role of social and trophic mechanisms (e. g. competition, cooperation, parasitism or predation). Ecologists have coined more than 60 terms to denote different statistical and semantic properties of this concept, resulting in a formidable lexicon of synonymies and polysemies. We have examined the vocabulary of density dependence used in the modern ecological literature from the foundational lexicon developed by Smith, Allee, Haldane, Neave and Varley. A few simple rules suffice to abate terminological inconsistency and to enhance the biological meaning of this important concept. Correct citation of original references by ecologists and research journals could ameliorate terminological standards in our discipline and avoid linguistic confusion of mathematically and theoretically complex patterns.
AB - The concept of density dependence represents the effect of changing population size on demographic rates and captures the demographic role of social and trophic mechanisms (e. g. competition, cooperation, parasitism or predation). Ecologists have coined more than 60 terms to denote different statistical and semantic properties of this concept, resulting in a formidable lexicon of synonymies and polysemies. We have examined the vocabulary of density dependence used in the modern ecological literature from the foundational lexicon developed by Smith, Allee, Haldane, Neave and Varley. A few simple rules suffice to abate terminological inconsistency and to enhance the biological meaning of this important concept. Correct citation of original references by ecologists and research journals could ameliorate terminological standards in our discipline and avoid linguistic confusion of mathematically and theoretically complex patterns.
KW - Allee effect
KW - Demographic rate
KW - Density feedback
KW - Population dynamics
KW - Regulation
KW - Terminology
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP0878582
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867502837&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00442-012-2347-3
DO - 10.1007/s00442-012-2347-3
M3 - Review article
VL - 170
SP - 585
EP - 603
JO - Oecologia
JF - Oecologia
SN - 0029-8549
IS - 3
ER -