A classification of ecological boundaries

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

BioScience

Volume

53

Issue

8

First Page

723

Publisher

American Institute of Biological Sciences

Last Page

729

Publication Date

2003

Abstract

Ecologists use the term boundary to refer to a wide range of real and conceptual structures. Because imprecise terminology may impede the search for general patterns and theories about ecological boundaries, we present a classification of the attributes of ecological boundaries to aid in commu- nication and theory development. Ecological boundaries may differ in their origin and maintenance, their spatial structure, their function, and their temporal dynamics. A classification system based on these attributes should help ecologists determine whether boundaries are truly compar- able. This system can be applied when comparing empirical studies, comparing theories, and testing theoretical predictions against empirical results.

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