Using Seasonal Succession in Lake Plankton To Illustrate Concepts of Community Structure & Species Diversity

摘要

Biological communities are of interest to people for a wide range of reasons. For example, people may want to know the reason for blooms of noxious algae in the lake where they possess recreational property, or whether the creek that borders the backyard of their house can support fish, or they may simply appreciate the diversity of organisms found on a patch of forest where they hike. Ecologists and environmental scientists frequently need to describe biological communities as part of research programs that attempt to explain how the natural world operates or to determine the effects of manmade or natural perturbations. Direct cause and effect is difficult to show. However, careful documentation of the structure of the community and how it is changing can provide a wealth of evidence that, in turn, can yield a persuasive argument.