04.06.2024: Adam CLARK (Institut für Biologie, Univ. Graz): Coexistence in Theory and Practice , HS 32.01, Institut für Biologie, Bereich Pflanzenwissenschaften, Holteigasse 6, 17.00 Uhr
Coexistence is simultaneously one of the most fundamental concepts of ecology, and one of the most difficult to define and quantify. A particular challenge is that despite a well-developed body of research on the subject, several different schools of thought have developed over the past century, leading to multiple independent, and largely isolated, branches of literature. This talk presents a broad overview of the most common concepts and metrics currently used to study ecological coexistence. I first introduce four classes of behaviour that describe different aspects of community dynamics. Next, I explain how these classes of behaviour relate to commonly used metrics for classifying and quantifying coexistence, including analyses of time to extinction, feasibility domains, asymptotic return rates, and invasion growth rates. I then discuss the scope and limitations of each of these behavioural definitions and corresponding metrics, with a particular focus on applications in empirical systems. Finally, I close with a brief prospectus looking forward to opportunities to better advance and integrate research on coexistence.