Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. A major challenge in ecology is to describe the bases for patterns spanning different scales that are seen in natural systems, for example, community species richness and composition, population genetic structure, and growth and distribution of individuals. The focus of this symposium is on the role of heterogeneity, both temporal and spatial, in generating these patterns. Sources of heterogeneity include abiotic factors like seasonal timing and predictability of rainfall, patchy distribution of soil resources, or extreme events such as hurricanes and droughts. Biotically generated heterogeneity includes presence or absence of pathogens, herbivores, competitors, or facilitators, as well as phenomena like differential species effects on decomposition and nitrogen mineralization.
Presentations span a variety of systems, ranging from arid desert to mesic forest.
Presentations will range in scale from the effects of heterogeneity on population demography to effects on ecosystem function.