Species coexistence in the real world

该项目旨在发现相似物种如何共存而不使较弱的竞争对手灭绝。假设提供了在存在竞争的情况下稳定共存的解释，但逻辑障碍意味着几乎完全缺乏实地测试。最近的研究竞争和扩散提供了一个机会，提供测试使用河流物种，导致在景观尺度的实验。这项研究将量化环境变异和扩散在使物种稳定共存方面的作用，从而填补一个重大的知识空白。该项目预计将为研究物种损失的原因提供新的途径-特别是对于70%的无脊椎动物。

This project aims to discover how similar species co-exist without weaker competitors going extinct. Hypotheses offer explanations for stable coexistence in the presence of competition, but logistic barriers mean field tests are almost completely lacking. Recent research on competition and dispersal presents an opportunity to deliver tests using riverine species, leading to experiments at landscape scales. The research will quantify the role of environmental variability and dispersal in permitting stable coexistence of species, thus filling a major knowledge gap. The project expects to provide fresh avenues for research into the causes of species losses – particularly for the 70 per cent that are invertebrates.