Etienne, R.S. and Wennekes, P.L. (2010) The Neutral - Niche Debate: An Instance of The Classic Holism vs Reductionism Dichotomy. Bachelor's Thesis, Biology.
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Abstract
Ecological systems around the world are under threat while theories concerning relative species abundance are essentially in their infancy. If we are to produce good models on which to base better conservation measures we need to solve the long-standing dispute between the unified neutral theory of biodiversity and niche-assembly approaches to relative species abundance, species distribution and other important factors of community structure. Two solutions are possible: A holist solution in which both theories are incorporated into one larger theory or a reductionist solution in which the two theories clash until only one remains standing. The former solution would produce much more fruitful results in terms of scientific progress and applicability to conservationist practices, because it would incorporates both deterministic and stochastic processes into a unified theory and might provide a model to discern which of these factors are the most important under various circumstances.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Degree programme: | Biology |
| Thesis type: | Bachelor's Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Feb 2018 07:45 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Feb 2018 07:45 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/9470 |
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