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Lentic freshwater habitats in temperate regions exist along agradient from small ephemeral (短暂的) ponds to large permanentlakes.This environmental continuum is a useful axis for understanding how attributesof individuals ultimately generate structure at the level of the community. Community structure across the gradient is determined byboth (a) physical factors,such as pond drying and winter anoxia, that limitthe potential breadth (宽度) of species distributions, and(b) biotic effects mediated byecological interactions, principally predation, that determine the realized success of species.Fitness tradeoffs associated with a few critical traits of individuals oftenform the basis for species turnover along the gradient. Among species that inhabit temporary ponds, distributions areoften constrained because traits that enhance developmental rate andcompetitive ability also increase susceptibility to predators. In permanent ponds, changes in the composition ofmajor predators over the gradient limit distributions of prey species becausetraits that reduce mortality risk in one region of the gradient cause increasedrisk in other regions of the gradient. Integrated across the gradient, thesepatterns in species success generate distinct patterns in community structure. Additionally, spatial heterogeneity (空间异质性) amonghabitats along the gradient and the fitness tradeoffs (平衡)created by this heterogeneity may hold important evolutionary implications for habitats. |
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