HABITAT SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY AND SPECIES DIVERSITY: ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS AND MEASUREMENT METHODS

Abstract

The role of habitat heterogeneity in structuring the associated communities is now largely recognized. A major number of studies positively relates habitat heterogeneity and species diversity. Such a result is usually attributed to a greater availability of resources in complex systems which reduces the catastrophic losses to competitors, predators and environmental stress. Also, a differential perception and utilization of microhabitat by organisms of different size classes, has been considered. This revision manuscript discusses the mechanisms linking habitat heterogeneity and biodiversity as well as briefly analyzes some of the complexity measures more recently adopted which takes into consideration intrinsical aspects of spatial heterogeneity.