Skip to main content

Competitive Interactions and the Species Diversity of Corals

  • Chapter

Abstract

The species diversity of a coral reef community is affected by many factors. If we consider only sessile organisms, for example plants or aquatic animals such as sponges, corals, etc., competition for space is obviously an important factor. On a small area of hard substrate with very little spatial variation in local physical conditions, one might expect that a single species would be superior to all others in competition and would eliminate them and eventually cover the surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References Cited

  • Connell, J.H. 1973. Population ecology of reef-building corals. In: Biology and geology of coral reefs. Vol. II, Biology 1. Ed. by O. Jones and R. Endean. Academic Press, N.Y. pp. 205–245.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, J.H. 1975. Some mechanisms producing structure in natural communities: a model and evidence from field experiments. In.: Ecology and evolution of communities, ed. by M. Cody and J. Diamond. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Mass. pp. 460–490.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darwin, C. 1859. The origin of species. John Murray, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J.B.C. and L. Buss. 1975. Allelopathy and spatial competition among coral reef invertebrates. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72: 5160–5163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, J. 1973. Interspecific aggression by scleractinian corals. 2. Why the race is not only to the swift. Bull. Mar. Sci. 23: 260–279.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1976 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Connell, J.H. (1976). Competitive Interactions and the Species Diversity of Corals. In: Mackie, G.O. (eds) Coelenterate Ecology and Behavior. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9724-4_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9724-4_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9726-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-9724-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics