Theoretical ecology

scientific discipline devoted to the study of ecological systems using theoretical methods

theory of evolutionary biology

An ecological metacommunity is a set of interacting communities which are linked by the dispersal of multiple, potentially interacting species. The term is derived from the field of community ecology, which is primarily concerned with patterns of species distribution, abundance and interactions. Metacommunity ecology combines the importance of local factors (environmental conditions, competition, predation) and regional factors (dispersal of individuals, immigration, emigration) to explain patterns of species distributions that happen in different spatial scales.

theory that posits that the metabolic rate of organisms is the fundamental biological rate that governs most observed patterns in ecology

explanation for tree species biodiversity in rainforests