Spatiotemporal dynamic models of plant populations and communities

The idea of relating spatial patterns and temporal processes in plant community dynamics is not new, but its transformation into realistic spatiotemporal models is the result of quite recent methodological developments. There are now two classes of analytical model and a broad class of simulation models pertaining to the role of spatial structure in vegetation dynamics. They indicate that any community-dynamical theory intended to be predictive should not omit the spatial aspects of plant population dynamics, because these may radically change the conditions of persistence and coexistence.