Okuyama Toshinori, Bolker Benjamin M
Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA.
Ecol Lett. 2007 Apr;10(4):264-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01019.x.
Indirect effects, whether density-mediated (DMII) or trait-mediated (TMII), have been recognized as potentially important drivers of community dynamics. However, empirical studies that have attempted to detect TMII or to quantify the relative strength of DMII and TMII in short-term studies have used a range of different metrics. We review these studies and assess both the consistency of a variety of different metrics and their robustness to (or ability to detect) ecological phenomena such as the dependence of forager behaviour on conspecific density. Quantifying indirect effects over longer time scales when behaviour and population density vary is more challenging, but also necessary if we really intend to incorporate indirect effects into predictions of long-term community dynamics; we discuss some problems associated with this effort and conclude with general recommendations for quantifying indirect effects.
间接效应，无论是密度介导的（DMII）还是性状介导的（TMII），都已被视为群落动态潜在的重要驱动因素。然而，在短期研究中试图检测TMII或量化DMII和TMII相对强度的实证研究使用了一系列不同的指标。我们回顾这些研究，并评估各种不同指标的一致性及其对生态现象（如觅食者行为对同种密度的依赖性）的稳健性（或检测能力）。当行为和种群密度发生变化时，在更长的时间尺度上量化间接效应更具挑战性，但如果我们真的想将间接效应纳入长期群落动态预测中，这也是必要的；我们讨论了与此相关的一些问题，并最后给出了量化间接效应的一般建议。
