Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity

Hubbell 2001: all species are ecologically equivalent — drift, speciation, migration determine diversity

Parameters

Diversity Metrics

Species richness S:
Shannon H:
Simpson D:
Most abundant:
Fundamental θ=Jν:
UNTB predicts the species-abundance distribution (SAD) under neutral drift. The "fundamental biodiversity number" θ = 2J_M·ν controls richness. Predicted SAD = Fisher log-series (metacommunity) or zero-sum multinomial (local). A key test: does the logseries fit tropical forest data?