Statistical mechanics of ecological systems: Neutral theory and beyond | Papers | Scoop.it
It is of societal importance to advance the understanding of emerging patterns of biodiversity from biological and ecological systems. The neutral theory offers a statistical-mechanical framework that relates key biological properties at the individual scale with macroecological properties at the community scale. This article surveys the quantitative aspects of neutral theory and its extensions for physicists who are interested in what important problems remain unresolved for studying ecological systems.