Definition of "metacommunity" []

• A set of intercommunicating communities (noun)

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• "The term metacommunity is usually used to refer to a set of processes that generate diversity patterns, rather than for a defined region or discrete set of patches."
• "Figure 1: The results from a computer simulation of how a mass effects process with differing dispersal rates affects diversity at three scales: alpha ( or local), beta ( or among-patch) and gamma ( or total metacommunity)."
• "First, studies that examine diversity patterns at the scales (local, among-patch and metacommunity) where every patch is followed are routinely done with theoretical/computational and aquatic laboratory studies."