Guild

Guild is a term used in ecology to refer to a group of species that exploit the same resources, or that exploit different resources in comparable ways. This is not necessarily to say that all the species within a guild occupy the same ecological niche, but rather that they are similar in terms of their overall effect on the community structure.

Definition

The concept of a guild was first proposed by Richard Root in 1967 as a way to classify species according to their resource use, rather than their taxonomic relationships. This approach allows for a more functional understanding of community structure and the interactions between species.

A guild is defined by the resources that its members use and the way in which they use them, rather than by their taxonomic relationships. This means that a guild can include species from different taxonomic groups, as long as they exploit the same resources in a similar way.

Examples

Examples of guilds include seed-eating birds, nectar-feeding insects, and wood-boring beetles. Each of these groups includes species from different taxonomic groups, but all the species within each guild exploit the same type of resource in a similar way.

Importance in Ecology

The concept of guilds is important in ecology because it provides a way to understand the functional relationships between species within a community. By classifying species according to their resource use, it is possible to gain insights into the processes that drive community structure and dynamics.

Guilds are also important in conservation biology, as they can provide a basis for predicting the effects of species loss or introduction on community structure and function.

See Also

• Ecology
• Community (ecology)
• Resource (biology)
• Conservation biology

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