The Sampling Effect Is

Question

The sampling effect is
A) The effect that large and small plants act in a complimentary way in a community
B) The greater chance that species rich communities will contain a 'superspecies'
C) A result of the idiosyncratic hypothesis
D) Because of greater resource use by species rich communities
E) A decreased likelihood that species rich communities will perform better than species-poor communities

Accepted Answer

The sampling effect suggests that in species-rich communities, there is a higher probability of including a particularly high-performing species (often referred to as a 'superspecies') that significantly contributes to ecosystem functions, such as productivity or stability. This concept is part of the broader discussion on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.