Abstract
The Law of the Minimum states that species’ abundance at a location is
limited by one single factor. If true, abundance-environment plots
should take polygonal shapes constrained by an upper boundary
representing the maximum abundance that the species can reach across the
environmental gradient. Here, we examine the generality of polygonal
plots in the literature and in observational data, and assess how often
they are analyzed under the theory of ecological limitation. We also
present a proof-of-concept of a method to identify polygon-shaped plots.
We found polygonal plots in 76% of reviewed studies and in 73% of the
300 analyzed tree and bird species. We demonstrate that polygonal shapes
with upper boundaries are prevalent in abundance-environment plots; yet
they are rarely interpreted considering the Law of the Minimum. A wider
acknowledgement of limiting relationships would improve our ecological
understanding and estimation with further benefits to theoretical and
applied ecology.