Developmental phases of the biocoenosis.

Species number and diversity increase log-linearly with time during the early development of a biocoenosis. This period may be divided into three phases. In the first phase, diversity increases with the rapid immigration of species into the newly established habitat. In the second phase, diversity increases as common species become less common and rare species less rare. This period ends with the attainment of a maximum diversity pattern. In the third phase, rare species continue to invade the habitat until it is saturated. In each phase there is a maximal number of species that can invade the habitat.