Scale Both Confounds and Informs Characterization of Species Coexistence in Empirical Systems

Identifying stable coexistence in empirical systems is notoriously difficult. Here, we show how spatiotemporal structure and complex system dynamics can confound two commonly used stability metrics in empirical contexts: response to perturbation and invasion rate when rare. We use these metrics to characterize stable coexistence across a range of spatial and temporal scales for five simulated models in which the ability of species to coexist in...