Empirical CV plots illustrating an underlying spatial-temporal link (Fig. 1B).

<p>The regional temporal CV of an ecosystem variable (data point) was predictable from its spatial CV in microcosm (n = 7) (<b>A, D</b>), rock pool (n = 33) (<b>B, E</b>), and lake systems (n = 60) (<b>C, F</b>). The predictive value of spatial variability was consistent in that linear associations emerged whether spatial variability was estimated as the mean of spatial CV’s at time <i>k</i> (<b>A–C</b>), or whether a spatial CV from an initial time point (<i>k</i>) was used to predict temporal CV of the remaining (<i>k+1…n</i>) time series (<b>D–F</b>). Dashed lines denote the relationship expected for stochastic processes i.e., when values are independent across space and time. These were obtained by simulating random numbers with the same data structure as empirical data sets. Abiotic variables (blue circles) were consistently more stable and less spatially patchy than biotic variables (red circles).