Community assembly and shifts in plant trait distributions across an environmental gradient in coastal California

Ecological Monographs, Journal Year: 2009, Volume and Issue: 79(1), P. 109 - 126

Published: Feb. 1, 2009

Community assembly processes are thought to shape the mean, spread, and spacing of functional trait values within communities. Two broad categories have been proposed: first, a habitat filter that restricts range viable strategies second, partitioning microsites and/or resources leads limit similarity coexisting species. The strength both may be dependent on conditions at particular site change along an abiotic gradient. We sampled environmental variables plant communities in 44 plots across varied topography coastal California landscape. characterized 14 leaf, stem, root traits for 54 woody species, including detailed intraspecific data two with goal understanding connection between variety conditions. examined within‐community range, variance, kurtosis, other measures values. In this landscape, there was topographically mediated gradient water availability. Across we observed strong shifts plot‐level mean variation Trends means environment were due largely species turnover, playing smaller role. Traits associated vertical light showed greater variance wet soils, while nitrogen per area, which is use efficiency, spread dry soils. found nonrandom patterns distributions consistent expectations based trait‐mediated community assembly. There significant reduction six out 11 leaf stem relative null model. For specific area (SLA) even seed size more platykurtic distribution than expected. These results suggest can simultaneously local

Language: Английский

---

Ecological assembly rules in plant communities—approaches, patterns and prospects

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2011, Volume and Issue: 87(1), P. 111 - 127

Published: June 21, 2011

Understanding how communities of living organisms assemble has been a central question in ecology since the early days discipline. Disentangling different processes involved community assembly is not only interesting itself but also crucial for an understanding will behave under future environmental scenarios. The traditional concept rules reflects notion that species do co‐occur randomly are restricted their co‐occurrence by interspecific competition. This can be redefined more general framework where product chance, historical patterns speciation and migration, dispersal, abiotic factors, biotic interactions, with none these being mutually exclusive. Here we present survey meta‐analyses 59 papers compare observed plant null models simulating random assembly. According to type data study methods applied detect assembly, distinguish four main types approach published literature: co‐occurrence, niche limitation, guild proportionality limiting similarity. Results from our suggest non‐random widespread phenomenon. However, whether this finding individualistic nature or caused methodological shortcomings associated studies considered cannot discerned available metadata. We advocate thorough surveys conducted using set standardized test existence sets spanning larger biological geographical scales than have until now. underpin advice guidelines should research. enable us draw accurate conclusions about aspect communities.

Language: Английский

---

Plant functional traits have globally consistent effects on competition

Nature, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 529(7585), P. 204 - 207

Published: Dec. 23, 2015

Language: Английский

---

A trait‐based approach to community assembly: partitioning of species trait values into within‐ and among‐community components

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2007, Volume and Issue: 10(2), P. 135 - 145

Published: Jan. 15, 2007

Plant functional traits vary both along environmental gradients and among species occupying similar conditions, creating a challenge for the synthesis of community ecology. We present trait-based approach that provides an additive decomposition species' trait values into alpha beta components: refer to position gradient defined by community-level mean values; are difference between co-occurring taxa. In woody plant communities coastal California, specific leaf area, size, wood density maximum height all covary strongly, reflecting distributions across soil moisture availability. Alpha values, on other hand, generally not significantly correlated, suggesting several independent axes differentiation within communities. This framework novel integrate ecology analysis with coexistence theory.

Language: Английский

---

Revisiting the Holy Grail: using plant functional traits to understand ecological processes

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 92(2), P. 1156 - 1173

Published: April 22, 2016

ABSTRACT One of ecology's grand challenges is developing general rules to explain and predict highly complex systems. Understanding predicting ecological processes from species' traits has been considered a ‘ H oly G rail’ in ecology. Plant functional are increasingly being used develop mechanistic models that can how communities will respond abiotic biotic perturbations species affect ecosystem function services rapidly changing world; however, significant remain. In this review, we highlight recent work outstanding questions three areas: ( i ) selecting relevant traits; ii describing intraspecific trait variation incorporating into models; iii scaling data community‐ ecosystem‐level processes. Over the past decade, there have advances characterization plant strategies based on relationships, integration multivariate indices community function. However, utility trait‐based approaches ecology benefit efforts demonstrate these influence organismal, community, across vegetation types, which may be achieved through meta‐analysis enhancement databases. Additionally, interactions need incorporated predictive using tools such as Bayesian hierarchical modelling. Finally, existing linking empirically tested for their applicability realized.

Language: Английский

---

Trait Evolution, Community Assembly, and the Phylogenetic Structure of Ecological Communities

The American Naturalist, Journal Year: 2007, Volume and Issue: 170(2), P. 271 - 283

Published: July 24, 2007

Taxa co‐occurring in communities often represent a nonrandom sample, phenotypic or phylogenetic terms, of the regional species pool. While heuristic arguments have identified processes that create community patterns, further progress hinges on more comprehensive understanding interactions between underlying ecological and evolutionary processes. We created simulation framework to model trait evolution, assemble (via competition, habitat filtering, neutral assembly), test pattern resulting communities. found structure is greatest when traits are highly conserved multiple influence membership Habitat filtering produces stronger taxa with derived (as opposed ancestral) favored community. Nearest‐relative tests greater power detect patterns due while total relatedness perform better filtering. The size local relative pool strongly influences statistical power; general, increases larger sizes for by but decreases competition. Our results deepen our contribute provide guidance design interpretation empirical research.

Language: Английский

---

A user's guide to functional diversity indices

Ecological Monographs, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 80(3), P. 469 - 484

Published: July 12, 2010

Functional diversity is the of species traits in ecosystems. This concept increasingly used ecological research, yet its formal definition and measurements are currently under discussion. As overall behavior consistency functional indices have not been described so far, novice user risks choosing an inaccurate index or a set redundant to represent diversity. In our study we closely examine clarify their accuracy, consistency, independence. Following current theory, categorize them into richness, evenness, divergence indices. We considered existing as well new developed this study. The aimed at remedying weaknesses (e.g., by taking account intraspecific variability). Using virtual data sets, test (1) whether respond community changes expected from category (2) within each consistent independent other categories. also accuracy methods proposed for use categorical traits. Most classical richness either failed describe were correlated with therefore recommend using that consider variability thus empty space niche space. contrast, most evenness performed respect all tests. For variables, do blending discrete real‐valued (except based on distance measures) since no transposable meaning Nonetheless, can be applied (using trait levels instead species) order equitability.

Language: Английский

---

The emergence and promise of functional biogeography

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 111(38), P. 13690 - 13696

Published: Sept. 15, 2014

Understanding, modeling, and predicting the impact of global change on ecosystem functioning across biogeographical gradients can benefit from enhanced capacity to represent biota as a continuous distribution traits. However, this is challenge for field biogeography historically grounded species concept. Here we focus newly emergent functional biogeography: study geographic trait diversity organizational levels. We show how bridges species-based earth science provide ideas tools help explain in multifaceted (including species, functional, phylogenetic diversities), predict services worldwide, infuse regional conservation programs with basis. Although much recent progress has been made possible because rising multiple data streams, new developments ecoinformatics, methodological advances, future directions should theoretical comprehensive framework scaling biotic interactions trophic levels its ecological implications.

Language: Английский

---

Measuring biodiversity to explain community assembly: a unified approach

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2010, Volume and Issue: 86(4), P. 792 - 812

Published: Dec. 14, 2010

One of the oldest challenges in ecology is to understand processes that underpin composition communities. Historically, an obvious way which describe community compositions has been diversity terms number and abundances species. However, failure reject contradictory models led communities now being characterized by trait phylogenetic diversities. Our objective here demonstrate how species, can be combined together from large local spatial scales reveal historical, deterministic stochastic impact Research this area recently advanced development mathematical measures incorporate dissimilarities relatedness between have developed independently conversely most measures. This semantic confusions particularly when classical ecological evolutionary approaches are integrated so closely together. Consequently, we propose a unified framework importance links among indices. Furthermore, indices differ ways they used across different scales. The connections large-scale, regional allow consideration historical factors addition or processes. Phylogenetic large-scale analyses determine and/or environmental affect both formation species assemblages patterns richness latitude elevation gradients. Both at identify relative impacts such as filtering limiting similarity alternative random speciation extinction, dispersal drift. Measures combine phenotypic genetic potential that, comparative way, structures essential details might act simultaneously assembly We highlight directions for future research. These include variation alters with distances, role global-scale gradients, traits phylogeny, rarity independent history assembly, loss due human impacts, developments biodiversity including within-species variations.

Language: Английский

---

Functional identity and diversity of animals predict ecosystem functioning better than species-based indices

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 282(1801), P. 20142620 - 20142620

Published: Jan. 7, 2015

Drastic biodiversity declines have raised concerns about the deterioration of ecosystem functions and motivated much recent research on relationship between species diversity functioning. A functional trait framework has been proposed to improve mechanistic understanding this relationship, but rarely tested for organisms other than plants. We analysed eight datasets, including five animal groups, examine how well a trait-based approach, compared with more traditional taxonomic predicts seven below- above-ground. Trait-based indices consistently provided greater explanatory power richness or abundance. The frequency distributions single multiple traits in community were best predictors This implies that we investigated underpinned by combination identities (i.e. single-trait indices) complementarity multi-trait communities. Our study provides new insights into general mechanisms link functioning natural communities suggests observed responses due identity dominance patterns composition rather number abundance per se .

Language: Английский

---