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Klipel J, Bergamin RS, Cianciaruso MV, da Silva AC, Jurinitz CF, Jarenkow JA, Bordin KM, Molz M, Higuchi P, Picolotto RC, Debastiani VJ, Müller SC. How do distinct facets of tree diversity and community assembly respond to environmental variables in the subtropical Atlantic Forest? Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10321. [PMID: 37465611 PMCID: PMC10350641 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the impact of altitude, precipitation, and soil conditions on species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and functional diversity (FD) standardized effect sizes in subtropical Brazilian Atlantic Forest tree communities. We considered specific trait information (FDs) for FD, reflecting recent adaptive evolution, contrasting with deeper phylogenetic constraints in FD. Three functional traits (leaf area-LA, wood density-WD, and seed mass-SM) were examined for their response to these gradients. Generalized least squares models with environmental variables as predictors and diversity metrics as response variables were used, and a fourth-corner correlation test explored trait-environmental relationships. SR decreased with altitude, while PD increased, indicating niche convergence at higher altitudes. Leaf area and seed mass diversity also decreased with altitude. For LA, both FD and FDs were significant, reflecting filtering processes influenced by phylogenetic inheritance and recent trait evolution. For SM, only the specific trait structure responded to altitude. LA and SM showed significant trait-environmental relationships, with smaller-leaved and lighter-seeded species dominant at higher altitudes. Soil gradients affect diversity. Fertile soils have a wider range of LA, indicating coexistence of species with different nutrient acquisition strategies. WD variation is lower for FDs. SM diversity has different relationships with soil fertility for FDs and FD, suggesting phylogeny influences trait variation. Soil pH influences WD and LA under acidic soils, with deeper phylogenetic constraints (FD). Environmental factors impact tree communities, with evidence of trait variation constraints driven by conditions and resources. Subtropical Atlantic forests' tree assemblies are mainly influenced by altitude, pH, and soil fertility, selecting fewer species and narrower trait spectra under specific conditions (e.g., higher altitudes, pH). Functional diversity patterns reflect both phylogenetic and recent evolution constraints, with varying strength across traits and conditions. These findings highlight the intricate processes shaping long-lived species assembly across diverse environments in the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joice Klipel
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG), Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG), Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
- Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR)University of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | | | - Ana Carolina da Silva
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Centro de Ciências AgroveterináriasUniversidade do Estado de Santa CatarinaLagesBrazil
| | - Cristiane Follmann Jurinitz
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da VidaPontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)Porto AlegreBrazil
| | - João André Jarenkow
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal e Fitogeografia, Departamento de BotânicaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Kauane Maiara Bordin
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG), Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Martin Molz
- Museu de Ciências Naturais‐SEMA/RSPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Pedro Higuchi
- Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Centro de Ciências AgroveterináriasUniversidade do Estado de Santa CatarinaLagesBrazil
| | - Rayana Caroline Picolotto
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG), Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Vanderlei Júlio Debastiani
- Laboratório de Ecologia Quantitativa, Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Sandra Cristina Müller
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal (LEVEG), Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
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2
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Zhang L, Liu X, Sun Z, Bu W, Bongers FJ, Song X, Yang J, Sun Z, Li Y, Li S, Cao M, Ma K, Swenson NG. Functional trait space and redundancy of plant communities decrease toward cold temperature at high altitudes in Southwest China. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:376-384. [PMID: 35876972 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Plant communities in mountainous areas shift gradually as climatic conditions change with altitude. How trait structure in multivariate space adapts to these varying climates in natural forest stands is unclear. Studying the multivariate functional trait structure and redundancy of tree communities along altitude gradients is crucial to understanding how temperature change affects natural forest stands. In this study, the leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous content from 1,590 trees were collected and used to construct the functional trait space of 12 plant communities at altitudes ranging from 800 m to 3,800 m across three mountains. Hypervolume overlap was calculated to quantify species trait redundancy per community. First, hypervolumes of species exclusion and full species set were calculated, respectively. Second, the overlap between these two volumes was calculated to obtain hypervolume overlap. Results showed that the functional trait space significantly increased with mean annual temperature toward lower altitudes within and across three mountains, whereas species trait redundancy had different patterns between mountains. Thus, warming can widen functional trait space and alter the redundancy in plant communities. The inconsistent patterns of redundancy between mountains suggest that warming exerts varying influences on different ecosystems. Identification of climate-vulnerable ecosystems is important in the face of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Zhenhua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Wensheng Bu
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Franca J Bongers
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiaoyang Song
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Zhenkai Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation, Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Yin Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Monitoring and Sustainable Management and Utilization, Sanming University, Sanming, 365004, China
| | - Shan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Min Cao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Nathan G Swenson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, USA
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3
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Srivastava DS, MacDonald AAM, Pillar VD, Kratina P, Debastiani VJ, Guzman LM, Trzcinski MK, Dézerald O, Barberis IM, de Omena PM, Romero GQ, Ospina Bautista F, Marino NAC, Leroy C, Farjalla VF, Richardson BA, Gonçalves AZ, Corbara B, Petermann JS, Richardson MJ, Melnychuk MC, Jocqué M, Ngai JT, Talaga S, Piccoli GCO, Montero G, Kirby KR, Starzomski BM, Céréghino R. Geographical variation in the trait‐based assembly patterns of multitrophic invertebrate communities. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diane S. Srivastava
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - A. Andrew M. MacDonald
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, CNRS Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier Toulouse France
- Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB‐FRB), Montpellier, France the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB‐FRB), Aix‐en‐Provence France
| | - Valério D. Pillar
- Department of Ecology and Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Porto Alegre RS Brazil
| | - Pavel Kratina
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Vanderlei J. Debastiani
- Department of Ecology and Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Porto Alegre RS Brazil
| | - Laura Melissa Guzman
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | - M. Kurtis Trzcinski
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Olivier Dézerald
- EcoFoG, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, CNRS UMR 8172 Kourou France
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystems Health, INRAE, Agrocampus Ouest, 35042 Rennes France
| | - Ignacio M. Barberis
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, IICAR‐CONICET‐UNR, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Zavalla Argentina
| | - Paula M. de Omena
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity, Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology University of Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
- Institute of Biological Sciences Federal University of Pará Belém PA Brazil
| | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity, Department of Animal Biology, Institute of Biology University of Campinas Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Fabiola Ospina Bautista
- Department of Biological Sciences Andes University Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas Colombia Colombia
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas Colombia
| | - Nicholas A. C. Marino
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Céline Leroy
- AMAP, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD Montpellier France
- ECOFOG, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université de Guyane, Université des Kourou France
| | - Vinicius F. Farjalla
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Barbara A. Richardson
- Edinburgh UK
- Luquillo LTER, Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies University of Puerto Rico San Juan Puerto Rico
| | - Ana Z. Gonçalves
- Department of Botany, Biosciences Institute University of São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Bruno Corbara
- Laboratoire Microorganismes, Génome et Environnement Université Clermont Auvergne Aubière France
| | | | - Michael J. Richardson
- Edinburgh UK
- Luquillo LTER, Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies University of Puerto Rico San Juan Puerto Rico
| | | | - Merlijn Jocqué
- Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Brussels Belgium
| | - Jacqueline T. Ngai
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Stanislas Talaga
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Unité d’Entomologie Médicale Cayenne France
- MIVEGEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Gustavo C. O. Piccoli
- Department of Zoology and Botany University of São Paulo State São José do Rio Preto SP Brazil
| | - Guillermo Montero
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, IICAR‐CONICET‐UNR, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Zavalla Argentina
| | - Kathryn R. Kirby
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | | | - Régis Céréghino
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, CNRS Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier Toulouse France
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4
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Gross CP, Duffy JE, Hovel KA, Kardish MR, Reynolds PL, Boström C, Boyer KE, Cusson M, Eklöf J, Engelen AH, Eriksson BK, Fodrie FJ, Griffin JN, Hereu CM, Hori M, Hughes AR, Ivanov MV, Jorgensen P, Kruschel C, Lee KS, Lefcheck J, McGlathery K, Moksnes PO, Nakaoka M, O'Connor MI, O'Connor NE, Olsen JL, Orth RJ, Peterson BJ, Reiss H, Rossi F, Ruesink J, Sotka EE, Thormar J, Tomas F, Unsworth R, Voigt EP, Whalen MA, Ziegler SL, Stachowicz JJ. The biogeography of community assembly: latitude and predation drive variation in community trait distribution in a guild of epifaunal crustaceans. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211762. [PMID: 35193403 PMCID: PMC8864368 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While considerable evidence exists of biogeographic patterns in the intensity of species interactions, the influence of these patterns on variation in community structure is less clear. Studying how the distributions of traits in communities vary along global gradients can inform how variation in interactions and other factors contribute to the process of community assembly. Using a model selection approach on measures of trait dispersion in crustaceans associated with eelgrass (Zostera marina) spanning 30° of latitude in two oceans, we found that dispersion strongly increased with increasing predation and decreasing latitude. Ocean and epiphyte load appeared as secondary predictors; Pacific communities were more overdispersed while Atlantic communities were more clustered, and increasing epiphytes were associated with increased clustering. By examining how species interactions and environmental filters influence community structure across biogeographic regions, we demonstrate how both latitudinal variation in species interactions and historical contingency shape these responses. Community trait distributions have implications for ecosystem stability and functioning, and integrating large-scale observations of environmental filters, species interactions and traits can help us predict how communities may respond to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P. Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | - Kevin A. Hovel
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Melissa R. Kardish
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pamela L. Reynolds
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christoffer Boström
- Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Sciences fondamentales and Québec Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - Johan Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - F. Joel Fodrie
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC, USA
| | | | - Clara M. Hereu
- Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja CA, Mexico
| | - Masakazu Hori
- Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - A. Randall Hughes
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Nahant, MA, USA
| | - Mikhail V. Ivanov
- Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pablo Jorgensen
- Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur, Argentina
| | | | - Kun-Seop Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jonathan Lefcheck
- DataLab: Data Science and Informatics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Karen McGlathery
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Per-Olav Moksnes
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Goteborg, Sweden
| | | | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nessa E. O'Connor
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Robert J. Orth
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA
| | - Bradley J. Peterson
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Francesca Rossi
- Centre National de la Récherche Scientifique, ECOSEAS Laboratory, Université de Cote d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Jennifer Ruesink
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Erik E. Sotka
- Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Fiona Tomas
- IMEDEAS (CSIC), Esporles, Islas Baleares, Spain
| | | | - Erin P. Voigt
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew A. Whalen
- Hakai Institute, Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - John J. Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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5
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Delalandre L, Gaüzère P, Thuiller W, Cadotte M, Mouquet N, Mouillot D, Munoz F, Denelle P, Loiseau N, Morin X, Violle C. Functionally distinct tree species support long-term productivity in extreme environments. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211694. [PMID: 35042423 PMCID: PMC8767214 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite evidence of a positive effect of functional diversity on ecosystem productivity, the importance of functionally distinct species (i.e. species that display an original combination of traits) is poorly understood. To investigate how distinct species affect ecosystem productivity, we used a forest-gap model to simulate realistic temperate forest successions along an environmental gradient and measured ecosystem productivity at the end of the successional trajectories. We performed 10 560 simulations with different sets and numbers of species, bearing either distinct or indistinct functional traits, and compared them to random assemblages, to mimic the consequences of a regional loss of species. Long-term ecosystem productivity dropped when distinct species were lost first from the regional pool of species, under the harshest environmental conditions. On the contrary, productivity was more dependent on ordinary species in milder environments. Our findings show that species functional distinctiveness, integrating multiple trait dimensions, can capture species-specific effects on ecosystem productivity. In a context of an environmentally changing world, they highlight the need to investigate the role of distinct species in sustaining ecosystem processes, particularly in extreme environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Delalandre
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Gaüzère
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, University of Grenoble Alpes, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, University of Grenoble Alpes, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Marc Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
- FRB—CESAB, Montpellier 34000, France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - François Munoz
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, Grenoble F-38000, France
| | - Pierre Denelle
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Loiseau
- MARBEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Xavier Morin
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
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6
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Gross N, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y, Liancourt P, Saiz H, Violle C, Munoz F. Unveiling ecological assembly rules from commonalities in trait distributions. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1668-1680. [PMID: 34128304 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the effect of neutral and deterministic processes on community assembly is critical to understand and predict diversity patterns. The information held in community trait distributions is commonly assumed as a signature of these processes, but empirical and modelling attempts have most often failed to untangle their confounding, sometimes opposing, impacts. Here, we simulated the assembly of trait distributions through stochastic (dispersal limitation) and/or deterministic scenarios (environmental filtering and niche differentiation). We characterized the shape of trait distributions using the skewness-kurtosis relationship. We identified commonalities in the co-variation between the skewness and the kurtosis of trait distributions with a unique signature for each simulated assembly scenario. Our findings were robust to variation in the composition of regional species pools, dispersal limitation and environmental conditions. While ecological communities can exhibit a high degree of idiosyncrasy, identification of commonalities across multiple communities can help to unveil ecological assembly rules in real-world ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gross
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Ecosystème Prairial, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Science, Průhonice, Czech Republic.,Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hugo Saiz
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier - CNRS - EPHE - IRD - Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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7
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Biddick M, Burns KC. A simple null model predicts the island rule. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1646-1654. [PMID: 34010500 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The island rule is a putative pattern in island evolution, where small species become larger on islands and large species become smaller. Despite decades of study, a mechanistic explanation for why some taxonomic groups obey the island rule, while others do not, has yet to be identified. Here, we explore whether the island rule might result from evolutionary drift. We derived a simulation model that predicts evolutionary size changes on islands based on random evolutionary trajectories along bounded trait domains. The model consistently predicted the island rule and could account for its occurrence in plants inhabiting islands in the Southwest Pacific. When support for the island rule was not detected, insular gigantism was often observed, suggesting that natural selection was at work. Overall results indicate that evolutionary drift can provide a parsimonious explanation for the island rule, suggesting future work should focus on circumstances where it does not occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Biddick
- Terestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Kevin C Burns
- Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora, School of Biological Sciences, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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8
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Biennial Mowing Maintains the Biomass and Functional Diversity of Semi-Arid Grassland. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12041507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the functional diversity relationship between biomass and plants is a key issue in biodiversity–ecosystem functionality and the utility of grassland. We conducted a five-year mowing experiment to examine the effects of the mowing frequency on biomass, plant species, and functional diversity of a natural plant community in a semiarid region of Inner Mongolia. A secondary objective was to test whether unmowed refuge areas within plots would mitigate the disturbance effect of mowing. The result showed that mowing disturbance reduced biomass by the greatest amount with mowing once every year (M1) and the least with M2. The biomass composition of M2 consisted of a greater mass of perennial species than in the other mowing treatments but was equivalent to the control (CK). However, mowing disturbances increased the plant species richness and M2 had the largest number of species. The community-weighted means (CWM) indices indicated that M2 produced the least detrimental effects on the grassland. Retaining unmowed refuge areas appeared to be ineffective in promoting beneficial community traits under M1 mowing regimes. Based on our results, we recommend that the semi-arid grassland be mowed every other year in order to optimize sustainable production.
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