Alternative plant designs: consequences for community assembly and ecosystem functioning
[Background] Alternative organism designs (i.e. the existence of distinct combinations of traits leading to the same function or performance) are a widespread phenomenon in nature and are considered an important mechanism driving the evolution and maintenance of species trait diversity. However, alternative designs are rarely considered when investigating assembly rules and species effects on ecosystem functioning, assuming that single trait trade-offs linearly affect species fitness and niche differentiation. [Scope] Here, we first review the concept of alternative designs, and the empirical evidence in plants indicating the importance of the complex effects of multiple traits on fitness. We then discuss how the potential decoupling of single traits from performance and function of species can compromise our ability to detect the mechanisms responsible for species coexistence and the effects of species on ecosystems. Placing traits in the continuum of organism integration level (i.e. traits hierarchically structured ranging from organ-level traits to whole-organism traits) can help in choosing traits more directly related to performance and function. [Conclusions] We conclude that alternative designs have important implications for the resulting trait patterning expected from different assembly processes. For instance, when only single trade-offs are considered, environmental filtering is expected to result in decreased functional diversity. Alternatively, it may result in increased functional diversity as an outcome of alternative strategies providing different solutions to local conditions and thus supporting coexistence. Additionally, alternative designs can result in higher stability of ecosystem functioning as species filtering due to environmental changes would not result in directional changes in (effect) trait values. Assessing the combined effects of multiple plant traits and their implications for plant functioning and functions will improve our mechanistic inferences about the functional significance of community trait patterning.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | artículo biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2020-02-14
|
| Subjects: | Iodiversity-ecosystem functioning, Ecophysiology, Ecological filters, Functional diversity, Functional ecology, Many-to-one mapping, Species coexistence, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/222576 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002322 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003593 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004586 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | [Background] Alternative organism designs (i.e. the existence of distinct combinations of traits leading to the
same function or performance) are a widespread phenomenon in nature and are considered an important mechanism driving the evolution and maintenance of species trait diversity. However, alternative designs are rarely
considered when investigating assembly rules and species effects on ecosystem functioning, assuming that single
trait trade-offs linearly affect species fitness and niche differentiation.
[Scope] Here, we first review the concept of alternative designs, and the empirical evidence in plants indicating
the importance of the complex effects of multiple traits on fitness. We then discuss how the potential decoupling
of single traits from performance and function of species can compromise our ability to detect the mechanisms
responsible for species coexistence and the effects of species on ecosystems. Placing traits in the continuum of
organism integration level (i.e. traits hierarchically structured ranging from organ-level traits to whole-organism
traits) can help in choosing traits more directly related to performance and function.
[Conclusions] We conclude that alternative designs have important implications for the resulting trait patterning
expected from different assembly processes. For instance, when only single trade-offs are considered, environmental filtering is expected to result in decreased functional diversity. Alternatively, it may result in increased
functional diversity as an outcome of alternative strategies providing different solutions to local conditions and
thus supporting coexistence. Additionally, alternative designs can result in higher stability of ecosystem functioning as species filtering due to environmental changes would not result in directional changes in (effect) trait
values. Assessing the combined effects of multiple plant traits and their implications for plant functioning and
functions will improve our mechanistic inferences about the functional significance of community trait patterning. |
|---|