TY - JOUR

T1 - Plant functional traits and community assembly along interacting gradients of productivity and fragmentation

AU - May, Felix

AU - Giladi, Itamar

AU - Ristow, Michael

AU - Ziv, Yaron

AU - Jeltsch, Florian

PY - 2013/12/20

Y1 - 2013/12/20

N2 - Quantifying the association of plant functional traits to environmental gradients is a promising approach for understanding and projecting community responses to land use and climatic changes. Although habitat fragmentation and climate are expected to affect plant communities interactively, there is a lack of empirical studies addressing trait associations to fragmentation in different climatic regimes.In this study, we analyse data on the key functional traits: specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, seed mass and seed number. First, we assess the evidence for the community assembly mechanisms habitat filtering and competition at different spatial scales, using several null-models and a comprehensive set of community-level trait convergence and divergence indices. Second, we analyse the association of community-mean traits with patch area and connectivity along a south-north productivity gradient.We found clear evidence for trait convergence due to habitat filtering. In contrast, the evidence for trait divergence due to competition fundamentally depended on the null-model used. When the null-model controlled for habitat filtering, there was only evidence for trait divergence at the smallest sampling scale (0.25. m. ×. 0.25. m). All traits varied significantly along the S-N productivity gradient. While plant height and SLA were consistently associated with fragmentation, the association of seed mass and seed number with fragmentation changed along the S-N gradient.Our findings indicate trait convergence due to drought stress in the arid sites and due to higher productivity in the mesic sites. The association of plant traits to fragmentation is likely driven by increased colonization ability in small and/or isolated patches (plant height, seed number) or increased persistence ability in isolated patches (seed mass).Our study provides the first empirical test of trait associations with fragmentation along a productivity gradient. We conclude that it is crucial to study the interactive effects of different ecological drivers on plant functional traits. © 2013 Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.

AB - Quantifying the association of plant functional traits to environmental gradients is a promising approach for understanding and projecting community responses to land use and climatic changes. Although habitat fragmentation and climate are expected to affect plant communities interactively, there is a lack of empirical studies addressing trait associations to fragmentation in different climatic regimes.In this study, we analyse data on the key functional traits: specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, seed mass and seed number. First, we assess the evidence for the community assembly mechanisms habitat filtering and competition at different spatial scales, using several null-models and a comprehensive set of community-level trait convergence and divergence indices. Second, we analyse the association of community-mean traits with patch area and connectivity along a south-north productivity gradient.We found clear evidence for trait convergence due to habitat filtering. In contrast, the evidence for trait divergence due to competition fundamentally depended on the null-model used. When the null-model controlled for habitat filtering, there was only evidence for trait divergence at the smallest sampling scale (0.25. m. ×. 0.25. m). All traits varied significantly along the S-N productivity gradient. While plant height and SLA were consistently associated with fragmentation, the association of seed mass and seed number with fragmentation changed along the S-N gradient.Our findings indicate trait convergence due to drought stress in the arid sites and due to higher productivity in the mesic sites. The association of plant traits to fragmentation is likely driven by increased colonization ability in small and/or isolated patches (plant height, seed number) or increased persistence ability in isolated patches (seed mass).Our study provides the first empirical test of trait associations with fragmentation along a productivity gradient. We conclude that it is crucial to study the interactive effects of different ecological drivers on plant functional traits. © 2013 Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.

KW - Didactics of sciences education

KW - Connectivity

KW - Drought-stress

KW - Habitat filtering

KW - Limiting similarity

KW - Null models

KW - Plant height

KW - Seed mass

KW - Seed number

KW - Specific leaf area (SLA)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888033473&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/e4971c69-d870-3ce7-b160-8efcd4c40e9b/

U2 - 10.1016/j.ppees.2013.08.002

DO - 10.1016/j.ppees.2013.08.002

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 15

SP - 304

EP - 318

JO - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

JF - Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

SN - 1433-8319

IS - 6

ER -