Incorporating intraspecific variation in tests of trait-based community assembly.

Oecologia
Andrew Siefert

Abstract

Environmental filtering and niche differentiation are processes proposed to drive community assembly, generating nonrandom patterns in community trait distributions. Despite the substantial intraspecific trait variation present in plant communities, most previous studies of trait-based community assembly have used species mean trait values and therefore not accounted for intraspecific variation. Using a null model approach, I tested for environmental filtering and niche differentiation acting on three key functional traits--vegetative height, specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC)-in old-field plant communities. I also examined how accounting for intraspecific variation at the among-plot and individual levels affected the detection of nonrandom assembly patterns. Tests using fixed species mean trait values provided evidence of environmental filtering acting on height and SLA and niche differentiation acting on SLA. Including plot-level intraspecific variation increased the strength of these patterns, indicating an important role of intraspecific variation in community assembly. Tests using individual trait data indicated strong environmental filtering acting on all traits, but provided no evidence of niche...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 23, 2016·Oecologia·Alex Fajardo, Andrew Siefert
Jan 27, 2015·Oecologia·Angela J BrandtJean H Burns
Oct 22, 2014·PloS One·Rachel M Mitchell, Jonathan D Bakker
Jun 24, 2016·Ecology Letters·György Barabás, Rafael D'Andrea
Aug 8, 2018·Ecology Letters·María Uriarte, Duncan Menge
Dec 8, 2019·Global Change Biology·Haben BlondeelKris Verheyen
Sep 2, 2020·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Fletcher W HallidayAnna-Liisa Laine
Jun 18, 2020·MSystems·Brittany A NiccumBenjamin E Wolfe

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