A functional approach reveals community responses to disturbances

Mouillot, David and Graham, Nicholas A. J. and Villeger, Sebastien and Mason, Norman W. H. and Bellwood, David R. (2013) A functional approach reveals community responses to disturbances. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 28 (3). pp. 167-177. ISSN 0169-5347

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Abstract

Understanding the processes shaping biological communities under multiple disturbances is a core challenge in ecology and conservation science. Traditionally, ecologists have explored linkages between the severity and type of disturbance and the taxonomic structure of communities. Recent advances in the application of species traits, to assess the functional structure of communities, have provided an alternative approach that responds rapidly and consistently across taxa and ecosystems to multiple disturbances. Importantly, trait-based metrics may provide advanced warning of disturbance to ecosystems because they do not need species loss to be reactive. Here, we synthesize empirical evidence and present a theoretical framework, based on species positions in a functional space, as a tool to reveal the complex nature of change in disturbed ecosystems.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1105
Subjects:
?? induced tree mortalityspecies traitsfish communitiesextinction riskclimate-change4th-corner problembiological traitsplant-communitiesmultiple traitswood densityecology, evolution, behavior and systematics ??
ID Code:
81028
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
17 Aug 2016 15:08
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 16:04