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Aim: The microclimate and light conditions on the forest floor are strongly modified by tree canopies. Therefore, we need to better consider the micro-environment when quantifying trait–environment relationships for forest understorey plants. Here, we quantify relationships between micro-environmental conditions and plant functional traits at the community level, including intraspecific trait variation, and their relationship with microclimate air temperature, light and soil properties. Location: Deciduous temperate forests across Europe. Time period: 2018. Major taxa studied: Herbaceous vegetation. Methods: We sampled 225 plots across 15 regions along four complementary gradients capturing both macro- and microclimatic conditions including latitude, elevation, forest management and distance to forest edges. We related the community-weighted mean of five plant functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area [SLA], plant carbon [C], plant nitrogen [N] and plant C:N ratio) across 150 vascular plant species to variation in local microclimate air temperature, light and soil properties. We tested the effect of accounting for intraspecific variation in trait–environment relationships and performed variation partitioning to identify major drivers of trait variation. Results: Microclimate temperature, light availability and soil properties were all important predictors of community-weighted mean functional traits. When light availability and variation in temperature were higher, the herb community often consisted of taller plants with a higher C:N ratio. In more productive environments (e.g. with high soil nitrogen availability), the community was dominated by individuals with resource-acquisitive traits: high SLA and N but low C:N. Including intraspecific trait variation increased the strength of the trait–micro-environment relationship, and increased the importance of light availability. Main conclusions: The trait–environment relationships were much stronger when the

[Aim]: Theoretical, experimental and observational studies have shown that biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are influenced by functional community structure through two mutually non-exclusive mechanisms: (1) the dominance effect (which relates to the traits of the dominant species); and (2) the niche partitioning effect [which relates to functional diversity (FD)]. Although both mechanisms have been studied in plant communities and experiments at small spatial extents, it remains unclear whether evidence from small-extent case studies translates into a generalizable macroecological pattern. Here, we evaluate dominance and niche partitioning effects simultaneously in grassland systems world-wide. [Location]: Two thousand nine hundred and forty-one grassland plots globally. [Time period]: 2000–2014. Major taxa studied. Vascular plants. [Methods]: We obtained plot-based data on functional community structure from the global vegetation plot database “sPlot”, which combines species composition with plant trait data from the “TRY” database. We used data on the community-weighted mean (CWM) and FD for 18 ecologically relevant plant traits. As an indicator of primary productivity, we extracted the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS. Using generalized additive models and deviation partitioning, we estimated the contributions of trait CWM and FD to the variation in annual maximum NDVI, while controlling for climatic variables and spatial structure. [Results]: Grassland communities dominated by relatively tall species with acquisitive traits had higher NDVI values, suggesting the prevalence of dominance effects for BEF relationships. We found no support for niche partitioning for the functional traits analysed, because NDVI remained unaffected by FD. Most of the predictive power of traits was shared by climatic predictors and spatial coordinates. This highlights the importance of community assembly processes for BEF

Aim: Theoretical, experimental and observational studies have shown that biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are influenced by functional community structure through two mutually non-exclusive mechanisms: (1) the dominance effect (which relates to the traits of the dominant species); and (2) the niche partitioning effect [which relates to functional diversity (FD)]. Although both mechanisms have been studied in plant communities and experiments at small spatial extents, it remains unclear whether evidence from small-extent case studies translates into a generalizable macroecological pattern. Here, we evaluate dominance and niche partitioning effects simultaneously in grassland systems world-wide. Location: Two thousand nine hundred and forty-one grassland plots globally. Time period: 2000–2014. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We obtained plot-based data on functional community structure from the global vegetation plot database “sPlot”, which combines species composition with plant trait data from the “TRY” database. We used data on the community-weighted mean (CWM) and FD for 18 ecologically relevant plant traits. As an indicator of primary productivity, we extracted the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS. Using generalized additive models and deviation partitioning, we estimated the contributions of trait CWM and FD to the variation in annual maximum NDVI, while controlling for climatic variables and spatial structure. Results: Grassland communities dominated by relatively tall species with acquisitive traits had higher NDVI values, suggesting the prevalence of dominance effects for BEF relationships. We found no support for niche partitioning for the functional traits analysed, because NDVI remained unaffected by FD. Most of the predictive power of traits was shared by climatic predictors and spatial coordinates. This highlights the importance of community assembly processes for BEF relations

Aim Theoretical, experimental and observational studies have shown that biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are influenced by functional community structure through two mutually non-exclusive mechanisms: (1) the dominance effect (which relates to the traits of the dominant species); and (2) the niche partitioning effect [which relates to functional diversity (FD)]. Although both mechanisms have been studied in plant communities and experiments at small spatial extents, it remains unclear whether evidence from small-extent case studies translates into a generalizable macroecological pattern. Here, we evaluate dominance and niche partitioning effects simultaneously in grassland systems world-wide. Location Two thousand nine hundred and forty-one grassland plots globally. Time period 2000–2014. Major taxa studied Vascular plants. Methods We obtained plot-based data on functional community structure from the global vegetation plot database “sPlot”, which combines species composition with plant trait data from the “TRY” database. We used data on the community-weighted mean (CWM) and FD for 18 ecologically relevant plant traits. As an indicator of primary productivity, we extracted the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS. Using generalized additive models and deviation partitioning, we estimated the contributions of trait CWM and FD to the variation in annual maximum NDVI, while controlling for climatic variables and spatial structure. Results Grassland communities dominated by relatively tall species with acquisitive traits had higher NDVI values, suggesting the prevalence of dominance effects for BEF relationships. We found no support for niche partitioning for the functional traits analysed, because NDVI remained unaffected by FD. Most of the predictive power of traits was shared by climatic predictors and spatial coordinates. This highlights the importance of community assembly processes for BEF relationships i

Theoretical, experimental and observational studies have shown that biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships are influenced by functional community structure through two mutually non-exclusive mechanisms: (1) the dominance effect (which relates to the traits of the dominant species); and (2) the niche partitioning effect [which relates to functional diversity (FD)]. Although both mechanisms have been studied in plant communities and experiments at small spatial extents, it remains unclear whether evidence from small-extent case studies translates into a generalizable macroecological pattern. Here, we evaluate dominance and niche partitioning effects simultaneously in grassland systems world-wide. Location: Two thousand nine hundred and forty-one grassland plots globally. Time period: 2000–2014. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: We obtained plot-based data on functional community structure from the global vegetation plot database “sPlot”, which combines species composition with plant trait data from the “TRY” database. We used data on the community-weighted mean (CWM) and FD for 18 ecologically relevant plant traits. As an indicator of primary productivity, we extracted the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS. Using generalized additive models and deviation partitioning, we estimated the contributions of trait CWM and FD to the variation in annual maximum NDVI, while controlling for climatic variables and spatial structure. Results: Grassland communities dominated by relatively tall species with acquisitive traits had higher NDVI values, suggesting the prevalence of dominance effects for BEF relationships. We found no support for niche partitioning for the functional traits analysed, because NDVI remained unaffected by FD. Most of the predictive power of traits was shared by climatic predictors and spatial coordinates. This highlights the importance of community assembly processes for BEF relationships

High-mountain plant communities are strongly determined by abiotic conditions, especially low temperature, and are therefore susceptible to effects of climate warming. Rising temperatures, however, also lead to increased evapotranspiration, which, together with projected shifts in seasonal precipitation patterns, could lead to prolonged, detrimental water deficiencies. The current study aims at comparing alpine plant communities along elevation and water availability gradients from humid conditions (north-eastern Alps) to a moderate (Central Apennines) and a pronounced dry period during summer (Lefka Ori, Crete) in the Mediterranean area. We do this in order to (1) detect relationships between community-based indices (plant functional leaf and growth traits, thermic vegetation indicator, plant life forms, vegetation cover and diversity) and soil temperature and snow duration and (2) assess if climatic changes have already affected the vegetation, by determining directional changes over time (14-year period; 2001–2015) in these indices in the three regions. Plant community indices responded to decreasing temperatures along the elevation gradient in the NE-Alps and the Apennines, but this elevation effect almost disappeared in the summer-dry mountains of Crete. This suggests a shift from low-temperature to drought-dominated ecological filters. Leaf trait (Leaf Dry Matter Content and Specific Leaf Area) responses changed in direction from the Alps to the Apennines, indicating that drought effects already become discernible at the northern margin of the Mediterranean. Over time, a slight increase in vegetation cover was found in all regions, but thermophilisation occurred only in the NE-Alps and Apennines, accompanied by a decline of cold-adapted cushion plants in the Alps. On Crete, xeromorphic shrubs were increasing in abundance. Although critical biodiversity losses have not yet been observed, an intensified monitoring of combined warming-drought impacts will be requ

Climate change in the American Southwest is altering the composition of species assemblages. However, the resulting patterns in mean trait values and functional diversity are poorly understood. Bees assemblages in Southwestern drylands are exceptionally diverse, and vary greatly in their morphologic traits. In this study we focused on two questions: Have community-weighted mean trait values shifted over time and/or with aridity, consistent with the hypothesis that aridification is driving bee assemblage change? Has the functional diversity of the Sevilleta bee assemblage declined over time and/or with aridity, consistent with the hypothesis that pollination services could be declining? To address these questions, we utilized 16 years of abundance data for 33 focal bee species at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NM, USA), combined with measurements of a suite of morphological traits. Our results show that changes in aridity are associated with changes in the functional composition of a hyperdiverse bee assemblage.

Climate change in the American Southwest is altering the composition of species assemblages. However, the resulting patterns in mean trait values and functional diversity are poorly understood. Bees assemblages in Southwestern drylands are exceptionally diverse, and vary greatly in their morphologic traits. In this study we focused on two questions: Have community-weighted mean trait values shifted over time and/or with aridity, consistent with the hypothesis that aridification is driving bee assemblage change? Has the functional diversity of the Sevilleta bee assemblage declined over time and/or with aridity, consistent with the hypothesis that pollination services could be declining? To address these questions, we utilized 16 years of abundance data for 33 focal bee species at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NM, USA), combined with measurements of a suite of morphological traits. Our results show that changes in aridity are associated with changes in the functional composition of a hyperdiverse bee assemblage.

Weed community structure, including composition and taxonomic and functional diversity, may explain variability in crop quality, adding to the variability accounted for by management, climatic and genetic factors. Focusing on Mediterranean rainfed wheat crops, we sampled weed communities from 26 fields in Spain that were either organically or conventionally managed. Weed communities were characterized by their abundance and taxonomic, compositional and trait-based measures. Grain protein concentration and the glutenin-to-gliadin ratio were used as indicators of wheat grain quality. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the relationship between crop quality and weed community variables, while accounting for environmental factors. Nitrogen fertilization, previous crop and precipitation explained an important part of wheat grain protein concentration (R2marginal = 0.39) and composition (R2marginal = 0.26). Weed community measures had limited effects on grain quality (increasing R2marginal of models by 1% on average). The weed effects were related to the composition and the functional structure of their communities but not to their abundance. Environmental conditions promoting higher protein concentration also selected for weed species with competitive attributes, whereas the role of weed functional diversity depended on the functional trait and on the resource limiting crop grain quality. Understanding the mechanisms of weed effects on crop quality could aid in designing sustainable weed management practices.

Soil ecosystems, and the fauna they host, are known to provide many services and communities of Collembola can be used as bioindicators of soil functionality. Climate change is often expected to threaten Collembola, however, it is possible that it could also favour them. Previous studies have shown that the structure of collembolan communities can be shaped by long-term adaptation to climate, and that temperature plays a major role in the variation of species traits. In this study, we evaluated how the functional composition and structure of collembolan communities are impacted by climate change using an experimental climate manipulation design. The study used data from the CLIMAITE experiment, which was carried out in Denmark in an unmanaged heath/grassland ecosystem that was subjected to the simulated predicted climate for the year 2075. The climate manipulation experiment parameters included elevated temperature, elevated concentration of atmospheric CO2 and extended drought, which were tested alone and in combination on a total of 48 plots, including controls. Collembola were sampled using 10-cm-depth soil cores after 1, 2 and 8 years of climate manipulation. We posited (i) that a stimulating factor (elevated CO2) would increase mean body length, and (ii) that an inhibiting factor (drought) would favour traits indicating a euedaphic life or an ability to present resistance mechanisms (scales, ecomorphosis) and would reduce functional structure indices through environmental filtering. The results did not support these hypotheses. While the findings showed sporadic effects of the climatic treatments on the functional composition and structure, they did not demonstrate any general community response pattern. This may be due to limitations of the study in terms of climatic intensity or community assembly, opening perspectives for future experiments in terms of the choice of traits and measurements.

Bottom trawling results in widespread impacts to the structure and composition of benthic communities. Although an ecosystem approach to fisheries management aims to conserve marine biodiversity and ecosystem function, there remains a lack of empirical evidence regarding the effects of trawling on benthic functional properties. Here, we examined the sensitivity of benthic macrofauna communities to trawling using their biological traits, and compared trait responses across size-categories and survey types. We collected 84 benthic soft-sediment samples by Van Veen grab (0.1 m2) in the Kattegat in 2016, and complemented with 827 Haps cores (0.0143 m2) gathered over a long-term monitoring programme between 2006 and 2013. By analysing trait response in 3 size categories (small: 1-4 mm fraction; large: ≥4 mm fraction; full community: all individuals combined), we demonstrate a size-dependent effect of trawling on benthic trait composition, where the traits of large-bodied fauna (≥4 mm) were more sensitive. Specifically, larger sessile, deep-living, suspension-feeding, tube-dwelling, subsurface deposit-feeding, burrow-dwelling, and long-lived (≥10 yr) individuals were among the most affected. Our results based on large fauna were largely in agreement with trait responses observed in the multi-year monitoring data, suggesting that trait data gathered from a targeted one-time sampling event can convey information on both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) trawling impacts. Given that most trawling impact assessments do not consider size-based effects, we outline how size-separating the community can be used to improve the detectability of trawling impacts, and provide new insights into the functional impacts of fishing on the seabed.

One-third of all Neotropical forests are secondary forests that regrow naturally after agricultural use through secondary succession. We need to understand better how and why succession varies across environmental gradients and broad geographic scales. Here we present data on functional recovery, using community data on seven plant characteristics (traits) of 1016 forest plots from 30 chronosequence sites across the Neotropics. By analyzing communities in terms of their traits one can enhance understanding of the mechanisms of succession and assess ecosystem recovery., One-third of all Neotropical forests are secondary forests that regrow naturally after agricultural use through secondary succession. We need to understand better how and why succession varies across environmental gradients and broad geographic scales. Here we present data on functional recovery, using community data on seven plant characteristics (traits) of 1016 forest plots from 30 chronosequence sites across the Neotropics. By analyzing communities in terms of their traits one can enhance understanding of the mechanisms of succession and assess ecosystem recovery.

Climate change and land use intensification are the two most common global change drivers of biodiversity loss. Like other organisms, the soil meso-fauna are expected to modify their functional diversity and composition in response to climate and land use changes. Here, we investigated the functional responses of Collembola, one of the most abundant and ecologically important groups of soil invertebrates. This study was conducted at the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in central Germany, where we tested the effects of climate (ambient vs. ‘future’ as projected for this region for the years between 2070 and 2100), land use (conventional farming, organic farming, intensively-used meadow, extensively-used meadow, and extensively-used pasture), and their interactions on the functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean (CWM) traits (life-history, morphology), and functional composition of Collembola, as well as the Soil Biological Quality-Collembola (QBS-c) index. We found that land use was overwhelmingly the dominant driver of shifts in functional diversity, functional traits, and functional composition of Collembola, and of shifts in soil biological quality. These significant land use effects were mainly due to the differences between the two main land use types, i.e. cropland vs. grasslands. Specifically, Collembola functional biodiversity and soil biological quality were significantly lower in croplands than grasslands. However, no interactive effect of climate × land use was found in this study, suggesting that land use effects on Collembola were independent of the climate change scenario. Overall, our study shows that functional responses of Collembola are highly vulnerable to land use intensification under both climate scenarios. We conclude that land use changes reduce functional biodiversity and biological quality of soil.

The classification and description of wetland vegetation is important for biodiversity conservation and water resource management as it provides an understanding of the wetland vegetation-environment relationships and information to interpret spatial variation in plant communities. This study characterises the Afromontane palustrine wetlands of Lesotho in terms of plant communities, plant functional types and plant functional composition. Relationships of plant communities and functional traits were also explored. Vegetation, environmental and plant functional trait data were collected using the Braun-Blanquet method and standard methods. The data were analysed mainly by means of clustering, ordination and diversity analysis techniques. Twenty-two communities were produced by the classification of the Afromontane wetland vegetation and seven plant functional types, as well as seven functional communities were obtained from the classification. The wetland plant communities are diverse in terms of species richness. The ordination revealed that the wetland vegetation is mainly influenced by altitude, longitude, slope, soil parent material, landscape, inundation, peat, potassium content, soil texture, total organic carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, electrical conductivity, calcium, soil depth, wetness, magnesium, aspect and latitude. Plant functional traits and functional composition of the communities were found to be broadly influenced by altitude, slope, longitude, soil parent material, landscape and inundation, and more finely by edaphic factors that include electrical conductivity, calcium, sodium, magnesium, nitrogen, organic matter, total organic carbon, clay percentage, pH, sand percentage and potassium. Regarding species composition and diversity, plant communities in the Highlands were more diverse and were distinctively different from those in the Lowlands. Although a few wetlands, particularly in the Highlands are still in their near-pristine condition, many wetlan

The classification and description of wetland vegetation is important for biodiversity conservation and water resource management as it provides an understanding of the wetland vegetation-environment relationships and information to interpret spatial variation in plant communities. This study characterises the Afromontane palustrine wetlands of Lesotho in terms of plant communities, plant functional types and plant functional composition. Relationships of plant communities and functional traits were also explored. Vegetation, environmental and plant functional trait data were collected using the Braun-Blanquet method and standard methods. The data were analysed mainly by means of clustering, ordination and diversity analysis techniques. Twenty-two communities were produced by the classification of the Afromontane wetland vegetation and seven plant functional types, as well as seven functional communities were obtained from the classification. The wetland plant communities are diverse in terms of species richness. The ordination revealed that the wetland vegetation is mainly influenced by altitude, longitude, slope, soil parent material, landscape, inundation, peat, potassium content, soil texture, total organic carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, electrical conductivity, calcium, soil depth, wetness, magnesium, aspect and latitude. Plant functional traits and functional composition of the communities were found to be broadly influenced by altitude, slope, longitude, soil parent material, landscape and inundation, and more finely by edaphic factors that include electrical conductivity, calcium, sodium, magnesium, nitrogen, organic matter, total organic carbon, clay percentage, pH, sand percentage and potassium. Regarding species composition and diversity, plant communities in the Highlands were more diverse and were distinctively different from those in the Lowlands. Although a few wetlands, particularly in the Highlands are still in their near-pristine condition, many wetlan

Climate change and land use intensification are the two most common global change drivers of biodiversity loss. Like other organisms, the soil meso-fauna are expected to modify their functional diversity and composition in response to climate and land use changes. Here, we investigated the functional responses of Collembola, one of the most abundant and ecologically important groups of soil invertebrates. This study was conducted at the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in central Germany, where we tested the effects of climate (ambient vs. ‘future’ as projected for this region for the years between 2070 and 2100), land use (conventional farming, organic farming, intensively-used meadow, extensively-used meadow, and extensively-used pasture), and their interactions on the functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean (CWM) traits (life-history, morphology), and functional composition of Collembola, as well as the Soil Biological Quality-Collembola (QBS-c) index. We found that land use was overwhelmingly the dominant driver of shifts in functional diversity, functional traits, and functional composition of Collembola, and of shifts in soil biological quality. These significant land use effects were mainly due to the differences between the two main land use types, i.e. cropland vs. grasslands. Specifically, Collembola functional biodiversity and soil biological quality were significantly lower in croplands than grasslands. However, no interactive effect of climate × land use was found in this study, suggesting that land use effects on Collembola were independent of the climate change scenario. Overall, our study shows that functional responses of Collembola are highly vulnerable to land use intensification under both climate scenarios. We conclude that land use changes reduce functional biodiversity and biological quality of soil.

The classification and description of wetland vegetation is important for biodiversity conservation and water resource management as it provides an understanding of the wetland vegetation-environment relationships and information to interpret spatial variation in plant communities. This study characterises the Afromontane palustrine wetlands of Lesotho in terms of plant communities, plant functional types and plant functional composition. Relationships of plant communities and functional traits were also explored. Vegetation, environmental and plant functional trait data were collected using the Braun-Blanquet method and standard methods. The data were analysed mainly by means of clustering, ordination and diversity analysis techniques. Twenty-two communities were produced by the classification of the Afromontane wetland vegetation and seven plant functional types, as well as seven functional communities were obtained from the classification. The wetland plant communities are diverse in terms of species richness. The ordination revealed that the wetland vegetation is mainly influenced by altitude, longitude, slope, soil parent material, landscape, inundation, peat, potassium content, soil texture, total organic carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, electrical conductivity, calcium, soil depth, wetness, magnesium, aspect and latitude. Plant functional traits and functional composition of the communities were found to be broadly influenced by altitude, slope, longitude, soil parent material, landscape and inundation, and more finely by edaphic factors that include electrical conductivity, calcium, sodium, magnesium, nitrogen, organic matter, total organic carbon, clay percentage, pH, sand percentage and potassium. Regarding species composition and diversity, plant communities in the Highlands were more diverse and were distinctively different from those in the Lowlands. Although a few wetlands, particularly in the Highlands are still in their near-pristine condition, many wetlan, National University of Lesotho, RCC grant P165-9008

Climate change and land use intensification are the two most common global change drivers of biodiversity loss. Like other organisms, the soil meso-fauna are expected to modify their functional diversity and composition in response to climate and land use changes. Here, we investigated the functional responses of Collembola, one of the most abundant and ecologically important groups of soil invertebrates. This study was conducted at the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in central Germany, where we tested the effects of climate (ambient vs. ‘future’ as projected for this region for the years between 2070 and 2100), land use (conventional farming, organic farming, intensively-used meadow, extensively-used meadow, and extensively-used pasture), and their interactions on the functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean (CWM) traits (life-history, morphology), and functional composition of Collembola, as well as the Soil Biological Quality-Collembola (QBS-c) index. We found that land use was overwhelmingly the dominant driver of shifts in functional diversity, functional traits, and functional composition of Collembola, and of shifts in soil biological quality. These significant land use effects were mainly due to the differences between the two main land use types, i.e. cropland vs. grasslands. Specifically, Collembola functional biodiversity and soil biological quality were significantly lower in croplands than grasslands. However, no interactive effect of climate × land use was found in this study, suggesting that land use effects on Collembola were independent of the climate change scenario. Overall, our study shows that functional responses of Collembola are highly vulnerable to land use intensification under both climate scenarios. We conclude that land use changes reduce functional biodiversity and biological quality of soil.

Aim We investigated the consistency between richness and trait-based diversity metrics in capturing the effects of management-related habitat factors on biodiversity. The choice of biodiversity metrics can substantially affect the evaluation of conservation tools. However, the relative sensitivity of different metrics is not well investigated, especially in a multi-taxon framework. Location European beech forests in Denmark. Methods We studied 20 beech stands comprising four management types (from intensively managed to long unmanaged stands). We analyzed how management-related environmental variables were reflected in the measure of: (i) species richness, (ii) number of conservation-relevant species (red-listed species and old-growth forest indicators) and (iii) functional diversity targeting five organism groups with different habitat requirements, i.e. vascular plants, epiphytic lichens and bryophytes, saproxylic fungi and breeding birds. Results Plain species richness at stand level was generally misleading, as it did not capture changes in the number of conservation relevant species with changes in management-related environmental variables. The interpretation of functional responses was most informative for the better known vascular plants, while responses were more fragmented for the other organism groups. Overall, however, functional responses were consistent with a loss of specialization and progressive simplification of species assemblages from long-unmanaged to intensively managed stands. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the occurrence of conservation-relevant species is a sound and relevant metric for planning and evaluating conservation actions, especially for less studied organism groups (e.g., saproxylic fungi and epiphytes). The functional approach is promising, but presupposes the availability of databases of relevant traits., Aim: We investigated the consistency between richness and trait-based diversity metrics in capturing the effects of management-related habitat factors on biodiversity. The choice of biodiversity metrics can substantially affect the evaluation of conservation tools. However, the relative sensitivity of different metrics is not well investigated, especially in a multi-taxon framework. Location: European beech forests in Denmark. Methods: We studied 20 beech stands comprising four management types (from intensively managed to long unmanaged stands). We analyzed how management-related environmental variables were reflected in the measure of: (i) species richness, (ii) number of conservation-relevant species (red-listed species and old-growth forest indicators) and (iii) functional diversity targeting five organism groups with different habitat requirements, i.e. vascular plants, epiphytic lichens and bryophytes, saproxylic fungi and breeding birds. Results: Plain species richness at stand level was generally misleading, as it did not capture changes in the number of conservation relevant species with changes in management-related environmental variables. The interpretation of functional responses was most informative for the better known vascular plants, while responses were more fragmented for the other organism groups. Overall, however, functional responses were consistent with a loss of specialization and progressive simplification of species assemblages from long-unmanaged to intensively managed stands. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the occurrence of conservation-relevant species is a sound and relevant metric for planning and evaluating conservation actions, especially for less studied organism groups (e.g., saproxylic fungi and epiphytes). The functional approach is promising, but presupposes the availability of databases of relevant traits.

We analyse how community wood density (WD) recovers during secondary tropical forest succession. In wet forests succession proceeds from low to high WD, in dry forests from high to low WD, resulting in convergence of community WD of dry and wet forests over time, as vegetation cover builds up.

Marine ecosystems are exposed to a range of environmental and anthropogenic stressors, including climate change and overexploitation. A promising way towards understanding the impacts of such stressors on community composition is by considering species traits rather than species identity. Here, we describe the spatio-temporal dynamics in fish community traits using >30 yr of species abundance data from the North Sea combined with trait information on body size, life history, growth rate, reproduction and trophic level for demersal fish species in the area. We assessed whether the derived patterns and trends in community-weighted mean traits could be explained by a range of environmental stressors and fishing. Our results revealed strong spatial structuring and long-term changes in the trait composition of North Sea fish, with temporal changes not being uniformly distributed in space. Among the environmental drivers investigated, depth was one of the best predictors, primarily explaining the spatial variation in lifespan, growth rate, trophic level and fecundity. This can be explained by variables that co-vary with depth, e.g. temperature, seasonality, salinity and productivity. Finally, we found only weak relationships between fishing and the spatial variation of traits, suggesting that the spatial trait composition of the community is mostly determined by the environment. Yet, long-term changes in trait composition, primarily in body size, have previously been shown to be affected by size-selective fishing. Our study exemplifies how traits can be used to summarize complex community dynamics and responses to environmental and anthropogenic stressors as well as their usefulness for ecosystembased management

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: In fire-prone ecosystems, variation in bark thickness among species and communities has been explained by fire frequency; thick bark is necessary to protect cambium from lethal temperatures. Elsewhere this investment is deemed unnecessary, and thin bark is thought to prevail. However, in rain forest ecosystems where fire is rare, bark thickness varies widely among species and communities, and the causes of this variation remain enigmatic. We tested for functional explanations of bark thickness variation in temperate rain forest species and communities.METHODS: We measured bark thickness in 82 tree species throughout New Zealand temperate rain forests that historically have experienced little fire and applied two complementary analyses. First, we examined correlations between bark traits and leaf habit, and leaf and stem traits. Second, we calculated community-weighted mean (CWM) bark thickness for 272 plots distributed throughout New Zealand to identify the environments in which thicker-barked communities occur.KEY RESULTS: Conifers had higher size-independent bark thickness than evergreen angiosperms. Species with thicker bark or higher bark allocation coefficients were not associated with “slow economic” plant traits. Across 272 forest plots, communities with thicker bark occurred on infertile soils, and communities with thicker bark and higher bark allocation coefficients occurred in cooler, drier climates.CONCLUSIONS: In non-fire-prone temperate rain forest ecosystems, investment in bark is driven by soil resources, cool minimum temperatures, and seasonal moisture stress. The role of these factors in fire-prone ecosystems warrants testing.

Question To what extent do historical and present-day management regimes and landscape characteristics affect the functional structure of semi-natural grassland communities? Location Semi-natural grasslands, the Baltic island of Öland, Sweden. Methods We assessed community functional structure within 475 (50 cm × 50 cm) semi-natural grassland vegetation plots using two indices: community-weighted mean trait values (CWM) and functional divergence (FD), calculated using the Rao quadratic entropy index. Spatially explicit regressions were used to assess the extent to which the CWM and FD for different plant traits are explained by past and present levels of local grazing management, and the present and historical characteristics of the surrounding landscape. Results Across traits, the CWM and FD of individual grasslands were strongly associated with current grazing intensity, but also with local management history and past landscape structure. Conclusions Our results indicate that grassland functional structure in the fragmented present-day landscape reflects not only present conditions, but also the historical context of the grassland fragments – where the presence of extensive grassland habitat in the surroundings provided a diverse pool of grazing-tolerant species. The study also suggests that information on landscape history, and its effects on the local species pool, may improve predictions of future plant community structure.