Improving plant functional groups for dynamic models of biodiversity: at the crossroads between functional and community ecology

Abstract

The pace of on-going climate change calls for reliable plant biodiversity scenarios. Traditional dynamic vegetation models use plant functional types that are summarized to such an extent that they become meaningless for biodiversity scenarios. Hybrid dynamic vegetation models of intermediate complexity (hybrid-DVMs) have recently been developed to address this issue. These models, at the crossroads between phenomenological and process-based models, are able to involve an intermediate number of well-chosen plant functional groups (PFGs). The challenge is to build meaningful PFGs that are representative of plant biodiversity, and consistent with the parameters and processes of hybrid-DVMs. Here, we propose and test a framework based on few selected traits to define a limited number of PFGs, which are both representative of the diversity (functional and taxonomic) of the flora in the Ecrins National Park, and adapted to hybrid-DVMs. This new classification scheme, together with recent advances in vegetation modeling, constitutes a step forward for mechanistic biodiversity modeling.

Why species tell more about traits than traits about species: predictive analysis

“…If distributions of traits provide more direct information on function than do distributions of the species that possess them, they may clarify some mechanisms (Kraft et al 2008, Mokany et al 2008, Lamanna et al 2014 and simplify biodiversity in models to a few trait-defined plant functional types (PFTs) (Boulangeat et al 2012). If distributions of traits provide more direct information on function than do distributions of the species that possess them, they may clarify some mechanisms (Kraft et al 2008, Mokany et al 2008, Lamanna et al 2014 and simplify biodiversity in models to a few trait-defined plant functional types (PFTs) (Boulangeat et al 2012).…”

Ground Vegetation Modeling through Functional Species Groups and Patches in the Forest Floor

“…инструментом для обоснования прогнозных оценок изменения экологических и лесохозяйственных функций лесных экосистем при принятии решений в рамках реализации концепции устойчивого лесопользования в меняющихся природных и экономических условиях [1][2][3][4][5]. В последние годы в области экологического моделирования стала насущной задача учета роли напочвенного покрова в общей структуре и функционировании лесных экосистем [1,[6][7][8]. Напочвенный покров, под которым будем понимать травяно-кустарничковый и мохово-лишайниковый ярусы лесного растительного сообщества, определяет реализацию множества экосистемных функций биоты [9][10][11], является индикатором лесорастительных условий, регулятором микроклиматических и микробиологических процессов [12], важным компонентом круговорота органического вещества в лесной экосистеме [9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Extreme climate events counteract the effects of climate and land‐use changes in Alpine tree lines

“…FATE‐HD has been parameterized for 24 PFGs representative of both the taxonomic and functional diversity of the rich flora in the ENP (Boulangeat et al . ). They consist of six chamaephyte groups (C1‐6), 10 herbaceous groups (H1‐10) and eight phanerophyte groups (P1‐8), each occupying up to five height strata and passing through four ages (1–4) that have different responses to disturbances (see Table S1 in Appendix S1).…”