Functional Traits and Niche-Based Tree Community Assembly in an Amazonian Forest
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- Nathan J. B. Kraft
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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- Renato Valencia
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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- David D. Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
書誌事項
- 公開日
- 2008-10-24
- DOI
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- 10.1126/science.1160662
- 公開者
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
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説明
<jats:p>It is debated whether species-level differences in ecological strategy, which play a key role in much of coexistence theory, are important in structuring highly diverse communities. We examined the co-occurrence patterns of over 1100 tree species in a 25-hectare Amazonian forest plot in relation to field-measured functional traits. Using a null model approach, we show that co-occurring trees are often less ecologically similar than a niche-free (neutral) model predicts. Furthermore, we find evidence for processes that simultaneously drive convergence and divergence in key aspects of plant strategy, suggesting that at least two distinct niche-based processes are occurring. Our results show that strategy differentiation among species contributes to the maintenance of diversity in one of the most diverse tropical forests in the world.</jats:p>
収録刊行物
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- Science
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Science 322 (5901), 580-582, 2008-10-24
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)