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JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
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Testing the link between functional diversity and ecosystem functioning in a Minnesota grassland experiment.

Christopher M Clark1, Dan F B Flynn, Bradley J Butterfield

  • 1School of Life Sciences and Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America. clark.christopher@epa.gov

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|January 10, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Functional diversity metrics predict ecosystem functions. Abundance-adjusted functional diversity (FD) best predicted grassland biomass, while species richness alone predicted light capture.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Biodiversity Science
  • Ecosystem Science

Background:

  • Functional diversity influences ecosystem functioning and community assembly.
  • Quantifying functional diversity involves metrics for richness, evenness, and divergence.
  • Field-based tests linking specific functional diversity attributes to ecosystem functions are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test associations between various functional diversity metrics and ecosystem functions.
  • To compare the performance of different metrics in predicting grassland biomass and light capture.
  • To identify which attributes of functional diversity best explain ecosystem functioning.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed eight leading functional diversity metrics and 11 extensions incorporating species abundance and trait variation.
  • Examined relationships among metrics and their predictive power for ecosystem functions.
  • Utilized data from a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment.

Main Results:

  • Many functional diversity metrics were highly correlated.
  • Abundance-adjusted FD outperformed other metrics in predicting above- and belowground biomass.
  • Trait-based richness and hybrid metrics surpassed evenness and single-attribute metrics.
  • Species richness alone was the best predictor of light capture.

Conclusions:

  • Functional diversity attributes significantly influence ecosystem functions in grasslands.
  • Abundance-adjusted FD is a robust predictor of grassland biomass.
  • Future research should incorporate canopy architecture traits for predicting light capture.