Environmental filtering structures tree functional traits combination and lineages across space in tropical tree...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Forest Ecology
• Community Ecology

Background:

• Environmental filtering is a key driver of species assembly in forests.
• Understanding trait and lineage distributions is crucial for elucidating coexistence mechanisms.
• Spatial scale influences ecological processes and community structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how environmental factors filter species traits and lineages across various spatial scales.
• To examine the spatial dispersion patterns of functional traits and lineages in a tropical rainforest.
• To determine the relationship between environmental variables, functional traits, and phylogenetic structure.

Main Methods:

• Extended RLQ and fourth-corner analyses were employed to link environmental variables with species traits and lineages.
• Data were analyzed across multiple spatial scales within a 20-ha tropical rainforest plot.
• Dispersion patterns of traits and lineages were assessed.

Main Results:

• Environmental filtering structured trait and lineage assemblages across most spatial scales, except the largest (100 × 100 m).
• Species with high resource acquisition traits were found in resource-rich areas, while resource-conserving traits were in limited-resource environments.
• Phylogenetic and functional clustering occurred at all scales, with distantly related species exhibiting similar functional strategies.

Conclusions:

• Environmental filtering is a significant force structuring tropical rainforest communities.
• Functional traits and phylogenetic relatedness are important components of species coexistence.
• Phylogenetic distance does not always correlate with functional similarity, highlighting the importance of trait-based analyses.