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Demographic drivers of functional composition dynamics.

Robert Muscarella1,2, Madelon Lohbeck1,3, Miguel Martínez-Ramos4

  • 1Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

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Summary

Community assembly and ecosystem function are shaped by demographic processes. This study reveals how growth, mortality, and recruitment drive changes in community-weighted mean traits during tropical forest succession.

Keywords:
community-weighted mean traitsleaf phosphorusseed sizespecific leaf areasuccessiontropical forestswood density

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Plant Ecology
  • Tropical Forest Ecology

Background:

  • Community-weighted mean trait values (CWMs) are key metrics for analyzing community assembly and ecosystem function.
  • Understanding the demographic drivers of temporal changes in CWMs is crucial for ecological research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel conceptual framework for quantifying the contribution of demographic processes (growth, recruitment, mortality) to changes in CWMs.
  • To analyze the mechanisms of secondary succession in Mexican wet tropical forests using this framework.

Main Methods:

  • Applied a new framework to track demographic contributions to CWM shifts during forest succession.
  • Analyzed changes in seed size, specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf phosphorus content over time.
  • Quantified the relative influence of growth, mortality, and recruitment on CWM changes.

Main Results:

  • Seed size increased, while SLA and leaf phosphorus content decreased during succession, indicating trade-offs between early colonization and later establishment/survival.
  • CWM shifts were primarily driven by the growth of surviving trees (70%), followed by mortality (25%), and recruitment (5%).
  • Trait shifts in growing and recruiting trees aligned with CWM changes, but traits of dying trees remained constant, highlighting their importance in recruitment and growth rather than mortality.

Conclusions:

  • The demographic drivers of functional trait composition changes were identified, linking population dynamics to community-level changes.
  • The study enhances insights into the mechanisms governing secondary succession in tropical forests.
  • The novel framework provides a robust method for dissecting the demographic underpinnings of ecological succession.