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A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
Published on: February 5, 2014
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On the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and trait diversity
Caroline M Tucker1,2, T Jonathan Davies3,4,5, Marc W Cadotte6,7
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Coker Hall, CB #3280 120 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3280, USA.
Ecology
|May 22, 2018
Summary
Phylogenetic diversity (PD) correlates with functional trait diversity (FD) as more traits are included. PD can serve as a surrogate for high-dimensional FD, though trait evolution rates impact this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biodiversity Science
Background:
- Understanding species niche differences is crucial for biodiversity research.
- Two common approaches to assess niche space are functional trait diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD).
- The relationship between FD and PD is debated, with assumptions of correlation due to trait evolution over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and functional trait diversity.
- To determine if PD can be a reliable surrogate for FD, especially in multivariate trait space.
- To assess how trait evolution models influence the correlation between PD and FD.
Main Methods:
- Employed analytical and simulation-based methods to examine trait evolution.
- Quantified phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional trait diversity (FD) across various trait evolution models.
- Investigated the correlation between PD and FD, considering the number of traits and trait evolution parameters.
Main Results:
- Phylogenetic diversity (PD) shows an increasing correlation with functional trait diversity (FD) as more traits are incorporated into the FD measure.
- PD can be a useful proxy for high-dimensional FD.
- The correlation between PD and FD weakens when trait evolution involves variation in rates and optima.
Conclusions:
- Phylogenetic diversity is a potentially valuable surrogate for high-dimensional trait diversity.
- The utility of PD as a surrogate is contingent on the complexity of trait evolution.
- Further research is needed to refine understanding of the interplay between phylogenetic and trait diversity.
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