commecometrics: an R package for trait-environment modelling at the community level

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Paleontology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Functional trait analysis is crucial for understanding ecological dynamics.
• Existing tools often lack integration with paleontological data or are taxon-specific.
• Ecometrics links community trait distributions to environmental variables for ecological inference.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the R package `commecometrics` as a novel framework.
• Provide tools for accessible modeling of trait-environment relationships.
• Enable reconstruction of past environments and prediction of future community responses.

Main Methods:

• The `commecometrics` package offers functions for summarizing trait distributions.
• It facilitates the construction and visualization of ecometric models.
• Model robustness is assessed, and environmental conditions are reconstructed.

Main Results:

• The package integrates modern and ancient species trait data.
• It demonstrates broad applicability across ecological and palaeoecological studies.
• A worked example using carnivoran mammals (relative blade length) showcases its utility.

Conclusions:

• `commecometrics` provides an accessible, open-access tool for trait-based biodiversity analysis.
• The package bridges gaps in functional trait analysis by incorporating paleontological data.
• It enhances our ability to analyze trait-environment dynamics across space and time.