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Functional trait syndromes structure macrophyte diversity and functional redundancy across flowing and impounded
Dragana Vukov1, Mirjana Ćuk1, Miloš Ilić1
1Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Frontiers in Plant Science
|May 7, 2026
Summary
Trait-based approaches reveal how aquatic plant communities assemble and maintain stability in freshwater ecosystems. Hydrological regimes partially shape these communities, which exhibit functional redundancy, enhancing ecosystem resilience.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Freshwater Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Trait-based approaches are key to understanding freshwater ecosystem assembly and stability.
- Functional responses of aquatic macrophytes to hydrology and environmental factors require further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze macrophyte communities in flowing and impounded freshwater systems using functional traits.
- To investigate the influence of hydrological regimes and environmental gradients on macrophyte functional structure.
- To assess functional redundancy and its implications for ecosystem stability.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of macrophyte communities across Serbian rivers, canals, lakes, and reservoirs.
- Utilized an audited functional trait matrix for multivariate ordination (RLQ, fourth-corner analysis).
- Spatial analysis to compare functional and taxonomic similarity decay with distance.
Main Results:
- Functional trait space organized by growth form, mechanical properties, and persistence strategies (annual vs. perennial).
- Significant but partial functional differentiation between flowing and impounded systems, indicating a directional, not deterministic, hydrological filter.
- Coordinated trait syndromes covaried with environmental gradients; spatial analysis revealed functional redundancy exceeding taxonomic redundancy.
Conclusions:
- Coordinated functional trait syndromes structure macrophyte diversity in diverse freshwater systems.
- Hydrological regime acts as a directional filter, influencing community assembly.
- Functional redundancy in regional macrophyte assemblages likely enhances ecosystem stability.
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