How to improve scaling from traits to ecosystem processes |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA;2. Department of Biology (Botany), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;3. School of Geography and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA;4. CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France;5. Department of Biological Sciences and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;6. The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA;1. Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia;2. Biology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;1. CRETUS, Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain;2. CRETUS, Department of Functional Biology (Area of Ecology), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain;3. CITMAga, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain;1. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA;2. Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Edificio M, Via Licio Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy;1. Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;2. Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands;3. Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Science (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands;1. Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China;2. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangdong 519082, China;3. Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université de Montpellier, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE), Montpellier, France;4. Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3508, TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands;1. Division of Biological Sciences & Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA;2. Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94 300 Kota Samarahan, Malaysia;3. Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK |
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| Abstract: | Scaling approaches in ecology assume that traits are the main attributes by which organisms influence ecosystem functioning. However, several recent empirical papers have found only weak links between traits and ecosystem functioning, questioning the usefulness of trait-based ecology (TBE). We argue that these studies often suffer from one or more widespread misconceptions. Specifically, these studies often (i) conflict with the conceptual foundations of TBE, (ii) lack theory- or hypothesis-driven selection and use of traits, (iii) tend to ignore intraspecific variation, and (iv) use experimental or study designs that are not well suited to make strong tests of TBE assumptions. Addressing these aspects could significantly improve our ability to scale from traits to ecosystem functioning. |
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