植物功能性状、功能多样性与生态系统功能: 进展与展望

植物功能性状与生态系统功能是生态学研究的一个重要领域和热点问题。开展植物功能性状与生态系统功能的研究不仅有助于人类更好地应对全球变化情景下生物多样性丧失的生态学后果,而且能为生态恢复实践提供理论基础。近二十年来,该领域的研究迅速发展,并取得了一系列的重要研究成果,增强了人们对植物功能性状-生态系统功能关系的认识和理解。本文首先明确了植物功能性状的概念, 评述了近年来植物功能性状-生态系统功能关系领域的重要研究结果, 尤其是植物功能性状多样性-生态系统功能关系研究现状; 提出了未来植物功能性状与生态系统功能关系研究中应加强植物地上和地下性状之间关系及其与生态系统功能、植物功能性状与生态系统多功能性、不同时空尺度上植物功能性状与生态系统功能, 以及全球变化和消费者的影响等方面。

Plant functional traits,functional diversity,and ecosystem functioning: current knowledge and perspectives

Increasing attention has recently been focused on the linkages between plant functional traits and ecosystem functioning. A comprehensive understanding of these linkages can facilitate to address the ecological consequences of plant species loss induced by human activities and climate change, and provide theoretical support for ecological restoration and ecosystem management. In recent twenty years, the evidence of strong correlations between plant functional traits and changes in ecosystem processes is growing. More importantly, ecosystem functioning can be predicted more precisely, using plant functional trait diversity (i.e., functional diversity) than species diversity. In this paper, we first defined plant functional traits and their important roles in determining ecosystem processes. Then, we review recent advances in the relationships between ecosystem functions and plant functional traits and their diversity. Finally, we propose several important future research directions, including (1) exploration of the relationships between aboveground and belowground plant traits and their roles in determining ecosystem functioning, (2) incorporation of the impacts of consumer and global environmental change into the correlation between plant functional traits and ecosystem functioning, (3) effects of functional diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality, and (4) examination of the functional diversity-ecosystem functioning relationship at different temporal and spatial scales.