Functional composition trajectory: a resolution to the debate between Suganuma,Durigan, and Reid |
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| Authors: | Pedro HS Brancalion Karen D Holl |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Forest Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of S?o Paulo, Piracicaba, SP 13400–970, Brazil;2. Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | The selection of ecological indicators is an important step toward more effective restoration monitoring. The debate between Reid (2015) and Durigan and Suganuma (2015) regarding the usefulness of species composition for monitoring restoration trajectory is timely and salient, but it lacks a middle way proposal to balance ecological relevance and practical viability. We propose a way forward to resolving this debate, namely using easily measurable functional traits, a type of compositional measure, as an indicator. Assessing functional composition trajectory may help overcome some limitations with taxonomic identification and provide more meaningful outcomes to evaluate restoration success. |
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| Keywords: | forest succession functional ecology functional traits monitoring protocols restoration monitoring restoration success |
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