Ecosystem Traits Linking Functional Traits to Macroecology. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Nianpeng; Liu, Congcong; Piao, Shilong; Sack, Lawren; Xu, Li; Luo, Yiqi; He, Jinsheng; Han, Xingguo; Zhou, Guangsheng; Zhou, Xuhui; Lin, Yi; Yu, Qiang; Liu, Shirong; Sun, Wei; Niu, Shuli; Li, Shenggong; Zhang, Jiahui; Yu, Guirui
• Is Part Of: Trends in ecology & evolution. Volume 34:Number 3(2019)
• Page Start: 200
• Page End: 210
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: community -- ecosystem -- function -- macroecology -- scale-up -- trait -- transect; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0169-5347

Abstract

Abstract : As the range of studies on macroecology and functional traits expands, integration of traits into higher-level approaches offers new opportunities to improve clarification of larger-scale patterns and their mechanisms and predictions using models. Here, we propose a framework for quantifying 'ecosystem traits' and means to address the challenges of broadening the applicability of functional traits to macroecology. Ecosystem traits are traits or quantitative characteristics of organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) at the community level expressed as the intensity (or density) normalized per unit land area. Ecosystem traits can inter-relate and integrate data from field trait surveys, eddy-flux observation, remote sensing, and ecological models, and thereby provide new resolution of the responses and feedback at regional to global scale. Highlights: Most processes related to effects of global change must be understood and dealt with at regional or global scales, requiring the linkage between traditional traits and macroecology. We propose a framework for quantifying ecosystem traits to broaden the applicability of functional traits to macroecology. Ecosystem traits are quantities informative of environmental adaptation and the optimization function of organisms at whole community or ecosystem, standardized on the intensity (or density) per unit land area. Using data sets from tropical to cold-temperate forests, we developed an approach for scaling up and scale-matching traits measured for use as ecosystem traits per land area. Ecosystem traits can integrate data from field investigations, eddy-flux, remote sensing, and ecological models, and provide new resolution of the responses and feedback at regional to global change.