Knowledge Management System of Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS
| The importance of rare species: a trait-based assessment of rare species contributions to functional diversity and possible ecosystem function in tall-grass prairies | |
| Jain, Meha1; Flynn, Dan F. B.1,2; Prager, Case M.1; Hart, Georgia M.1,3; DeVan, Caroline M.4; Ahrestani, Farshid S.5; Palmer, Matthew I.1; Bunker, Daniel E.4; Knops, Johannes M. H.6; Jouseau, Claire F.1,7; Naeem, Shahid1 | |
| 2014 | |
| 发表期刊 | ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
 |
| ISSN | 2045-7758 |
| 卷号 | 4期号:1页码:104-112 |
| 文章类型 | Article |
| 摘要 | The majority of species in ecosystems are rare, but the ecosystem consequences of losing rare species are poorly known. To understand how rare species may influence ecosystem functioning, this study quantifies the contribution of species based on their relative level of rarity to community functional diversity using a trait-based approach. Given that rarity can be defined in several different ways, we use four different definitions of rarity: abundance (mean and maximum), geographic range, and habitat specificity. We find that rarer species contribute to functional diversity when rarity is defined by maximum abundance, geographic range, and habitat specificity. However, rarer species are functionally redundant when rarity is defined by mean abundance. Furthermore, when using abundance-weighted analyses, we find that rare species typically contribute significantly less to functional diversity than common species due to their low abundances. These results suggest that rare species have the potential to play an important role in ecosystem functioning, either by offering novel contributions to functional diversity or via functional redundancy depending on how rare species are defined. Yet, these contributions are likely to be greatest if the abundance of rare species increases due to environmental change. We argue that given the paucity of data on rare species, understanding the contribution of rare species to community functional diversity is an important first step to understanding the potential role of rare species in ecosystem functioning.; The majority of species in ecosystems are rare, but the ecosystem consequences of losing rare species are poorly known. To understand how rare species may influence ecosystem functioning, this study quantifies the contribution of species based on their relative level of rarity to community functional diversity using a trait-based approach. Given that rarity can be defined in several different ways, we use four different definitions of rarity: abundance (mean and maximum), geographic range, and habitat specificity. We find that rarer species contribute to functional diversity when rarity is defined by maximum abundance, geographic range, and habitat specificity. However, rarer species are functionally redundant when rarity is defined by mean abundance. Furthermore, when using abundance-weighted analyses, we find that rare species typically contribute significantly less to functional diversity than common species due to their low abundances. These results suggest that rare species have the potential to play an important role in ecosystem functioning, either by offering novel contributions to functional diversity or via functional redundancy depending on how rare species are defined. Yet, these contributions are likely to be greatest if the abundance of rare species increases due to environmental change. We argue that given the paucity of data on rare species, understanding the contribution of rare species to community functional diversity is an important first step to understanding the potential role of rare species in ecosystem functioning. |
| 关键词 | Biodiversity-ecosystem Functioning Community Assembly Functional Diversity Grassland Species Loss Traits |
| WOS标题词 | Science & Technology ; Life Sciences & Biomedicine |
| 关键词[WOS] | PRODUCTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS ; PLANT-RESPONSES ; BIODIVERSITY ; CONSEQUENCES ; EXTINCTION ; SUCCESSION ; REDUNDANCY ; PRINCIPLES ; RESISTANCE ; WORLDWIDE |
| 收录类别 | SCI |
| 语种 | 英语 |
| WOS研究方向 | Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| WOS类目 | Ecology |
| WOS记录号 | WOS:000329183100010 |
| 引用统计 | |
| 文献类型 | 期刊论文 |
| 条目标识符 | http://210.75.249.4/handle/363003/4293 |
| 专题 | 中国科学院西北高原生物研究所 |
| 作者单位 | 1.Columbia Univ, Dept Ecol Evolut & Environm Biol, New York, NY 10027 USA 2.Chinese Acad Sci, Northwest Inst Plateau Biol, Xining 810008, Peoples R China 3.Univ Hawaii, Dept Bot, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA 4.New Jersey Inst Technol, Dept Biol Sci, Newark, NJ 07102 USA 5.Penn State Univ, Dept Biol, University Pk, PA 16802 USA 6.Univ Nebraska, Sch Biol Sci, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA 7.Museum Natl Hist Nat, F-75231 Paris, France |
| 推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Jain, Meha,Flynn, Dan F. B.,Prager, Case M.,et al. The importance of rare species: a trait-based assessment of rare species contributions to functional diversity and possible ecosystem function in tall-grass prairies[J]. ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION,2014,4(1):104-112. |
| APA | Jain, Meha.,Flynn, Dan F. B..,Prager, Case M..,Hart, Georgia M..,DeVan, Caroline M..,...&Naeem, Shahid.(2014).The importance of rare species: a trait-based assessment of rare species contributions to functional diversity and possible ecosystem function in tall-grass prairies.ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION,4(1),104-112. |
| MLA | Jain, Meha,et al."The importance of rare species: a trait-based assessment of rare species contributions to functional diversity and possible ecosystem function in tall-grass prairies".ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 4.1(2014):104-112. |
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