Patterns and drivers of plant functional group dominance across the Western Hemisphere: a macroecological re-assessment based on a massive botanical dataset
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Plant functional group dominance has been linked to climate, topography and anthropogenic factors. Here, we assess existing theory linking functional group dominance patterns to their drivers by quantifying the spatial distribution of plant functional groups at a 100-km grid scale. We use a standardized plant species occurrence dataset of unprecedented size covering the entire New World. Functional group distributions were estimated from 3 648 533 standardized occurrence records for a total of 83 854 vascular plant species, extracted from the Botanical Information and Ecology Network (BIEN) database. Seven plant functional groups were considered, describing major differences in structure and function: epiphytes; climbers; ferns; herbs; shrubs; coniferous trees; and angiosperm trees. Two measures of dominance (relative number of occurrences and relative species richness) were analysed against a range of hypothesized predictors. The functional groups showed distinct geographical patterns of dominance across the New World. Temperature seasonality and annual precipitation were most frequently selected, supporting existing hypotheses for the geographical dominance of each functional group. Human influence and topography were secondarily important. Our results support the prediction that future climate change and anthropogenic pressures could shift geographical patterns in dominance of plant functional groups, with probable consequences for ecosystem functioning.
DOI: 10.1111/boj.12362
Institutions: Aarhus University, University of Arizona, Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Maryland, College Park, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of Maine, University of California, Berkeley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2190305070