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Evaluating life‐history strategies of reef corals from species traits
Author(s) -
Darling Emily S.,
AlvarezFilip Lorenzo,
Oliver Thomas A.,
McClanahan Timothy R.,
Côté Isabelle M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01861.x
Subject(s) - ecology , biology , generalist and specialist species , threatened species , life history theory , coral reef , reef , community , scleractinia , trait , taxon , life history , coral , habitat , cnidaria , computer science , programming language
Classifying the biological traits of organisms can test conceptual frameworks of life‐history strategies and allow for predictions of how different species may respond to environmental disturbances. We apply a trait‐based classification approach to a complex and threatened group of species, scleractinian corals. Using hierarchical clustering and random forests analyses, we identify up to four life‐history strategies that appear globally consistent across 143 species of reef corals: competitive, weedy, stress‐tolerant and generalist taxa, which are primarily separated by colony morphology, growth rate and reproductive mode. Documented shifts towards stress‐tolerant, generalist and weedy species in coral reef communities are consistent with the expected responses of these life‐history strategies. Our quantitative trait‐based approach to classifying life‐history strategies is objective, applicable to any taxa and a powerful tool that can be used to evaluate theories of community ecology and predict the impact of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on species assemblages.