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Environmental filtering limits functional diversity during succession in a seasonally wet tropical secondary forest
Author(s) -
Craven Dylan,
Hall Jefferson S.,
Berlyn Graeme P.,
Ashton Mark S.,
Breugel Michiel
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/jvs.12632
Subject(s) - chronosequence , ecological succession , secondary succession , ecology , biodiversity , species richness , ecosystem , secondary forest , tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , functional ecology , forest ecology , forest restoration , environmental science , biology
Aims Successional shifts in biodiversity are key drivers of the recovery of ecosystem functioning following disturbances. Identifying mechanisms that enhance or limit the ecological processes that drive these successional patterns can strengthen efforts to manage biodiversity‐dependent ecosystem functions across human‐dominated landscapes. Here, we examine successional patterns of multiple aspects of functional diversity in a seasonally wet tropical secondary forest and changes in the strength of environmental filtering during secondary succession. Location Central Panama. Methods We calculate functional richness ( FR ic) and dispersion ( FD is) across a secondary forest chronosequence ( n = 51 0.1‐ha plots) using nine functional traits related to resource acquisition and conservation. Functional diversity indices are calculated using all traits and each trait individually. Using a null model approach, we test the effects of environmental filtering during secondary succession. Results FR ic and FD is exhibit saturating relationships with time since abandonment, reaching their maxima after 7 and 10 years, respectively. Overall, we find evidence that environmental filtering reduces FD is to a greater extent than FR ic and that the strength of environmental filtering on both FD is and FR ic increases during succession. The impacts of environmental filtering on functional diversity of individual traits are consistent; the mean standardized effect sizes ( SES ) of FR ic and FD is of at least six of the nine studied traits are lower than expected. Notably, environmental filtering on FR ic and FD is of particular traits associated with light and nutrient acquisition increases significantly along the secondary forest chronosequence, suggesting that functional convergence of multiple resource acquisition strategies strengthens in parallel. Conclusions We find that successional shifts in environmental conditions limit trait variation in seasonally wet tropical secondary forests. Our results suggest that the increasing strength of environmental filtering shifts abundance of trait combinations towards a subset of functionally convergent species that compete for light and nutrients in similar ways.