Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines
We analyzed plant functional diversity (FD) and redundancy (FR) in Mediterranean high-mountain communities to explore plant functional patterns and assembly rules. We focused on three above-ground plant traits: plant height (H), a good surrogate of competition for light strategies, and specific leaf...
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/466 |
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| author | Alessandro Bricca Maria Laura Carranza Marco Varricchione Maurizio Cutini Angela Stanisci |
| author_facet | Alessandro Bricca Maria Laura Carranza Marco Varricchione Maurizio Cutini Angela Stanisci |
| author_sort | Alessandro Bricca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We analyzed plant functional diversity (FD) and redundancy (FR) in Mediterranean high-mountain communities to explore plant functional patterns and assembly rules. We focused on three above-ground plant traits: plant height (H), a good surrogate of competition for light strategies, and specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC), useful indicators of resource exploitation functional schemes. We used the georeferenced vegetation plots and field-measured plant functional traits of four widely spread vegetation types growing on screes, steep slopes, snowbeds and ridges, respectively. We calculated Rao’s FD and FR followed by analysis of standardized effect size, and compared FD and FR community values using ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test. Assemblage rules varied across plant communities and traits. The High FR<sub>H</sub> registered on snowbeds and ridges is probably linked to climatic filtering processes, while the high FD<sub>H</sub> and low FD<sub>SLA</sub> and FD<sub>LDMC</sub> on steep slopes could be related with underlying competition mechanisms. The absence of FD patterns in scree vegetation pinpoint random assembly processes which are typical of highly unstable or disturbed ecosystems. Improved knowledge about the deterministic/stochastic processes shaping species coexistence on high mountain ecosystems should help researchers to understand and predict vegetation vulnerability to environmental changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:22Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-3290cf85a5614196a002ed925a18ec1b2023-11-22T17:59:17ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-09-01131046610.3390/d13100466Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the ApenninesAlessandro Bricca0Maria Laura Carranza1Marco Varricchione2Maurizio Cutini3Angela Stanisci4School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino, ItalyEnvix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, ItalyEnvix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, ItalyDepartment of Sciences, University of RomaTre Roma, Viale Guglielmo Marconi, 446, 00146 Rome, ItalyEnvix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, ItalyWe analyzed plant functional diversity (FD) and redundancy (FR) in Mediterranean high-mountain communities to explore plant functional patterns and assembly rules. We focused on three above-ground plant traits: plant height (H), a good surrogate of competition for light strategies, and specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC), useful indicators of resource exploitation functional schemes. We used the georeferenced vegetation plots and field-measured plant functional traits of four widely spread vegetation types growing on screes, steep slopes, snowbeds and ridges, respectively. We calculated Rao’s FD and FR followed by analysis of standardized effect size, and compared FD and FR community values using ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test. Assemblage rules varied across plant communities and traits. The High FR<sub>H</sub> registered on snowbeds and ridges is probably linked to climatic filtering processes, while the high FD<sub>H</sub> and low FD<sub>SLA</sub> and FD<sub>LDMC</sub> on steep slopes could be related with underlying competition mechanisms. The absence of FD patterns in scree vegetation pinpoint random assembly processes which are typical of highly unstable or disturbed ecosystems. Improved knowledge about the deterministic/stochastic processes shaping species coexistence on high mountain ecosystems should help researchers to understand and predict vegetation vulnerability to environmental changes.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/466functional traitsplant height (H)specific leaf area (SLA)leaf dry matter content (LDMC)alpine vegetationenvironmental heterogeneity |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro Bricca Maria Laura Carranza Marco Varricchione Maurizio Cutini Angela Stanisci Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines Diversity functional traits plant height (H) specific leaf area (SLA) leaf dry matter content (LDMC) alpine vegetation environmental heterogeneity |
| title | Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines |
| title_full | Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines |
| title_short | Exploring Plant Functional Diversity and Redundancy of Mediterranean High-Mountain Habitats in the Apennines |
| title_sort | exploring plant functional diversity and redundancy of mediterranean high mountain habitats in the apennines |
| topic | functional traits plant height (H) specific leaf area (SLA) leaf dry matter content (LDMC) alpine vegetation environmental heterogeneity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/10/466 |
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