Recent functional trait studies have shown that trait differences may favour certain species
(environmental filtering) while simultaneously preventing competitive exclusion (niche …

In this review, we examine two new trait-based models of community assembly that predict
the relative abundance of species from a regional species pool. The models use …

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) provides a useful framework for examining species
strategies as shaped by their evolutionary history. However, that spectrum, as originally …

Ecological theory is built on trade-offs, where trait differences among species evolved as
adaptations to different environments. Trade-offs are often assumed to be bidirectional …

Knowledge about changes in plant functional traits is valuable for the mechanistic
understanding of warming effects on ecosystem functions. However, observations have …

Functional diversity strengthens species diversity and ecosystem function relationships;
however, in the case of mixed forests, the relationship between fine root biomass and …

Question Which functional diversity indices have the power to reveal changes in community
assembly processes along abiotic stress gradients? Is their power affected by stochastic …

Understanding how environmental factors drive plant community assembly remains a major
challenge in community ecology. The strength of different assembly processes along …

Despite widespread focus on interspecific variation in trait‐based ecology, there is growing
evidence that intraspecific trait variability can play a fundamental role in plant community …

Plant species diversity increases as soil phosphorus availability declines during long-term
ecosystem development 1, 2. The increase in plant species diversity is associated with a …