Phylogenetic and functional trait-based community assembly within Pacific Cyrtandra (Gesneriaceae): Evidence for clustering at multiple spatial scales.

ABSTRACT: Tropical rainforest communities are often characterized by a small number of species-rich genera that contribute disproportionately to the alpha diversity in these habitats. In the Pacific Basin, there are nearly 200 species of Cyrtandra, most of which are white-flowered woody shrubs that are single-island endemics. Within these island communities, multiple Cyrtandra species are commonly observed to occur sympatrically in wet forest understories, forming swarms of what appear to be ecologically similar taxa. The aim of this study was to determine whether species of these plants are randomly assembled with respect to phylogenetic relatedness and traits that are ecologically relevant. I examined assembly patterns across three Pacific archipelagoes using a combination of 10 func

SUBMITTER: Johnson MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10160169 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature