Functional redundancy patterns reveal non-random assembly rules in a species-rich marine assemblage.

ABSTRACT: The relationship between species and the functional diversity of assemblages is fundamental in ecology because it contains key information on functional redundancy, and functionally redundant ecosystems are thought to be more resilient, resistant and stable. However, this relationship is poorly understood and undocumented for species-rich coastal marine ecosystems. Here, we used underwater visual censuses to examine the patterns of functional redundancy for one of the most diverse vertebrate assemblages, the coral reef fishes of New Caledonia, South Pacific. First, we found that the relationship between functional and species diversity displayed a non-asymptotic power-shaped curve, implying that rare functions and species mainly occur in highly diverse assemblages. Second, we showed that t

SUBMITTER: Guillemot N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3198825 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature