Using phylogeny and functional traits for assessing community assembly along environmental gradients: A deterministic process driven by elevation.

ABSTRACT: Community assembly processes is the primary focus of community ecology. Using phylogenetic-based and functional trait-based methods jointly to explore these processes along environmental gradients are useful ways to explain the change of assembly mechanisms under changing world. Our study combined these methods to test assembly processes in wide range gradients of elevation and other habitat environmental factors. We collected our data at 40 plots in Taibai Mountain, China, with more than 2,300 m altitude difference in study area and then measured traits and environmental factors. Variance partitioning was used to distinguish the main environment factors leading to phylogeny and traits change among 40 plots. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to colligate other environment fact

SUBMITTER: Xu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5528205 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature