Large Underestimation of Intraspecific Trait Variation and Its Improvements.

ABSTRACT: Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is common feature of natural communities and has gained increasing attention due to its significant ecological effects on community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. However, the estimation of ITV per se has yet to receive much attention, despite the need for accurate ITV estimation for trait-based ecological inferences. It remains unclear if, and to what extent, current estimations of ITV are biased. The most common method used to quantify ITV is the coefficient of variation (CV), which is dimensionless and can therefore be compared across traits, species, and studies. Here, we asked which CV estimator and data normalization method are optimal for quantifying ITV, and further identified the minimum sample size required for ±5% accuracy assuming a comp

SUBMITTER: Yang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7031497 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature