Establishing the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database: A trait classification for functional assessments.

ABSTRACT: Trait-based approaches are increasingly used as a proxy for understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Macrobenthic fauna are considered one of the major providers of ecosystem functions in marine soft sediments; however, several gaps persist in the knowledge of their trait classification, limiting the potential use of functional assessments. While trait databases are available for the well-studied North Atlantic benthic fauna, no such trait classification system exists for Australia. Here, we present the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database, the first comprehensive assessment of macrobenthic fauna traits in temperate Australian waters. The SAMT database includes 13 traits and 54 trait-modalities (e.g., life history, morphology, physiolog

SUBMITTER: Lam-Gordillo O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7771161 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature