Beyond the single index: Investigating ecological mechanisms underpinning ecosystem multifunctionality with network analysis.

ABSTRACT: Ecosystems simultaneously deliver multiple functions that relate to both the activities of resident species and environmental conditions. One of the biggest challenges in multifunctionality assessment is balancing analytical simplicity with ecosystem complexity. As an alternative to index-based approaches, we introduce a multivariate network analysis that uses network theory to assess multifunctionality in terms of the relationships between species' functional traits, environmental characteristics, and functions. We tested our approach in a complex and heterogeneous ecosystem, marine intertidal sandflats. We considered eight ecosystem function, five macrofaunal functional trait groups derived from 36 species, and four environmental characteristics. The indicators of ecosystem functions inc

SUBMITTER: Siwicka E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8462174 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature