Defining plant ecological specialists and generalists: Building a framework for identification and classification.

ABSTRACT: Specialization is a widespread but highly ambiguous and context-dependent ecological concept. This quality makes comparisons across related studies difficult and makes associated terms such as "specialist" and "generalist" scientifically obscure. Here, we present a metric-based framework to quantify specialization in 141 Quercus species using functional traits, biogeography, and species interactions. Rankings of specialization based on five metrics were used to answer questions about how specialization is used colloquially (i.e., individual species assessment by experts) and influenced by phylogenetics (Ancestral Character State Reconstruction, Automatic Shift Detection), biogeography (patterns of clustering by region and with climate), and species threat level (IUCN Red List). Metr

SUBMITTER: Kirsch A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9685674 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature