Low-dimensional trade-offs fail to explain richness and structure in species-rich plant communities

Theoretical Ecology volume 4, pages 495–511 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Mathematical models and ecological theory suggest that low-dimensional life history trade-offs (i.e. negative correlation between two life history traits such as competition vs. colonisation) may potentially explain the maintenance of species diversity and community structure. In the absence of trade-offs, we would expect communities to be dominated by ‘super-types’ characterised by mainly positive trait expressions. However, it has proven difficult to find strong empirical evidence for such trade-offs in species-rich communities. We developed a spatially explicit, rule-based and individual-based stochastic model to explore the importance of low-dimensional trade-offs. This model simulates the community dynamics of 288 virtual plant functional types (PFTs), each of which is described by seven life history traits. We consider trait combinations that fit into the trade-off concept, as well as super-types with little or no energy constraints or resource limitations, and weak PFTs, which do not exploit resources efficiently. The model is parameterised using data from a fire-prone, species-rich Mediterranean-type shrubland in southwestern Australia. We performed an exclusion experiment, where we sequentially removed the strongest PFT in the simulation and studied the remaining communities. We analysed the impact of traits on performance of PFTs in the exclusion experiment with standard and boosted regression trees. Regression tree analysis of the simulation results showed that the trade-off concept is necessary for PFT viability in the case of weak trait expression combinations such as low seed production or small seeds. However, species richness and diversity can be high despite the presence of super-types. Furthermore, the exclusion of super-types does not necessarily lead to a large increase in PFT richness and diversity. We conclude that low-dimensional trade-offs do not provide explanations for multi-species co-existence contrary to the prediction of many conceptual models.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following funding sources for their support: the German Research Foundation (DFG project JE 207/2), the Australian Research Council Discovery project grant DP0343511 and the European Community (MOIF-CT-2006-40571). F. Jeltsch acknowledges support from the European Union through Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge Project FEMMES (MTKD-CT-2006-042261).

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Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469, Potsdam, Germany

    Alexandra Esther & Florian Jeltsch

  2. Vertebrate Research, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kuehn-Institute (JKI), Toppheideweg 88, 48161, Münster, Germany

    Alexandra Esther

  3. Department of Ecological Modelling, UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, P.O. Box 50 01 36, 04301, Leipzig, Germany

    Jürgen Groeneveld

  4. School of Environment, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    Jürgen Groeneveld & George L. W. Perry

  5. School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia

    Neal J. Enright

  6. Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Fraser Av, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005, Australia

    Ben P. Miller

  7. Centre for Ecosystem Diversity and Dynamics, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, P.O. Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia

    Byron B. Lamont

  8. Earth System Analysis, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), P.O. Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany

    Britta Tietjen

Authors
  1. Alexandra Esther
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  2. Jürgen Groeneveld
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  8. Florian Jeltsch
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Correspondence to Alexandra Esther.

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Esther, A., Groeneveld, J., Enright, N.J. et al. Low-dimensional trade-offs fail to explain richness and structure in species-rich plant communities. Theor Ecol 4, 495–511 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12080-010-0092-y

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Keywords

  • Plant diversity
  • Plant functional types
  • Co-existence
  • Spatially explicit model
  • Individual-based model
  • CART
  • Regression tree analysis
  • Boosted regression tree