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Functional traits for ecological studies: a review of characteristics of Drosophilidae (Diptera)

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Abstract

Studies in the area of functional ecology not only aid in our understanding of the dynamics and structure of communities, but also help elucidate the mechanistic consequences of habitat changes and their implications for species conservation, the nature of biological interactions and the provision of ecosystem services. However, trait selection and measurement are usually not standardized between studies, even for groups that have been widely studied, such as the Drosophilidae (Diptera). In order to suggest a standardized framework for trait selection and measurement for the Drosophilidae, here we reviewed the literature published between September 2018 and June 2021. The review returned 52 relevant papers, and based on the traits presented, we organized three categories of functional traits which we suggest need to be analyzed in order to understand functional pattern of the Drosophilidae: habitat perception, flight performance, and ecophysiological responses. Habitat perception includes those traits that provide the ability to recognize an environment and access its available resources. Flight performance includes those traits related to flight and mobility, while ecophysiological responses include those traits related to energy allocation, survival, and reproductive efficiency. Based on these categories, we projected the expected results for a broad application of the traits we selected in studies with Drosophilidae in natural environments, for example, using the functional approach for a comprehensive diagnosis of the relationship between Drosophilidae and their environments. We encourage a wide use of our framework for both basic and applied studies of Drosophilidae, particularly for those that seek to test hypotheses regarding community structure.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Maria João Ramos Pereira, Dr Cristiano Agra Iserhard and Dr Marlúcia Martins for their intellectual contributions and comments. We thank Dr Gabriela Pirani for helping with editing the figures. We are also grateful to Dr Karen Mustin and Dr Rebeca Zanini for checking this manuscript for English. This study was financed by Agência do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) under Grant Nos. 141578/2018-1 and 314120/2018-1.

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  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 91509-900, Brazil

    M. F. Mendes & R. C. Corrêa

  2. Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 96010-900, Brazil

    M. S. Gottschalk

  3. Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 91509-900, Brazil

    V. L. S. Valente-Gaiesky

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Mendes, M.F., Gottschalk, M.S., Corrêa, R.C. et al. Functional traits for ecological studies: a review of characteristics of Drosophilidae (Diptera). COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 22, 367–379 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42974-021-00060-9

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