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Scaling from Species to Vegetation: The Usefulness of Functional Groups

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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function

Abstract

The major constraints in predicting vegetation responses to atmospheric changes are the complexity of interactions between plants and their biotic and abiotic environment. Unless we decide to wait and see what the truth will be, we are left with the need to simulate future vegetation responses. This can be done both experimentally and by computer models. Experimental simulations are limited in space and time and can, at best, reveal transitional response characteristics and trends. Models, on the other hand, are not space and time limited but depend totally on accurate parameterization. This causes them to be dependent on experimentation which provides real data.

The most common way to avoid complexity is to overemphasize a single type of observation set. (O’Neill et al. 1986)

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  1. Ch. Körner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenökologie, Universität Bayreuth, Postfach 1021 51, D-95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Ernst-Detlef Schulze

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Harold A. Mooney

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Körner, C. (1994). Scaling from Species to Vegetation: The Usefulness of Functional Groups. In: Schulze, ED., Mooney, H.A. (eds) Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function. Praktische Zahnmedizin Odonto-Stomatologie Pratique Practical Dental Medicine, vol 99. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-58001-7_6

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