scholarly journals Spatial Scaling Patterns of Functional Diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeid Alirezazadeh ◽  
Paulo A. V. Borges ◽  
Pedro Cardoso ◽  
Rosalina Gabriel ◽  
François Rigal ◽  
...  

Ecology, biogeography and conservation biology, among other disciplines, often rely on species identity, distribution and abundance to perceive and explain patterns in space and time. Yet, species are not independent units in the way they interact with their environment. Species often perform similar roles in networks and their ecosystems, and at least partial redundancy or difference of roles might explain co-existence, competitive exclusion or other patterns reflected at the community level. Therefore, considering species traits, that is, the organisms’ functional properties that interact with the environment, might be of utmost importance in the study of species relative abundances. Several descriptive measures of diversity, such as the species-area relationship (SAR) and the species abundance distribution (SAD), have been used extensively to characterize the communities and as a possible window to gain insight into underlying processes shaping and maintaining biodiversity. However, if the role of species in a community is better assessed by their functional attributes, then one should also study the SAR and the SAD by using trait-based approaches, and not only taxonomic species. Here we merged species according to their similarity in a number of traits, creating functional units, and used these new units to study the equivalent patterns of the SAR and of the SAD (functional units abundance distributions - FUADs), with emphasis on their spatial scaling characteristics. This idea was tested using data on arthropods collected in Terceira island, in the Azorean archipelago. Our results showed that diversity scales differently depending on whether we use species or functional units. If what determines species communities’ dynamics is their functional diversity, then our results suggest that we may need to revaluate the commonly assumed patterns of species diversity and, concomitantly, the role of the underlying processes.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florent Mazel ◽  
Matthew W. Pennell ◽  
Marc Cadotte ◽  
Sandra Diaz ◽  
Giulio Valentino Dalla Riva ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the face of the biodiversity crisis, it is argued that we should prioritize species in order to capture high functional diversity (FD). Because species traits often reflect shared evolutionary history, many researchers have advocated for a “phylogenetic gambit”: maximizing phylogenetic diversity (PD) should indirectly capture FD. For the first time, we empirically test this gambit using data from >15,000 vertebrate species and ecologically-relevant traits. Maximizing PD results in an average gain of 18% of FD relative to random choice. However, this average gain hides the fact that in over 1/3 of the comparisons, maximum PD sets contain less FD than randomly chosen sets of species. These results suggest that, while maximizing PD protection can help to protect FD, it represents a risky strategy.Statement of authorshipFM, MP, MC, SD, GVDR, RG, AOM, CT and WP conceived the design of the study. FM and GVDR conducted the analysis. FM, RG, MP and WP interpreted the results and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors edited the final version.Data accessibility statementMost of the data is publicly available (see methods). The Fish data is available upon request.Code accessibility statementR functions developed in this paper are available at https://github.com/FloMazel/FD_PD_Max


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinicius A. G. Bastazini ◽  
Vanderlei Debastiani ◽  
Laura Cappelatti ◽  
Paulo Guimaraes ◽  
Valerio De Patta Pillar

The erosion of functional diversity may foster the collapse of ecological systems. Functional diversity is ultimately defined by the distribution of species traits and, as species traits are a legacy of species evolutionary history, one might expect that the mode of trait evolution influence community resistance under the loss of functional diversity. In this paper, we investigate the role of trait evolutionary dynamics on the robustness of mutualistic networks undergoing the following scenarios of species loss: i) random extinctions, ii) loss of functional distinctiveness and iii) biased towards larger trait values. We simulated networks defined by models of single trait complementary and evolutionary modes where traits can arise in recent diversification events with weak phylogenetic signal, in early diversification events with strong phylogenetic signal, or as a random walk through evolutionary time. Our simulations show that mutualistic networks are especially vulnerable to extinctions based on trait distinctiveness and more robust to random extinction dynamics. The networks show intermediate level of robustness against size-based extinctions. Despite the small range of variation in network robustness, our results show that the mode of trait evolution matters for network robustness in all three scenarios. Networks with low phylogenetic signal are more robust than networks with high phylogenetic signal across all scenarios. As a consequence, our results predict that mutualistic networks based upon current adaptations are more likely to cope with extinction dynamics than those networks that are based upon conserved traits.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Snell ◽  
Brian S. Evans ◽  
Ethan P. White ◽  
Allen H. Hurlbert

AbstractTransient species occur infrequently in a community over time and do not maintain viable local populations. Because transient species interact differently than non-transients with their biotic and abiotic environment, it is important to characterize the prevalence of these species and how they impact our understanding of ecological systems. We quantified the prevalence and impact of transient species in communities using data on over 17,000 community time series spanning an array of ecosystems, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales. We found that transient species are a general feature of communities regardless of taxa or ecosystem. The proportion of these species decreases with spatial scale leading to a need to control for scale in comparative work. Removing transient species from analyses influences the form of a suite of commonly studied ecological patterns including species-abundance distributions, species-energy relationships, species-area relationships, and temporal turnover. Careful consideration should be given to whether transient species are included in analyses depending on the theoretical and practical relevance of these species for the question being studied.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-63
Author(s):  
Ansori Ansori

The use of various methods will greatly help students in achieving learning goals. As role play method is one way mastery of learning materials through the development of imagination and appreciation of students on learning materials. Data collection techniques in this study are observation, interviews, and documentation. To analyze the data in this research using data analysis technique of Miles and Huberman model that is data reduction (Data Reduction), data presentation (Data Display) and conclusion (Conclution Drawing / verification) The findings in this research is innovation of role play method can change paradigm to the new paradigm so that the role of the teacher is more as a facilitator, counselor, consultant, and comrade study Flexible schedule, open as needed Learning directed by students themselves Problem-based, project, real world, real action, and reflection Design and investigation. Computers as tools, and dynamic media presentations.


Author(s):  
Ana Patrícia Duarte ◽  
José Gonçalves das Neves

In the current scenario of economic uncertainty, where many organizations struggle harder for reducing costs while improving their competitiveness, employees’ organizational citizenship behaviours might have an enhanced importance for organizational survival and success. A model proposing that corporate engagement in internal socially responsible practices enhances employees’ job satisfaction and consequently increases employees’ extra-role behaviours was tested. Using data obtained from a sample of employees from an airline company (n=133), the model was examined and supported. We have therefore concluded that organizations may foster employees’ extra-role behaviours by investing in corporate socially responsible practices that signal corporate concern with employees and promote job satisfaction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Riza Syahputera ◽  
Martha Rianty

AbstractThis study aims to determine the effect of the role of the Chairperson and Cooperative Manager in the preparation and application of Financial Statements based on SAK ETAP in cooperatives in the city of Palembang. This research is a quantitative study using data obtained from questionnaires and measured using a Likert scale. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling. The sample used in this study was the Chairperson of the cooperative and the manager of the cooperative in the city of Palembang. The cooperatives studied were 203 cooperatives. The data analysis technique used is multiple linear regression test. The results showed that the role of cooperative leaders and managers had a significant positive effect on the preparation and application of SAK ETAP-based financial statements.Keywords : chairman, manager, SAK ETAP, cooperative


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ran Xiong ◽  
Ping Wei

Confucian culture has had a deep-rooted influence on Chinese thinking and behavior for more than 2,000 years. With a manually created Confucian culture database and the 2017 China floating population survey, we used empirical analysis to test the relationship between Confucian culture and individual entrepreneurial choice using data obtained from China's floating population. After using the presence and number of Confucian schools and temples, and of chaste women as instrumental variables to counteract problems of endogeneity, we found that Confucian culture had a significant role in promoting individuals' entrepreneurial decision making among China's floating population. The results showed that, compared with those from areas of China not strongly influenced by Confucian culture, individuals from areas that are strongly influenced by Confucian culture were more likely to choose entrepreneurship as their occupation choice. Our findings reveal cultural factors that affect individual entrepreneurial behavior, and also illustrate the positive role of Confucianism as a representative of the typical cultures of the Chinese nation in the 21st century.


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