Recasting the dynamic equilibrium model through a functional lens: the interplay of trait-based community assembly and climate

摘要

1. According to the dynamic equilibrium hypothesis (DEH), plant species richness is locally controlled by productivity and disturbance. Given that regional conditions widely affect local environmental variables such as soil nutrient availability, the DEH predictions could be improved by considering how climate influences local controls of species richness. Further, a trait-based approach to community assembly has the potential to reveal a deeper, mechanistic understanding of species richness variation across environments. Here, we bring together DEH and trait-based community assembly expectations to examine whether and how local relationships between diversity, disturbance and productivity are affected by habitat filtering and regional climate.