Intraspecific functional variability: extent, structure and sources of variation
Intraspecific functional variability: extent, structure and sources of variation
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01651.x
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发表时间：
2010-05-01
影响因子：
5.5
通讯作者：
Lavorel, Sandra
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Albert, Cecile Helene;Thuiller, Wilfried;Lavorel, Sandra
P > 1。功能性状越来越多地用于研究群落结构、生态系统功能或将物种划分为功能类群。这些功能特征在物种之间和物种内部是可变的。种内功能变异性被认为影响和调节物种对环境变化的反应及其对环境的影响。然而，这一假设仍然缺乏验证，而且物种大多是通过平均性状值来描述的，而没有考虑个体性状值的变异性。在本研究中，我们量化了种内植物功能性状变异的程度、空间结构及其对环境因子的响应。采用沿两个直接和正交气候梯度的抽样设计，对16种不同生活史的植物的3个功能性状（高度、叶片干物质含量和叶片氮含量）进行了量化和分析。结果表明，种内性状变异较大，功能性状与种间差异较大。这种变异性似乎并不存在于人群中。在种群之间，总体变异性部分地被选择的梯度所解释。尽管温度和辐射对性状种内变异性有很强的影响，但性状沿梯度的响应曲线在一定程度上具有特异性。通过对原始数据集的分析，对种内功能变异性进行了全面的量化，我们报告了新的证据，表明使用单一性状值来描述给定物种可以隐藏该物种沿环境梯度的大功能变化。这些发现表明，种内功能变异性应该是生态学家关注的问题，它的认识为更好地理解和预测变化环境中的生态模式提供了新的机会。然而，需要进一步的分析来比较种间和种内的变异性。
P>1. Functional traits are increasingly used to investigate community structure, ecosystem functioning or to classify species into functional groups. These functional traits are expected to be variable between and within species. Intraspecific functional variability is supposed to influence and modulate species responses to environmental changes and their effects on their environment. However, this hypothesis remains poorly tested and species are mostly described by mean trait values without any consideration of variability in individual trait values.2. In this study, we quantify the extent of intraspecific plant functional trait variability, its spatial structure and its response to environmental factors. Using a sampling design structured along two direct and orthogonal climatic gradients in an alpine valley, we quantified and analysed the intraspecific variability for three functional traits (height, leaf dry matter content and leaf nitrogen content) measured on sixteen plant species with contrasting life histories.3. Results showed a large variability of traits within species with large discrepancies between functional traits and species. This variability did not appear to be structured within populations. Between populations, the overall variability was partly explained by the selected gradients. Despite the strong effects of temperature and radiation on trait intraspecific variability, the response curves of traits along gradients were partly idiosyncratic.4.Synthesis. Giving a comprehensive quantification of intraspecific functional variability through the analysis of an original data set, we report new evidence that using a single trait value to describe a given species can hide large functional variation for this species along environmental gradients. These findings suggest that intraspecific functional variability should be a concern for ecologists and its recognition opens new opportunities to better understand and predict ecological patterns in a changing environment. Further analyses are, however, required to compare inter- and intraspecific variability.