A functional approach to analyzing long-term change in plant communities

生态系统正在失去本地物种，获得外来物种，并变得更加简单和同质化。沃勒小组使用20世纪50年代的独特基线数据集在中西部森林中研究了这些过程。不同地点之间的差异让我们了解到是什么地点和景观特征使森林容易灭绝和入侵。物种之间的差异提供了哪些生态过程驱动这些变化的线索，包括栖息地破碎化和鹿的食草性。在这个项目中，研究人员将调查动态低地森林，跟踪入侵和灭绝，以及土壤、光照、入侵灌木和景观条件对植物群落动态的作用。该团队还将分析植物特征如何影响不同物种对各种生态变化的敏感性。这将使这些研究人员能够预测哪些物种和地点是最脆弱的，以及使它们脆弱的特征和条件。该项目将从单个物种的入侵、持续和灭绝的角度分析群落组成的变化。这些分析将阐明植物分布和丰度的变化是如何依赖于植物特性以及地点和周围景观条件的。这些结果将用于测试社区变化理论，并指导负责维持多样性和生态完整性的森林和野生动物管理人员。该项目还将引起人们对长期生态变化的关注，并为监测和了解这些变化建立公众支持。

Ecosystems are losing native species, gaining exotics, and becoming simpler and more homogenous. The Waller group studies these processes in Midwestern forests using a unique baseline dataset from the 1950's. Differences among sites provide insights into what site and landscape features make forests susceptible to extinction and invasion. Differences among species provide clues as to which ecological processes are driving these changes, including habitat fragmentation and deer herbivory. In this project, the researchers will survey dynamic lowland forests to track invasions and extinctions and the roles of soil, light, invasive shrubs, and landscape conditions on plant community dynamics. The team will also analyze how plant characteristics affect the susceptibility of different species to various kinds of ecological change. This will allow these researchers to anticipate which species and sites are most vulnerable and the traits and conditions that make them vulnerable.This project will analyze changes in community composition in terms of the invasion, persistence and extinction of individual species. These analyses will illuminate how shifts in plant distribution and abundance depend on plant traits as well as site and surrounding landscape conditions. These results will be used to test theories of community change and to guide forest and wildlife managers charged with sustaining diversity and ecological integrity. This project will also draw attention to long-term ecological change and build public support for monitoring and understanding those changes.