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，变得更加简单和同质。 沃勒小组使用20世纪50年代的独特基线数据集研究了中西部森林的这些过程。不同地点之间的差异提供了什么样的网站和景观特征使森林容易灭绝和入侵的见解。 物种之间的差异提供了线索，哪些生态过程正在推动这些变化，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的低地森林，以跟踪入侵和保护以及土壤，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。该项目将分析群落组成的变化，包括单个物种的入侵、持久性和灭绝。 这些分析将阐明植物分布和丰度的变化如何取决于植物性状以及场地和周围景观条件。 这些结果将用于测试社区变化的理论，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。该项目还将提请注意长期的生态变化，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.