Plant functional traits translated into vegetation dynamics - linking environmental factors, functional diversity and carbon pools

SP 5假设植物对气候和土地利用变化的反应取决于它们的功能性状，而不是它们的分类从属关系。通过植物功能特性组成的变化，生态系统生物多样性组成部分的变化也影响到养分和水的循环以及生态系统适应气候和土地使用变化的能力。在这里，我们结合联合收割机的经验和建模的方法，以更好地了解植物功能性状的组成，环境和生态系统功能之间的关系在基利曼哈罗region.Our第一个目标是了解植物物种和群落的生理生态和再生特性的土壤资源的变化，土地使用和火灾以及植物特性对生态系统功能的影响，如养分和水循环或动植物相互作用，包括种子传播。植物性状将通过取样进行评估。120种形态特征和大约。60个样地中需要实验室分析的60种性状。这些选定物种群落的特征组成将使用统计方法与环境和生态系统参数（由次级项目2、3、4、6、7、8记录）联系起来。性状将根据它们是否响应环境和/或影响生态系统特性而被分类为响应性状和效应性状。第二个目标是建立一个以个体和过程为基础的植被模型，以研究植被类型对环境因素和人类干扰的瞬时动态。在实地采集的植物特征数据将用于植被模型主要部分的参数化。该模式将以FORMIND方法为基础。库存数据和经验的特性-环境关系将是重要的校准和验证模型公式。在植被模型的帮助下，我们将研究演替动态和干扰对树木群落的影响，重点是植物性状的作用。

SP 5 assumes that responses of plants to changes of climate and land use depend on their functional traits rather than on their taxonomic affiliation. Through shifts in plant functional trait composition, changes in the biodiversity component of ecosystems also affect nutrient and water cycling and the capacity of the ecosystem to adapt to changes of climate and land use. Here, we combine an empirical and a modelling approach to better understand the relationships between the composition of plant functional traits, environment, and ecosystem functioning in the Kilimanjaro region.Our first objective is to understand the response of ecophysiological and regenerative traits of plant species and communities to changes in soil resources, land use and fire as well as effects of plant traits on ecosystem functions such as nutrient and water cycling or plant – animal interactions, including seed dispersal. Plant traits will be assessed by sampling approx. 120 species for morphological traits and approx. 60 species for traits requiring laboratory analysis in 60 plots. The trait composition of the communities of these selected species will be related to environmental and ecosystem parameters (recorded by subprojects 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) using statistical approaches. Traits will be classified into response and effect traits depending on whether they respond to the environment and/or affect ecosystem properties. The second objective is to develop an individual and process-based vegetation model to study the transient dynamics of vegetation types in response to environmental factors and human disturbances. The plant trait data sampled in the field will be used to parameterise main parts of the vegetation model. The model will be based on the FORMIND approach. Inventory data and empirical trait-environment relationships will be important to calibrate and validate model formulations. With the help of the vegetation model we will study successional dynamics and the impact of disturbances on tree communities, focusing on the role of plant traits.