Understanding patterns of species covariation using a trait based approach with field data and models

我们的目标是了解功能多样性如何影响湖泊生态系统功能的稳定性，例如浮游生物量和初级生产力。的稳定性的影响，可能会或可能不会涉及到它们的功能相似性的组成物种之间的共变异的程度。我们将采用一种基于性状的方法，将物种和功能机械地联系起来，并利用它来量化功能多样性。我们的目标是揭示各种生态过程（非生物环境强迫，竞争和放牧），在隔离和协调一致，影响（1）成对物种协变，（2）物种协变和功能相似性（差异）之间的关系，（3）性状变异的时间动态，并阐明这是如何转化为生态系统功能的动态。为了实现这一目标，我们将联合收割机与先进的时间序列分析和模拟建模工具相结合，使用淡水浮游植物和浮游动物（纤毛虫，轮虫，枝角类，桡足类）作为模型系统，长期高频观测（如博登湖）。我们建议发展新的理论来解释物种所表现出的功能性状的多样性如何影响它们的协变模式。这对保护和生态系统管理都很重要。

Our goal is to understand how functional diversity impacts the stability of lake ecosystem functions such as plankton biomass and primary production. The stability is influenced by the degree of covariation among component species which may or may not be related to their functional similarity. We will adopt a trait based approach linking species and function mechanistically and use it to quantify functional diversity through time. We aim to unmask how various ecological processes (abiotic environmental forcing, competition, and grazing), in isolation and in concert, impact (1) pair-wise species covariation, (2) the relationship between species covariation and functional similarity (difference), and (3) the temporal dynamics in trait variation, and to clarify how this translates into dynamics of ecosystem function. To accomplish this goal we will combine an in-depth data analysis with advanced tools for time series analysis and simulation-based modelling using freshwater phyto- and zooplankton (ciliates, rotifers, cladocerans, copepods) as model systems for which long-term high frequency observations are available (e.g. Lake Constance). We propose to develop new theory to explain how the diversity of functional traits exhibited by species impacts their covariation patterns. This is of importance for both, conservation and ecosystem management.