Drivers of vegetation in insular systems: Towards an integrative approach for functional island biogeography

本项目以斐济群岛为模型系统，通过植物功能性状的透镜，研究植被对景观破碎化、入侵物种和干扰的反应。功能性状反映了物种的生态适应性，与生态系统过程直接相关。原则上，岛屿是理想的模式，因为它们的植物群落很容易观察，植被动态类似于破碎的景观。然而，还没有全面的尝试，以连接植物性状与物种出现在一个岛屿系统。该项目通过将斐济岛屿上不同空间尺度的植物物种出现与功能特征联系起来，从而建立对基本生态过程的新认识，从而解决这一差距，并对保护实践产生明确影响。

This project investigates how vegetation responds to landscape fragmentation, invasive species, and disturbances through the lens of plant functional traits, using the Fijian islands as a model system. Functional traits characterise species ecological adaptations and directly link to ecosystem processes. In principle, islands are ideal models as their plant communities are easily observed and the vegetation dynamics resemble those of fragmented landscapes. However, no comprehensive attempt has yet been made to connect plant traits with species occurrences in an island system. This project addresses this gap by interlinking plant species occurrences at different spatial scales on the islands of Fiji with functional traits, thereby building new understanding of fundamental ecological processes, with clear implications for conservation practice.