A fast-slow trait continuum at the level of entire communities
Author:
Neyret MargotORCID, Le Provost GaëtaneORCID, Boesing Andrea LarissaORCID, Schneider Florian D.ORCID, Baulechner DennisORCID, Bergmann JoanaORCID, Vries Franciska deORCID, Fiore-Donno Anna MariaORCID, Geisen StefanORCID, Goldmann KeziaORCID, Merges AnnaORCID, Saifutdinov Ruslan A.ORCID, Simons Nadja K.ORCID, Tobias Joseph A.ORCID, Zaitsev Andrey S.ORCID, Gossner Martin M.ORCID, Jung KirstenORCID, Kandeler EllenORCID, Krauss JochenORCID, Penone CaterinaORCID, Schloter MichaelORCID, Schulz StefanieORCID, Staab MichaelORCID, Wolters VolkmarORCID, Apostolakis AntoniosORCID, Birkhofer KlausORCID, Boch SteffenORCID, Boeddinghaus Runa S.ORCID, Bolliger RalphORCID, Bonkowski MichaelORCID, Buscot FrancoisORCID, Dumack KennethORCID, Fischer Markus, Gan Huei Ying, Heinze JohannesORCID, Hölzel NorbertORCID, John KatharinaORCID, Klaus Valentin H., Kleinebecker TillORCID, Marhan SvenORCID, Müller JörgORCID, Renner Swen C.ORCID, Rillig MatthiasORCID, Schenk Noëlle V.ORCID, Schöning IngoORCID, Schrumpf Marion, Seibold SebastianORCID, Socher StephanieORCID, Solly Emily F.ORCID, Teuscher MiriamORCID, van Kleunen MarkORCID, Wubet TesfayeORCID, Manning PeteORCID
Abstract
AbstractAcross the tree of life, organismal functional strategies form a continuum from slow-to fast-growing organisms, in response to common drivers such as resource availability and disturbance. However, the synchronization of these strategies at the entire community level is untested. We combine trait data for >2800 above-and belowground taxa from 14 trophic guilds spanning a disturbance and resource availability gradient in German grasslands. Most guilds consistently respond to these drivers through both direct and trophically-mediated effects, resulting in a ‘slow-fast’ axis at the level of the entire community. Fast trait communities were also associated with faster rates of whole ecosystem functioning. These findings demonstrate that ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ strategies can be manifested at the level of whole ecosystems, opening new avenues of ecosystem-level functional classification.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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