Can Plant Traits Predict Ecosystem Function and Services?

Biodiversity-ecosystem function research has conclusively shown that the diversity of an ecosystem can affect its capacity to function and provide ecosystem services. However, the underlying causes of these relationships are often poorly understood and the capacity for species richness to explain ecosystem function outside of experiments appears limited. In this talk I will demonstrate how more mechanistic trait-based approaches that scale the functional traits of individual plants to the community can effectively explain ecosystem function. Examples will be drawn from a range of experiments and observational studies conducted in grassland, urban and heathland ecosystems. I will also highlight several challenges that this approach must overcome before showing how it may be used to inform future environmental management.

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