Functional traits as indicators of biodiversity response to land use changes across ecosystems and organisms

Abstract

Rigorous and widely applicable indicators of biodiversity are needed to monitor the responses of ecosystems to global change and design effective conservation schemes. Among the potential indicators of biodiversity, those based on the functional traits of species and communities are interesting because they can be generalized to similar habitats and can be assessed by relatively rapid field assessment across eco-regions. Functional traits, however, have as yet been rarely considered in current common monitoring schemes. Moreover, standardized procedures of trait measurement and analyses 123Biodivers Conserv (2010) 19:2921-2947 DOI 10.1007 have almost exclusively been developed for plants but different approaches have been used for different groups of organisms. Here we review approaches using functional traits as biodiversity indicators focussing not on plants as usual but particularly on animal groups that are commonly considered in different biodiversity monitoring schemes (benthic invertebrates, collembolans, above ground insects and birds). Further, we introduce a new framework based on functional traits indices and illustrate it using case studies where the traits of these organisms can help monitoring the response of biodiversity to different land use change drivers. We propose and test standard procedures to integrate different components of functional traits into biodiversity monitoring schemes across trophic levels and disciplines. We suggest that the development of indicators using functional traits could complement, rather than replace, the existent biodiversity monitoring. In this way, the comparison of the effect of land use changes on biodiversity is facilitated and is expected to positively influence conservation management practices.

Indicators for taxonomic and functional aspects of biodiversity in the vineyard agroecosystem of Southern Switzerland

“…An effective list of indicator species of distinct facets of biodiversity may represent a key tool to assess the status and trends of biodiversity and to quantify the ecological quality of a field (Wittig et al, 2006). Unfortunately, taxonomic diversity and vulnerability of species to extinction (Red Lists) are the only measures routinely taken into account in many biodiversity monitoring programs (Vandewalle et al, 2010). However, vulnerable species are often too rare to be considered the only important plant species when determining ecological quality (Rosenthal, 2003).…”

“…As stressed by Vandewalle et al (2010), in biodiversity monitoring schemes an integrated approach including different facets of biodiversity should be considered, while within biodiversity conservation strategies more than one objective should be covered. Our results emphasize the need to consider functional aspects of biodiversity in diversity-conservation strategies when the objectives are to preserve both diversity of taxa and ecosystem functioning (Cadotte et al, 2011).…”

“…Despite increasing research aiming to assess these components of biodiversity (e.g. Hodgson et al, 2005;Devictor et al, 2010;Cadotte et al, 2011;Sattler et al, in press), functional diversity is still scarcely included in biodiversity monitoring programmes (Woodwell, 2002;Vandewalle et al, 2010;Perrings et al, 2011).…”

Collembola Community Structure as a Tool to Assess Land Use Effects on Soil Quality

“…It is important to adopt tillage methods which promote the highest possible yield while causing minimum damage to microorganisms and fauna in the soil (Petersen, 2002b) and also find properties that indicate changes in soil quality as a result of the uses adopted. Few studies have worked with the possibility of using EM groups of springtails as indicators of the effects of soil use (Parisi, 2001;Parisi et al, 2005;Vandewalle et al, 2010). Changes in the density and community structure of springtails can have long-term consequences in provision of ecosystem services and show differences between soil uses systems, indicating which system is more conservationist.…”

“…The traits used are presence of ocelli, antenna length, development of furca, presence or absence of body hairs/scales, and pigmentation (Table 2), a procedure modified from Vandewalle et al (2010). For each individual organism, the traits receive a score (partial EM value), and the final EM value will be the sum of all scores from each individual trait.…”