Functional responses to anthropogenic disturbance and the importance of selected traits: A study case using dung beetles

GIMÉNEZ GÓMEZ, VICTORIA C.; VERDÚ, JOSÉ R.; CASANOVES, FERNANDO; ZURITA, GUSTAVO A.

ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2022

0307-6946

1. Functional diversity has been defined as the value, range, distribution, and relativeabundance of the functional traits of individuals that belong to an ecosystem. Thus,the functional response of organisms to environmental disturbances dependslargely on their functional traits.2. Here, we evaluated dung beetle functional diversity associated to the AtlanticForest replacement using a matrix with 25 functional traits (10 morphological, fourethological, and 11 physiological). We compared functional diversity among nativeand disturbed habitats with a multi and single trait approach.3. Contrary to previous studies, habitats with higher disturbance (open pasture) exhibitedhigher functional diversity compared to native forests, which could be explained by theincorporation of physiological response traits. Species of open disturbed habitatsshowed extreme values of such traits, explaining the observed pattern.4. The inclusion of several traits that represent both species ecology and morphology,and their physiology, generates different results to those observed in previousfunctional studies. This highlights the importance of including a large variety offunctional traits in future functional diversity studies.5. We propose that functional traits must (1) be carefully chosen according to their biologicaland functional basis; (2) represent species ecology and physiology; and (3) include botheffect and response traits. In addition, we consider it is extremely relevant to include amulti and single trait approach in functional diversity studies. A combination of all theseconsiderations will provide a more realistic and complete overview of functional diversitypatterns and the potential consequences of human disturbance on ecosystem functioning