Damselfish and their coral host (Pocillopora eydouxi). MCR LTER
Credit: MCR LTER
Recent advances in trait-based frameworks, that utilize universal functional traits to examine functional diversity, provide a critical opportunity to better understand patterns in diversity across taxa with diverse phylogenetic lineages, especially in response to global change. While ecologists have had much success using universal traits for plants with diverse origins, methodologies in consumer studies are generally disparate, often focusing on one group, process or system. Here we aim to bridge the gap in our understanding of consumer functional diversity and ecosystem function by utilizing a universal functional traits framework. We propose to quantify temporal variation in taxonomic and functional diversity, and nutrient cycling by integrating universal functional traits, process rates data, and population time-series data of consumers across aquatic ecosystems. We will address three main objectives:
- characterize ecological strategies of consumers,
- explore the relationship between consumer functional diversity and nutrient recycling, and
- examine temporal trends in consumer taxonomic and functional diversity across diverse ecosystem divisions and LTER sites.
With support from the LTER LNO, our working group will synthesize data across a wide range of divergent taxa to further our understanding of widespread changes in consumer diversity across systems and spatial scales.
