General patterns of taxonomic and biomass partitioning in extant and fossil plant communities

Brian J. Enquist; John P. Haskell; Bruce H. Tiffney

doi:10.1038/nature01069

General patterns of taxonomic and biomass partitioning in extant and fossil plant communities

Brian J. Enquist, John P. Haskell, Bruce H. Tiffney

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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91 Scopus citations

Abstract

A central goal of evolutionary ecology is to identify the general features maintaining the diversity of species assemblages^1-3. Understanding the taxonomic and ecological characteristics of ecological communities provides a means to develop and test theories about the processes that regulate species coexistence and diversity. Here, using data from woody plant communities from different biogeographic regions, continents and geologic time periods, we show that the number of higher taxa is a general power-function of species richness that is significantly different from randomized assemblages. In general, we find that local communities are characterized by fewer higher taxa than would be expected by chance. The degree of taxonomic diversity is influenced by modes of dispersal and potential biotic interactions. Further, changes in local diversity are accompanied by regular changes in the partitioning of community biomass between taxa that are also described by a power function. Our results indicate that local and regional processes² have consistently regulated community diversity and biomass partitioning for millions of years.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	610-613
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature
Volume	419
Issue number	6907
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01069
State	Published - Oct 10 2002

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title = "General patterns of taxonomic and biomass partitioning in extant and fossil plant communities",

abstract = "A central goal of evolutionary ecology is to identify the general features maintaining the diversity of species assemblages1-3. Understanding the taxonomic and ecological characteristics of ecological communities provides a means to develop and test theories about the processes that regulate species coexistence and diversity. Here, using data from woody plant communities from different biogeographic regions, continents and geologic time periods, we show that the number of higher taxa is a general power-function of species richness that is significantly different from randomized assemblages. In general, we find that local communities are characterized by fewer higher taxa than would be expected by chance. The degree of taxonomic diversity is influenced by modes of dispersal and potential biotic interactions. Further, changes in local diversity are accompanied by regular changes in the partitioning of community biomass between taxa that are also described by a power function. Our results indicate that local and regional processes2 have consistently regulated community diversity and biomass partitioning for millions of years.",

author = "Enquist, {Brian J.} and Haskell, {John P.} and Tiffney, {Bruce H.}",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank J. H. Brown, S. Collins, R. Colwell, M. J. Donoghue, N. J. Gotelli, D. Post, S. P. Hubbell, C. J. Humphries, W. P. Maddison, K. J. Niklas, N. Pittman, F. A. Smith, M. Weiser, J. Williams, R. Whittaker and the members of the NCEAS Body Size Working Group and Phylogenies and Community Ecology Working Group for critical discussions and/or comments on earlier drafts. In particular, C. O. Webb provided valuable comments. This work stems in part from the Body Size in Ecology and Evolution Working Group (F.A. Smith, Principal Investigator) sponsored by The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS, a national centre funded by the NSF, the University of California Santa Barbara and the State of California). B.J.E. was supported by the NSF and NCEAS. J.P.H. was supported by a student internship from NCEAS. Computer resources for the simulations were provided by the UNM Department of Biology, Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research site and NCEAS.",

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PY - 2002/10/10

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N2 - A central goal of evolutionary ecology is to identify the general features maintaining the diversity of species assemblages1-3. Understanding the taxonomic and ecological characteristics of ecological communities provides a means to develop and test theories about the processes that regulate species coexistence and diversity. Here, using data from woody plant communities from different biogeographic regions, continents and geologic time periods, we show that the number of higher taxa is a general power-function of species richness that is significantly different from randomized assemblages. In general, we find that local communities are characterized by fewer higher taxa than would be expected by chance. The degree of taxonomic diversity is influenced by modes of dispersal and potential biotic interactions. Further, changes in local diversity are accompanied by regular changes in the partitioning of community biomass between taxa that are also described by a power function. Our results indicate that local and regional processes2 have consistently regulated community diversity and biomass partitioning for millions of years.

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General patterns of taxonomic and biomass partitioning in extant and fossil plant communities

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