Functional Diversity in Woody Organs of Tropical Dry Forests and Implications for Restoration

Julieta A. Rosell, Mark E. Olson, Cristina Martínez-Garza and Norberto Martínez-Méndez
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Julieta A. Rosell: Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Mark E. Olson: Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Cristina Martínez-Garza: Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca 62209, Mexico
Norberto Martínez-Méndez: Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-24

Abstract: Tropical dry forests (TDFs) represent one of the most diverse and, at the same time, most threatened ecosystems on earth. Restoration of TDFs is thus crucial but is hindered by a limited understanding of the functional diversity (FD) of original communities. We examine the FD of TDFs based on wood (vessel diameter and wood density) and bark traits (total, inner, and outer bark thicknesses) measured on ~500 species from 24 plant communities and compare this diversity with that of seven other major vegetation types. Along with other seasonally dry sites, TDFs had the highest FD, as indicated by the widest ranges, highest variances, and largest trait hypervolumes. Warm temperatures and seasonal drought seem to drive diverse ecological strategies in these ecosystems, which include a continuum from deciduous species with low-density wood, thick bark, and wide vessels to evergreen species with high-density wood, thin bark, and narrow vessels. The very high FD of TDFs represents a challenge to restoring the likely widest trait ranges of any habitat on earth. Understanding this diversity is essential for monitoring successional changes in minimal intervention restoration and guiding species selection for resilient restoration plantings in the context of climate change.

Keywords: bark thickness; functional diversity; natural succession; plant hydraulics; restoration plantings; specific leaf area; vessel diameter; wood density (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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