Taxonomic and functional turnover are decoupled in European peat bogs

Bjorn J. M. Robroek (), Vincent E. J. Jassey, Richard J. Payne, Magalí Martí, Luca Bragazza, Albert Bleeker, Alexandre Buttler, Simon J. M. Caporn, Nancy B. Dise, Jens Kattge, Katarzyna Zając, Bo H. Svensson, Jasper van Ruijven and Jos T. A. Verhoeven
Additional contact information
Bjorn J. M. Robroek: Utrecht University
Vincent E. J. Jassey: Université de Toulouse, INP, UPS, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (Ecolab)
Richard J. Payne: Manchester Metropolitan University
Magalí Martí: Linköping University
Luca Bragazza: University of Ferrara
Albert Bleeker: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Alexandre Buttler: University of Ferrara
Simon J. M. Caporn: Manchester Metropolitan University
Nancy B. Dise: Manchester Metropolitan University
Jens Kattge: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Katarzyna Zając: University of Bayreuth
Bo H. Svensson: Linköping University
Jasper van Ruijven: Wageningen University and Research Centre
Jos T. A. Verhoeven: Utrecht University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract In peatland ecosystems, plant communities mediate a globally significant carbon store. The effects of global environmental change on plant assemblages are expected to be a factor in determining how ecosystem functions such as carbon uptake will respond. Using vegetation data from 56 Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs across Europe, we show that in these ecosystems plant species aggregate into two major clusters that are each defined by shared response to environmental conditions. Across environmental gradients, we find significant taxonomic turnover in both clusters. However, functional identity and functional redundancy of the community as a whole remain unchanged. This strongly suggests that in peat bogs, species turnover across environmental gradients is restricted to functionally similar species. Our results demonstrate that plant taxonomic and functional turnover are decoupled, which may allow these peat bogs to maintain ecosystem functioning when subject to future environmental change.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01350-5

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