Linking species distributions and traits to understand ecosystem functioning
Group Leaders: Andreas Novotny (Institute of the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC & Hakai Institute), Patrick Pata (Institute of the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC), and Brian Hunt Institute of the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC, and Hakai Institute
Date of Working Group: February 20-24, 2023
In person location: UBC campus, Vancouver, BC
Deadline: August 24, 2022
Apply here: closed
This working group aims to answer: Can we use species distributions and traits data to understand ecosystem functioning? The recent increase in openly accessible species distribution data from monitoring programs and aggregated traits databases are enabling our understanding of how ecosystems respond to global changes. However, a key challenge
in ecology is establishing the mechanistic links between traits and ecosystem functions, such as food production, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem stability. The proposed working group will bring together ecologists from different fields to synthesize existing theories and develop a framework that classifies traits according to their ecosystem functions. We will
use this framework to develop and test hypotheses that would relate species distributions, traits, and ecosystem functions using empirical data. As a case study we will focus on the plankton community of the Strait of Georgia; a data-rich water body of ecological, societal, and economical importance for Canada. Implementing the working group’s framework will
facilitate the understanding of how changes in food web production in the Strait of Georgia are driven by changes in the functional composition of zooplankton. The output of the working group will be extendable to other ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial.
Date of Working Group: February 20-24, 2023
In person location: UBC campus, Vancouver, BC
Deadline: August 24, 2022
Apply here: closed
This working group aims to answer: Can we use species distributions and traits data to understand ecosystem functioning? The recent increase in openly accessible species distribution data from monitoring programs and aggregated traits databases are enabling our understanding of how ecosystems respond to global changes. However, a key challenge
in ecology is establishing the mechanistic links between traits and ecosystem functions, such as food production, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem stability. The proposed working group will bring together ecologists from different fields to synthesize existing theories and develop a framework that classifies traits according to their ecosystem functions. We will
use this framework to develop and test hypotheses that would relate species distributions, traits, and ecosystem functions using empirical data. As a case study we will focus on the plankton community of the Strait of Georgia; a data-rich water body of ecological, societal, and economical importance for Canada. Implementing the working group’s framework will
facilitate the understanding of how changes in food web production in the Strait of Georgia are driven by changes in the functional composition of zooplankton. The output of the working group will be extendable to other ecosystems, both aquatic and terrestrial.