Functional and phylogenetic assembly of trees in Restinga Forest

Abstract

Explaining the coexistence of species in the same trophic level with similar resource requirements remains an intriguing ecological question, particularly in diverse tropical systems. Coexistence has historically been associated only with local processes, however regional processes can also be key determinants of community assembly. Integrating processes across local to regional scales is rare due in part to logistical and operational difficulties. One promising approach to a broader understanding of community assembly rules is to connect species functional variation with evolutionary processes. Defining how local community phylogenetic structure is connected with the regional species pool and how the functional traits evolve in the phylogeny enable a broader view of coexistence in the local community. We propose to recensus the Permanent Plot at Ilha do Cardoso in order to define species' ecological strategies using demographic vital rates. Empirical data about the dynamics of most of the tree species in the community will be associated with a fully resolved phylogenetic tree for the regional species pool providing a key opportunity to understand community assembly. We intend to use a hierarchical modeling approach that partitions the importance of different ecological and evolutionary processes in an integrated form. We will also compare our results across a broad geographic scale by taking advantage of two collaborative networks with which we already working. This proposal provides an excellent opportunity to develop novel understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes driving community assembly in tropical forests. (AU)