Plant and animal functional diversity drive mutualistic network assembly across an elevational gradient

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 3177 - 10
• Main Authors: Albrecht, Jörg, Classen, Alice, Vollstädt, Maximilian G. R., Mayr, Antonia, Mollel, Neduvoto P., Schellenberger Costa, David, Dulle, Hamadi I., Fischer, Markus, Hemp, Andreas, Howell, Kim M., Kleyer, Michael, Nauss, Thomas, Peters, Marcell K., Tschapka, Marco, Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf, Böhning-Gaese, Katrin, Schleuning, Matthias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09.08.2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158; 631/158/2445; 631/158/2463; 631/158/853; Altitude; Animal species; Animals; Assembly; Bayes Theorem; Biodiversity; Birds; Birds - physiology; Climate; Datasets; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecosystem biology; Environmental gradient; Feeding Behavior; Flowers; Flowers & plants; Flowers - physiology; Fruit; Fruits; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insecta - physiology; Land use; multidisciplinary; Networks; Niche breadth; Phylogeny; Plant communities; Plant diversity; Plants; Precipitation; Research Design; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Species Specificity; Symbiosis; Tanzania; Trophic levels; Tanzania

Species’ functional traits set the blueprint for pair-wise interactions in ecological networks. Yet, it is unknown to what extent the functional diversity of plant and animal communities controls network assembly along environmental gradients in real-world ecosystems. Here we address this question w...