The response of ecological communities to nutrient enrichment: Utilizing meta-analysis and structural equation modeling to disentangle the influences of functional traits and environmental context
Principal Investigators:
Elsa E. Cleland
Ecologists have been fascinated by the relationship between plant species diversity and ecosystem productivity for many years. It is becoming increasingly important to understand this relationship as anthropogenic environmental changes such as nitrogen deposition fundamentally alter natural systems. At local scales, experimental research shows that species diversity tends to decline as resource availability increases. To date, diversity responses to nutrient enrichment have been quantified almost entirely by changes in taxonomic richness. Thus,... more
Ecologists have been fascinated by the relationship between plant species diversity and ecosystem productivity for many years. It is becoming increasingly important to understand this relationship as anthropogenic environmental changes such as nitrogen deposition fundamentally alter natural systems. At local scales, experimental research shows that species diversity tends to decline as resource availability increases. To date, diversity responses to nutrient enrichment have been quantified almost entirely by changes in taxonomic richness. Thus, we know little about the characteristics ¿ or functional traits ¿ of those species which decline. This research will seek to determine whether plant functional traits can predict shifts in species composition, species richness, and productivity in response to nutrient enrichment. This focus on functional traits will facilitate comparison across ecosystem types, and generalization regarding species losses and their consequences in response to environmental change.
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Participants and Meetings

Working Group Participants
Activity | Dates | Further Information |
---|---|---|
Postdoctoral Fellow | 1st August 2005—30th June 2008 | Participant List |
Graduate Student | 1st April—30th June 2006 | Participant List |
Participant Contact Information
Elsa E. Cleland | ecleland@ucsd.edu | Stanford University |
Candace Low | c_low@lifesci.ucsb.edu | University of California, Santa Barbara |
Products: Publications, Reports, Datasets, Presentations, Visualizations
Type | Products of NCEAS Research |
---|---|
Data Set | Cleland, Elsa E.; Suding, Katharine N.; Collins, Scott L.; Clark, Christopher M.; Fargione, Joseph E.; Gough, Laura; Gross, Katherine L.; Pennings, Steven C.; Milchunas, Daniel; Cox, Stephen B.; Grace, James B. 2006. Synthesis of nitrogen fertilization experiments in North America - plant species relative abundance. (Online version) |
Journal Article | Collins, Scott L.; Suding, Katharine N.; Cleland, Elsa E.; Batty, Michael; Pennings, Steven C.; Gross, Katherine L.; Grace, James B.; Gough, Laura; Fargione, Joseph E.; Clark, Christopher M. 2008. Rank clocks and plant community dynamics. Ecology. Vol: 89(12). Pages 3534-3541. (Online version) |
Journal Article | Cox, Stephen B.; Clark, Christopher M.; Cleland, Elsa E.; Suding, Katharine N.; Weiher, Evan; Pennington, Deana D. 2008. Scale-dependent responses of plant biodiversity to nitrogen enrichment. Ecology. Vol: 89(8). Pages 2165-2171. (Online version) |
Journal Article | Funk, Jennifer L.; Cleland, Elsa E.; Suding, Katharine N.; Zavaleta, Erika. 2008. Restoration through reassembly: Plant traits and invasion resistance. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Vol: 23(12). Pages 695-703. (Online version) |
"The response of ecological communities to nutrient enrichment: Utilizing meta-analysis and structural equation modeling to disentangle the influences of functional traits and environmental context" is project ID: 9520