N-dimensional hypervolumes to study stability of complex ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Although our knowledge on the stabilising role of biodiversity and on how it is affected by perturbations has greatly improved, we still lack a comprehensive view on ecosystem stability that is transversal to different habitats and perturbations. Hence, we propose a framework that takes advantage of the multiplicity of components of an ecosystem and their contribution to stability. Ecosystem components can range from species or functional groups, to different functional traits, or even the cover of different habitats in a landscape mosaic. We make use of n-dimensional hypervolumes to define ecosystem states and assess how much they shift after environmental changes have occurred. We demonstrate the value of this framework with a study case on the effects of environmental change on Alpine e

SUBMITTER: Barros C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4975519 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature