Authors:
Sandel, B., J.D. Corbin and M. Krupa
Publication Date:
2011
Abstract/Summary:
Restoration ecology can benefit greatly from developments in trait-based ecology that enable improved predictions of how the composition of plant communities will respond to changes in environmental conditions. Plant functional traits can be used to guide the restoration of degraded habitats by closely tailoring treatments to the local species pool. We tested this approach in two heavily invaded coastal California grasslands. Our study indicates that trait- based ecology is sufficiently mature to provide useful predictions in the realm of restoration ecology. Trait screening at a site can help predict the success of a particular restoration measure in that community.
Resource Type:
Peer-reviewed Article
Source:
Ecosphere
Link:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/ES10-00175.1/epdf