How functional is functional? Ecological groupings in terrestrial animal ecology: towards an animal functional type approach

摘要: Understanding mechanisms to predict changes in plant and animal communities is a key challenge ecology. The need transfer knowledge gained from single species more generalized approach has led the development of categorization systems where species’ similarities life strategies traits are classified into ecological groups (EGs) like functional groups/types or guilds. While approaches ecology undergo steady improvement refinement methodologies, progression lagging behind. With this review, we aim initiate further classification ecology, comparable recent developments We here (i) give an overview terms definitions EGs (ii) discuss existing systems, methods application areas (focusing on terrestrial vertebrates), (iii) provide “roadmap towards type approach” for improving classifications found that requires: identification core describing dependency their habitat history traits, optimization trait selection by clustering hierarchies, assessment “soft traits” as substitute hardly measurable e.g. body size dispersal ability, (iv) testing delineated validation including experiments.