Heterogeneous flows foster heterogeneous assemblages: relationships between functional diversity and hydrological heterogeneity in riparian plant communities

摘要: Summary Riparian ecosystems are biophysically complex and highly diverse taxonomically, structurally functionally. While many environmental factors determine the structure function of riparian vegetation communities, hydrology is thought to be ‘master variable’. Flooding variability in water availability known key drivers taxonomic diversity, but their influence on functional trait diversity communities remains largely unexplored. We collected data species abundance, quantitative plant traits from 15 sites distributed across south-eastern Australia address following questions: (a) Is related frequency magnitude flooding disturbance? (b) seasonal within zone? We confirm that metrics describing both disturbance patterns exhibit strong relationships with Australia. Our finding these systems tends positively associated hydrological conditions intensity rare, high-magnitude events, rather than average flow. Our study highlights importance extreme events temporal as determinants communities. These may have significant consequences for experiencing alterations caused by anthropogenic flow modification changing climate.