Trait-based approaches to linking vegetation and food webs in early-seral forests of the Pacific Northwest

摘要: Abstract Both the structure and composition of naturally generated early-seral forests in Pacific Northwest (PNW) can be profoundly different than that more developed forest seres, especially period after a major disturbance but before conifers re-develop closed canopy. While it is reasonable to suggest unique PNW give rise equally functionality, identifying such linkages beyond inferred by empirical observation understandably difficult. To address this challenge, we explore utility trait-based approach identify vegetation traits most strongly altered canopy-opening disturbances (using wildfires as an example), link these secondary production subsequent food webs. Preliminary analysis, based on original literature-derived data, suggests (1) Lepidoptera production, primary prey base for birds PNW, positively correlated with specific leaf area (SLA) which higher stands recently opened canopy (2) small mammal important meso-predators, SLA, disturbance. These initial results lay framework linking type, severity, successional pathways trophic processes uniquely provided condition.