Marko J. Spasojevic
A5071778816- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and animal studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Climate change and permafrost
- Fermentation and Sensory Analysis
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Forest ecology and management
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Forest Management and Policy
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
- Climate change impacts on agriculture
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
University of California, Riverside
2016-2024
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
2016-2024
University of Colorado Boulder
2016-2024
University of California, Los Angeles
2017
Washington University in St. Louis
2014-2016
University of California, Davis
2012-2014
University of California, Irvine
2010-2014
Summary 1. Many studies of community assembly focus on two mechanisms: environmental filtering and competitive interactions. This ignores the importance other processes such as equalizing fitness facilitation. The contribution different to can be elucidated by examining functional diversity patterns traits that differ in their processes. 2. In alpine tundra, we explored trait along a stress–resource gradient varied productivity, nitrogen availability soil moisture. We explore whether is low...
Our ability to understand and predict the response of ecosystems a changing environment depends on quantifying vegetation functional diversity. However, representing this diversity at global scale is challenging. Typically, in Earth system models, characterization plant has been limited grouping related species into types (PFTs), with all trait variation PFT collapsed single mean value that applied globally. Using largest database state art Bayesian modeling, we created fine-grained maps...
Snow is an important driver of ecosystem processes in cold biomes. accumulation determines ground temperature, light conditions, and moisture availability during winter. It also affects the growing season’s start end, plant access to nutrients. Here, we review current knowledge snow cover’s role for vegetation, plant-animal interactions, permafrost microbial processes, biogeochemical cycling. We compare studies natural gradients with experimental manipulation assess time scale difference...
Abstract Questions Are patterns of intra‐ and inter‐specific functional trait variation consistent with greater abiotic filtering on community assembly at high latitudes elevations, biotic low elevations? Locations Area de Conservación Guanacaste, C osta R ica; S anta atalina M ountains, A rizona; iskiyou O regon. Methods We measured woody plant species abundance a key associated competition for resources environmental tolerance (specific leaf area, SLA ) along elevational gradients in...
Abstract Background The central thesis of plant ecology is that climate determines the global distribution vegetation. Within a vegetation type, however, finer‐scale environmental features, such as physical and chemical properties soil (edaphic variation), control patterns diversity distributions. Aims Here, we review literature to provide mechanistic framework for edaphic diversity. First, three examples where soils have known, prevalent effects on diversity: during formation, unusual in...
Abstract Despite decades of interest, few studies have provided evidence supporting theoretical expectations for coupled relationships between aboveground and belowground diversity ecosystem functioning in non‐manipulated natural ecosystems. We characterized plant species richness density, soil bacterial, fungal eukaryotic phylogenetic (using 16S, ITS , 18S gene sequencing), function (levels C N, rates microbial enzyme activities) along a gradient density high‐elevation, C‐deficient soils to...
Abstract The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction plant species is thought be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding strategies size resource acquisition. However, it unknown whether global trait relationships extend climatic extremes, if these interspecific are confounded by within species. We test cold extremes life on Earth using largest database tundra yet compiled. show that plants demonstrate remarkably similar economic...
One significant unanswered question about biotic responses to climate change is how plant communities within topographically complex landscapes will respond change. Alpine are strongly influenced by topographic microclimates which can either buffer or compound the effects of more regional climatic changes. Here, we analyzed species changes over 20+ years in a alpine landscape with pronounced gradients microtopography and consequently large variation temperatures, snow depths, nitrogen...
Summary The physiological tolerance hypothesis proposes that plant species richness is highest in warm and/or wet climates because a wider range of functional strategies can persist under such conditions. Functional diversity metrics, combined with statistical modelling, offer new ways to test whether diversity–environment relationships are consistent this hypothesis. In classic study by R.H. Whittaker ( Ecological Monographs , 1960), herb declined from mesic (cool, moist, northerly) slopes...
Abstract How the patterns of niche occupancy vary from species‐poor to species‐rich communities is a fundamental question in ecology that has central bearing on processes drive biodiversity. As species richness increases, habitat filtering should constrain expansion total volume, while limiting similarity restrict degree overlap between species. Here, by explicitly incorporating intraspecific trait variability, we investigate relationship functional and at global scale. We assembled 21...
Modified environmental conditions are driving phenological changes in ecosystems around the world. Many plants have already responded to warmer temperatures by flowering earlier and sustaining longer periods of growth. Changes other factors, like precipitation atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, may also influence phenology but been less studied. Alpine be good predictors response patterns because amplified mountain extreme make alpine particularly sensitive limiting factors precipitation,...
Intraspecific trait variation is hypothesized to influence the relative importance of community assembly mechanisms. However, few studies have explicitly considered how intraspecific among ontogenetic stages influences across environmental gradients. Because abiotic and biotic mechanisms can differ within environments, may an important on patterns functional diversity inferred We tested hypothesis that in a topo‐edaphic gradient differs these reflect shift different In temperate forest...
Abstract Motivation The Tundra Trait Team (TTT) database includes field‐based measurements of key traits related to plant form and function at multiple sites across the tundra biome. This dataset can be used address theoretical questions about strategy trade‐offs, trait–environment relationships environmental filtering, trait variation spatial scales, validate satellite data, inform Earth system model parameters. Main types variable contained contains 91,970 18 traits. most frequently...
Abstract Understanding the consequences of extreme climatic events is a growing challenge in ecology. Climatic extremes may differentially affect varying elements biodiversity, and not always produce ecological effects exceeding those “normal” variation space time. We asked how drought years 2013–2014 affected cover, species richness, functional trait means, diversity, phylogenetic diversity herbaceous plant communities across California Floristic Province. compared directions magnitudes...
Abstract Aims Patterns of spatial community dissimilarity have inspired a large body theory in ecology and biogeography. Yet key gaps remain our understanding the local‐scale ecological processes underlying species replacement nestedness, two fundamental components dissimilarity. Here, we examined relative influence dispersal limitation, habitat filtering interspecific interactions on patterns nestedness eight stem‐mapped temperate forest mega‐plots at different ontogenetic stages (large...
Abstract Understanding the mechanisms underlying ecosystem resilience – why some systems have an irreversible response to disturbances while others recover is critical for conserving biodiversity and function in face of global change. Despite widespread acceptance a positive relationship between resilience, empirical evidence this remains fairly limited scope localized scale. Assessing at large landscape regional scales most relevant land management conservation practices has been by ability...
Abstract One primary goal at the intersection of community ecology and global change biology is to identify functional traits that are useful for predicting plant response change. We used observations composition from a long‐term field experiment in two adjacent communities (grassland coastal sage shrub) investigate how nine key were related altered water nitrogen availability following fire. asked whether responses species found more than one type context dependent community‐weighted mean...
Abstract Aim Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that explain a large proportion of among species. We test whether four commonly represent six ecologically important traits. Location Tundra biome. Time period Data collected between 1964 2016. Major taxa studied 295 tundra vascular Methods compiled database traits (plant height, leaf...
Plant functional traits provide a link to scale from organism community and ecosystem levels, making it critical understand how will mediate responses climate change. Combinations of these traits, which are likely shift under change, also insight into plant resource use strategies, determining whether plants have resource-use acquisitive or conservative growth strategies. In this study, we used meteorological eddy covariance tower data the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research site...