Estimating the net effect of functional traits on fitness across species and environments

• DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.10.479905
• Publication Date: 2022-02-11T01:30:36Z
• Authors: Andrew Siefert; Daniel C. Laughlin
• Keywords: Trait; Genetic Fitness; Life History Theory

ABSTRACT Functional traits affect the demographic performance of individuals in their environment, leading to fitness differences that scale up drive population dynamics and community assembly. Understanding links between is therefore critical for predicting how populations communities respond environmental change. However, net effects on species are largely unknown because we have lacked a framework estimating across multiple environments. We present modeling integrates trait over life cycles estimate effect fitness. This approach involves 1) individual rates (growth, survival, recruitment) as multidimensional surfaces vary with size environment 2) integrating these into model project growth (i.e., fitness) function environment. illustrate our by landscapes trees temperature gradient eastern United States. (wood density, specific leaf area, maximum height) interacted influence tree growth, recruitment rates, generating trade-offs shaping contours landscapes. Tall had high gradient. Wood density area interactive performance, resulting peaks. With this it now possible empirically fitness, improved understanding selective forces assembly permitting generalizable predictions changing