Ecotaxonomy: Linking taxa with traits and integrating taxonomical and ecological research

  • Sandmann,Dorothee
  • Scheu,Stefan
  • Potapov,Anton
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Publication date
January 2019
Publisher
Pensoft Publishers

Abstract

Ecological roles of underexplored groups, such as tropical invertebrates, can be inferred from their functional traits, such as body mass, dispersal ability, reproductive mode and feeding habits. Despite a strong need, a common database for invertebrate traits is yet to be created. Traits are defined as a property of individual organisms, however many parameters are similar in groups of organisms, i.e., in species or even at higher taxonomic levels. Such parameters may be attributed to taxa instead of individuals. Linking both facilitates ecological and conservation studies based on taxa or phylogenetic units. Another problem hampering understanding of tropical ecosystems is the high proportion of undescribed species, particularly in soil c...

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