A Global Regionalisation of Tree Functional Capacity

IF 6.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2025-07-03 DOI:10.1111/geb.70083

Yohana G. Jimenez, Andrea Paz, Lalasia Bialic-Murphy, Thomas Crowther, Daniel S. Maynard

{"title":"A Global Regionalisation of Tree Functional Capacity","authors":"Yohana G. Jimenez, Andrea Paz, Lalasia Bialic-Murphy, Thomas Crowther, Daniel S. Maynard","doi":"10.1111/geb.70083","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aim</h3>\n \n <p>Understanding the global distribution of tree functional diversity is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change. Traditional biogeographic regionalisations classify ecosystems based on species composition and climate but overlook functional traits, which directly govern processes such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling and productivity. Here, we present the first global functional regionalisation of tree-inhabited systems into functionally distinct regions based on tree traits rather than taxonomic or climatic boundaries.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Location</h3>\n \n <p>Global, covering forests, savannas and grasslands.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Time Period</h3>\n \n <p>Present.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Major Taxa Studied</h3>\n \n <p>Trees.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We compiled over 5 million tree species occurrences and associated functional traits related to photosynthesis, growth, reproduction, structure and physiology. Using a stability-based clustering approach, we identified functional macro-regions (85% variance explained), meso-regions (90%) and micro-regions (99%). We also identified important traits discriminating these regions and assessed the relative influence of climate and phylogeny in shaping these functional boundaries.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>We identified five major functional macro-regions: Boreal, Cool Temperate, Warm Temperate, Neotropical and Paleotropical. Boreal and temperate macro-regions align closely with climatic zones, while tropical macro-regions are structured primarily by evolutionary history rather than moisture availability. Functional differentiation is driven by photosynthetic and reproductive traits across scales, with structural, growth and physiological traits dominating at macro, meso and micro levels, respectively. Phylogenetic distance explains 68% of the functional divergence between Neotropical and Paleotropical macro-regions, whereas environmental differences drive 42%–44% of the variance between tropical and temperate regions.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Main Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Our study provides one of the first global functional classifications of tree-inhabited ecosystems, revealing that climate primarily structures temperate and boreal regions, while evolutionary history drives tropical functional diversity. These findings offer a new perspective on global biogeography and ecosystem resilience, with implications for biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation strategies.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":176,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","volume":"34 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/geb.70083","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.70083","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Understanding the global distribution of tree functional diversity is essential for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change. Traditional biogeographic regionalisations classify ecosystems based on species composition and climate but overlook functional traits, which directly govern processes such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling and productivity. Here, we present the first global functional regionalisation of tree-inhabited systems into functionally distinct regions based on tree traits rather than taxonomic or climatic boundaries.

Location

Global, covering forests, savannas and grasslands.

Time Period

Present.

Major Taxa Studied

Trees.

Methods

We compiled over 5 million tree species occurrences and associated functional traits related to photosynthesis, growth, reproduction, structure and physiology. Using a stability-based clustering approach, we identified functional macro-regions (85% variance explained), meso-regions (90%) and micro-regions (99%). We also identified important traits discriminating these regions and assessed the relative influence of climate and phylogeny in shaping these functional boundaries.

Results

We identified five major functional macro-regions: Boreal, Cool Temperate, Warm Temperate, Neotropical and Paleotropical. Boreal and temperate macro-regions align closely with climatic zones, while tropical macro-regions are structured primarily by evolutionary history rather than moisture availability. Functional differentiation is driven by photosynthetic and reproductive traits across scales, with structural, growth and physiological traits dominating at macro, meso and micro levels, respectively. Phylogenetic distance explains 68% of the functional divergence between Neotropical and Paleotropical macro-regions, whereas environmental differences drive 42%–44% of the variance between tropical and temperate regions.

Main Conclusions

Our study provides one of the first global functional classifications of tree-inhabited ecosystems, revealing that climate primarily structures temperate and boreal regions, while evolutionary history drives tropical functional diversity. These findings offer a new perspective on global biogeography and ecosystem resilience, with implications for biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation strategies.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

树木功能容量的全球区划

目的了解树木功能多样性的全球分布是预测生态系统对环境变化响应的基础。传统的生物地理区划基于物种组成和气候对生态系统进行分类，但忽略了直接控制碳储存、养分循环和生产力等过程的功能特征。在这里，我们提出了第一个基于树木特征而不是分类或气候边界的树木居住系统的全球功能区划。全球范围，覆盖森林、稀树草原和草原。时间：现在。主要分类群研究树木。方法收集了500多万株树种的光合、生长、繁殖、结构和生理等相关功能性状。使用基于稳定性的聚类方法，我们确定了功能宏观区域（85%的方差得到解释），中尺度区域（90%）和微观区域（99%）。我们还确定了区分这些区域的重要特征，并评估了气候和系统发育在形成这些功能边界方面的相对影响。结果在宏观上划分出北方、冷温带、暖温带、新热带和古热带5个功能区。北方和温带宏观区域与气候带密切相关，而热带宏观区域主要是由进化史而不是水分可用性构成的。功能分化受光合性状和生殖性状驱动，在宏观、中观和微观上分别以结构性状、生长性状和生理性状为主。系统发育距离解释了新热带和古热带宏观区域之间68%的功能差异，而环境差异解释了热带和温带区域之间42%-44%的差异。本研究首次提供了全球树木生态系统的功能分类，揭示了温带和北方地区的气候结构，而热带地区的进化历史驱动了功能多样性。这些发现为研究全球生物地理学和生态系统恢复力提供了新的视角，对生物多样性保护和气候适应战略具有重要意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Global Ecology and Biogeography 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

170

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB) welcomes papers that investigate broad-scale (in space, time and/or taxonomy), general patterns in the organization of ecological systems and assemblages, and the processes that underlie them. In particular, GEB welcomes studies that use macroecological methods, comparative analyses, meta-analyses, reviews, spatial analyses and modelling to arrive at general, conceptual conclusions. Studies in GEB need not be global in spatial extent, but the conclusions and implications of the study must be relevant to ecologists and biogeographers globally, rather than being limited to local areas, or specific taxa. Similarly, GEB is not limited to spatial studies; we are equally interested in the general patterns of nature through time, among taxa (e.g., body sizes, dispersal abilities), through the course of evolution, etc. Further, GEB welcomes papers that investigate general impacts of human activities on ecological systems in accordance with the above criteria.