The functional structures of communities respond to environmental changes by both species replacement (turnover) and within-species variation (intraspecific trait variability; ITV). Evidence is lacking on the relative importance of these two components, particularly in response to both short- and long-term environmental disturbance. We hypothesized that such short- and long-term perturbations would induce changes in community functional structure primarily via ITV and turnover, respectively. To test this we applied an experimental design across long-term mown and abandoned meadows, with each plot containing a further level of short-term management treatments: mowing, grazing and abandonment. Within each plot, species composition and trait values [height, shoot biomass, and specific leaf area (SLA)] were recorded on up to five individuals per species. Positive covariations between the contribution of species turnover and ITV occurred for height and shoot biomass in response to both short- and long-term management, indicating that species turnover and intraspecific adjustments selected for similar trait values. Positive covariations also occurred for SLA, but only in response to long-term management. The contributions of turnover and ITV changed depending on both the trait and management trajectory. As expected, communities responded to short-term disturbances mostly through changes in intraspecific trait variability, particularly for height and biomass. Interestingly, for SLA they responded to long-term disturbances by both species turnover and intraspecific adjustments. These findings highlight the importance of both ITV and species turnover in adjusting grassland functional trait response to environmental perturbation, and show that the response is trait specific and affected by disturbance regime history.

DAPHNE Institute of Applied Ecology z s Žumberk 71 53836 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Department of Botany Faculty of Sciences University of South Bohemia Na Zlaté stoce 1 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Viničná 7 12844 Praha 2 Czech Republic

Department of Zoology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Institute of Botany The Czech Academy of Sciences Dukelská 135 37982 Třeboň Czech Republic

Institute of Botany The Czech Academy of Sciences Lidická 25 27 60200 Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Entomology The Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Ann Bot. 2007 May;99(5):967-85 PubMed

Evolution. 2007 Feb;61(2):455-69 PubMed

Trends Ecol Evol. 2011 Apr;26(4):183-92 PubMed

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 20;9(10):e111189 PubMed

Science. 2008 Oct 24;322(5901):580-2 PubMed

Ecol Lett. 2010 Jul;13(7):838-48 PubMed

Trends Ecol Evol. 2012 Apr;27(4):244-52 PubMed

Oecologia. 1988 Jan;74(4):531-536 PubMed

Ecol Lett. 2007 Feb;10(2):135-45 PubMed

New Phytol. 2015 Apr;206(2):660-71 PubMed

New Phytol. 2008;180(3):652-62 PubMed

New Phytol. 2011 Jan;189(1):259-71 PubMed

Oecologia. 2005 Sep;145(3):465-74 PubMed

Ecol Lett. 2015 Dec;18(12):1406-19 PubMed