¿Pueden los patrones determinar procesos? Cómo propiedades de comunidades vegetales definen el ensamblaje: Enfoque sobre diversidades filogenética, funcional y especies clave

Recent research from our research group suggests that phylogenetic and functional diversity within annual plant assemblages can significantly affect individual plant performance (i.e., survival, growth, and reproduction) by activating alternative coexistence mechanisms. In this project, we propose a community-individual spiral dynamics model as a conceptual framework, in which community properties and the performance of annual plant species could mutually influence each other in an endless interaction. We expect that community properties will promote coexistence or competition mechanisms at the plant-plant scale, determining individual performance, which will significantly define the relative contribution of each species to the subsequent assemblage, and therefore to new community-level properties. Furthermore, we will contribute with a highly novel approach by evaluating the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying species assembly through stable isotope (C, N, O) analysis. We will conduct experiments in which we will manipulate the initial phylogenetic and functional patterns in annual plant assemblages and the densities of key species that have been cataloged as invasive alien species in other continents (Bromus rubens and Erodium cicutarium), in order to explore the causal effects on plant performance and accurately determine the assembly mechanisms in the community.