@article{fdi:010055803,
  title = {{U}sing functional traits and phylogenetic trees to examine the assembly of tropical tree communities},
  author = {{B}araloto, {C}. and {H}ardy, {O}. {J}. and {P}aine, {C}. {E}. {T}. and {D}exter, {K}. {G}. and {C}ruaud, {C}. and {D}unning, {L}. {T}. and {G}onzalez, {M}. {A}. and {M}olino, {J}ean-{F}ran{\c{c}}ois and {S}abatier, {D}aniel and {S}avolainen, {V}. and {C}have, {J}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {1. {N}iche theory proposes that species differences underlie both coexistence within communities and the differentiation in species composition among communities via limiting similarity and environmental filtering. {H}owever, it has been difficult to extend niche theory to species-rich communities because of the empirical challenge of quantifying niches for many species. {T}his has motivated the development of functional and phylogeny-based approaches in community ecology, which represent two different means of approximating niche attributes. 2. {H}ere, we assess the utility of plant functional traits and phylogenetic relationships in predicting community assembly processes using the largest trait and phylogenetic data base to date for any set of species-rich communities. 3. {W}e measured 17 functional traits for all 4672 individuals of 668 tree species co-occurring in nine tropical rain forest plots in {F}rench {G}uiana. {T}rait variation was summarized into two ordination axes that reflect species niche overlap. 4. {W}e also generated a dated molecular phylogenetic tree based on {DNA} sequencing of two plastid loci (rbc{L} and mat{K}) comprising 97% of the individuals and 91% of the species in the plots. 5. {W}e found that, on average, co-occurring species had greater functional and, to a lesser extent, phylogenetic similarity than expected by chance. 6. {W}e also found that functional traits and their ordination loadings showed significant, albeit weak, phylogenetic signal, suggesting that phylogenetic distance provides pertinent information on niche overlap in tropical tree communities. 7. {S}ynthesis. {W}e provide the most comprehensive examination to date of the relative importance of environmental filtering and limiting similarity in structuring tropical tree communities. {O}ur results confirm that environmental filtering is the overriding influence on community assembly in these species-rich systems.},
  keywords = {competition ; determinants of plant community diversity and structure ; environmental filtering ; {F}rench {G}uiana ; functional traits ; limiting similarity ; niche ; phylogenetic signal ; tropical forests},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {E}cology},
  volume = {100},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {690--701},
  ISSN = {0022-0477},
  year = {2012},
  DOI = {10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.01966.x},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055803},
}