Jc. Duckworth et al., Plant functional types: an alternative to taxonomic plant community description in biogeography?, PROG P GEO, 24(4), 2000, pp. 515-542
This article critically reviews the concept of plant functional types as an
alternative to the traditional taxonomic species-based approach to plant c
ommunity description in biogeography and ecology. Originally formulated in
the last century, there has been an acceleration in interest in the concept
over the last decade. Plant functional types are nonphylogenetic groupings
of species that show close similarities in their response to environmental
and biotic controls. Functional classifications often cut across taxonomic
classifications and may be more meaningful in terms of plant response, in
addition to overcoming certain problems associated with the traditional tax
onomic species-based approach.
Plant functional types are derived from traits based on species morphology,
physiology and/or life history, depending on the aims and scale of the res
earch. Whilst some traits can be measured in the field, others require more
detailed laboratory measurement and experimentation. A trade-off exists be
tween the time and efficiency gained from using simple traits and those req
uiring more elaborate analysis, although certain 'key traits' may act as ea
sily measured surrogates for others.
Practical applications of plant functional types in biogeography and ecolog
y are also reviewed. Plant functional types can aid in the understanding of
ecological processes, such as the assembly and stability of communities an
d succession, and facilitate the detection and prediction of response to en
vironmental change at a range of scales. Despite its potential, the plant f
unctional type approach is probably best viewed as a complementary approach
to description using traditional taxonomy.