Abstract
The set of species co-existing in a given community constitute a functional group if they have similar functional characteristics related to one ecosystem service. This dependence on ecosystem service is defined by theoretical framework or by empirical evidence. Functional groups in vegetation science are known as plant functional types and in animal science as guilds. Functional groups may be defined externally using categories for key traits or generated from several traits using cluster techniques. In this chapter we show how to identify functional groups, selecting the appropriate measures to evaluate species similarity based on trait profiles, and choosing linkage algorithms to conform the functional groups. Changes in the relative abundance of each group in a sample may be used to interpret the relationship of community composition with environmental conditions.
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Pla, L., Casanoves, F., Di Rienzo, J. (2012). Functional Groups. In: Quantifying Functional Biodiversity. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2648-2_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2648-2_2
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