Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective
Ecosystem functioning studies have gained prominence due to concerns about the decline of species. In marine sediments, benthic invertebrates perform important ecological functions. However, the challenges within the field of functional ecology are sparsely discussed. Our aim was to systematize the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241176 |
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| author | A. Martins M. Di Domenico Y. Costa F. Barros |
| author_facet | A. Martins M. Di Domenico Y. Costa F. Barros |
| author_sort | A. Martins |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ecosystem functioning studies have gained prominence due to concerns about the decline of species. In marine sediments, benthic invertebrates perform important ecological functions. However, the challenges within the field of functional ecology are sparsely discussed. Our aim was to systematize the problems and suggest pathways forward. To achieve this, we review recent articles on functional ecology on marine sediments and identified two main issues. First, the absence of a clear definition of terms. Second, in terms of applicability, we observed a mismatch between the scales of functioning and traits, incomplete information on trait databases, inappropriate selection of traits, subjective measures of traits, overlooked trait variability and data analyses without the link between the taxonomy and the traits associated with functions. We propose some pathways to overcome the challenges, such as (i) reasoning of the concept of function, process and trait, (ii) increasing experiments to measure functions, (iii) clarification of the relationship between traits and functions, (iv) clear procedure for assigning trait scores, (v) experiments for understanding trait variability and function performance, and (vi) analyses that consider the sets of traits of each taxon. Overcoming these challenges will allow us to advance research and fill gaps in knowledge of ecosystem functioning. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a66343bf12894d8aacc51e88db588c6a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-a66343bf12894d8aacc51e88db588c6a2025-08-20T02:11:51ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032024-10-01111010.1098/rsos.241176Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspectiveA. Martins0M. Di Domenico1Y. Costa2F. Barros3Laboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, CIENAM & Instituto de Biologia & INCT Estudos Interdisciplinares e Transdisciplinares em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal da Bahia , Salvador, Bahia, BrazilLaboratório de Ecologia Marinha. Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná , Pontal do Paraná, Paraná, BrazilCentro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia , Cruz das Almas, Bahia, BrazilLaboratório de Ecologia Bentônica, CIENAM & Instituto de Biologia & INCT Estudos Interdisciplinares e Transdisciplinares em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal da Bahia , Salvador, Bahia, BrazilEcosystem functioning studies have gained prominence due to concerns about the decline of species. In marine sediments, benthic invertebrates perform important ecological functions. However, the challenges within the field of functional ecology are sparsely discussed. Our aim was to systematize the problems and suggest pathways forward. To achieve this, we review recent articles on functional ecology on marine sediments and identified two main issues. First, the absence of a clear definition of terms. Second, in terms of applicability, we observed a mismatch between the scales of functioning and traits, incomplete information on trait databases, inappropriate selection of traits, subjective measures of traits, overlooked trait variability and data analyses without the link between the taxonomy and the traits associated with functions. We propose some pathways to overcome the challenges, such as (i) reasoning of the concept of function, process and trait, (ii) increasing experiments to measure functions, (iii) clarification of the relationship between traits and functions, (iv) clear procedure for assigning trait scores, (v) experiments for understanding trait variability and function performance, and (vi) analyses that consider the sets of traits of each taxon. Overcoming these challenges will allow us to advance research and fill gaps in knowledge of ecosystem functioning.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241176functional approachfunctionalitymacrobenthosmarine sedimentsbiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | A. Martins M. Di Domenico Y. Costa F. Barros Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective Royal Society Open Science functional approach functionality macrobenthos marine sediments biodiversity |
| title | Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective |
| title_full | Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective |
| title_fullStr | Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective |
| title_short | Overcoming challenges to access ecological function: a marine soft-bottom perspective |
| title_sort | overcoming challenges to access ecological function a marine soft bottom perspective |
| topic | functional approach functionality macrobenthos marine sediments biodiversity |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241176 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amartins overcomingchallengestoaccessecologicalfunctionamarinesoftbottomperspective AT mdidomenico overcomingchallengestoaccessecologicalfunctionamarinesoftbottomperspective AT ycosta overcomingchallengestoaccessecologicalfunctionamarinesoftbottomperspective AT fbarros overcomingchallengestoaccessecologicalfunctionamarinesoftbottomperspective |