Scholarlink

<p>Urbanization creates environmental filters that shape the composition and diversity of plant communities through the expression of functional traits. While research on urban plant ecology has increased, mostly in humid and mesic regions, literature on how urban filters affect the unique and specialized dryland flora remains scarce. This study evaluates how four urban environmental filters (<i>habitat transformation</i>,<i> habitat fragmentation</i>,<i> human preferences</i>, and <i>local environmental conditions</i>) influence plant community functional composition and diversity in riparian habitats of a temperate-dry region with high urban growth. We sampled 43 riparian communities and recorded six functional traits for each species. Community functional composition was assessed using community-weighted means (CWM) for each trait, and functional diversity was estimated using four indices. Urban environmental filters were quantified at landscape and local scales. Null and generalized linear models were used to test the effects of these filters on functional composition and diversity. Our results reveal distinct, direction-specific trait filtering. Highly transformed and fragmented habitats selected species with competitive and ruderal strategies, higher specific leaf area for rapid resource acquisition, and lower seed dry mass for longer dispersal distances. Furthermore, habitat transformation and fragmentation significantly reduced functional diversity, leading to a homogeneous urban flora, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning. Our findings provide evidence that urbanization in drylands filters and homogenizes unique functional strategies. This work generated information and guidance for urban planning to conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem functions. We suggest that ecological corridors within urban habitats could help maintain native plant composition and diversity.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Urban environmental filters shape plant functional composition and diversity in dryland riparian habitats

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月29日

查看全文
  • Joaquín Asad,
  • Solana Tabeni

摘要

Urbanization creates environmental filters that shape the composition and diversity of plant communities through the expression of functional traits. While research on urban plant ecology has increased, mostly in humid and mesic regions, literature on how urban filters affect the unique and specialized dryland flora remains scarce. This study evaluates how four urban environmental filters (habitat transformation, habitat fragmentation, human preferences, and local environmental conditions) influence plant community functional composition and diversity in riparian habitats of a temperate-dry region with high urban growth. We sampled 43 riparian communities and recorded six functional traits for each species. Community functional composition was assessed using community-weighted means (CWM) for each trait, and functional diversity was estimated using four indices. Urban environmental filters were quantified at landscape and local scales. Null and generalized linear models were used to test the effects of these filters on functional composition and diversity. Our results reveal distinct, direction-specific trait filtering. Highly transformed and fragmented habitats selected species with competitive and ruderal strategies, higher specific leaf area for rapid resource acquisition, and lower seed dry mass for longer dispersal distances. Furthermore, habitat transformation and fragmentation significantly reduced functional diversity, leading to a homogeneous urban flora, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning. Our findings provide evidence that urbanization in drylands filters and homogenizes unique functional strategies. This work generated information and guidance for urban planning to conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem functions. We suggest that ecological corridors within urban habitats could help maintain native plant composition and diversity.