CONCEPTUAL MODEL >>>

One of the primary goals of ASW1 was to develop a conceptual model to link changes in biodiversity to changes in ecosystem function. We determined that a two-level approach, based on the recognition of "response" and "effect" functional traits, was most appropriate. The "response traits" of the extant biota combined with the state changes caused by a driver enter into the response algortithm which determines the richness, composition, and distribution of abundances of the species in the new biota. The "effect traits" of the new biota, along with possible direct effects of the driver, determine the new level of ecosystem functioning.

MODEL ECOSYSTEM >>>

An additional goal of ASSW1 was to determine what a generic or model ecosystem might look like in order to facillitate our conceptual discussions.

• Consumers link producers and decomposers

• Functional groups are not necessarily nested within trophic levels nor or trophic groups cleanly definable as functional groups

• Dashed arrows indicate minor flows while solid arrows indicate major flows. CI = inorganic carbon, CO = organic carbon, NI = inorganic nutrients, and NO = organic nutrients.

EXAMPLE DATASETS >>>

As an exercise, workshop participants developed two hypothetical datasets containing information on the abundance of species, their functional traits, and levels of ecosystem functioning prior to and after the imposition of a driver. The idea was to explore what was needed to constitute a "minimal" dataset, that is one for which observersknowing nothing about the nature of the driver were able to make informed guesses about the nature of the driver and why the ecosystem had responded in the observed manner. Below are the two example datasets that the participants developed.

ID#	Taxon	Nt1	Nt2	Trait 1	Trait 2	Trait 3	Trait 4	Trait 5	Trait 6	Trait 7
1	Aardvark**	23	25						4,5,6
2	Sunbird	42	20						7,8,9
3	Bombylid Flies	92	15						4,5,6
4	Ant 1*	0.5	0.1					+	7,8,9	-
5	Ant 2*	0.2	0.002					+	7,8,9	-
6	Ant 3*	0	1					-	10	+++
7	Dicot Shrub 1	80	50	med	med	1	Seed and root
8	Dicot Shrub 2	20	21	high	med	1.5	Seed and root
9	Dicot Shrub 3	10	1	med	low	1	Seed
10	Grass 1	5	5	high	med	0.1	Seed and veg.
11	Grass 2	10	20	high	high	0.25	Seed and veg.
12	Grass 3	0	90	high	high	0.2	Seed and veg.

Traits: 1) fire tolerance, 2) fire promotion, 3) root depth (m), 4) regeneration strategy 5) seed dispersal +/-,
6) consumes species #, 7) aggressiveness

** number per km2, * colony number per m2, rest are number per hectare
Environment: no change in annual rainfall, average temperature, atmospheric composition

This area receives 1000 mm rain per year. Animal abundances are in individuals/hectare

PARTICIPANTS IN ASW1 >>>