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The merging of community ecology and phylogenetic biology

  1. Jeannine Cavender-Bares1,*,
  2. Kenneth H. Kozak2,
  3. Paul V. A. Fine3,
  4. Steven W. Kembel3,†

Article first published online: 18 MAY 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01314.x

Issue

Ecology Letters

Ecology Letters

Volume 12, Issue 7, pages 693–715, July 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Cavender-Bares, J., Kozak, K. H., Fine, P. V. A. and Kembel, S. W. (2009), The merging of community ecology and phylogenetic biology. Ecology Letters, 12: 693–715. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01314.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA

  2. 2

    Bell Museum of Natural History, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

  1. †

    Present address: Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.

* * E-mail: cavender@umn.edu

  • †

    Present address: Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 JUN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 18 MAY 2009
  3. Editor, Brian Enquist Manuscript received 24 October 2008 First decision made 26 November 2008 Second decision made 14 February 2009 Manuscript accepted 4 March 2009

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Keywords:

  • Community assembly;
  • deterministic vs. neutral processes;
  • ecosystem processes;
  • experimental approaches;
  • functional traits;
  • phylogenetic community ecology;
  • phylogenetic diversity;
  • spatial and phylogenetic scale

Abstract

The increasing availability of phylogenetic data, computing power and informatics tools has facilitated a rapid expansion of studies that apply phylogenetic data and methods to community ecology. Several key areas are reviewed in which phylogenetic information helps to resolve long-standing controversies in community ecology, challenges previous assumptions, and opens new areas of investigation. In particular, studies in phylogenetic community ecology have helped to reveal the multitude of processes driving community assembly and have demonstrated the importance of evolution in the assembly process. Phylogenetic approaches have also increased understanding of the consequences of community interactions for speciation, adaptation and extinction. Finally, phylogenetic community structure and composition holds promise for predicting ecosystem processes and impacts of global change. Major challenges to advancing these areas remain. In particular, determining the extent to which ecologically relevant traits are phylogenetically conserved or convergent, and over what temporal scale, is critical to understanding the causes of community phylogenetic structure and its evolutionary and ecosystem consequences. Harnessing phylogenetic information to understand and forecast changes in diversity and dynamics of communities is a critical step in managing and restoring the Earth’s biota in a time of rapid global change.

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