Objectif Unifying community ecology and biogeography is essential for the advance of ecological research. Although spatial scale is known to be important to understand community structure, current knowledge on spatial variation of functional and phylogenetic diversity is limited. COMMSTRUCT aims to study how community structure and assembly vary in space across different extents and scales.Community structure can be described through different parameters, from species richness to composition in terms of traits (i.e. trait/functional diversity) or evolutionary units (i.e. phylogenetic diversity). Given that community assembly processes are affected by the functional characteristics of the coexisting species and their phylogenetic relatedness, the simple use of species richness as a measure of structure has important limitations. Thus, this project seeks the following specific objectives: (i) examine the factors affecting large-scale spatial covariation between species, functional and phylogenetic diversity; (ii) characterize cross-scale variations in the functional and phylogenetic structure of communities; (iii) identify environmental factors and other spatially-structured effects that may influence the cross-scale variations in the functional and phylogenetic structure of communities; and (iv) identify the main processes affecting community assembly at different scales. Spatial statistics, partial regressions and null models will be used to pursue these objectives, using data on the distribution of mammals and European dung beetles at different geographical extents and scales.The results of COMMSTRUCT are fundamental for the development of biodiversity science as they will contribute to build up the basis of the theory on how diversity is structured across spatial scales, ultimately bridging the gaps between biogeography, macroecology and community ecology and helping to integrate these fields into a unified framework. Champ scientifique natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologymammalogynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geography Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Thème(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development" Appel à propositions FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF Voir d’autres projets de cet appel Régime de financement MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinateur AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Contribution de l’UE € 173 370,60 Adresse CALLE SERRANO 117 28006 Madrid Espagne Voir sur la carte Région Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Type d’activité Research Organisations Contact administratif Alberto Sereno Alvarez (Mr.) Liens Contacter l’organisation Opens in new window Site web Opens in new window Coût total Aucune donnée