Evaluación de la variación en la composición y diversidad funcional del bosque seco en Colombia a lo largo de un gradiente de dureza ambiental

Abstract

Drought, soil nutrient limitations, and land-cover transformation are key environmental harshness factors shaping the diversity and ecological processes of tropical ecosystems. However, their influence on the composition and functional diversity of tropical dry forests (TDF) remains poorly understood. This study assesses how increasing environmental harshness affects the community-weighted mean trait (CWM) – representing functional composition – and functional richness (FRich) – representing functional diversity – in Colombian TDF. We analyzed data from 98 permanent plots (0.1 ha each) distributed across a wide range of climatic, soil, and land-cover transformation conditions, including functional leaf and wood traits from 338 tree species (22,568 trees). Our findings reveal that: (1) environmental harshness in Colombian TDF is defined by distinct combinations of climatic, soil, and land-cover transformation factors, with a trade-off between water limitations and soil nutrient constraints; (2) tree communities exhibit a hydraulic safety–efficiency trade-off, with functional diversity (FRich) varying independently across forests; and (3) climate, soil, and land-cover transformation variables collectively filter trait composition (CWM) and FRich, reinforcing the role of environmental harshness in structuring TDF communities. These results underscore the importance of functional trait approaches for elucidating ecological processes and informing conservation strategies in TDF under changing environmental conditions.