XVI International Botanical Congess

Functional types (PFTs) are sets of plants with similar responses to the environment and similar effects on ecosystem processes. An approach is presented in which vegetation structure and ecosystem function are predicted on the basis of predominant plant traits. The first step is the use of easily-measured ('soft') traits in the identification of PFTs and the description of vegetation structure. The second step is the calibration of 'soft' traits against more quantitative ('hard') traits, which allows the prediction of major ecosystem processes. When applied to a wide range of plant forms and families, the main PFTs identified were similar to those described by traditional classifications. However, this approach allows deeper insight in ecosystem processes. It produces testable ecosystem-level predictions. It also adds to the debate on the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem function, suggesting that the identity and abundance of PFTs and traits may be more important than the number of species present at a site.