O USO DE ATRIBUTOS FUNCIONAIS DE INVERTEBRADOS TERRESTRES NA ECOLOGIA: O QUE, COMO E POR QUÊ?
Keywords:
Artrópodes, diversidade funcional, serviços ecossistêmicosAbstract
THE USE OF FUNCTIONAL TRAITS OF TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES IN ECOLOGY: WHAT, HOW AND WHY? Taking into account the need for monitoring biodiversity in face of disturbances, and the understanding of how these responses can interfere in ecosystem functionality, we suggest using a functional trait-based approach. With emphasis on terrestrial invertebrates, which are mega-diverse and important providers of ecosystem services, we review what functional traits are, how to use them in community monitoring, and why. This approach clearly represents a complement to the traditional taxonomic descriptors, bringing benefits to the understanding of community organization patterns and their relation to ecosystem services.
Keywords: Arthropods; functional diversity; ecosystem services.