Susini Irene, Tillin Heidi M, Anderson Louise, Robertson Craig M, Rees Sian, Howell Kerry L
School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth Plymouth UK.
Plymouth Marine Laboratory Plymouth UK.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Mar 4;15(3):e71072. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71072. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Functional trait-based approaches have enriched our understanding of key ecological processes such as species assembly and biodiversity loss. This focus on traits, rather than taxonomy, promotes comparability across spatial and organisational scales, further enabling the application of trait-based methodologies to systems where species identity is difficult to recognise. Among other issues, however, the lack of standardisation is preventing trait-based approaches from unlocking their true potential. Here, 407 published articles (peer-reviewed and grey literature) are reviewed alongside the Biological Traits Information Catalogue (BIOTIC) to document inconsistencies in the understanding and use of trait terminology in the context of marine benthic ecosystems. Firstly, discrepancies in the operationalisation of key concepts are noted, each associated with six to ten separate definitions. Secondly, three distinct trait classification frameworks are identified, of which one presents considerable internal variation; within-framework trait classification also emerges as inconsistent. Lastly, a total of 290 synonyms and associated modalities are noted with respect to 18 traits commonly implemented in benthic research, amounting to an average of 16 synonyms per trait. Researchers should be aware of such inconsistencies; to overcome them, we propose a set of guidelines aimed at standardising the reporting and classification of traits in benthic research for policy and management applications. As other standards may exist, we further present a 'translation' table intended for use by trait ecologists when reviewing existing literature that adheres to different trait classification frameworks than the ones we recommend. Standardising the reporting and storage of trait data will help align our understanding of the function of benthic assemblages, their role in delivering ecosystem services, and the impact of human activities on ecosystem function.
基于功能性状的方法丰富了我们对物种组装和生物多样性丧失等关键生态过程的理解。这种对性状而非分类学的关注促进了不同空间和组织尺度间的可比性，进而使基于性状的方法能够应用于难以识别物种身份的系统。然而，除其他问题外，缺乏标准化正阻碍基于性状的方法发挥其真正潜力。在此，我们结合《生物性状信息目录》（BIOTIC）对407篇已发表文章（同行评审文章和灰色文献）进行了综述，以记录海洋底栖生态系统背景下性状术语在理解和使用上的不一致性。首先，我们注意到关键概念在操作化方面存在差异，每个概念都有六到十个不同的定义。其次，我们识别出三种不同的性状分类框架，其中一种框架内部存在相当大的差异；框架内的性状分类也不一致。最后，我们记录了底栖生物研究中常用的18个性状总共290个同义词及相关形式，平均每个性状有16个同义词。研究人员应意识到此类不一致性；为克服这些问题，我们提出了一套指导方针，旨在规范底栖生物研究中用于政策和管理应用的性状报告和分类。由于可能存在其他标准，我们还提供了一个“转换”表，供性状生态学家在回顾遵循与我们推荐的不同性状分类框架的现有文献时使用。规范性状数据的报告和存储将有助于我们统一对底栖生物群落功能、它们在提供生态系统服务中的作用以及人类活动对生态系统功能影响的理解。
