Talk:Biological Trait Analysis

This article needs conceptual revision and partial rewriting. It is important to distinguish between 'ecosystem functioning' (a process attached to the ecosystem) and 'ecosystem functional diversity' (a descriptor of a community within an ecosystem, and an aspect of diversity, not of ecosystem functioning). Also, it has to be stated that it is often assumed that functional diversity contributes to ecosystem functioning, in different aspects (completeness, rate, redundancy etc.). After stating or repeating these principles, biological trait analysis can be presented as a way to estimate functional diversity of a community, or in practice of an assemblage. Subsequently it can be specified how it is done. The reader will want to know what the main differences are with diversity based on species composition, genetic composition or other measures of diversity. The user will also like some references to studies showing how biological trait analysis was used in the study of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.