Functional diversity in plant communities: the role of environmental filters.

Recent studies argue that plant functional traits should be the corner stone for a more quantitative and predictive approach to biodiversity and species coexistence. In this perspective, functional diversity, i.e. the diversity and range of functional traits, should be a new and promising ecological metrics through its predictive potential. Mechanisms, by which plant traits are selected across environmental filters to further constitute a plant community, remain to be established, however.