11 - Trait Sampling Strategies

Summary

Chapter 11 illustrates different strategies to obtain reliable and robust trait data from both field sampling and experiments. An exercise is provided to familiarize readers with different alternatives for sampling traits, and their implications for sampling effort, providing advice on defining a realistic trait sampling campaign. Examples show that a feasible sampling strategy needs to sacrifice aspects of trait variability of lower importance for the ecological questions being asked and how researchers should attempt to compromise between the most accurate and most precise estimations of trait values. Special attention is given to the expected effect of species turnover vs intraspecific trait variability adjustments across gradients, depending on the extent of the studied environmental gradient. The choice of a given sampling scheme is framed into simple trade-offs between two extreme cases: sampling several individuals for each species from only a single population, or sampling one individual per species in each population in which the species occur along a gradient. A flowchart guide for choosing among different sampling combinations along this trade-off is provided.