Taxonomic and Functional Based Beta Diversity in a Western Wisconsin Forest Community Understory : Stochastic Versus Deterministic Community Assembly

Abstract

Beta diversity is a measurement that defines the amount of variation between communities. High measures of beta diversity imply stochastic community assembly processes whereas low measures of beta diversity imply deterministic or niche-based assembly processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate both taxonomic as well as functional beta-diversity in order to uncover the driving effects of environmental interactions on the assembly of plant communities.