Fig. 1.

Multitrait successional dynamics enable diverse species coexistence. We consider a model in which plant species inhabiting a metacommunity of patches can differ in two functional traits, leaf mass per unit leaf area and height at maturation. (A) After a disturbance, vegetation development in a patch follows successional dynamics under height-structured competition for light. A, Upper shows the height of individual plants in a patch as it ages, and A, Lower shows the prevalence of species (left vertical axis and colored areas) as the probability that a patch remains undisturbed decreases (right vertical axis and black line). The black line therefore shows the distribution of patch ages in the metacommunity, with an average interval between disturbances of 60 y. After a disturbance, patches start at age 0 with a total shading of zero (A, Lower shows the successional dynamics starting from age 1 y). Note the log scaling of the horizontal axis. (B) Across the metacommunity, patches are in different successional stages, linked through seed rain. In this schematic illustration, patches are shown with finite size and internal horizontal structure, whereas in the model they are treated as being infinitely large and horizontally homogeneous. (C) Evolutionary dynamics in the two functional traits give rise to a metacommunity with a characteristic pattern of coexisting species (white circles), comprising a few early-successional fast-growing species (green and blue regions) and a high diversity of late-successional shade-tolerant species (yellow and red regions). Colors in A and B indicate trait combinations as shown in C.