Intraspecific and interspecific trait variability in tadpole metacommunities from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

1. A better understanding of species coexistence and community dynamics may benefit from more insights on trait variability at the individual and species levels.
2. Tadpole assemblages offer an excellent system to understand the relative influence of intra- and interspecific variability on community assembly, due to their high phenotypic plasticity, and the strong influence that environmental variables have on their spatial distribution and individual performance.
3. Here we quantified the intra- and interspecific components of tadpoles’ trait variability in order to investigate their relative role in shaping tadpole communities.
4. We selected eight functional traits related to microhabitat use, foraging strategies and swimming ability. We measured these traits on 678 individuals from 22 species captured in 43 ponds in the Atlantic Forest. We used single- and multi-trait analyses to decompose trait variability. To explore the action of external and internal filtering on community as...