The best-fitting (lowest AICc) generalized linear mixed effects models for the relationship between species richness and area for all species, for different taxonomic groups and for eight traits considered separately.

Taxonomic group was included as a random factor to control for possible taxonomic dependence. When the interaction of area and trait was significant at P<0.05, separate slopes for each trait state are provided and tests (P-values) for the deviation of the SAR slopes from zero are given for the initial reference trait state. Significant pairwise relationships between trait states, based on changed contrasts, are presented by the first letter of the trait states, e.g. significant difference between low and moderate is indicated by l-m. The trait states are sorted by decreasing SAR slopes. D2, deviance-ratio based on the coefficient of determination (pseudo R2); D2 for taxonomic group was not available (NA) because taxonomic group was included as a random factor. ns  =  not significant.
a– reference trait states for which P-values for test of differences from zero are provided.