Expected trait and phylogenetic dispersion patterns within a local community according to the dominant ecological assembly process and pattern of trait evolution.

(a) If the community assembly is driven by environmental filtering, coexisting species should share similar niches leading to trait clustering. (b) If community assembly is driven by competitive exclusion coexisting species will be phenotypically less similar than expected by chance (trait over-dispersion). (c) When environmental filtering acts on conserved traits, the community phylogenetic pattern is expected to be clustered, whereas (d) competitive exclusion will result in phylogenetic over-dispersion. Conversely, when traits are convergent (e) environmental filtering will lead to a pattern of phylogenetic over-dispersion while (f) competitive exclusion will lead to a phylogenetically random pattern [7,8].Expected trait and phylogenetic dispersion patterns within a local community according to the dominant ecological assembly process and pattern of trait evolution.