Determining the processes driving the functional structure of drylands.

(i) Test the importance of abiotic and biotic processes for community structure in global drylands

(ii) Assess the importance of intra- and interspecific trait variability for functional diversity

Determining how the functional structure of drylands affect multifunctionality.

(iii) Assess both the direct and indirect impact of dryland functional diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality (i.e., the provision of multiple ecosystem processes simultaneously)

(iv) Explore the relative importance of functional vs. taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities on multifunctionality.

Trait data are currently gathered from over 100 sites distributed among all continents except Antarctica. The uniqueness of the trait database lies on the worldwide scale of the survey, and the use of a standardized protocol of on-site measurements at the individual level.

The trait database of DRYFUN finally benefits from the BIODESERT project, which includes measurements of composition, structure and spatial patterns of perennial vegetation, and of the estimation of multiple ecosystem functions.