On the uniqueness of functional redundancy
Felícia M. Fischer, Francesco de Bello
Abstract
Functional redundancy is increasingly being considered in ecological studies as a key component of biodiversity, potentially associated with the ability of ecosystems to buffer environmental perturbations. The recent paper by Eisenhauer et al. 1 (hereafter “E23”), however, raises some concerns about the ecological relevance of redundancy and its potential misuses. E23 1 suggests overall, that the concept is problematic because (1) the effects of functional redundancy are questionable, (2) the use of this term is potentially “dangerous” by implying that species are expendable, and (3) that the term “functional similarity” is preferable. While we agree that functional redundancy remains conceptually and quantitatively puzzling, we here propose clarifying various aspects of this interesting discussion to show that functional redundancy can reflect a fundamental dimension of biodiversity, beyond functional similarity.