Resource Acquisition Ability Research Articles

Soil fungi lead to stronger ‘diminishing returns’ in fine‐root length versus mass allometry towards earlier successional tropical forests

Abstract Decreasing returns in resource acquisition ability with increasing leaf mass investment is called ‘diminishing returns’, which provides important insights into plant economy. Yet, whether this is true for fine roots and how root resource acquisition strategies change with forest succession remain unclear. We investigated the scaling relationship between fine‐root length (L) and mass (M) for 215 topsoil cores from 24 plots across four successional stages in tropical forests of Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. We also assessed the relative effects of edaphic conditions, leaf functional traits, tree species diversity and soil fungal factors on L versus M scaling relationship using hierarchical variation partitioning. Our results revealed the existence of diminishing returns in root length (L vs. M scaling exponent <1), and that the exponent was higher in late‐ than early‐successional forests, corresponding to a strategy shifting from ‘do‐it‐yourself’ in the late‐successional stage to ‘outsourcing’ resource uptake by soil fungi in the early‐successional stage. Soil fungal abundance was the main driver of changes in the L versus M scaling exponent across plots (explained 58% of variances), with root endophytic fungi the strongest predictor (22.11%), followed by mycorrhizal fungi (10.41%), while other factors (leaf functional traits, edaphic nutrient conditions and tree species diversity) exerted weak effects. Our results suggest that root endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi act as key modulators of root economy changes during forest succession, but the former has received less attention previously. L versus M scaling exponent may be a better indicator for shifts in root resource acquisition strategy than the commonly used specific root length. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Responses of invertebrate traits to litter chemistry accelerate decomposition under nitrogen enrichment

Nitrogen (N) enrichment shapes litter chemistry, subsequently influencing soil invertebrates and litter decomposition. However, there has been a lack of attention to how soil invertebrates respond to changes in litter chemistry and then drive litter decomposition under N enrichment. Here, trait-based approaches were adopted to explore functional responses of Collembola, a crucial and functional group of invertebrates. We conducted reciprocal transplantation of plant litter between ambient N levels (0 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and N enrichment (90 kg N ha−1 yr−1) plots in a field experiment, quantifying Collembola traits and litter mass loss during litter decomposition process. Results showed that N enrichment-derived litter recruited Collembola with long antenna, legs, and strong mandibles in enrichment environment, while Collembola with same traits were recruited by ambient-derived litter in ambient environment. Collembola traits, including antenna to body ratio, leg to body ratio, and mandible width to length ratio, coincided with high litter decomposition rates under N enrichment. Overall, the results provide evidence that Collembola with strong resource acquisition abilities responded to changes in litter chemistry, and such shifts further accelerate litter decomposition under N enrichment. Our findings demonstrate that adopting trait-based approaches to link litter and invertebrates would advance the understanding of ecosystem processes governed by biological regulation under global change.

A trait-based root acquisition-defence-decomposition framework in angiosperm tree species

To adapt to the complex belowground environment, plants make trade-offs between root resource acquisition and defence ability. This includes forming partnerships with different types of root associating microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi. These trade-offs, by mediating root chemistry, exert legacy effects on nutrient release during decomposition, which may, in turn, affect the ability of new roots to re-acquire resources, thereby generating a feedback loop. However, the linkages at the basis of this potential feedback loop remain largely unquantified. Here, we propose a trait-based root ‘acquisition-defence-decomposition’ conceptual framework and test the strength of relevant linkages across 90 angiosperm tree species. We show that, at the plant species level, the root-fungal symbiosis gradient within the root economics space, root chemical defence (condensed tannins), and root decomposition rate are closely linked, providing support to this framework. Beyond the dichotomy between arbuscular mycorrhizal-dominated versus ectomycorrhizal-dominated systems, we suggest a continuous shift in feedback loops, from ‘high arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis-low defence-fast decomposition-inorganic nutrition’ by evolutionarily ancient taxa to ‘high ectomycorrhizal symbiosis-high defence-slow decomposition-organic nutrition’ by more modern taxa. This ‘acquisition-defence-decomposition’ framework provides a foundation for testable hypotheses on multidimensional linkages between species’ belowground strategies and ecosystem nutrient cycling in an evolutionary context.

Population regeneration of two Haloxylon species in central Asian deserts as affected by groundwater depth

Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum are the dominant species in the deserts of Central Asia. As groundwater exploration has resulted in a decline in groundwater depth in this region, the impact on the regeneration of these two Haloxylon populations calls for urgent attention. Therefore, we conducted an intensive vegetation survey, including population density, age structure and seed production and seed characteristics, along a groundwater depth gradient in the Gurbantunggut Desert of Central Asia. The result shows that for H. ammodendron, groundwater depth of 15 m is its survival and regeneration limit, beyond which this species cannot grow. However, for H. persicum, this limit does not apply. Instead, declined groundwater depth promotes a reproduction strategy with low seed quantity, high quality, and a high germination rate for H. ammodendron. Ultimately, H. ammodendron exhibits a tighter regeneration trait coordination, with a reasonable age structure being crucial for its population continuation and environmental adaptation. In contrast, H. persicum demonstrates higher resource acquisition and reproductive ability, along with tolerance to groundwater depth decline. In conclusion, if the groundwater depth decline continues, the continuation of H. ammodendron will be seriously threatened but H. persicum will not be. This study is beneficial for evaluating the future trend of vegetation cover in desert region and planning water resources management in Central Asia.

Prediction of Suitable Habitat of Alien Invasive Plant Ambrosia trifida in Northeast China under Various Climatic Scenarios

Ambrosia trifida is an invasive alien plant species, which has very high reproductive and environmental adaptability. Through strong resource acquisition ability and allelopathy, it could inhibit the growth and reproduction of surrounding plants and destroy the stability of an invasive ecosystem. It is very important to predict the change of suitable distribution area of A. trifida with climate change before implementing scientific control measures. Based on 106 A. trifida distribution data and 14 points of environmental data, the optimal parameter combination (RM = 0.1, FC = LQ) was obtained using the MaxEnt (version 3.4.1) model optimized by Kuenm package, and thus the potential suitable areas of A. trifida in Northeast China under three different climate scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5) with different emission intensities in the future (2050, 2070) were predicted. The changes of A. trifida suitable area in Northeast China under three climate scenarios were compared, and the relationship between the change of suitable area and emission intensity was analyzed. In general, the suitable area of A. trifida in Northeast China will expand gradually in the future, and the area of its highly suitable area will also increase with the increasing emission intensity, which is unfavorable to the control of A. trifida.

Review of Invasive Plant Functional Traits and Management Using Remote Sensing in Sub-Saharan Africa

Biodiversity and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are considerably impacted by invasive alien plants (IAPs). Increasing plant invasions in SSA threaten agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, and other socioeconomic activities, which in turn put the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in peril. In order to effectively combat IAPs, understanding their functional traits (morphological, physiological, and phenological traits) and integrating them into remote sensing (RS) is vital. While functional traits influence IAPs’ fitness to invade and establish in a new geographical range, RS aids in studying them remotely, delineating and mapping them, and predicting their potential invasions. The information on this study topic was gathered by reviewing various existing studies published between 2000 and 2024. Based on this review, it was deduced that the majority of IAPs are fast-growing (or acquisitive), with a shorter leaf lifespan, bigger leaves, and higher plant height, ultimately resulting in a higher resource acquisition ability. We established further that in SSA, there are limited studies on IAP functional traits and their integration in RS. Many studies conducted in the region focus mostly on IAP distribution. Evidence from prior studies revealed that functional trait remote sensing (FTRS)-based research not only improves detection and mapping but also predicts whether a certain alien plant can become invasive or expand its distribution range. Thus, using the FTRS approach could help IAP management in SSA, ultimately achieving the SDGs. Our review discusses IAP implications in SSA (e.g., Angola, Tanzania, Benin, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, etc.) and for the achievement of SDGs; functional traits and their impact on alien invasions; and the importance of incorporating functional traits into RS.

Does Transportation Infrastructure Construction Enhance Enterprise Innovation Resilience in China?

With increasing uncertainty and ambiguity in the external business environment, the risks and challenges faced by enterprises also increase accordingly; resilience has become a necessary characteristic for the evolution and upgrading of enterprise innovation systems, and improving enterprise innovation resilience becomes the key for enterprises to establish sustainable competitive advantages and achieve sustainable development. Based on the panel data of Chinese listed companies and cities, we employ the common factor method to measure enterprise innovation resilience and explore the impact of transportation infrastructure construction on enterprise innovation resilience. The results reveal that, firstly, enterprise innovation resilience shows an overall upward trend, but there is a certain degree of temporal–spatial and industrial disparity. Secondly, transportation infrastructure construction, represented by HSR opening, can significantly improve enterprise innovation resilience. However, this effect performs the following heterogeneity: (1) Regionally, the promotion effect is more obvious in eastern regions, central cities, and non-central cities within 107 km and 764 km away from the central city. (2) For enterprises, compared to state-owned enterprises and non-high-tech industries, transportation infrastructure construction has a greater effect in non-state-owned enterprises and high-tech industries. (3) The higher the degree of centrality and closeness centrality, the more obvious the promotion effect of transportation infrastructure construction. Finally, mechanism tests show that enterprise resource acquisition and resource allocation abilities are important channels for transportation infrastructure construction, to enhance enterprise innovation resilience.

Does negative feedback affect a firm’s R&D efficiency? An empirical study of Chinese listed firms

ABSTRACT Based on the behavioral theory of the firm, we investigate the impact of negative feedback on R&D efficiency. The results show that when performance falls below aspirations, firms pay more attention to R&D projects with high efficiency to get rid of the operating pressure and reputation pressure caused by the decline in performance. This effect may be influenced by resource differences. In the case of negative feedback, firms with fewer idle resources have more incentive to improve R&D efficiency. Compared with state-owned firms and high-tech firms with higher resource acquisition ability, the impact of negative feedback on R&D efficiency is statistically significant only in the sample of private firms and non-high-tech firms. A firm’s strategy to increase its R&D efficiency may be correct, as the improvement in R&D efficiency effectively reverses investors’ expectations of the firm’s future market value.

Research on the Impact of AI Application on Capital Chain Resilience

Unfavorable external factors such as COVID-19 and economy recession have affected the abilities of enterprises to continue operating. Among them, capital chain resilience has become a key issue for enterprises. In the new era, artificial intelligence (AI) technology can provide new solutions for avoiding the breakage of the capital chain. Using data from listed companies in China, we find that AI technology can improve capital chain resilience. The main impact mechanism is to reduce the level of corporate financial constraints and improve internal control efficiency, and when corporate governance efficiency and resource acquisition capability are lower, such as poor levels of executive supervision and incentive, governance, executive resource acquisition ability, financial statement tone, business and financing environment, the effect of AI technology on improving capital chain resilience is more obvious. We enrich the research on AI and capital chain resilience, provide references for enterprises to use AI technology to help enterprises obtain more funds, warn of risks, and make correct decisions quickly in a crisis to help enterprises survive the crisis smoothly.

Low rates of bacterivory enhances phototrophy and competitive advantage for mixoplankton growing in oligotrophic waters

With climate change, oceans are becoming increasingly nutrient limited, favouring growth of prokaryotic picoplankton at the expense of the larger protist plankton whose growth support higher trophic levels. Constitutive mixoplankton (CM), microalgal plankton with innate phototrophic capability coupled with phagotrophy, graze on these picoplankton, indirectly exploiting the excellent resource acquisition abilities of the prokaryotes. However, feeding rates can be very low (e.g., a few bacteria d−1). For the first time, the significance of such low consumption rates has been quantified. We find that while prokaryote-carbon (C) supply to CM grown at non-limiting light was so low that it may appear insignificant (< 10%), contributions of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from ingestions of 1–12 prokaryotes d−1 were significant. Under limiting light, contributions of ingested C increased, also raising the contributions of N and P. The order of nutritional importance for CM growth from predation was P > N > C. Further, provision of N through internal recycling of ingested prey-N stimulates C-fixation through photosynthesis. Importantly, coupled photo-phago-mixoplanktonic activity improved CM resource affinities for both inorganic and prey-bound nutrients, enhancing the nutritional status and competitiveness of mixoplankton. With warming oceans, with increased prokaryote abundance, we expect CM to exhibit more phagotrophy.

The impact of resource self-help capability on user entrepreneurship performance—case study of knowledge payment project

Based on the theoretical perspective of resources bootstrapping, this paper studies how resource-poor users innovate their resource acquisition ability in the initial stage of entrepreneurship, and discusses the internal relationship between user resource acquisition innovation ability and user entrepreneurship performance. And how independent entrepreneurial users can use resources to obtain the required resources and influence entrepreneurial performance under the embedded network platform. At the same time, taking the knowledge payment project of multiple network platforms as an example, the collected case information is coded and analyzed, and then an empirical research theoretical framework is established for the relationship between user resource acquisition innovation ability and entrepreneurial performance. The research suggests that resource-poor self-employed users can strengthen their resource acquisition ability through resource self-help to better affect the survival and growth performance of enterprises.

THE EFFECT OF EFFECTUATION PRINCIPLES ON OPPORTUNITY EXPLOITATION BY ENTREPRENEURS IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY

This study aims to explore the direct effect of effectual means (who I am, who I know, what I have) on the successful exploitation of opportunity by new ventures. Resource acquisition and strategy implementation ability are employed as indicators of opportunity exploitation. We also examine the mediating role of particular, effectual principles on the relationship between effectual means and opportunity exploitation. A total of 462 owners of early-stage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania were surveyed. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and hierarchical regression were used to test a set of hypotheses. The results demonstrate that effectual means positively affected both resource acquisition ability and strategy implementation ability. Mediation effects differed based on the type of effectual means and different elements comprising opportunity exploitation. Implications are drawn from the results for theory and practice.

The adjustment of life history strategies drives the ecological adaptations of soil microbiota to aridity.

Soil microbiota increase their fitness to local habitats by adjusting their life history strategies. Yet, how such adjustments drive their ecological adaptations in xeric grasslands remains elusive. In this study, shifts in the traits that potentially represent microbial life history strategies were studied along two aridity gradients with different climates using metagenomic and trait-based approaches. The results indicated that resource acquisition (e.g., higher activities of β-d-glucosidase and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosidase, higher degradation rates of cellulose and chitin, as well as genes involved in cell motility, biodegradation, transportation and competition) and growth yield (e.g., higher biomass and respiration) strategies were depleted at higher aridity. However, maintenance of cellular and high growth potential (e.g., higher metabolic quotients and genes related to DNA replication, transcription, translation, central carbon metabolism and biosynthesis) and stress tolerance (e.g., genes involved in DNA damage repair, cation transportation, sporulation and osmolyte biosynthesis) strategies were enriched at higher aridity. This implied that microbiota have lower growth yields but are probably well primed for rapid responses to pulses of rainfall in more arid soils, whereas those in less arid soils may have stronger resource acquisition and growth yield abilities. By integrating a large amount of evidence from taxonomic, metagenomic, genomic and biochemical investigations, this study demonstrates that the ecological adaptations of soil microbiota to aridity made by adjusting and optimizing their life history strategies are universal in xeric grasslands and provides an underlying mechanistic understanding of soil microbial responses to climate changes.

Growth Experiences of the Second Generation and Portfolio Entrepreneurship in Family Firms: Insights from the Imprinting Theory

Portfolio entrepreneurship refers to the simultaneous identification and utilization of two or more business opportunities, and is an important means for family firms to address the dual challenges of intergenerational inheritance and upgrading. In fact, the essence of entrepreneurship is the process of identifying and utilizing opportunities, in which the cognition and ability shaped by entrepreneurs’ own experiences play an important role. In the context of inheritance, the second generation is the main family entrepreneur, so studying the antecedents of portfolio entrepreneurship requires examining the second generation’s growth experiences. Given this, our study proposes a model of the second generation’s growth experiences, industry prosperity and portfolio entrepreneurship, and constructs the hypothesis based on the imprinting theory.The study empirically tests the hypothesis using an ordinal logistic regression on a sample of 215 Chinese listed family firms during 2004—2016. The results show that the second generation with the experience of witnessing parental entrepreneurial process, studying abroad and working outside family firms will form values, beliefs and norms distinct from their parents, resulting in strong entrepreneurial intentions. At the same time, they possess strong information identification ability, resource acquisition ability and risk-taking ability, thus they are able to promote portfolio entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the lower industry prosperity will reduce the second generation’s identification with family firms, make them have a stronger entrepreneurial intention, and promote them to carry out entrepreneurial learning, strengthen their entrepreneurship ability, thus promote the portfolio entrepreneurship. Additionally, the second generation with the above growth experiences is more willing to enter high prosperity industries.The study makes several theoretical contributions: First, it focuses on the relationship between the second generation’s growth experiences and portfolio entrepreneurship, which enriches the antecedent of portfolio entrepreneurship. Second, it explains the formation of entrepreneurs’ cognition and ability from the historical perspective, breaking through the limitations of previous static studies. Third, it finds that the impact of the second generation’s imprint varies with industry prosperity, which not only expands the application scope of the imprinting theory, but also enriches the contextual factors of family entrepreneurship.The practical implications are that: First, family firms need to develop appropriate training plans for successors to nurture transgenerational entrepreneurship. Second, decision-makers of family firms should avoid the constraints of the imprint formed by experiences.

Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical andes

The páramo, a high tropical Andean ecosystem, presents very distinct climatic, floristic and ecological features. Paramo plants have adapted to pronounced daily temperature fluctuations, freezing temperatures any night of the year, high incoming radiation and seasonal unfavorable water availability conditions. Long fallow agricultural systems are common in the páramo, permitting partial recuperation of the vegetation through a secondary succession. Different hypothesis related to plant traits (water relations and gas exchange characteristics or biomass allocation patterns) during succession have been proposed. Particular traits have been associated to the stages along successional gradients from early species (traits related to high resource acquisition abilities) to late species (traits linked to internal conservation of resources). Our purpose was to study plant functional responses of different herbaceous species in an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes. Plant traits (specific leaf area (SLA), maximum CO2 assimilation rates (Amax), leaf nitrogen content (Nleaf), leaf water relations and biomass allocation) were studied in grasses and forbs along different successional stages. Clear trends in SLA, Amax on a mass basis, Nleaf and aboveground/belowground biomass allocation were found along the successional gradient for grasses, while patterns were not as well-defined for forbs in the latter two traits. No patterns in leaf water relations characteristics were observed for either plant-growth forms. Strategies associated to plant traits significantly influence plant species dominance and community assembly during secondary succession in tropical alpine open environments like the páramos. Plant traits linked to rapid growth (SLA, Amax and Nleaf) dominate during early succession. In contrast to previous studies, drought resistance traits were not found to dominate in late succession stages for either grasses or forbs.

Informal institutions, entrepreneurs’ political participation, and venture internationalization

Informal institutions such as Guanxi play a critical role in compensating for insufficient formal institutions in emerging markets. Arising from the institutional evolution, Chinese entrepreneurs’ participation in political systems induces the emergence of new types of Guanxi that the entrepreneurs can draw on in internationalizing their new ventures. Drawing from institutional and cognitive decision-making theories, we theorize that the entrepreneurs’ political participation enhances their self-perceived status (willingness) and resource acquisition (ability) in their new ventures’ engagement in high-commitment entry modes. Our analysis of 5,999 Chinese private new ventures offers empirical support for the mediating effects of self-perceived status and resource acquisition on the association between entrepreneurs’ primary and secondary political participation and their ventures’ engagement in high-commitment entry modes. Our research contributes to the international business literature by examining the micromechanism of the interplay between formal and informal institutions and to the international entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the critical role that individual cognition plays in new ventures’ internationalization decision-making.

Research on the Influence of Energy Utilization and Economic Development on Human Well-Being in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a typical resource-rich but economically backward region in western China, and it is of great urgency to improve human well-being. Combined with previous scholars’ research and the characteristics of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this paper constructs an index system of human well-being including four dimensions: income and consumption, means of production, means of subsistence, and resource acquisition ability. Then, it uses generalized matrix method estimations to measure the influence of energy utilization and economic development on human well-being and makes a regression analysis on the influence of energy utilization and economic development on human well-being in various provinces in this region. It is found that per capita GDP and coke utilization promote the well-being of all dimensions, while the urban registered unemployment rate only promotes the well-being of means of subsistence. The utilization of gasoline and natural gas promotes income and consumption and inhibits the means of subsistence and resource acquisition ability, but they have opposite effects on means of production. The impacts of energy utilization and economic development in different provinces on human well-being are different. This study is of great significance to the related research aiming at improving people’s livelihood and promoting regional development.

Venture capital network and the M&A performance of listed companies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how venture capital institutions can use their syndicated investment network to help listed companies to achieve better performance in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper builds a fixed effect unbalanced panel regression model to study the impact of venture capital network on the M&A performance of listed companies.FindingsEvidence indicated that the stronger the information resource acquisition ability of venture capital institutions in the network, the better the listed company's M&A performance supported; the stronger the information resource control ability of venture capital institutions in the network, the better the listed company's M&A performance supported; the higher the participation of venture capital institutions, the more significant the positive impact of information resource acquisition and information resource control abilities on M&A performance in the network.Research limitations/implicationsThe data in this paper are from China's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM), other markets may be considered in the future research studies.Practical implicationsThe research conclusions of this paper affirm the positive role played by venture capital institutions through syndicated investment in eliminating information asymmetry in M&A of invested companies. The information resource acquisition and control abilities and participation degree of the venture capital network have positively promoted the M&A performance of the invested enterprises.Originality/valueThe conclusions of this paper not only provide useful supplements to existing research literature on venture capital network functions and corporate M&A but also have certain guiding value for venture capital institutions and start-ups to better use venture capital practices to improve their capabilities and performance.

Plant traits as indicators of recovery of reclaimed wellsites in forested areas: Slow but directional succession trajectory

Trait-based approaches can provide a generalizable mechanistic understanding of complex post-disturbance succession dynamics of plant communities. Much of our knowledge regarding successional trajectories of functional trait composition come from observations of natural disturbances that leave physical and biological legacy on site for self regeneration. We lack, however, understanding of the long-term recovery in severely degraded lands following reclamation through active revegetation. To address this gap, we examined changes in trait composition of forest understory plant communities in reclaimed oil and gas wellsites using chronosequence data (7–48 years since reclamation) to assess recovery towards that of post-harvest and natural post-fire reference forest sites. We used multiple traits associated with resource acquisition (e.g., fast growth) and performance ability metrics (e.g., shade-tolerance) with putative environmental factors to evaluate the trait-environment relationships underlying plant community recovery in reclaimed sites. We found an overall directional change in functional composition with time since reclamation towards that observed in reference sites, but even older reclaimed sites remained significantly different from reference sites. This could be related to differential trajectory patterns among traits where some trait values progressed towards those of reference (long-distance dispersal by wind decreased with time since reclamation) whereas some fast-resource acquisition traits and exotic species showed no change and remained dominant in older reclaimed sites. The strong link between traits and environment suggests a significant influence of time and subsequent developing site conditions (e.g., canopy cover) as well as enduring legacies of wellsite operation/reclamation (e.g., high soil bulk density and exotic species) on functional composition. Knowledge of functional composition trajectories in severely degraded ecosystems, such as wellsites, could improve our understanding of recovery processes and inform more effective reclamation practices by identifying putative underlying environmental factors and specific ecological attributes that may delay successful recovery.

Directional, stabilizing, and disruptive trait selection as alternative mechanisms for plant community assembly.

How plant functional traits (e.g., seed mass) drive species abundance within communities remains an unsolved question. Borrowing concepts from natural selection theory, we propose that trait-abundance relationships can generally correspond to one of three modes of trait selection: directional (a rectilinear relationship, where species at one end of a trait axis are most abundant), stabilizing (an n-shaped relationship), and disruptive (a u-shaped relationship). Stabilizing selection (i.e., the functional convergence of abundant species) would result from positive density-dependent interactions (e.g., facilitation) or due to generalized trade-offs in resource acquisition/use, while disruptive selection (i.e., the divergence of abundant species) would result from negative density-dependent interactions (e.g., competition) or due to environmental heterogeneity. These selection modes can be interpreted as proxies for community-level trait-fitness functions, which establish the degree to which traits are truly "functional". We searched for selection modes in a desert annual-plant community in Argentina (which was divided into winter and summer guilds) to test the hypothesis that the relative importance of disruptive mechanisms (competition, disturbances) decreases with the increase of abiotic stress, a stabilizing agent. Average density was analyzed as a function of eight traits generally linked to resource acquisition and competitive ability (maximum plant height, leaf size, specific leaf area, specific root length), resource retention and stress tolerance (leaf dissection, leaf dry matter content, specific root volume), and regeneration (seed mass) using multiple quadratic-regression models. Trait selection was stabilizing and/or directional when the environment was harshest (winter) and disruptive and/or directional when conditions were milder (summer). Selection patterns differed between guilds for two important traits: plant height and seed mass. These results suggest that abiotic stress may drive within-community functional convergence independently of the trait considered, opposing the view that some traits may be inherently convergent while others divergent. Our quadratic model-based approach provides standardized metrics of both linear and nonlinear selection that may allow simple comparisons among communities subjected to contrasting environmental conditions. These concepts, rooted in natural selection theory, may clarify the functional link between traits and species abundance, and thus help untangle the contributions of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly.