ABSTRACT
The term “functional groups” was proposed by Cummins [1] to classify species playing similar roles or performing analogous processes in the ecosystem. Plant functional types may describe groups of plants with common responses to certain 28environmental influences [2,3] and have been applied to several ecosystem functions such as biochemical cycles, fire resistance, invasion resistance, acquisition and use of resources, defense against herbivory, pollination, and seed dispersal, among others [4].
