Filters, pools, and fire

This chapter explores the extensive literature on community assembly of grasslands, focusing on its principal drivers and the evolution of methodological approaches used to infer assembly over time. While grasslands span vast climatic gradients globally, generalisations about the processes governing their assembly are possible. However, the context-dependent nature of these processes limits the transferability of knowledge across different environments. Grassland assembly is governed by three key processes: (1) the size and composition of the species pool, shaped by factors operating at broad spatial and temporal scales; (2) environmental filters, resources such as soil nutrients, moisture, and light availability, which influence competition; and (3) disturbances, which interact with species pool effects and resources to shape assembly dynamics. Understanding these drivers enhances our ability to predict the impacts of environmental changes, such as severe drought and warming. Further research that integrates regeneration traits and belowground processes will improve predictions of grassland assembly. Restoration ecology provides an ideal framework for testing and refining these insights.