Leaf economics traits are central in understanding and predicting the effects of plant biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. Using soybean (Glycine max) – one of the world’s most widespread crops, Hayes et al. show...
Tag - functional traits
Alex Assiry
Loss of functional diversity and network modularity in introduced plant–fungal symbioses
Native and alien trees associate with a wide range of beneficial fungi, but the few studies of these interactions tend to focus only on a few plant species or locations at a time. This approach limits broad scale...
William Salter
Ecology of Floristic Quality Assessment: testing for correlations between coefficients of conservatism, species traits and mycorrhizal responsiveness
Many plant species are limited to habitats relatively unaffected by anthropogenic disturbance, so protecting these undisturbed habitats is essential for plant conservation. Coefficients of conservatism (C values) are...
Functional acclimation across microgeographic scales in Dodonaea viscosa
Intraspecific plant functional trait variation provides mechanistic insight into persistence and can infer population adaptive capacity. However, most studies explore intraspecific trait variation in systems where...
Start from here: SPL Theory links regenerative and life history strategies
The best chance of growing to maturity is to have the best start. A new theory connects seed and leaf size with phytomers to describe the relationship between regeneration and growth through a plant's lifetime.
botanyone
Nutrient foraging linked to population growth in understory shrubs
Temperate forests have experienced surges in nitrogen supply since pre-industrial times, together with understory disruptions such as invasions and declines of formerly abundant species. Caplan et al. suggest that there...
Wood anatomical diversity results from force of habit, and shifts in habitat
Plant functional traits constitute responses to a complex evolutionary reciprocality between plants and the environment. Wood anatomy varies between shrubs and trees, and between wet and dry habitats, but a question...
Active or passive? Specific-leaf-area plasticity responses
Liu et al. conducted a meta-analysis to test the hypothesis that shade-induced increases in specific-leaf-area (SLA) indicate an adaptive plant response to optimizing light capture. They conclude that species with...
Summer dormancy and seasonal growth in California perennial grasses
Superior drought survival is expected to result in reduced productivity and competitive ability, but this expectation has seldom been tested in herbaceous perennial species. Balachowski et al. quantified seasonal...
Life, death and what sphagnum does afterwards
Decomposition of sphagnum moss isn't just about phylogenetics. Research shows habitat plays an important role.
Alun Salt
Aridity-related stomatal differences in a South African shrub
Plants in arid environments often have predictably different phenotypes than those in moist environments. Within species, such trait–environment associations could indicate local adaptation, yet supporting evidence is...
Long-tongued hawkmoths form a pollination niche
The study highlights the value of a niche perspective for understanding the geographical context and functional significance of floral traits.
Drought strategies in perennial forage species
Cell membrane stability, which ensures dehydration tolerance of roots and meristems, is positively and negatively correlated to fructan and sucrose contents, respectively.
Phenotypic plasticity to light and nutrient availability alters functional trait ranking across eight perennial grassland species
Functional traits are often used as species-specific means in trait-based predictions of ecosystem processes, assuming that interspecific differences are greater than intraspecific trait variation. Although this...
AoBPLANTS