scholarly journals Corrigendum to: New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Pérez-Harguindeguy ◽  
S. Díaz ◽  
E. Garnier ◽  
S. Lavorel ◽  
H. Poorter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Ecosystem Properties ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Wide Range

Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant- and ecosystem-level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species' effects on key ecosystem properties. We hope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant species with respect to environmental changes in the present, past and future.

scholarly journals New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 167 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Pérez-Harguindeguy ◽  
S. Díaz ◽  
E. Garnier ◽  
S. Lavorel ◽  
H. Poorter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Ecosystem Properties ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Wide Range

Plant functional traits are the features (morphological, physiological, phenological) that represent ecological strategies and determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels and influence ecosystem properties. Variation in plant functional traits, and trait syndromes, has proven useful for tackling many important ecological questions at a range of scales, giving rise to a demand for standardised ways to measure ecologically meaningful plant traits. This line of research has been among the most fruitful avenues for understanding ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes. It also has the potential both to build a predictive set of local, regional and global relationships between plants and environment and to quantify a wide range of natural and human-driven processes, including changes in biodiversity, the impacts of species invasions, alterations in biogeochemical processes and vegetation–atmosphere interactions. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data, and increases the value of standardised protocols for quantifying trait variation of different species, in particular for traits with power to predict plant- and ecosystem-level processes, and for traits that can be measured relatively easily. Updated and expanded from the widely used previous version, this handbook retains the focus on clearly presented, widely applicable, step-by-step recipes, with a minimum of text on theory, and not only includes updated methods for the traits previously covered, but also introduces many new protocols for further traits. This new handbook has a better balance between whole-plant traits, leaf traits, root and stem traits and regenerative traits, and puts particular emphasis on traits important for predicting species’ effects on key ecosystem properties. We hope this new handbook becomes a standard companion in local and global efforts to learn about the responses and impacts of different plant species with respect to environmental changes in the present, past and future.

scholarly journals Data on Herbivore Performance and Plant Herbivore Damage Identify the Same Plant Traits as the Key Drivers of Plant–Herbivore Interaction

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 865
Author(s):  
Zuzana Münzbergová ◽  
Jiří Skuhrovec
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Herbivore Damage ◽  
Herbivore Performance ◽  
Physical Defense ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Herbivore Interactions ◽  
Plant Herbivore

Data on plant herbivore damage as well as on herbivore performance have been previously used to identify key plant traits driving plant–herbivore interactions. The extent to which the two approaches lead to similar conclusions remains to be explored. We determined the effect of a free-living leaf-chewing generalist caterpillar, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on leaf damage of 24 closely related plant species from the Carduoideae subfamily and the effect of these plant species on caterpillar growth. We used a wide range of physical defense leaf traits and leaf nutrient contents as the plant traits. Herbivore performance and leaf damage were affected by similar plant traits. Traits related to higher caterpillar mortality (higher leaf dissection, number, length and toughness of spines and lower trichome density) also led to higher leaf damage. This fits with the fact that each caterpillar was feeding on a single plant and, thus, had to consume more biomass of the less suitable plants to obtain the same amount of nutrients. The key plant traits driving plant–herbivore interactions identified based on data on herbivore performance largely corresponded to the traits identified as important based on data on leaf damage. This suggests that both types of data may be used to identify the key plant traits determining plant–herbivore interactions. It is, however, important to carefully distinguish whether the data on leaf damage were obtained in the field or in a controlled feeding experiment, as the patterns expected in the two environments may go in opposite directions.

scholarly journals Functional macrophyte trait variation as a response to the source of inorganic carbon acquisition

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12584
Author(s):  
Rafał Chmara ◽  
Eugeniusz Pronin ◽  
Józef Szmeja
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Aquatic Macrophyte ◽  
Secchi Depth ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Macrophyte Species ◽  
Inorganic Carbon Acquisition

Background This study aims to compare variation in a range of aquatic macrophyte species leaf traits into three carbon acquisition groups: HCO3−, free CO2 and atmospheric CO2. Methods The leaf functional traits were measured for 30 species from 30 softwater lakes. Macrophyte species were classified into (1) free CO2, (2) atmospheric CO2 and (3) bicarbonate HCO3− groups. In each lake we collected water samples and measured eight environmental variables: depth, Secchi depth, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), pH of water, conductivity, calcium concentration, total nitrogen and total phosphorus. In this study we applied the RLQ analysis to investigate the relationships between species functional traits (Q) and their relationship with environmental variables (R) constrained by species abundance (L). Results The results showed that: (1) Aquatic macrophytes exhibited high leaf trait variations as a response to different inorganic carbon acquisition; (2) Traits of leaves refer to the acquisition of carbon for photosynthesis and serve to maximise this process; (3) In the wide softwater habitat, macrophyte species exhibited an extreme range of leaf economic spectrum (leaf area, leaf dry weight and specific leaf area) and wide range of shape trait expressed as circularity; (4) Macrophyte leaf traits are the result of adaptation to carbon acquisition in ambient environment.

scholarly journals Functional composition and diversity of leaf traits in subalpine versus alpine vegetation in the Apennines

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Stanisci ◽  
Alessandro Bricca ◽  
Valentina Calabrese ◽  
Maurizio Cutini ◽  
Harald Pauli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Maximum Height ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Functional Composition

Abstract Mediterranean high mountain grasslands are shaped by climatic stress and understanding their functional adaptations can contribute to better understanding ecosystems’ response to global change. The present work analyses the plant functional traits of high-elevation grasslands growing in Mediterranean limestone mountains to explore, at the community level, the presence of different plant strategies for resource use (conservative vs. acquisitive) and functional diversity syndromes (convergent or divergent). Thus, we compared the functional composition and diversity of the above-ground traits related to resource acquisition strategies of subalpine and alpine calcareous grasslands in the central Apennines, a mountain region characterized by a dry-summer Mediterranean climate. We used georeferenced vegetation plots and field-measured plant functional traits (plant maximum height, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content) for the dominant species of two characteristic vegetation types: the subalpine Sesleria juncifolia community and the alpine Silene acaulis community. Both communities are of particular conservation concern and are rich in endemic species for which plant functional traits are measured here for the first time. We analysed the functional composition and diversity using the community-weighted mean trait index and the functional diversity using Rao’s function, and we assessed how much the observed pattern deviated from a random distribution by calculating the respective standardized effect sizes. The results highlighted that an acquisitive resource use strategy and relatively higher functional diversity of leaf traits prevail in the alpine S. acaulis community, optimizing a rapid carbon gain, which would help overcome the constraints exerted by the short growing season. The divergent functional strategy underlines the co-occurrence of different leaf traits in the alpine grasslands, which shows good adaptation to a microhabitat-rich environment. Conversely, in the subalpine S. juncifolia grassland, a conservative resource use strategy and relatively lower functional diversity of the leaf traits are likely related to a high level resistance to aridity over a longer growing season. Our outcomes indicate the preadaptation strategy of the subalpine S. juncifolia grassland to shift upwards to the alpine zone that will become warmer and drier as a result of anthropogenic climate change.

scholarly journals A handbook of protocols for standardised and easy measurement of plant functional traits worldwide

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 335 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. C. Cornelissen ◽  
S. Lavorel ◽  
E. Garnier ◽  
S. Díaz ◽  
N. Buchmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Ecosystem Responses ◽  
Large Numbers

There is growing recognition that classifying terrestrial plant species on the basis of their function (into 'functional types') rather than their higher taxonomic identity, is a promising way forward for tackling important ecological questions at the scale of ecosystems, landscapes or biomes. These questions include those on vegetation responses to and vegetation effects on, environmental changes (e.g. changes in climate, atmospheric chemistry, land use or other disturbances). There is also growing consensus about a shortlist of plant traits that should underlie such functional plant classifications, because they have strong predictive power of important ecosystem responses to environmental change and/or they themselves have strong impacts on ecosystem processes. The most favoured traits are those that are also relatively easy and inexpensive to measure for large numbers of plant species. Large international research efforts, promoted by the IGBP–GCTE Programme, are underway to screen predominant plant species in various ecosystems and biomes worldwide for such traits. This paper provides an international methodological protocol aimed at standardising this research effort, based on consensus among a broad group of scientists in this field. It features a practical handbook with step-by-step recipes, with relatively brief information about the ecological context, for 28 functional traits recognised as critical for tackling large-scale ecological questions.

scholarly journals Repeated patterns in the evolution of size in island plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Matthew Biddick
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Common Element ◽  
Island Rule ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Island Evolution

<p>For reasons not fully understood, animals often evolve predictably on islands. For example, radiations of large, flightless birds are a common element of many island biotas. However, our understanding of how plants evolve on islands is comparatively poor. Further, an investigation into the evolution of island plants could help resolve unanswered questions about island animals. This thesis investigates insular size changes in a range of plant functional traits.   First (Chapter 2), I explored size changes in 9 species of vines that have colonized islands from the New Zealand and Australian mainland. I asked whether leaf–stem allometry prohibits leaves and stems from evolving independently from one another. Island populations consistently produced larger leaves than did mainland populations. Moreover, changes in leaf size were not associated with concomitant changes in stem size, suggesting that trait allometry does not govern trait evolution on islands.   Next (Chapter 3), I asked whether plants obey the infamous island rule, a putative trend in island evolution wherein small animals become large on islands and large animals become small. I demonstrate that plant stature and leaf area obey the island rule, and seed size does not. My findings illustrate that the island rule is more pervasive than previously considered, but that support for its predictions vary among plant functional traits.   Third (Chapter 4), I demonstrate that the island rule results from evolutionary drift along bounded trait domains. The island rule has long been hypothesized to result from a suite of selective pressures. Applying my model to island plants, I show that evolutionary drift is the most parsimonious explanation for the island rule pattern.   Finally (Chapter 5), to explore insular patterns in leaf size evolution, I conducted a large-scale, macroevolutionary analysis of leaf size on 98 of New Zealand’s offshore islands. Leaf gigantism was emblematic of island populations, and was most prominent in taxa with variable leaf morphologies on the mainland. Further, leaf gigantism was greatest in populations inhabiting old, distant islands, suggesting that time since divergence is a direct predictor of morphological differentiation between mainland and island populations.  Overall, this thesis reveals novel patterns, and helps disentangle the distinct roles of natural selection and drift, in the evolution of plant form and function on islands. Finally, this thesis illustrates how investigating the changes in plant traits can help identify the evolutionary mechanisms operating on islands.</p>

scholarly journals Operationalizing Plant Traits

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Kattge
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Plant Trait ◽  
Wide Range

Plant traits – the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants and their organs – determine how primary producers respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, influence ecosystem processes and services and provide a link from species richness to ecosystem functional diversity. Trait data thus represent the raw material for a wide range of research from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology to biogeography. The importance of these topics dictates the urgent need for more and better data and improved data availability and applicability, however, producing larger datasets that allow for more powerful, synthetic analyses increasingly relies on the integration of small, focused studies. Operationalizing plant functional traits has therefore been identified a key issue in plant and vegetation ecology. In 2007 the International Geosphere Bbiosphere Program (IGBP) and DIVERSITAS (together now Future Earth) initiated a global database of plant traits to make the data available for trait-based approaches in ecology and vegetation modelling. This was the start of the TRY initiative (https://www.try-db.org). In 2019 the TRY database contains about 12 million trait records for more than 300,000 plant taxa and 2000 traits. The data are publicly available under a CC BY license and so far contributed to more than 200 scientific publications. Based on experience in this bottom-up exercise, my presentation will provide a subjective view on what has been essential to make progress towards operationalizing plant traits and how far the plant trait community has progressed.

scholarly journals Fungal phylogenies and plant functional traits structure root associated fungal networks in a subtropical forest

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunchao Zhu ◽  
Zihui Wang ◽  
Wenqi Luo ◽  
Jiayi Feng ◽  
Yongfa Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Root Morphology ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Dark Respiration ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Fungal Phylogeny ◽  
Fungal Interactions

Rhizosphere fungi are essential for plant survival and ecosystem functioning, but the processes structuring plant-fungal interactions remain largely unknown. We constructed association networks between 43 plant species and two groups of root-associated fungi (mycorrhizal and pathogenic) using sequence data. We revealed modularity within the association networks using network analysis, and correlated this modular structure with functional traits and phylogenetic history driving plant-fungal interactions. We observed strong modularity in both plant-mycorrhizal fungal and plant-pathogenic fungal association networks. Plant functional traits and fungal phylogeny clustered within modules. Host plants of mycorrhizal fungi differed significantly between modules in terms of their leaf dry matter content, photosynthetic traits and root tissue density. Host plants of pathogenic fungi differed significantly between modules in terms of their dark respiration rate, light compensation point and root morphology. Modularity within fungi was a product of fungal phylogeny, whereas host plant modularity was a product of functional traits (leaf morphology, photosynthetic rate and root morphology). Our study illustrates the link between plant functional traits and fungal assembly, and highlights the importance of niche-based processes in shaping plant-fungus association networks. Our results suggest that plant traits may be instrumental in managing the composition of belowground fungal communities.

scholarly journals Repeated patterns in the evolution of size in island plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Matthew Biddick
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Common Element ◽  
Island Rule ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Stem Size ◽  
Island Evolution

<p>For reasons not fully understood, animals often evolve predictably on islands. For example, radiations of large, flightless birds are a common element of many island biotas. However, our understanding of how plants evolve on islands is comparatively poor. Further, an investigation into the evolution of island plants could help resolve unanswered questions about island animals. This thesis investigates insular size changes in a range of plant functional traits.   First (Chapter 2), I explored size changes in 9 species of vines that have colonized islands from the New Zealand and Australian mainland. I asked whether leaf–stem allometry prohibits leaves and stems from evolving independently from one another. Island populations consistently produced larger leaves than did mainland populations. Moreover, changes in leaf size were not associated with concomitant changes in stem size, suggesting that trait allometry does not govern trait evolution on islands.   Next (Chapter 3), I asked whether plants obey the infamous island rule, a putative trend in island evolution wherein small animals become large on islands and large animals become small. I demonstrate that plant stature and leaf area obey the island rule, and seed size does not. My findings illustrate that the island rule is more pervasive than previously considered, but that support for its predictions vary among plant functional traits.   Third (Chapter 4), I demonstrate that the island rule results from evolutionary drift along bounded trait domains. The island rule has long been hypothesized to result from a suite of selective pressures. Applying my model to island plants, I show that evolutionary drift is the most parsimonious explanation for the island rule pattern.   Finally (Chapter 5), to explore insular patterns in leaf size evolution, I conducted a large-scale, macroevolutionary analysis of leaf size on 98 of New Zealand’s offshore islands. Leaf gigantism was emblematic of island populations, and was most prominent in taxa with variable leaf morphologies on the mainland. Further, leaf gigantism was greatest in populations inhabiting old, distant islands, suggesting that time since divergence is a direct predictor of morphological differentiation between mainland and island populations.  Overall, this thesis reveals novel patterns, and helps disentangle the distinct roles of natural selection and drift, in the evolution of plant form and function on islands. Finally, this thesis illustrates how investigating the changes in plant traits can help identify the evolutionary mechanisms operating on islands.</p>

scholarly journals Digging into the roots: understanding direct and indirect drivers of ecosystem service trade-offs in coastal grasslands via plant functional traits

2021 ◽  
Vol 193 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras ◽  
Juliane Trinogga ◽  
Anastasia Trenkamp ◽  
Vanessa Minden ◽  
Martin Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Leaf Economics Spectrum ◽  
Ecosystem Properties ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Leaf Economics

AbstractRecent empirical and theoretical approaches have called for an understanding of the processes underpinning ecosystem service provision. Environmental gradients have shown effects on key plant functional traits that subsequently explain ecosystem properties of several systems. However, little is known concerning how associations between plant functional traits, including both below- and aboveground plant components, predict ecosystem properties and independently measured final ecosystem services. Here, we modeled (1) the responses of the leaf and plant economics spectrum, Plant size axis, and root growth to environmental gradients and (2) how associations between plant functional traits explain trade-offs and synergies between multiple ecosystem properties and final services. Forty-four plots were studied in a coastal marsh landscape of the German North Sea Coast. We used a partial least square structural equation model approach to test the hypothesized model. We found (1) a negative covariation between plant traits pertaining to a size axis and traits explaining both plant growth (roots and stems) and the leaf economics spectrum; (2) this trade-off responded significantly to the land use gradient and nutrient availability, which were both strongly driven by the groundwater gradient; (3) this trade-off explained an initial major trade-off between carbon stocks, at one extreme of the axis, and both the habitat value to conserve endangered plants and forage production for meat and dairy products at the other extreme. However, a secondary trade-off between nature conservation value and forage production, explained by a trade-off between leaf economics spectrum and plant growth in response to the land use intensity gradient, was also found.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document