The importance of trait selection in ecology

Article Plant Sciences

Divergent nitrogen and phosphorus allocation strategies in terrestrial plant leaves and fine roots: A global meta-analysis

Zhiqiang Wang et al.

Summary: This study analyzes the nitrogen and phosphorus allocation strategies between leaves and fine roots in terrestrial plants using a global dataset. The results show divergent scaling relationships between N and P in different plant organs, improving our understanding of the effects of environmental changes and life-history strategies on nutrient allocation patterns between these two important plant organs.

JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY (2022)

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Article Plant Sciences

Root traits as drivers of plant and ecosystem functioning: current understanding, pitfalls and future research needs

Gregoire T. Freschet et al.

Summary: Based on a review of various aspects in plant physiology and ecology, it is evident that there are complex relationships between root traits and functions, with many knowledge gaps still remaining. Future research should focus on considering a more comprehensive range of functionally relevant traits across different species, environments and time series in order to establish causal hierarchical links among root traits.

NEW PHYTOLOGIST (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Fine-root traits in the global spectrum of plant form and function

Carlos P. Carmona et al.

Summary: The coordination and trade-off of plant traits have significant implications globally, with both aboveground and fine-root planes displaying high levels of species aggregation.

NATURE (2021)

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Article Ecology

Resolving whole-plant economics from leaf, stem and root traits of 1467 Amazonian tree species

Jason Vleminckx et al.

Summary: The study reveals the existence of multiple functional dimensions in tropical tree species to optimize their performance in different environments. Leaf, root, and stem characteristics are often associated with soil texture and nutrient availability. Root traits showed no significant association with edaphic variation, possibly due to influence of other factors.

OIKOS (2021)

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Review Plant Sciences

An integrated framework of plant form and function: the belowground perspective

Alexandra Weigelt et al.

Summary: This study integrates root traits into the global framework of plant form and function and finds that an integrated whole-plant trait space requires up to four axes, with two main axes representing the fast-slow 'conservation' gradient and the 'collaboration' gradient in roots, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional nature of plant trait variation.

NEW PHYTOLOGIST (2021)

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Article Ecology

Root traits explain plant species distributions along climatic gradients yet challenge the nature of ecological trade-offs

Daniel C. Laughlin et al.

Summary: Ecological theory is based on trade-offs in trait differences among species, but unidirectional benefits may be more prevalent than previously thought, with extreme trait values providing advantages in certain environments while a wide range of trait values are equally beneficial in others.

NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences