Variation in plant functional traits is best explained by the species identity: Stability of trait-based species ranking across meadow management regimes

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F19%3A43899112" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/19:43899112 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/60077344:_____/19:00504874 RIV/67985939:_____/19:00504874

Result on the web

<a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1365-2435.13287" target="_blank" >https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1365-2435.13287</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13287" target="_blank" >10.1111/1365-2435.13287</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Variation in plant functional traits is best explained by the species identity: Stability of trait-based species ranking across meadow management regimes

Original language description

It is commonly assumed in trait-based studies that plant functional traits are species-specific, being more variable among species than among different environmental conditions. If the environment affects traits, it is assumed that species react in a similar direction and conserve the functional distances. The rank of species based on the trait values is then unchanged, which justifies the use of species trait averages from database values. Such assumptions of species specificity are, however, increasingly disputed by studies showing overall high intraspecific trait variability. To test the species specificity and ranking stability of functional traits, we sampled plant individuals of almost all species (66 in total) within each plot of a long-term (19 years) land use management experiment, which comprised a factorial combination of fertilization, mowing and removal of the dominant species Molinia caerulea in an oligotrophic wet meadow in the Czech Republic. Plant individuals were measured for eight commonly used traits: height, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf delta C-13 content, leaf carbon content, leaf delta N-15 content and leaf nitrogen content. Height, LDMC and SLA were also extracted from the LEDA trait database for comparison. Species identity consistently explained the largest portion of trait variability (40%-68%). Land use managements had a considerably lower effect (0.4%-9% of explained trait variability for individual traits). The species trait averages computed for each land use management regime separately were mutually correlated, showing the stable trait-based species ranking. Ranking stability of species trait averages was observed despite land use management changing absolute trait values and despite the tremendous intraspecific trait variability (causing substantial overlap of trait values for different species). For all treatments, our measured species averages for LDMC and SLA were also stably ranked with species averages from the LEDA database. Synthesis. Our results showed that species conserve the functional distances in different environmental conditions from where they were measured. Species trait averages can describe general trends in functional composition, although averaging reduces the ecologically interesting information of the intraspecific trait variability.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10618 - Ecology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2019

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Functional Ecology

ISSN

0269-8463

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

33

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

10

Pages from-to

746-755

UT code for WoS article

000466375600018

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85061327404