Otros
A handbook for the standardised sampling of plant functional traits in disturbance-prone ecosystems, with a focus on open ecosystems
Fecha
2020-12-01Registro en:
Australian Journal of Botany, v. 68, n. 8, p. 473-531, 2020.
1444-9862
0067-1924
10.1071/BT20048
2-s2.0-85097510561
Autor
Sapienza University of Rome
Nelson Mandela University
Sorbonne University
University of the Witwatersrand
University of Oxford
Stellenbosch University
Utrecht University
South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON)
University of Cape Town
University of Pretoria
Kruger National Park
Wake Forest University
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Texas Tech University
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Gorongosa National Park
North-West University
Université d'Antananarivo
Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre
Yale University
Organization for Tropical Studies
Institución
Resumen
Plant functional traits provide a valuable tool to improve our understanding of ecological processes at a range of scales. Previous handbooks on plant functional traits have highlighted the importance of standardising measurements of traits to improve our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes. In open ecosystems (i.e. grasslands, savannas, open woodlands and shrublands), traits related to disturbance (e.g. herbivory, drought, and fire) play a central role in explaining species performance and distributions and are the focus of this handbook. We provide brief descriptions of 34 traits and list important environmental filters and their relevance, provide detailed sampling methodologies and outline potential pitfalls for each trait. We have grouped traits according to plant functional type (grasses, forbs and woody plants) and, because demographic stages may experience different selective pressures, we have separated traits according to the different plant life stages (seedlings saplings and adults). We have attempted to not include traits that have been covered in previous handbooks except for where updates or additional information was considered beneficial.