Tag: functional traits

ecosystems ecology

Contrasting strategies in Amazonian trees are related to stem and twig wood density variation

Gisele Biem Mori, Jochen Schöngart, Juliana Schietti, J. Ethan Householder, Michelle Robin, Florian Wittmann, Lourens Poorter, Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Tropical tree species vary immensely in their characteristics, enabling different species to occupy particular environments where they are best suited. Wood density is a characteristic related to growth, … Continue reading Contrasting strategies in Amazonian trees are related to stem and twig wood density variation

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community ecology

Above-ground leaf and below-ground root differ in their response to long-term grazing: root traits are more sensitive

Jinting Cai, Xiaobin Pan, Yingli Xiao, Yue Wang, Guangyin Li, Yao Wang, Minna Zhang, Ling Wang This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Livestock grazing is a complex disturbance that affects grassland ecosystem function through foraging, trampling and excreta. A promising way to understand the consequences of grazing on grassland ecosystem functioning is to focus … Continue reading Above-ground leaf and below-ground root differ in their response to long-term grazing: root traits are more sensitive

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community ecology

Leaf, root and wood properties of tree species in tropical montane forests are adaptations to soil fertility and determine which tree species grows where

Kerstin Pierick, Christoph Leuschner, Roman M. Link, Selene Báez, Andre Velescu, Wolfgang Wilcke, Jürgen Homeier This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Tropical montane forests in the Ecuadorian Andes are one of the regions with the most tree species per area on earth. By measuring certain properties of trees, so called functional traits, one can … Continue reading Leaf, root and wood properties of tree species in tropical montane forests are adaptations to soil fertility and determine which tree species grows where

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community ecology

Trade-offs in how plants acquire soil resources: the root of the matter

Yuguo Yang, Sabrina E. Russo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Roots are responsible for the acquisition of resources from soil that are required for photosynthesis and other functions supporting plant growth, survival, and reproduction.  Plants have many options for how they can acquire these resources – they can “build” their root systems in … Continue reading Trade-offs in how plants acquire soil resources: the root of the matter

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ecosystems ecology

Global biogeographic patterns and losses of herbivore biomass before and after human intervention

Fabio Berzaghi, Dan Zhu, John Alroy, Philippe Ciais This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Mammalian herbivores play an important role in ecosystems and could influence climate through interactions with the biosphere. The global importance of mammalian herbivores is difficult to assess because we are lacking global mathematical models that can estimate herbivore populations and … Continue reading Global biogeographic patterns and losses of herbivore biomass before and after human intervention

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plant physiological ecology

How are sugar and starch involved in tree functional strategies?

Guangqi Zhang, Zhun Mao, Pascale Maillard, Loïc Brancheriau, Bastien Gérard, Julien Engel, Claire Fortunel, Patrick Heuret, Jean-Luc Maeght, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Alexia Stokes This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here.   As products of photosynthesis, soluble sugars and starch (together known as non-structural carbohydrates, or NSC) are the primary substrates and important energy sources for tree growth … Continue reading How are sugar and starch involved in tree functional strategies?

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community ecology

Feral pig disturbance aids the spread of non-native species with rapid resource-use strategies

Michael Peyton, Mauriel Rodriguez Curras, Sara Hotchkiss This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here.   Invasive mammals present a significant challenge to maintaining native biodiversity, particularlyon islands where many endemic species evolved in the absence of such challenges. Incommunities where these endemic species are abundant, invasive mammals may be creatingpathways for invasive plants with the prerequisite … Continue reading Feral pig disturbance aids the spread of non-native species with rapid resource-use strategies

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community ecology

Herbs, grasses and vines have more resource acquisitive leaf traits than shrubs, lianas and trees in tropical dry and wet forests

Tomonari Matsuo, Masha T. van der Sande, Lucy Amissah, Jonathan Dabo, Salim Mohammed Abdul, Lourens Poorter This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Early biogeographers have classified plant species based on their woodiness, size, and lifespan into a few life forms, such as grasses, shrubs, and trees. This allows to understand how life forms and … Continue reading Herbs, grasses and vines have more resource acquisitive leaf traits than shrubs, lianas and trees in tropical dry and wet forests

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plant physiological ecology

Can plants tell us through their traits what climate they prefer?

Camila D. Medeiros, Christian Henry, Santiago Trueba, Ioana Anghel, Samantha Dannet Diaz de Leon Guerrero, Alexandria Pivovaroff, Leila R. Fletcher, Grace P. John, James A. Lutz, Rodrigo Mendez Alonzo, Lawren Sack This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Knowledge of plant climatic preferences is critical for species selection for cultivation, for conservation and for predicting … Continue reading Can plants tell us through their traits what climate they prefer?

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ecosystems ecology

Water stress and functional traits jointly affect forest demographic dynamics

Chaoqing Song, Wenfang Xu, Shihua Li, Hui Liu, Chengjin Chu, Bin He, Xiuzhi Chen, Shilong Piao, Haibo Lu, Minna Ma, Wenping Yuan This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Forests dynamics are changing, with the demographic processes such as mortality, recruitment and growth being of great concern. Demographic processes play a key role in species … Continue reading Water stress and functional traits jointly affect forest demographic dynamics

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