Tag: plant traits

plant physiological ecology

Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource-limited environments?

Thinles Chondol, Kiril Korznikov, Jiri Dolezal This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here.   Marcescence, the retention of aging plant parts beyond their typical shedding period, has significant ecological and evolutionary implications for plant adaptations and survival, particularly in challenging environmental conditions. Understanding the factors governing this phenomenon—environmental influences, seasonal dynamics, phylogenetic connections, and plant traits—remains … Continue reading Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource-limited environments?

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Reviews

What have we learned, and what more can we learn, from drought experiments?

Alan K. Knapp, Kathleen V. Condon, Christine C. Folks, Matthew A. Sturchio, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Steven A. Kannenberg, Amy S. Gill, Olivia L. Hajek, J. Alexander Siggers, Melinda D. Smith This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology Calow-Grace Review which can be found here. Drought, as one of the most common natural disasters impacting terrestrial ecosystems globally, has been studied extensively by … Continue reading What have we learned, and what more can we learn, from drought experiments?

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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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community ecology

Plant traits drive ANPP stability during drought and recovery

Wentao Luo,Yuan Shi, Kate Wilkins, Lin Song, Niwu Te, Jiaqi Chen, Hongxiang Zhang, Qiang Yu, Zhengwen Wang, Xingguo Han, Scott L. Collins This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Global climate change is expected to increase rainfall variability, potentially increasing the frequency of extreme drought events during this century. In most water-limited ecosystems such as … Continue reading Plant traits drive ANPP stability during drought and recovery

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community ecology

Exploring plant-fungi symbiotic interactions in grassland plant species

Ferran Romero, Alicia Argüello, Susanne de Bruin, Marcel G.A. van der Heijden This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants greatly benefit from forming symbiotic relationships with fungi. The widespread partnership between many plant species and the so-called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) benefits both the plant (plants receive nutrients like phosphorus) and the fungi (fungi … Continue reading Exploring plant-fungi symbiotic interactions in grassland plant species

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ecosystems ecology

Forests that keep fires small, and how they do it

Philip Zylstra, Grant Wardell-Johnson, Daniel Falster, Melissa Howe, Nathan McQuoid, Simon Neville This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. South-western Australia has long prided itself on its record of prescribed burning to reduce fuels, but a recent analysis of their records gave some surprising findings. Burning kept fire risk down for a few years, but, … Continue reading Forests that keep fires small, and how they do it

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plant physiological ecology

Growth and water-use traits of grasses in Australia are coordinated

Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Jeff Chieppa, Alan K. Knapp, Uffe N. Nielsen, and David T. Tissue This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Grasses are an ecologically, economically, and culturally important group of plants. They provide us with food and building materials, store carbon belowground, and are the dominant plant growth form of grassland ecosystems. As … Continue reading Growth and water-use traits of grasses in Australia are coordinated

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ecosystems ecology

Understanding drought effects on litter decomposition

Laura Reinelt, Jeanette Whitaker, Elena Kazakou, Laurent Bonnal, Denis Bastianelli, James M. Bullock, Nicholas J. Ostle This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Droughts will become more frequent and severe with climate change. This can in turn affect ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling in a way that leads to altered greenhouse gas emissions, creating feedback … Continue reading Understanding drought effects on litter decomposition

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community ecology

Inundation depth stimulates plant-mediated CH4 emissions by increasing ecosystem carbon uptake and plant height in an estuarine wetland

Mingliang Zhao, Peiguang Li, Weimin Song, Xiaojing Chu, Franziska Eller, Xiaojie Wang, Jingtao Liu, Leilei Xiao, Siyu Wei, Xinge Li, Guangxuan Han This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Estuarine wetlands occupy a small fraction of the earth’s surface, but they play an important role in carbon cycles. Estuarine wetlands are characterized by strong hydrological … Continue reading Inundation depth stimulates plant-mediated CH4 emissions by increasing ecosystem carbon uptake and plant height in an estuarine wetland

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community ecology

Drought-driven shifts in relationships between plant biodiversity and productivity in temperate steppes

Xiaoan Zuo, Xiangyun Li, Ping Yue, Aixia Guo, Xiyuan Yue, Chong Xu, Alan K. Knapp, Melinda D. Smith, Wentao Luo, Ginger R.H. Allington, Qiang Yu This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Grasslands are generally water-limited ecosystems that occupy 40% of the earth’s land surface. Expected increases in drought frequency and severity due to global climate change … Continue reading Drought-driven shifts in relationships between plant biodiversity and productivity in temperate steppes

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