Tag: plants

community ecology

The future of Alpine meadows: Can we predict winners and losers in a warmer climate?

Kristiina Visakorpi, Sebastián Block, Loïc Pellissier, Jonathan M. Levine, Jake Alexander This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plant species growing at high altitudes have adapted to cooler temperatures, shorter summers and less competition from the surrounding vegetation. With climate change, the high elevation environment will increasingly resemble that found at lower elevations today: temperatures … Continue reading The future of Alpine meadows: Can we predict winners and losers in a warmer climate?

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ecosystems ecology

Functional traits of a widespread plant species fingerprint ecosystem productivity

Shalik Ram Sigdel, Eryuan Liang,Maan Bahadur Rokaya, Samresh Rai, Nita Dyola, Jian Sun, Lin Zhang, Haifeng Zhu, Nakul Chettri, Ram Prasad Chaudhary, J. Julio Camarero, Josep Peñuelas This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Variation in intraspecific traits and its link to ecosystem functioning are key topics in ecology. Elevational gradients with diverse biotic and … Continue reading Functional traits of a widespread plant species fingerprint ecosystem productivity

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plant physiological ecology

Maladaptation versus smart acclimation to expected climate change in wooded pasture grasses

Pierre Vollenweider, Géraldine Hildbrand, Davide De Masi, Konstantin Gavazov, Vivian Zufferey, Alexandre Buttler, Georg von Arx This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Mountain grasslands are characterized by high biodiversity, low management intensity and plant species adapted to cool and moist climate conditions. With climate warming, however, they may undergo losses in biodiversity. Investigating the … Continue reading Maladaptation versus smart acclimation to expected climate change in wooded pasture grasses

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community ecology

Born with a silver spoon? How light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light

Wei Xue, Lin Huang, Fei-Hai Yu, T. Martijn Bezemer This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here. It is a common phenomenon in humans, animals, and plants that environmental conditions experienced by a parent can influence their offspring. In plants, this effect can act through both parental effects (i.e. characteristic changes of the parent due to … Continue reading Born with a silver spoon? How light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light

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plant physiological ecology

How an alpine plant species responds to temperature stress depends on the type of trait and life stage

Pieter A. Arnold, Shuo Wang, Alexandra A. Catling, Loeske E. B. Kruuk, Adrienne B. Nicotra This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Understanding how plants can respond to temperature stress is increasingly important as the climate changes, particularly in alpine ecosystems where rates of changes are occurring faster. The ability of a plant to change the expression of its traits … Continue reading How an alpine plant species responds to temperature stress depends on the type of trait and life stage

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plant physiological ecology

Plant specialisations may limit climate-induced vegetation range changes on a sub-Antarctic island

Michael D. Cramer, David W. Hedding, Michelle Greve, Guy F. Midgley, Brad S. Ripley This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Increasing temperatures due to climate change are expected to push terrestrial species into cooler zones upslope or poleward, so that they continue to occupy their optimal temperature ranges. While there is evidence for this … Continue reading Plant specialisations may limit climate-induced vegetation range changes on a sub-Antarctic island

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plant physiological ecology

Quantifying within-species trait variation in space and time reveals limits to trait-mediated drought response

Kelly L. Kerr, Leander D.L. Anderegg, Nicole Zenes, William R.L. Anderegg This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here. Climate change is currently a major stressor for many forest ecosystems around the globe, yet some tree species can deal with climate change through acclimation to changing environmental conditions. However, we still do not fully understand the … Continue reading Quantifying within-species trait variation in space and time reveals limits to trait-mediated drought response

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community ecology

Drought leads to more similar plant traits between- but not within-species

Slendy Rodríguez-Alarcón, Riin Tamme, Carlos P. Carmona This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Plants are more intelligent than we imagine. They can modify their morphology, for example, their leaves, roots, and height to survive in environments with limited resources. In our greenhouse experiment, we measured these morphological features of plants (called functional traits) under drought … Continue reading Drought leads to more similar plant traits between- but not within-species

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plant physiological ecology

Soil nutrient availability and tree height control the physiology of the world’s tallest tropical trees

David Bartholomew, Lindsay Banin, Paulo Bittencourt, Mohd Aminur Faiz Suis, Lina Mercado, Reuben Nilus, David Burslem, Lucy Rowland This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. The tropical forests of Borneo in South-East Asia possess exceptionally high levels of biodiversity, act as important carbon stores and are home to the world’s tallest tropical trees. However, these characteristics … Continue reading Soil nutrient availability and tree height control the physiology of the world’s tallest tropical trees

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ecosystems ecology

Grasses adjust their root characteristics in response to drought to reduce negative impacts on aboveground productivity

Manjunatha H. Chandregowda, Mark G. Tjoelker, Elise Pendall, Haiyang Zhang, Amber C. Churchill, Sally A. Power This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Grasslands and rangelands cover nearly one-third of the Earth’s terrestrial surface area and play a major role in supporting global livestock production. However, climate models predict an increase in drought frequency and severity … Continue reading Grasses adjust their root characteristics in response to drought to reduce negative impacts on aboveground productivity

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