Plant trait variation along an altitudinal gradient in mediterranean high mountain grasslands: controlling the species turnover effect

PloS One
David S PescadorAdrián Escudero

Abstract

Assessing changes in plant functional traits along gradients is useful for understanding the assembly of communities and their response to global and local environmental drivers. However, these changes may reflect the effects of species composition (i.e. composition turnover), species abundance (i.e. species interaction), and intra-specific trait variability (i.e. species plasticity). In order to determine the relevance of the latter, trait variation can be assessed under minimal effects of composition turnover. Nine sampling sites were established along an altitudinal gradient in a Mediterranean high mountain grassland community with low composition turnover (Madrid, Spain; 1940 m-2419 m). Nine functional traits were also measured for ten individuals of around ten plant species at each site, for a total of eleven species across all sites. The relative importance of different sources of variability (within/between site and intra-/inter-specific functional diversity) and trait variation at species and community level along the considered gradients were explored. We found a weak individual species response to altitude and other environmental variables although in some cases, individuals were smaller and leaves were thicker at hig...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 13, 2017·The Science of the Total Environment·Veronika FontanaGeorg Frenck
Oct 11, 2020·Annals of Botany·Rachel M MitchellJustin P Wright

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCA

Software Mentioned

R
lme4
gplots
Adobe Photoshop
lmerTest
FD
ade4

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