Plant traits and ecosystem effects of clonality: a new research agenda.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clonal plants spread laterally by spacers between their ramets (shoot-root units); these spacers can transport and store resources. While much is known about how clonality promotes plant fitness, we know little about how different clonal plants influence ecosystem functions related to carbon, nutrient and water cycling.

Approach

The response-effect trait framework is used to formulate hypotheses about the impact of clonality on ecosystems. Central to this framework is the degree of correspondence between interspecific variation in clonal 'response traits' that promote plant fitness and interspecific variation in 'effect traits', which define a plant's potential effect on ecosystem functions. The main example presented to illustrate this concept concerns clonal tra

SUBMITTER: Cornelissen JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4111380 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature