Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome.

ABSTRACT: The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of plant species is thought to be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding to strategies of plant size and resource acquisition. However, it is unknown whether global plant trait relationships extend to climatic extremes, and if these interspecific relationships are confounded by trait variation within species. We test whether trait relationships extend to the cold extremes of life on Earth using the largest database of tundra plant traits yet compiled. We show that tundra plants demonstrate remarkably similar resource economic traits, but not size traits, compared to global distributions, and exhibit the same two dimensions of trait variation. Three quarters of trait variation occurs among

SUBMITTER: Thomas HJD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7067758 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature