Functional composition and diversity of leaf traits in subalpine versus alpine vegetation in the Apennines.

ABSTRACT: Mediterranean high mountain grasslands are shaped by climatic stress and understanding their functional adaptations can contribute to better understanding ecosystems' response to global change. The present work analyses the plant functional traits of high-elevation grasslands growing in Mediterranean limestone mountains to explore, at the community level, the presence of different plant strategies for resource use (conservative vs. acquisitive) and functional diversity syndromes (convergent or divergent). Thus, we compared the functional composition and diversity of the above-ground traits related to resource acquisition strategies of subalpine and alpine calcareous grasslands in the central Apennines, a mountain region characterized by a dry-summer Mediterranean climate. We used georefere

SUBMITTER: Stanisci A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7098876 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature