Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome

Aim: Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whe...

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Published in:Global Ecology and Biogeography
Main Authors: Thomas, H.J.D., Myers-Smith, I.H., Bjorkman, A.D., Elmendorf, S.C., Blok, D., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Forbes, B.C., Hollister, R.D., Normand, S., Prevéy, J.S., Rixen, C., Schaepman-Strub, G., Wilmking, M., Wipf, S., Cornwell, W., Kattge, J., Goetz, S.J., Guay, K.C., Alatalo, J.M., Anadon-Rosell, A., Angers-Blondin, S., Berner, L.T., Björk, R.G., Buchwal, A., Buras, A., Carbognani, M., Christie, K., Siegwart Collier, L., Cooper, E.J., Eskelinen, A., Frei, E.R., Grau, O., Grogan, P., Hallinger, M., Heijman, M.M.P.D., Hermanutz, L., Hudson, J.M.G., Hülber, K., Iturrate-Garcia, M., Iversen, C.M., Jaroszynska, F., Johnstone, J.F., Kaarlejärvi, E., Kulonen, A., Lamarque, L.J., Lévesque, E., Te Beest, M., de Vries, F.T., Ozinga, W.A., van Bodegom, P.M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/traditional-plant-functional-groups-explain-variation-in-economic
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12783
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spelling ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/546207 2024-02-04T10:05:01+01:00 Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome Thomas, H.J.D. Myers-Smith, I.H. Bjorkman, A.D. Elmendorf, S.C. Blok, D. Cornelissen, J.H.C. Forbes, B.C. Hollister, R.D. Normand, S. Prevéy, J.S. Rixen, C. Schaepman-Strub, G. Wilmking, M. Wipf, S. Cornwell, W. Kattge, J. Goetz, S.J. Guay, K.C. Alatalo, J.M. Anadon-Rosell, A. Angers-Blondin, S. Berner, L.T. Björk, R.G. Buchwal, A. Buras, A. Carbognani, M. Christie, K. Siegwart Collier, L. Cooper, E.J. Eskelinen, A. Frei, E.R. Grau, O. Grogan, P. Hallinger, M. Heijman, M.M.P.D. Hermanutz, L. Hudson, J.M.G. Hülber, K. Iturrate-Garcia, M. Iversen, C.M. Jaroszynska, F. Johnstone, J.F. Kaarlejärvi, E. Kulonen, A. Lamarque, L.J. Lévesque, E. Te Beest, M. de Vries, F.T. Ozinga, W.A. van Bodegom, P.M. 2019 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/traditional-plant-functional-groups-explain-variation-in-economic https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12783 en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/469002 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/traditional-plant-functional-groups-explain-variation-in-economic doi:10.1111/geb.12783 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Wageningen University & Research Global Ecology and Biogeography 28 (2019) 2 ISSN: 1466-822X cluster analysis community composition ecosystem function plant functional groups plant functional types plant traits tundra biome vegetation change info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2019 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12783 2024-01-10T23:16:34Z Aim: Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits. Location: Tundra biome. Time period: Data collected between 1964 and 2016. Major taxa studied: 295 tundra vascular plant species. Methods: We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits. Results: Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression. Main conclusions: Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra ecosystem change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Tundra Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Global Ecology and Biogeography 28 2 78 95
institution Open Polar
collection Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library
op_collection_id ftunivwagenin
language English
topic cluster analysis
community composition
ecosystem function
plant functional groups
plant functional types
plant traits
tundra biome
vegetation change
spellingShingle cluster analysis
community composition
ecosystem function
plant functional groups
plant functional types
plant traits
tundra biome
vegetation change
Thomas, H.J.D.
Myers-Smith, I.H.
Bjorkman, A.D.
Elmendorf, S.C.
Blok, D.
Cornelissen, J.H.C.
Forbes, B.C.
Hollister, R.D.
Normand, S.
Prevéy, J.S.
Rixen, C.
Schaepman-Strub, G.
Wilmking, M.
Wipf, S.
Cornwell, W.
Kattge, J.
Goetz, S.J.
Guay, K.C.
Alatalo, J.M.
Anadon-Rosell, A.
Angers-Blondin, S.
Berner, L.T.
Björk, R.G.
Buchwal, A.
Buras, A.
Carbognani, M.
Christie, K.
Siegwart Collier, L.
Cooper, E.J.
Eskelinen, A.
Frei, E.R.
Grau, O.
Grogan, P.
Hallinger, M.
Heijman, M.M.P.D.
Hermanutz, L.
Hudson, J.M.G.
Hülber, K.
Iturrate-Garcia, M.
Iversen, C.M.
Jaroszynska, F.
Johnstone, J.F.
Kaarlejärvi, E.
Kulonen, A.
Lamarque, L.J.
Lévesque, E.
Te Beest, M.
de Vries, F.T.
Ozinga, W.A.
van Bodegom, P.M.
Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
topic_facet cluster analysis
community composition
ecosystem function
plant functional groups
plant functional types
plant traits
tundra biome
vegetation change
description Aim: Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits. Location: Tundra biome. Time period: Data collected between 1964 and 2016. Major taxa studied: 295 tundra vascular plant species. Methods: We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits. Results: Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression. Main conclusions: Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra ecosystem change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Thomas, H.J.D.
Myers-Smith, I.H.
Bjorkman, A.D.
Elmendorf, S.C.
Blok, D.
Cornelissen, J.H.C.
Forbes, B.C.
Hollister, R.D.
Normand, S.
Prevéy, J.S.
Rixen, C.
Schaepman-Strub, G.
Wilmking, M.
Wipf, S.
Cornwell, W.
Kattge, J.
Goetz, S.J.
Guay, K.C.
Alatalo, J.M.
Anadon-Rosell, A.
Angers-Blondin, S.
Berner, L.T.
Björk, R.G.
Buchwal, A.
Buras, A.
Carbognani, M.
Christie, K.
Siegwart Collier, L.
Cooper, E.J.
Eskelinen, A.
Frei, E.R.
Grau, O.
Grogan, P.
Hallinger, M.
Heijman, M.M.P.D.
Hermanutz, L.
Hudson, J.M.G.
Hülber, K.
Iturrate-Garcia, M.
Iversen, C.M.
Jaroszynska, F.
Johnstone, J.F.
Kaarlejärvi, E.
Kulonen, A.
Lamarque, L.J.
Lévesque, E.
Te Beest, M.
de Vries, F.T.
Ozinga, W.A.
van Bodegom, P.M.
author_facet Thomas, H.J.D.
Myers-Smith, I.H.
Bjorkman, A.D.
Elmendorf, S.C.
Blok, D.
Cornelissen, J.H.C.
Forbes, B.C.
Hollister, R.D.
Normand, S.
Prevéy, J.S.
Rixen, C.
Schaepman-Strub, G.
Wilmking, M.
Wipf, S.
Cornwell, W.
Kattge, J.
Goetz, S.J.
Guay, K.C.
Alatalo, J.M.
Anadon-Rosell, A.
Angers-Blondin, S.
Berner, L.T.
Björk, R.G.
Buchwal, A.
Buras, A.
Carbognani, M.
Christie, K.
Siegwart Collier, L.
Cooper, E.J.
Eskelinen, A.
Frei, E.R.
Grau, O.
Grogan, P.
Hallinger, M.
Heijman, M.M.P.D.
Hermanutz, L.
Hudson, J.M.G.
Hülber, K.
Iturrate-Garcia, M.
Iversen, C.M.
Jaroszynska, F.
Johnstone, J.F.
Kaarlejärvi, E.
Kulonen, A.
Lamarque, L.J.
Lévesque, E.
Te Beest, M.
de Vries, F.T.
Ozinga, W.A.
van Bodegom, P.M.
author_sort Thomas, H.J.D.
title Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
title_short Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
title_full Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
title_fullStr Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
title_full_unstemmed Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
title_sort traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome
publishDate 2019
url https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/traditional-plant-functional-groups-explain-variation-in-economic
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12783
genre Tundra
genre_facet Tundra
op_source Global Ecology and Biogeography 28 (2019) 2
ISSN: 1466-822X
op_relation https://edepot.wur.nl/469002
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/traditional-plant-functional-groups-explain-variation-in-economic
doi:10.1111/geb.12783
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Wageningen University & Research
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