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

March 12, 2020

The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of global 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 species, mirroring global estimates of interspecific trait variation. Plant trait relationships are thus generalizable to the edge of global trait-space, informing prediction of plant community change in a warming world.

Publication Year 2020
Title Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome
DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-15014-4
Authors H. J. D. Thomas, A. D. Bjorkman, I. H. Myers-Smith, S.C. Elmendorf, Jens Kattge, Sandra Diaz, Mark Vellend, D. Blok, J. H. C. Cornelissen, B. C. Forbes, G. H. R. Henry, R.D. Hollister, S. Normand, Janet S. Prevéy, C. Rixen, G. Schaepman-Strub, M. Wilmking, S. Wipf, W.K. Cornwell, P. S. A. Beck, D. Georges, S.J. Goetz, K. C. Guay, Nadja Ruger, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, Marko J. Spasojevic, Juha Alatalo, H. D. Alexander, A. Anadon-Rosell, S. Angers-Blondin, M. teBeest, L. T. Berner, R. G. Bjork, A. Buchwal, A. Buras, M. Carbognani, K. S. Christie, L. S. Collier, E. J. Cooper, B. Elberling, A. Eskelinen, E. R. Frei, O. Grau, P. Grogan, M. Hallinger, M. M. P. D. Heijmans, L. Hermanutz, J. M. G. Hudson, J.F. Johnstone, K. Hulber, M. Iturrate-Garcia, Colleen M. Iversen, F. Jaroszynska, E, Kaarlejarvi, A. Kulonen, L. J. Lamarque, T. C. Lantz, E. Levesque, C.E. Little, Anders Michelsen, A. Milbau, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, S. S. Nielsen, J. M. Ninot, S. F. Oberbauer, J. Olofsson, V. G. Onipchenko, A. Petraglia, S. B. Rumpf, R. Shetti, J. D. M. Speed, K.N. Suding, K.D. Tape, M. Tomaselli, A. J. Trant, U. A. Treier, M. Tremblay, S. E. Venn, T. Vowles, S. Weijers, P. A. Wookey, T. J. Zamin, M. Bahn, B. Blonder, P. M. van Bodegom, B. Bond-Lamberty, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, F. S. Chapin, Joseph M. Craine, M. Dainese, W. A. Green, S. Jansen, M. Kleyer, P. Manning, U. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, W. A. Ozinga, J. Penuelas, P. Poschlod, Peter B. Reich, B. Sandel, B. S. Schamp, S. N. Sheremetiev, F. T. de Vries
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Nature Communications
Index ID 70209046
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Fort Collins Science Center
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