Plant chemical traits define functional and phylogenetic axes of plant biodiversity

Abstract

To determine which types of plant traits might better explain ecosystem functioning and plant evolutionary histories, we compiled 42 traits for each of 15 perennial species in a biodiversity experiment. We used every possible combination of three traits to cluster species. Across these 11,480 combinations, clusters generated using tissue %Ca, %N and %K best mapped onto phylogeny. Moreover, for the 15 best combinations of three traits, 82% of traits were chemical, 16% morphological and 2% metabolic. The diversity‐dependence of ecosystem productivity was better explained by the %Ca, %N and %K clusters: compared to adding a new species at random, adding a species from an absent cluster/clade better‐explained gains in productivity. Species number impacted productivity only when all clusters were present. Our results suggest that tissue elemental chemistry might be more phylogenetically conserved and more strongly related to ecosystem functioning than commonly measured morphological and physiological traits, a possibility that merits exploration.

Exploring the role of biotic factors in regulating the spatial variability in land surface phenology across four temperate forest sites

“…First, incorporating species and phylogeny data into the analysis could help elucidate the mechanisms behind intra‐site phenological variation. Since functional traits differ among species and phylogenetically distant clades (Messier et al ., 2010; Furey & Tilman, 2023; Yan et al ., 2023), combining species and phylogeny data with functional traits could better explain phenological variation from both intra‐ and inter‐specific components (Klosterman & Richardson, 2017; Klosterman et al ., 2018). The recent availability of remote sensing data for species identification and mapping (Xu et al ., 2020; Mäyrä et al ., 2021; Marconi et al ., 2022) could facilitate this exploration.…”

Interspecific Integration of Chemical Traits in Desert Plant Leaves with Variations in Soil Water and Salinity Habitats

“…This suggests that Na, N, C, and Ca are relatively significant leaf chemical traits of desert plants in Ebinur Lake. Ca is a crucial nutrient element and messenger substance that plays a crucial role in both nutrient and signal transduction as an important biogenic element [33]. Osmoregulation is a crucial physiological defense mechanism for plant drought resistance in arid and desolate desert regions, and Na is a crucial osmoregulation ingredient for plants to adapt to an arid environment [55].…”

“…Environmental elements such as soil pH, moisture, salinity, and nutrients, which change plant stoichiometric ratios through plant-soil feedback, typically have a major impact on a plant's functional traits [32]. Phylogenetically more stable than forms that are frequently tested, phytochemical elements might possibly be more directly related to ecosystem function [33]. For plant growth and the regulation of several physiological processes, the elements C, N, and P within leaves are essential [34].…”