Abstract
AbstractAimIntraspecific trait variation (ITV) within natural plant communities can be large, influencing local ecological processes and dynamics. Here, we shed light on how ITV in vegetative and floral traits responds to large‐scale abiotic and biotic gradients (i.e., climate and species richness). Specifically, we tested whether associations of ITV with temperature, precipitation and species richness were consistent with any of four hypotheses relating to stress tolerance and competition. Furthermore, we estimated the degree of correlation between ITV in vegetative and floral traits and how they vary along the gradients.LocationGlobal.Time period1975–2016.Major taxa studiedHerbaceous and woody plants.MethodsWe compiled a dataset of 18,401 measurements of the absolute extent of ITV (measured as the coefficient of variation) in nine vegetative and seven floral traits from 2,822 herbaceous and woody species at 2,372 locations.ResultsLarge‐scale associations between ITV and climate were trait specific and more prominent for vegetative traits, especially leaf morphology, than for floral traits. The ITV showed pronounced associations with climate, with lower ITV values in colder areas and higher values in drier areas. The associations of ITV with species richness were inconsistent across traits. Species‐specific associations across gradients were often idiosyncratic, and covariation in ITV was weaker between vegetative and floral traits than within the two trait groups.Main conclusionsOur results show that, depending on the traits considered, ITV either increased or decreased with climate stress and species richness, suggesting that both factors can constrain or enhance ITV, which might foster plant‐population persistence in stressful conditions. Given the species‐specific responses and covariation in ITV, associations can be hard to predict for traits and species not yet studied. We conclude that consideration of ITV can improve our understanding of how plants cope with stressful conditions and environmental change across spatial and biological scales.
Highlights
Knowledge of plant functional traits has advanced our ability to understand and predict species coexistence, community assembly and plant responses to environmental factors (Díaz et al, 2016; Keddy, 1992; Shipley, 2009; Weiher & Keddy, 1999; Westoby, 1999)
We estimated the degree of correlation between Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in vegetative and floral traits and how they vary along the gradients
The associations of ITV with large-scale climate and species-richness gradients were strongest for traits related to plant stress and competition, whereas other traits mostly varied independently of these gradients
Summary
Knowledge of plant functional traits has advanced our ability to understand and predict species coexistence, community assembly and plant responses to environmental factors (Díaz et al, 2016; Keddy, 1992; Shipley, 2009; Weiher & Keddy, 1999; Westoby, 1999). This progress has been mostly built on approaches using mean trait values per species, without considering trait variability within species (Funk et al, 2017; Shipley et al, 2016; Violle et al, 2012). We build on these findings by focusing on the absolute extent of ITV within species/populations and its global variation along biotic and abiotic gradients
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