Plant Growth Forms Research Articles

Precipitation and Soil Nitrogen as Key Drivers of Species and Phylogenetic Diversity Across Growth Forms in Picea purpurea Forests of the Eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

ABSTRACTPicea purpurea forests are a fundamental part of the coniferous forests of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. These forests support an extremely rich diversity of organisms while providing crucial ecological functions. Despite their importance, the species and phylogenetic diversity (PD) of these forests remain understudied. The extent to which different plant growth forms in the forest are influenced by the environment varies according to differences in the evolutionary history and characteristics of these taxa. Here, we investigate the variations in all, woody, and herbaceous plant species diversity (SD) and PD in the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau's Picea purpurea forests, along with the associated environmental factors influencing these patterns. Our results show that both SD and PD exhibit similar patterns across all, woody, and herbaceous plants. Notably, mean annual precipitation, total nitrogen, and altitude were identified as the primary factors accounting for the majority of variance in SD and PD within plant communities. Specifically, we found positive correlations between SD and PD with soil total nitrogen content, while negative correlations were observed with mean annual precipitation and altitude. Furthermore, we find that the influence of environmental variables on all plants was found to be more pronounced compared to woody and especially herbaceous plants in terms of both SD and PD. Environmental factors had a direct effect on SD and PD in all woody and herbaceous plants. However, the strength of these effects varied. Importantly, our results indicate that environmental factors influence SD independently of PD. Our findings suggest that precipitation and total soil nitrogen were the most influential environmental factors affecting plant diversity across different growth forms in Picea purpurea communities. However, inferring SD from PD remains a challenging task. These findings of our study will provide guidance for forest biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.

Pervasive impacts of railway edge effects on edaphic parameters and vegetation distribution patterns

Addressing the ecological impacts of transport corridors while planning any transport network is paramount for a better of understanding ecological processes, biodiversity distribution, and ecosystem resilience. Here, we evaluated the impacts of railway edges on edaphic parameters, plant diversity, and composition in the northwestern Himalaya as a function of perpendicular distance from the railway track. In 2014 and 2017, we sampled vegetation plots across 31 sites distributed along 119 km of the Kashmir railway to test the effect of railway tracks on edaphic and vegetative parameters in short-term periods. T-shaped plots were laid comprising four sub-plots, one parallel to the track and the other three perpendiculars to it. We adopted the Mountain Invasion Research Network road survey methodology for data collection. We found (i) an increasing trend in all soil parameters (electrical conductivity, salinity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus), except pH, as the distance from the railway track increased; (ii) significant railway edge effects on the importance value index of plant growth forms, life span, nativity and taxonomic group across space (distance of plots from the track) and time (2014–2017); and (iii) a significant spatiotemporal railway edge effects on plant species composition. Our results are pioneering in showing that railway tracks crossing through different ecosystems alter the edaphic conditions, resulting in direct and indirect edge effects on key abiotic and biotic factors, which in turn impact the vegetation of the surrounding natural habitats on both sides of the railway track. Our study contributes toward a better understanding of the role of anthropogenic edges like railways on edaphic parameters and vegetation distribution.

Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Arsi Robe district of East Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

BackgroundWild edible plants (WEPs) are usually considered to constitute all plant resources that are neither cultivated nor domesticated but are used as nutritional supplements by local people. WEPs play a vital role in ensuring food and livelihood security for countless families and communities around the world. The objective of the study was to assess and document wild edible plants used by communities in the Arsi Robe district as food.MethodsSemi-structured interviews, market surveys, and guided field walks were employed as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, and Jaccard’s similarity index.ResultsThe present study revealed various types of wild edible plants consumed by local communities in the Arsi Robe district of the East Arsi Zone. This could be justified by the documentation of 36 different wild edible plants in the study area. These WEPs belong to 31 genera and 25 families. Most of the growth forms of the edible wild plants in the district were shrubs (16, 44.44%) and trees (14, 38.88%). Amaranthus caudatus and Bridelia micrantha are the most preferred WEPs in the study area. The finding of the study also revealed that Lepidotrichilia volkensii and Premna schimperi are among the novel WEPs that had not before been documented as food items in other areas. Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Ficus sycomorus, Cordia africana, and Ficus sur are species with multiple uses. Agricultural expansion, charcoal production, the construction of different materials, making agricultural tools, deforestation, and other factors were the top prioritized threats affecting the abundance and diversity of wild edible plants.ConclusionAlong with the sustainable utilization and conservation of the existing WEPs of the study district, priority should be given to the urgent collection, domestication, and cultivation of multiuse wild edible plant species such as Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Ficus sycomorus, Cordia africana, and Ficus sur in the study area.

Diversity and Distribution of Monocot Understory Herbs during Tropical Forest Succession in Northeastern Costa Rica

Broad-leaved monocot herbs form one of the most common and diverse growth forms of Neotropical plants. Their significance and frequency of occurrence is particularly notable in the understories of tropical rainforests, where they form a dominant element. We assessed and quantified changes in the cover and diversity of understory herb communities in a chronosequence of 1 ha permanent plots established as part of a multidisciplinary study on tropical forest regeneration in the Atlantic lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. Sampled were two young stands cleared 12 years ago, two secondary forests with 21 and 39 of years of recovery since clearance, and two stands in old-growth primary forest. Changes in species composition during succession were assessed using Chao’s Jaccard similarity index. Observed species richness ranged from 15 to 26 species in individual plots, with the greatest number of species in the 21-year intermediate-age and fewest in the young 12-year plots. Herb species sampled represented 6 families, 15 genera, and 39 species, with the Araceae contributing the largest number of species. Ten species were sampled in all six stands, while fourteen species were found exclusively in one plot. Herb density (ramets m−2) showed a hump-shade trend, with peak density in the intermediate stands and a lower level in mature and young secondary forests. Mean herb cover in 25 m2 quadrats ranged from 2.0% (young stand) to 22.7% (intermediate-age stand) and differed significantly both among stand types and among sites. Both observed and estimated species richness increased along the chronosequence as a whole, with the highest number of species in primary forest, although only slightly higher than in intermediate-age stands. Over half of the species exhibited some degree of clonal growth, with the extent of clonal spread varying among species and forest stands. Although we did not find a clear pattern between clonality and forest age, we observed a greater number of clonal patches in secondary over primary forest stands.

Distribution Patterns and Environmental Determinants of Invasive Alien Plants on Subtropical Islands (Fujian, China)

Plant invasions threaten the biodiversity of islands, causing serious impacts on their ecosystems. To investigate the distribution patterns of invasive alien plants on subtropical islands, the environmental determinants of species richness, and the growth forms of invasive alien plants, this study analyzed the composition and origin of invasive alien plants on 77 islands in Fujian. The similarity in the distribution of invasive alien plants between islands was assessed using the UPGMA. Moreover, feature selection, best-subset regression, and variance decomposition were performed using 19 environmental variables characterizing climate, anthropogenic disturbance, and landscape/geography, as well as the species richness and growth forms of invasive alien plants. Through the analysis, the main environmental factors affecting the species richness and growth forms of invasive alien plants on the Fujian islands were identified. The results showed 142 species of invasive alien plants in 38 families and 102 genera on 77 islands in Fujian. Annual herbs constituted the most representative growth form of invasive alien plants and tropical America was the main origin of invasive alien plants. The distribution of invasive alien plants across the 77 islands in Fujian showed a high degree of similarity, suggesting a nested pattern in their distribution. The proportions of building and farmland area (BFA), island area (A), and maximum elevation (ME) were the main driving factors of species richness and growth forms for invasive alien plants. In particular, BFA played a key role in driving plant invasion. The results of this study can help establish an early warning mechanism for invasive alien plants and better implement island ecological management, which are important for the protection of subtropical island ecosystems.

Leaf nutrient-based processes of conservatism and convergence regulate the vertical stratification of plant growth forms during subtropical forest degradation

Unveiling the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that guide the differentiation of various plant growth forms into vertical forest strata during forest degradation continues to pose a challenge. We utilized the biogeochemical niche theory to decipher these mechanisms. We measured leaf concentrations of basal elements (C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and used them to generate the biogeochemical niches in herbs, shrubs, trees, and climbers from different vertical strata within a degraded forest and its neighboring mature forest in subtropical montane zones. Our results showed that biogeochemical niches varied significantly among growth forms. Biogeochemical niches also differed significantly between species in the degraded and mature forests, as evidenced by the significantly lower leaf C concentration relative to other nutrients in degraded forest species. This could be attributable mainly to the expansive canopy openness in the degraded forest, facilitating the colonization of light-demanding self-supporters and climbers. The phylogenetic signals in leaf nutrient concentrations were significantly present across all species, suggesting the general similarities in biogeochemical niches among closely related species. Following evolutionary model comparisons, stabilizing selection towards varying optimal leaf nutrient concentrations for distinct growth forms in the degraded or mature forest emerged as the most suitable model. Our study thus highlights the important role of phylogenetic biogeochemical niche conservatism and stabilizing selection towards various optimal leaf nutrient compositions for diverse growth forms in both degraded and mature forests in the formation of vertical plant communities during subtropical forest degradation.

LEAF ANATOMICAL ADAPTATION OF EXOTIC INVASIVE MICONIA CRENATA (VAHL.) MICHELANG ALONG ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT: A CASE STUDY OF MOUNT GEDE PANGRANGO NATIONAL PARK, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Miconia crenata is a widely spread species that occurs in multiple ecosystems. However, there is limited information on M. crenata invasion biology, ecology, and anatomy, particularly in the context of mountainous tropical forest and biodiversity management. Therefore, we examined elevation effects upon leaf anatomical structure of exotic invasive M. crenata at Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park (MGPNP). We sampled the leaves at four different elevations i.e., 715 m asl, 800 m asl, 900 m asl, and 1,000 m asl. Cross section leaf anatomy specimens of M. crenata were obtained by using paraffin method and stained with safranin and fast green. This study found that M. crenata leaf anatomy was correlated with elevation shown by changes in leaf tissue thickness and stomata size. Further study is needed of leaf anatomical variation of exotic invasive species along driven by soil properties and the variation across different plant taxa and growth forms. Such studies are important to determine adaptation capacity of invasiveness.

A near-complete dataset of plant growth form, life history, and woodiness for all Australian plants

Tabular records of plant-trait data are essential for diverse research purposes. Here we present scorings for a trio of core plant traits, plant growth form, woodiness and life history, for nearly all (>99%) accepted taxon concepts included in the Australian Plant Census (APC). This dataset is predominantly derived from Australia’s state and national floras, supplemented by the taxonomic literature and diverse web resources. In total, 29,993 species and infraspecific taxa were scored for plant growth form, 30,279 for woodiness and 30,056 for life history, with taxa scored as displaying a single or multiple trait values, as appropriate. We provide sample R code that shows how to access and interrogate the dataset. This resource will enable rapid assessment of plant responses to disturbance events and new biogeographic analyses of trait distributions, better understandings of evolutionary trajectories, and ecological strategies.

Habitat context and functional growth traits explain alien plant invader impacts on native vegetation communities

Examining context-dependency of ecological impacts of alien plant invasions is critical to further understand the mechanisms driving impacts. We examined how different regional and local habitat contexts influence the abundance-impact associations of an invasive ground-creeper, Tradescantia fluminensis, in native forests across eastern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Invader impacts were assessed using surveys of resident vegetation at 97 monitoring plots (5 m × 2 m) located at 14 sites, representing a gradient of T. fluminensis abundance. We modelled the association of T. fluminensis invasion with native species richness (number per plot) and foliage cover across two different habitat types (remnant vs replanted forests), two vegetation community types (wet sclerophyll vs river oak forests), and two regions (northern vs. southern NSW). We also modelled variation in native species responses amongst different functional growth forms. The negative associations of T. fluminensis and native species communities was more strongly explained by local site variables (i.e., habitat type, community type, plant growth form) than regional scales. Native richness reduced with invasion in river oak but not wet sclerophyll forest. Native richness also declined in remnant forest, although no effect of invasion was observed in replanted forest. Surprisingly, native species growth forms most like T. fluminensis (ground layer herbs, ferns) were more resistant to reductions in native richness compared to divergent forms (shrub, tree and woody vine recruits). This study highlights the need to explicitly consider local community and habitat context and functional representation of resident species when considering invader impacts and site-level management plans.

A Review on Some Ecological Aspects of Invasive Flora Based on Comparative Analysis of “Tehri” and “Pauri” Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India

The establishment of invasive plants in a particular area leads to significant ecological changes on the native species of that area, alters ecosystem services and is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss. In recent years, invasion by alien plants in the hilly regions has posed a severe threat to the ecosystem of these areas. A review was made in this context to study the Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) of “Tehri” and “Pauri” districts. Large number of invasive alien plants was identified under different genera and families from both the study areas. Based on the growth form of invasive plants, herbs contributed the maximum percentage. Asteraceae was found to be dominating over other families followed by Solanaceae. The native range indicated differences in nativity of invasive flora found in Tehri and Pauri with a large percentage of invasive plants coming from Asia (23%) and Tropical America (26%) and respectively. It was observed that invasive plants are invading higher elevation zones which parallels with the directional filtering theory. Due to higher proliferation rates outside their native range and absence of natural predators, it is quite difficult to control this increasing expansion of invasive plants which is a call for concern and needs immediate attention. Keywords: Invasive alien plant species (IAPS), Ecosystem services, Native species, Biodiversity, Directional filtering .

2011–2015年洞庭湖洲滩群落植物生态型、生活型和生长型组成数据集

Analyzing plant life-forms and ecotypes can provide deep insights into the relationship between plant community structure and environmental conditions, and plant life-forms play an important role in understanding the emergence, development, and succession laws of plant community. An investigation was made on the species life-forms and ecotypes of wetland plants in Dongting lake wetland. In accordance with the unified monitoring specifications of the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), the Dongting Lake Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station conducts long-term positioning monitoring on the species composition, species life-forms, growth forms and ecotypes of typical beach vegetation in the wetland ecosystem in response to the changing hydrological conditions of Dongting Lake. The dataset of long-term monitoring conducted on three typical plant communities (Carex sp., Miscanthus lutarioriparius and Polygonum hydropiper) in Dongting Lake wetland has been verified by experts to ensure the accuracy of the data. We then classified and processed the data to obtain the dataset of community composition of plant life-forms, growth forms and ecotypes on Dongting Lake beach (2011–2015). The dataset covers a total of 8 indicators, namely species name, Latin name, life-form, growth form, ecotype according to light intensity, ecotype according to water requirement, ecotype based on soil pH and ecotype according to responses sediment burial. This dataset comes with detailed background information to ensure its consistency across both spatial and temporal dimensions. This dataset comes with detailed background information about site information and site management records to ensure its consistency across both spatial and temporal dimensions. This dataset can provide support for the analysis of the classification of plant life forms and the composition and structure of ecotypes, and serve as valuable reference for further study of vegetation succession in Dongting Lake wetland.

Divergent Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Carbon Concentrations among Growth Forms, Plant Organs, and Soils across Three Different Desert Ecosystems

Quantifying the dryland patterns of plant carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations and their stoichiometric values along environmental gradients is crucial for understanding ecological strategies. To understand the plant adaptive strategies and ecosystem nutrient concentrations across three desert ecosystems (e.g., desert, steppe desert, and temperate desert), we compiled a dataset consisting of 1295 plant species across three desert ecosystems. We assessed the element concentrations and ratios across plant growth forms, plant organs, and soils and further analysed the leaf vs. root N, P, and N:P scaling relationships. We found that the leaf N, P, and C concentrations were significantly different only from those of certain other growth forms and in certain desert ecosystems, challenging the generality of such differences. In leaves, the C concentrations were always greater than the N and P concentrations and were greater than those in soils depending on the soil chemistry and plant physiology. Thus, the element concentrations and ratios were greater in the organs than in the soils. The values in the leaf versus the root N, P, and N:P scaling relationships differed across the three desert ecosystems; for example, αN (1.16) was greater in the desert, αP (1.10) was greater in the temperate desert ecosystem, and αN:P (2.11) was greater in the desert ecosystem. The mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT) did not have significant effects on the leaf elemental concentrations or ratios across the desert ecosystems. This study advances our understanding of plant growth forms and organs, which support resource-related adaptive strategies that maintain the stability of desert ecosystems via divergent element concentrations and environmental conditions.

Disentangling the relative contributions of factors determining seed physical defence: A global‐scale data synthesis

Abstract Physical defence investment in seeds varies greatly among plant species and is associated with many potential factors. Exploring the factors explaining the interspecific variation in physical defence has long attracted particular attention in both ecology and evolution studies. However, the relative importance of the factors has not yet been quantitatively evaluated, which may lead to the misunderstanding of the main driver generating such interspecific variation. Here, by compiling a global database of the seed coat ratio (SCR), a proxy of seed physical defence, for 1362 species, we provided the first quantification of the relative explanations of six factors that have been commonly considered to be associated with the interspecific variation in SCR: seed mass, seed desiccation response (desiccation‐sensitive vs. desiccation‐tolerant), seed dormancy (nondormant, physical dormant or other dormant types), growth form (herbaceous vs. woody), fruit type (dry vs. fleshy) and climate (19 bioclimatic variables representing temperature and precipitation). Using partial R2 calculation that can estimate the reduction in explained variance of a given factor after removing it from a full model containing all the other factors, we disentangled the relative contribution of each factor to explain variation in the SCR. Seed desiccation response was the most important factor associating with SCR variation, followed by seed dormancy, with a partial R2lik value of 9.70% and 1.41%, respectively. Plant growth form, seed mass, climate and fruit type showed little power to explain SCR variation, although they are often cited in the literature as potential factors. Our results highlight the important roles of seed desiccation response in shaping interspecific variation in the SCR. These findings provide a detailed interpretation of ecological patterns underlying the physical defence mechanisms and allocation strategies of plant seeds. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Ecology and methodology of comparing traits and decomposition rates of green leaves versus senesced litter across plant species and types

Abstract Variation in leaf traits is critical for carbon gains and losses during leaf life and drives litter carbon and nutrient losses via decomposition. Accurately quantifying litter decomposition parameters is essential for assessing ecosystem carbon and nutrient dynamics. Leaf litterbags have commonly been employed to measure effects of environmental drivers, decomposers, and plant traits on decomposition rates. There has been much debate regarding the suitability of substituting senesced dead leaves with fresh (green) leaves in litterbags, which has been common practice for mimicking green leaf fall or for practical reasons. Therefore, we tested the null hypothesis that replacement of dead leaves with fresh leaves in litterbag experiments is justified, based on similarities in structural and chemical traits between fresh and dead leaves across plant species and growth forms. We conducted a paired litterbag decomposition experiment with both fresh and dead leaves of 26 common species in subtropical China, in each of five contrasting ecosystems. While fresh leaves generally decomposed faster than dead leaves, this deviation varied among species and growth forms, based on their traits. Overall, there was significant but rather weak correlation between dead leaf decomposition rate k and fresh leaf k, across species and ecosystem types; the deviation between fresh and dead leaf k was larger for fast‐decomposing, mostly herbaceous species. The different decomposition patterns for fresh versus dead leaves were underpinned by key underlying traits integrated in leaf resource economics spectra (LES) for fresh and dead leaves. The dead leaf LES exhibited a greater predictive capability for dead leaf k while the fresh leaf LES had higher explanatory value for the fresh leaf k values. Our findings partly reject the null hypothesis and ask for caution in inferring leaf litter decomposition rates based on green leaf litterbags or traits data. We suggest follow‐up research on substituting senesced roots and stems with fresh ones in decomposition experiments. Synthesis. Human activities and extreme weather events are leading to increasing pulse inputs of fresh plant parts and our study contributes to knowledge on how they contribute to overall decomposition rates besides senesced litter inputs.

Contrasting biomass allocations explain adaptations to cold and drought in the world's highest-growing angiosperms.

Understanding biomass allocation among plant organs is crucial for comprehending plant growth optimization, survival and responses to the drivers of global change. Yet, the mechanisms governing mass allocation in vascular plants from extreme elevations exposed to cold and drought stresses remain poorly understood. We analysed organ mass weights and fractions in 258 Himalayan herbaceous species across diverse habitats (wetland, steppe, alpine), growth forms (annual, perennial taprooted, rhizomatous and cushiony) and climatic gradients (3500-6150 m elevation) to explore whether biomass distribution adhered to fixed allometric or optimal partitioning rules, and how variations in size, phylogeny and ecological preferences influence their strategies for resource allocation. Following optimal partitioning theory, Himalayan plants distribute more biomass to key organs vital for acquiring and preserving limited resources necessary for their growth and survival. Allocation strategies are mainly influenced by plant growth forms and habitat conditions, notably temperature, water availability and evaporative demands. Alpine plants invest primarily in below-ground stem bases for storage and regeneration, reducing above-ground stems while increasing leaf mass fraction to maximize carbon assimilation in their short growing season. Conversely, arid steppe plants prioritize deep roots over leaves to secure water and minimize transpiration. Wetland plants allocate resources to above-ground stems and below-ground rhizomes, enabling them to resist competition and grazing in fertile environments. Himalayan plants from extreme elevations optimize their allocation strategies to acquire scarce resources under specific conditions, efficiently investing carbon from supportive to acquisitive and protective functions with increasing cold and drought. Intraspecific variation and shared ancestry have not significantly altered biomass allocation strategies of Himalayan plants. Despite diverse evolutionary histories, plants from similar habitats have developed comparable phenotypic structures to adapt to their specific environments. This study offers new insights into plant adaptations in diverse Himalayan environments and underscores the importance of efficient resource allocation for survival and growth in challenging conditions.

Reassessment of the risks of climate change for terrestrial ecosystems

Forecasting the risks of climate change for species and ecosystems is necessary for developing targeted conservation strategies. Previous risk assessments mapped the exposure of the global land surface to changes in climate. However, this procedure is unlikely to robustly identify priority areas for conservation actions because nonlinear physiological responses and colimitation processes ensure that ecological changes will not map perfectly to the forecast climatic changes. Here, we combine ecophysiological growth models of 135,153 vascular plant species and plant growth-form information to transform ambient and future climatologies into phytoclimates, which describe the ability of climates to support the plant growth forms that characterize terrestrial ecosystems. We forecast that 33% to 68% of the global land surface will experience a significant change in phytoclimate by 2070 under representative concentration pathways RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5, respectively. Phytoclimates without present-day analogue are forecast to emerge on 0.3–2.2% of the land surface and 0.1–1.3% of currently realized phytoclimates are forecast to disappear. Notably, the geographic pattern of change, disappearance and novelty of phytoclimates differs markedly from the pattern of analogous trends in climates detected by previous studies, thereby defining new priorities for conservation actions and highlighting the limits of using untransformed climate change exposure indices in ecological risk assessments. Our findings suggest that a profound transformation of the biosphere is underway and emphasize the need for a timely adaptation of biodiversity management practices.

Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0.

Considering the growing demand for plant trait data and taking into account the lack of trait data from Eastern Europe, especially from its steppic region, we launched a new Ukrainian Plant Trait Database (UkrTrait v. 1.0) aiming at collecting all the available plant trait data from Ukraine.To facilitate further use of this database, we linked the trait terminology to the TRY Plant Trait Database, Thesaurus of Plant Characteristics (TOP) and Plant Trait Ontology (TO). For taxa names, we provide the crosswalks between the Ukrainian checklist and international sources, i.e. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, World Checklist of Vascular Plants (World Checklist of Vascular Plants (World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), World Flora Online (WFO) and Euro+Med PlantBase. We aim to integrate our data into the relevant global (TRY Plant Trait Database) and pan-European (FloraVeg.EU) databases. The current version of the database is freely available at the Zenodo repository and will be updated in the future. Until now, plant traits for the Ukrainian flora were scattered across literature, often focusing on single species and written mainly in Ukrainian. Additionally, many traits were in grey literature or remained non-digitised, which rendered them inaccessible to the global scientific community. Addressing this gap, our Ukrainian Plant Trait Database (UkrTrait v. 1.0) represents a significant step forward. We compiled and digitised plant traits from local Ukrainian literature sources. Furthermore, we performed our own field and laboratory measurements of various plant traits that were not previously available in literature. In the current version of the UkrTrait, we focus on vascular plant species that are absent from the other European trait databases, with emphasis on species that are representative for the steppe vegetation. Traits assembled from literature include life span (annuals, biennials, perennials), plant height, flowering period (flowering months), life form (by Raunkiaer), plant growth form and others. Our own measured traits include seed mass, seed shape, leaf area, leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf phosphorus concentration. The current version, i.e. UkrTrait v. 1.0, comprises digitised literature data of 287,948 records of 75 traits for 6,198 taxa and our own trait measurements of 2,390 records of 12 traits for 388 taxa.

Florida’s fiery subtropical grasslands: Growth forms, belowground organs, and post-fire recovery strategies

Fire-adaptive traits in plants of tropical and subtropical grassy ecosystems have been the subject of considerable global research, but only recently studied in pyrogenic Florida subtropical grasslands. Plant growth forms, belowground organs, and post-fire recovery strategies were studied for 198 grassland specialists in peninsular Florida. Community types (dry-mesic, mesic, wet-mesic, and wet) were sampled with 1m2 plots along the edaphic-hydrologic gradient and the association between these variables and fire-related plant traits was tested using fourth-corner analysis. Caulescent herbs (43), cespitose graminoids (27), and rosette herbs (31) are the most common growth forms among species sampled. Plants with epigeogenous and hypogeogenous rhizomes dominate the sample plots, including matrix graminoids, shrub geoxyles, and an acaulescent rhizomatous fire-resilient palm (Serenoa repens). Most species (163; 82%) exhibit resprouting, including 30 facultative resprouters and 133 obligate resprouters. All woody rhizomatous species are obligate resprouters, and 35 ephemeral herbaceous species are obligate reseeders. Community type was a better predictor of species abundances than hydrology, however, hydrology was significantly associated with species traits measured, particularly rhizome texture, with woody rhizomes prevalent in all but the wet sites. Belowground organs (xylopodia, geoxylic suffructices) and growth form were associated with frequent fire and phylogeny, suggesting fire regime as a driver of community phylogenetic diversity. Persistence, rapid resilience and co-occurrence of geoxyles align Florida subtropical grasslands with other global geoxyle grasslands. The old-growth, pyrogenic grassy ecosystems of peninsular Florida are the center of geoxyle diversification on the southeastern US coastal plain.

Seasonality strongly affects short‐term C‐storage in coastal macrophyte communities

AbstractEcosystem functions provided by aquatic plants are context dependent and mediated by environmental conditions and plant growth form. This impedes our ability to predict the carbon (i.e., C) sink potential of multispecies coastal meadows characterized by marked seasonal succession of environmental conditions, causing a clear need to explore the distinct patterns of both C capture and release associated with seasonal succession of macrophyte growth forms and life‐history strategies in aquatic plant communities. We conducted four field surveys throughout 2022–2023 (i.e., October, March, June, and August), where we sampled six soft bottom locations dominated by aquatic vascular plants in the northern Baltic Sea. Temporal differences in biomass‐bound C stocks (i.e., structural elements and non‐structural carbohydrates) were linked to the plant production‐decomposition cycle and peaked when environmental conditions became increasingly permissive for growth and development (i.e., summer). Species identity influenced seasonal patterns of non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations in both leaf and rhizome tissue by shaping the timing of short‐term accumulation (i.e., photosynthesis) of C in plant tissue or release through respiration. Overall, our study illustrates that biomass‐bound C stocks were shaped by both seasonality and the variation of functional structure and life history strategies found within the vegetated seascapes. This highlights the importance of addressing both biodiversity and short‐term C dynamics and suggests that estimations of C budgets or stock assessments should be based on data incorporating the intra‐annual variation in C dynamics to fully comprehend the C sink potential of vegetated seascapes.

Assessment of Edible Woody Plants’ Diversity, Their Threats, and Local People’s Perception in Borecha Woreda of Buno Bedele Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Edible woody plants play an essential role in ensuring the food and livelihood security of communities. However, the management practice and diversity of those plants are declined, particularly in an urbanizing world, due to a lack of traditional awareness among the people. This research identified edible woody plants’ diversity, their threats, and local people’s perception in Borecha woreda of Buno Bedele Zone, southwestern Ethiopia. Data on edible woody plants were gathered through interviews with 105 households (67 men and 38 women) between the ages of 21 and 90. Structured and semistructured questionnaires were used to obtain the data from informants. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results showed significant differences (P<0.05) between the number of edible woody plants reported by age and literacy level of respondents. Forty-three species of edible woody plants, belonging to 34 genera and 24 families, were identified. Fruits (79.1%), roots (14%), leaves (2.3%), stems (2.3%), and seeds (2.3%) were identified as the edible parts of these plants. Fruits are the most edible plant part usually consumed fresh without cooking in the study area. The identified plants have a variety of growth forms: shrubs (49%), trees (37%), and lianas (14%) respectively. The most common plant growth forms in the study site were shrubs. In the study area, agricultural expansion, overharvesting, and lack of natural regeneration were the major threats to edible woody plants. In the study area, cutting for constructions was the primary hazard to edible woody plants. In situ and ex situ conservation strategies and efforts of plantation practices in the agricultural landscape are needed for sustaining the edible woody plants in the study area.