Resource Use Strategies Research Articles

Trait-based responses to cessation of nutrient enrichment in a tundra plant community

Plant communities worldwide show varied responses to nutrient enrichment—including shifts in species identity, decreased diversity, and changes in functional trait composition—but the factors determining community recovery after the cessation of nutrient addition remain uncertain. We manipulated nutrient levels in a tundra community for 6 years of nutrient addition followed by 8 years of recovery. We examined how community recovery was mediated by traits related to plant resource-use strategy and plant ability to modify their environment. Overall, we observed persistent effects of fertilization on plant communities. We found that plants with fast-growing traits, including higher specific leaf area, taller stature and lower foliar C:N, were more likely to show a persistent increase in fertilized plots than control plots, maintaining significantly higher cover in fertilized plots 8 years after cessation of fertilization. Additionally, although graminoids responded most strongly to the initial fertilization treatment, forb species were more vulnerable to fertilization effects in the long-term, showing persistent decline and no recovery in 8 years. Finally, these persistent fertilization effects were accompanied by modified environmental conditions, including persistent increases in litter depth and soil phosphorous and lower soil C:N. Our results demonstrate the potential for lasting effects of nutrient enrichment in nutrient-limited systems and identify species traits related to rapid growth and nutrient-use efficiency as the main predictors of the persistence of nutrient enrichment effects. These findings highlight the usefulness of trait-based approach for understanding the persistent feedbacks of nutrient enrichment, plant dynamics, and niche construction via litter and nutrient build-up.

Исследование эффективного варианта управления энергетическими ресурсами промышленных предприятий

Currently, there are no effective conceptual approaches to the formation of a system of models for implementing a strategy for the efficient use of energy resources at an industrial enterprise. In this regard, the need for such an approach is relevant for the implementation of the strategy for the efficient use of energy resources at enterprises of the Kyrgyzstan, since this approach allows obtaining high efficiency of energy policy management at the level of an industrial enterprise.

Positive effect of spring advance on the diet quality of an alpine herbivore.

Changes in vegetation phenology related to global warming are having alarming effects on the life history traits of many herbivore species. Such changes are particularly critical in alpine ecosystems, where strong climate limitations on plant growth make seasonal synchronization imperative for the growth, reproduction and survival of herbivores. However, despite the pivotal role of resource-use strategies on the performances of such species, few studies have explicitly assessed the mechanistic impact of climate change on their diets. We aimed to fill this gap by studying the effect of spring onset on the dietary composition and quality of a medium-size alpine herbivore while considering density-dependent processes and age- and sex-specific differences in foraging behavior. Using an exceptional, long-term (24 years) direct individual-based dietary monitoring of a Pyrenean chamois population (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica), we showed that ongoing earlier onsets of spring are leading to an earlier access to high-quality forage and therefore a higher diet quality at a fixed date, without apparent changes in diet composition. We also showed that at high densities, intraspecific competition reduced diet quality by driving animals to feed more on woody plants and less on nutritious forbs and graminoids. By assessing the mechanistic effects of global warming on the dietary patterns of species at the center of trophic networks, this study is an essential step for predictive models aiming at understanding the ongoing ecosystem consequences of the global climatic crisis.

Does inoculation with associative bacteria improve tolerance to nitrogen deficiency in seedlings of Neotropical tree species?

Nitrogen (N) deficiency generally affects plant physiology, influencing N metabolism and inhibiting photosynthesis and plant growth. The association with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can mitigate environmental stresses, such as N deficiency. No studies have examined whether inoculation with PGPR may counterbalance the effects of N restriction on the metabolism and growth of neotropical tree seedlings with different resource-use strategies. The current study aimed to determine the effects of inoculation with PGPR on the tolerance of seedlings of tree species submitted to N deficiency. Two species with acquisitive (Cecropia pachystachya and Heliocarpus popayanensis) and conservative (Cariniana estrellensis and Cabralea canjerana) resource-use strategies were chosen. The strains Ab-V5, of Azospirillum brasilense, and ZK, of Bacillus velezensis, were selected as PGPR for inoculation. Seedlings of the four plant species were grown in a mixture of soil and sand with (N+) or without (N-) N supplementation. The seedlings were also inoculated with Ab-V5 or ZK strains and, as a control, for each N treatment, some of the seedlings were not inoculated with PGPR (Nin). Thus, we assessed the effects of N deficiency, inoculation, and the interaction between these two factors on N metabolism, photosynthetic, and growth variables. Nitrogen deficiency limited photosynthesis in all plant species, in addition to decreasing the concentration of amino acids and proteins and the activity of enzymes of N metabolism. Only the growth of C. canjerana was not inhibited by N restriction. Inoculation with Ab-V5 led to increased growth of C. pachystachya seedlings, which was more pronounced under N supplementation (+70 % of total dry mass). The association with PGPR decreased nitrate reductase activity (-52 %) and increased glutamine synthetase activity (+370 %) in the leaves, among other changes in N metabolism. The growth of H. popayanensis and C. estrellensis seedlings was not affected by inoculation, but metabolic variables in these species were influenced by inoculation with ZK. Photosynthesis increased with inoculation with ZK in H. popayanensis and with Ab-V5 in C. estrellensis. In C. canjerana, both PGPR promoted seedling growth (+11 % of total dry mass). Nitrogen deficiency and inoculation with PGPR influence photosynthesis, growth, and N metabolism of seedlings of tree species that occur in the semideciduous seasonal forest. Moreover, the effects of inoculation are influenced by N supplementation during cultivation. The positive effects of PGPR on growth were higher in N-supplemented seedlings. Regardless of the functional group, inoculation with PGPR of seedlings of tree species of the Atlantic biome stimulates growth and development in optimal N conditions and increases tolerance to N restriction.

Study the Role of Maritime Energy Management in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular, Goal 7, in Oman Maritime Community

Sustainability is a concept for achieving integration and balance in development to preserve and use resources properly by providing new solutions to overcome structural, social and economic misconceptions to prevent further degradation and waste of natural resources and create a better future for human societies. Sustainable development can be defined as a strategy for the correct use of resources, by modifying and redefining consumption patterns and avoiding one-sided development approaches. Therefore, sustainable development is defined as a long-term and unlimited solution for aligning different concepts (social, economic, and environmental), seemingly independent but related and influencing each other. This paper examines the challenges and capacities of the Oman Maritime Community and Maritime Energy Management's role in terms of sustainable development. To analyze this issue, the role of key players in Oman's maritime industry, such as the Oman Fisheries Company and the Oman Shipping Company, has been studied with the five main indicators of sustainable development goals, including people, the planet, peace, welfare, and partnership.

Spatial and temporal variability in the diet of Pacific marten (Martes caurina) on Haida Gwaii: an apex predator in a highly modified ecosystem

Knowledge of the diet ecology of apex predators in insular island ecosystems has direct applications to the conservation of endemic species at risk of extinction. We used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to infer resource-use strategies of an indigenous predator, the Pacific marten (Martes caurina (Merriam, 1890)), in a highly modified ecosystem on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. We used Bayesian isotopic mixing models to estimate the relative contributions of different food sources to marten diet across seasons and during overall lifetime, and to determine how diet varied with different levels of access to marine resources. Isotopes of carbon and nitrogen measured in hair and muscle tissue suggested that marten consumed salmon (3%–17%) and berries (25%–37%) seasonally; these diet groups were relatively minor components of the lifetime diet. Analysis of bone collagen suggested that terrestrial fauna — including birds, deer, small mammals, and invertebrates — contributed the most to diet (41%–55%), and marine invertebrates (38%–48%), not salmon (0%–3%), were the main allochthonous marine nutrient subsidy to lifetime diet. Plasticity in foraging ecology, combined with a broad dietary niche, introduced prey, notably the invasive Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis Merriam, 1898), as well as abundant marine resources, may allow marten to outcompete other indigenous and endemic carnivores on Haida Gwaii.

Age-related changes in root traits are linked to internal nitrogen cycling in the perennial forb Physaria (Brassicaceae)

Age-related changes in root morphology and physiology, and the relationship with N dynamics between species that differ in resource use (i.e., conservative or acquisitive) and lifespan strategies are largely unexplored and experimental evidence very scarce. Objectiveto compare age-related changes in root traits and their relationship with internal N recycling in two co-generic perennial species differing in their resource-use strategy and plant lifespan. We hypothesized that the root system of both species will become more conservative with age, but the root system of the acquisitive short-lived Physaria pinetorum (Brassicaceae) will decrease its acquisition capacity while the conservative long-lived P. mendocina will increase its storage capacity. Results and conclusionwe confirmed that the root system of both species shifts from acquisitive to conservative with age, reducing N acquisition and relying either on N translocation from leaves or root stores to sustain growth and grain filling. As hypothesized, the species responded differentially according to their longevity and resource-use strategy: P. pinetorum showed a great loss of acquisition and storage capacities with absolute age, and turned to N stores when acquisition was deficient while P. mendocina increased storage capacity with age and obtained N from resorption to sustain allocation to grain, decreasing the quality of its litter. Species differing in their plant lifespan and resource use strategies have different patterns of N dynamics with age, that could affect yield stability and the provision of ecosystem services.

Quantum-Inspired Ant-Based Energy Balanced Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

Background: Limited energy capacity of battery operated Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is the prime impediment in the ubiquity of WSNs as the network lifetime depends on the available energy at the nodes. Prolonging the network lifetime is the principal issue in WSNs and the challenge lies in devising a strategy for judicious use of available energy resources. Routing has been one of the most commonly used strategies for minimizing and balancing the energy consumption of nodes in a WSN. Methods: Routing in large networks has been proved to be NP-Hard and therefore meta heuristic techniques have been applied for handling this problem. Quantum-inspired algorithms are relatively new meta heuristic techniques which have been shown performing better than their traditional counter- parts. Therefore, Quantum inspired ant Based Energy balanced Routing (QBER) algorithm has been proposed in this paper for addressing the problem of energy balanced routing in WSNs. Results: Simulation results confirm that the proposed QBER algorithm performs comparatively better than other quantum inspired routing algorithms for WSNs. Conclusion:

A revised experimental method of integrating sustainability into the undergraduate design studio

Architecture education predestines students for their careers by teaching them design skills and technical knowledge. The design is a reiterative decision, which results in strategies of resource use to produce a system to respond to human necessity or find a solution to existing problems. Building sustainability has been included in many architecture education curricula but there has been a lack of integrating sustainability principles into the design studio. This experimental study presents an improved design studio method with restructured teaching tools of the first experimental study of sustainable architectural design studio (SADS). Additionally, it illustrates the studio outcome as well as presents the evaluation and assessment of the experimental. Moreover, it introduces the research finding along with the recommendation for future design studio experimental.

ЛОКАЛИТЕТ ФОРМИРУЮЩЕЙСЯ ЗИМОВАЛЬНОЙ ЯМЫ В РЕКЕ ИРТЫШ

The article describes a new locality of the formed wintering riverbed depression discovered in the erosion zone of the isthmus of conjugate meanders of the Irtysh river for the rational use and effective protection of aquatic biological resources in places of their concentration in the Irtysh river basin (Western Siberia, the Russian Federation. The morphology of the riverbed depression was mapped (relief and bathymetric maps). The maximum depths in the channel depression exceeded 27 m. The channel depression and 4 control river sections were studied. The analysis 
 of hydroacoustic surveys showed that in the wintering riverbed depression there is, according to the statistical data, higher fish density compared to the control areas: in the water area of the riverbed depression the average fish density made 4 524 species/ha, in the control sections 245-2091 sp./ha. The cluster analysis based on the fish density and the size-taxonomic composition of the ichthyofauna has revealed that the riverbed depression is being separated into a cluster, but at the same time goes to the control section No. 4, which is located downstream, where further erosion of the river channel is registered. In this regard, the minimum protection zone of the wintering channel depression should include the water area of the channel depression and the water area of control section No. 4. In the water areas of the riverbed depression and control sections in the spring period, cyprinids dominate - up to 65% of the total number of fish, percids are represented to a lesser extent - 36.76%, coregonids and pikes - up to 18.18, sturgeons - up to 9.31%. The given locality of the wintering riverbed depression must be included in the list of protected river sections of the Fishing Rules for the West Siberian fishery basin for developing the effective strategy for the protection, restoration and rational use of aquatic biological resources, including rare and endangered fish species of the Irtysh River and the whole Ob-Irtysh basin

Correlations between leaf economics, hydraulic, and shade-tolerance traits among co-occurring individual trees

Leaf economics, hydraulic, and shade-tolerance traits involve different resource-use strategies, and are critical for interactive plants, yet it remains unclear whether co-occurring individuals modulate the coupling relationships between these trait dimensions. To address this knowledge gap, we measured four leaf economics, five hydraulic, and two shade-tolerant traits in leaf and wood tissues across 90 individuals from 26 tree species in two subtropical forests in Eastern China. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed to explore multi-trait relationships. With respect to leaf economics traits, leaf nitrogen concentrations were positively associated with leaf stomatal density and conductance, leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity, and twig vessel diameter. However, leaf phosphorus concentrations were negatively associated with leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity. The specific leaf area was negatively associated with the light exposure index, light saturation point, and leaf Huber value. Regarding hydraulic traits, twig vessel diameters were positively correlated with the light saturation point and light exposure index. Stomatal conductance was positively associated with the light saturation point, whereas leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity was positively associated with the light exposure index. The first two PCA axes explained 54.23% of the total trait variation. The first axis of the multi-trait variation was mainly explained by leaf habits and represented the trade-offs between acquisitive hydraulic economics and cheap leaf economics. The second axis of the multi-trait variation was mainly explained by plant growth form, and defined the trade-offs between weak shade tolerance and cheap leaf area construction. In conclusion, our results provide evidence for the coupling relationships between leaf economics, hydraulic, and shade-tolerant traits among co-occurring individuals. This study also highlights that bivariate trait relationships based on large-scale interspecific surveys may be the opposite of that within-community scales.

Plant functional traits are correlated with species persistence in the herb layer of old-growth beech forests

This paper explores which traits are correlated with fine-scale (0.25 m2) species persistence patterns in the herb layer of old-growth forests. Four old-growth beech forests representing different climatic contexts (presence or absence of summer drought period) were selected along a north–south gradient in Italy. Eight surveys were conducted in each of the sites during the period spanning 1999–2011. We found that fine-scale species persistence was correlated with different sets of plant functional traits, depending on local ecological context. Seed mass was found to be as important for the fine-scale species persistence in the northern sites, while clonal and bud-bank traits were markedly correlated with the southern sites characterised by summer drought. Leaf traits appeared to correlate with species persistence in the drier and wetter sites. However, we found that different attributes, i.e. helomorphic vs scleromorphic leaves, were correlated to species persistence in the northernmost and southernmost sites, respectively. These differences appear to be dependent on local trait adaptation rather than plant phylogenetic history. Our findings suggest that the persistent species in the old-growth forests might adopt an acquisitive resource-use strategy (i.e. helomorphic leaves with high SLA) with higher seed mass in sites without summer drought, while under water-stressed conditions persistent species have a conservative resource-use strategy (i.e. scleromorphic leaves with low SLA) with an increased importance of clonal and resprouting ability.

Differential determinants of growth rates in subtropical evergreen and deciduous juvenile trees: carbon gain, hydraulics and nutrient-use efficiencies.

Growth rate varies across plant species and represents an important ecological strategy for competition, resource-use and fitness. However, empirical studies often show a low predictability of functional traits to tree growth. We measured stem diameter and height growth rates (DGRs and HGRs) of 96 juvenile trees (2-5m tall) of eight evergreen and eight deciduous broadleaf tree species over three consecutive years in a subtropical forest in south-western China. We examined the relationships between tree growth rates and 20 leaf/stem traits that are associated with carbon gain, stem hydraulics and nutrient-use efficiency, as well as the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees. We found that cross-species variations of stem DGR/HGR can be predicted by leaf photosynthetic capacity, leaf mass per area, xylem-theoretical-specific hydraulic conductivity, wood density (WD) and photosynthetic-nutrient-use efficiencies. Higher leaf carbon assimilation and lower leaf/stem constructing costs facilitate deciduous species to be more resource acquisitive and consequently faster growth within a relatively shorter growing season, whereas evergreen species exhibit more conservative strategies and thus slower growth. Furthermore, stem growth rates of evergreen species showed were more dependence on leaf carbon gains, whereas stem hydraulic efficiency was more important for deciduous tree growth. Our results suggest that physiological traits (photosynthesis, hydraulics and nutrient-use efficiency) can predict tree diameter and height growth of subtropical tree species. The differential resource acquisition and use strategies and their associations with tree growth between evergreen and deciduous trees provide insights into explaining the coexistence of evergreen and deciduous tree species in subtropical forests.

Root traits mediate functional guilds of soil nematodes in an ex-arable field

One of the greatest challenges in soil ecology is to disentangle the plant-mediated bottom-up factors regulating soil biodiversity and community composition. The soil food web, fundamentally driving nearly all ecosystem functions, is controlled by the quantity and quality of root-mediated resources. Here, a trait-based approach was adopted to explore the divergence of soil nematode functional guilds and their connections to root traits belonging to distinct plant resource-use strategies. Root traits and rhizosphere nematode functional guilds were measured on four plant species in an ex-arable field. Results showed that plant species exhibiting acquisitive strategies promoted nematode abundance in contrast to species with conservative strategies. Further, the results also supported that plant resource-use strategies could regulate nematode life strategies in a bottom-up manner. However, lower proportions of opportunist nematodes in rhizosphere were found in acquisitive plants rather than conservative plants, mainly attributed to the stronger top-down regulation as a dominant control within the former than the later ones. Structure equation modeling revealed that root length density could primarily modulate nematode abundance and functional guilds mainly through changes in nitrogen availability of rhizosphere, as indicated by mineral N and enzymatic stoichiometry. Overall, our findings extend the conceptual framework based on a trait-centred view spanning plants to the soil food web, and this knowledge is critical to understand the mechanisms of ecosystem process.

Relationships between root morphology, root exudate compounds and rhizosphere microbial community in durum wheat

A multidisciplinary approach was adopted to investigate multiple relationships between root morphology, rhizosphere soil exudates and soil microbial community in eight durum wheat [Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.)] cultivars previously characterized in terms of their ability to interact with mycorrhizal fungi. Six plants from each cultivar were grown to the five-leaf stage in a growth chamber. Root system architecture was characterized by root scans, root exudates were identified and quantified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the rhizosphere bacterial, archaeal and fungal community structure was assessed using terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Wheat cultivars were very different in terms of the morphological root traits. Cappelli, Grecale, Ofanto and PR22D89 cultivars showed the most developed root system. Root exudates included sugars, amino acids, polyalcohols and organic acids, with carbohydrates accounting for 87.3% of the whole data set. All the compounds showed significant differences among cultivars, with Grecale and Claudio showing the highest exudation ability of metabolites. T-RFLP profiles showed a greater relative abundance of bacterial taxa (55.8% on average) than those of archaea and fungi (35.6% and 8.6%, on average, respectively) in all cultivars, and responded positively to root exudation. Principal component analysis identified root dry weight, surface area and volume, carbohydrate exudation, bacterial and archaeal Shannon–Weaver diversity indices and the fungal evenness index as the traits that mainly contributed to the cultivar variability. A larger root system did not always promote a higher diversity of the rhizosphere microbial biomass. This then suggests complex interactions between traits, probably due to the differences in the quality and/or composition of the root exudates. Based on our results, we propose that durum wheat cultivars could be classified according to the different plant resource-use strategies employed, such as conservative (i.e. Cappelli, with a large root system but low exudation ability) and explorative/competitive (i.e. Grecale and Claudio, with a high exudation ability) cultivars. The results are discussed with reference to the complex relationships between the plant and the rhizospheric microorganisms in order to determine the best combinations that would enhance root efficiency.

Functional segregation of resource-use strategies of native and invasive plants across Mediterranean biome communities

Functional segregation among species in a community depends on their mean trait values (i.e. functional distinctiveness), and the range of trait attributes exhibited by each species (i.e. functional diversity). Previous evidence suggests that invasive plants tend to display traits related to a more acquisitive resource-use strategy than natives. However, the contribution of intraspecific trait variation to functional diversity has received little attention in community ecology, and might provide interesting information about community processes. In this study, we used eight plant traits related to carbon and nutrient acquisition of coexisting dominant native and invasive plants in eight communities across the Mediterranean-climate biome to determine sources of functional segregation between native and invasive species. We found three major axes of functional variation, related to leaf economics, resource-use efficiency, and plant height. Invasive species across communities had leaf traits related to an acquisitive resource-use strategy in contrast to native species, whereas differences in the second and third axes were community dependent. Invasive species were more functionally diverse than native species across the dataset and in four out of the eight communities. Intraspecific variance accounted for 11%–27% of total trait variation and was on average greater in invasive species, and especially important in the axis related to resource use efficiency. These results, although dependent on the trait and community considered, offer interesting insights to the sources of functional trait diversity of native and invasive species within communities, indicating that intraspecific variation might not be equally distributed between native and invasive species.

Livestock settlement affects shrub abundance via plant functional diversity but not species richness in arid environments

Recent theoretical and empirical studies have assumed that livestock grazing acts as a biotic filter favouring plant species with functional traits that confer resistance to herbivory. Considering that plant functional traits affect the species abundance and persistence in a community, alterations in functional diversity would result in changes in species richness, evenness or growth form composition. However, empirical tests of the intermediary role of functional diversity among livestock pressure, climate and species diversity and composition remain rare. We evaluated if functional diversity acts as an intermediary between livestock pressure and several components of taxonomical diversity in plant communities located along an aridity gradient in central-western Argentina. We estimated functional diversity using four plant traits that are expected to reflect trade-offs between resource-use strategies and grazing resistance. We found that livestock pressure increased shrub abundance by negatively affecting functional diversity, and this effect was amplified by increases in aridity. On the other hand, aridity promoted declines in species richness by reductions in functional diversity. Overall, our results suggest that functional diversity acts as intermediary component between livestock pressure and growth form composition; and also between aridity and species richness. Finally, our findings highlight that livestock grazing may be considered as a biotic filter affecting growth form composition but not species richness and evenness.

Emergy parameters for ensuring sustainable use of building materials

The transition towards a more resource efficient economy require suitable policies to regulate the resources needed to support development initiatives. Unregulated extraction of natural resources to support infrastructure expansion activities has led to resource constraints and environmental degradation. Hence an appropriate regulatory tool is necessary to ensure sustainability in resource use. The utility of emergy for resource use regulation in the construction industry has been demonstrated in this study. Emergy analysis has been identified as a comprehensive approach which is able to accommodate the work done by biosphere towards the formation of resources along with the energy used, until refined products are evolved out of them. An environmentally fragile area has been chosen as the study area and building data for the past 25 years has been analyzed using emergy approach to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings. Different parameters to assess sustainability of materials and processes connected with construction sector has been evolved in line with the thermodynamic principles. Further, the investigations undertaken have also established that a sustainable material use policy can be evolved across the required time periods to facilitate efficient utilization of natural resources and building materials. Emergy per unit cost, emergy per unit area of the building and percentage of emergy content in various building materials are identified as the key parameters that could be used to regulate the environmental sustainability of resource use in the construction sector. Also, establishing a time scale based resource use factor to ensure renewability of every natural resource would help not only to evolve strategies for optimum resource use but also to identify the potential options for recycling/reuse of construction materials.

CRITERIA FOR RATIONAL USE OF LAND RESOURCES

The article substantiates the need to apply new, modern methods of assessing the level of rational use of land resources. The list of legal, methodological and technical solutions used for the organization of rational land use is given. The scheme of information model of territory development is proposed. The scheme contains infrastructure and economic mechanisms for developing a strategy for economic use of land resources. A list of criteria for evaluating the rational use of land resources was developed. The content of each criterion is shown. The influence of the level of land use rationality on the cadastral value of real estate objects is shown. The concept of «sustainable cadastral value» of real estate objects is considered. This term defines the overall efficiency of land use and the level of socio-economic activity of the population.

Leaf traits and performance vary with plant age and water availability in Artemisia californica.

Leaf functional traits are strongly tied to growth strategies and ecological processes across species, but few efforts have linked intraspecific trait variation to performance across ontogenetic and environmental gradients. Plants are believed to shift towards more resource-conservative traits in stressful environments and as they age. However, uncertainty as to how intraspecific trait variation aligns with plant age and performance in the context of environmental variation may limit our ability to use traits to infer ecological processes at larger scales. We measured leaf physiological and morphological traits, canopy volume and flowering effort for Artemisia californica (California sagebrush), a dominant shrub species in the coastal sage scrub community, under conditions of 50, 100 and 150 % ambient precipitation for 3 years. Plant age was a stronger driver of variation in traits and performance than water availability. Older plants demonstrated trait values consistent with a more conservative resource-use strategy, and trait values were less sensitive to drought. Several trait correlations were consistent across years and treatments; for example, plants with high photosynthetic rates tended to have high stomatal conductance, leaf nitrogen concentration and light-use efficiency. However, the trade-off between leaf construction and leaf nitrogen evident in older plants was absent for first-year plants. While few traits correlated with plant growth and flowering effort, we observed a positive correlation between leaf mass per area and performance in some groups of older plants. Overall, our results suggest that trait sensitivity to the environment is most visible during earlier stages of development, after which intraspecific trait variation and relationships may stabilize. While plant age plays a major role in intraspecific trait variation and sensitivity (and thus trait-based inferences), the direct influence of environment on growth and fecundity is just as critical to predicting plant performance in a changing environment.