Growth Of Vascular Plants Research Articles

Selection of Brassica rapa genotypes for tolerance to boron toxicity

Although boron (B) is a micronutrient essential for the growth of vascular plants, it reduces growth and seed yield when present in excessive amounts. A hydroponic assay of nineteen Brassica rapa genotypes resulted in the identification of two tolerant genotypes, WWY Sarson and Local at a range of boron concentrations (15–165 µM). The most tolerant and sensitive genotypes were assessed for shoot boron concentrations in a soil assay with 4, 29 and 54 mg B kg−1 soil. The soil assay confirmed the results of the hydroponic screening. Shoot boron uptake was at least three times lower and shoot boron concentrations about 10 times lower in the tolerant than sensitive genotypes, indicating that boron tolerance involved boron exclusion from the shoot.

Simulation of boreal black spruce chronosequences: Comparison to field measurements and model evaluation

This study used the Biome Biogeochemical Cycles (Biome‐BGC) process model to simulate boreal forest dynamics, compared the results with a variety of measured carbon content and flux data from two boreal chronosequences in northern Manitoba, Canada, and examined how model output was affected by water and nitrogen limitations on simulated plant production and decomposition. Vascular and nonvascular plant growth were modeled over 151 years in well‐drained and poorly drained forests, using as many site‐specific model parameters as possible. Measured data included (1) leaf area and carbon content from site‐specific allometry data, (2) aboveground and belowground net primary production from allometry and root cores, and (3) flux data, including biometry‐based net ecosystem production and tower‐based net ecosystem exchange. The simulation used three vegetation types or functional groups (evergreen needleaf trees, deciduous broadleaf trees, and bryophytes). Model output matched some of the observed data well, with net primary production, biomass, and net ecosystem production (NEP) values usually (50–80% of data) within the errors of observed values. Leaf area was generally underpredicted. In the simulation, nitrogen limitation increased with stand age, while soil anoxia limited vascular plant growth in the poorly drained simulation. NEP was most sensitive to climate variability in the poorly drained stands. Simulation results are discussed with respect to conceptual issues in, and parameterization of, the Biome‐BGC model.

SOIL BIOTA CAN CHANGE AFTER EXOTIC PLANT INVASION: DOES THIS AFFECT ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES?

Invasion of the exotic annual grass Bromus tectorum into stands of the native perennial grass Hilaria jamesii significantly reduced the abundance of soil biota, especially microarthropods and nematodes. Effects of invasion on active and total bacterial and fungal biomass were variable, although populations generally increased after 50+ years of invasion. The invasion of Bromus also resulted in a decrease in richness and a species shift in plants, microarthropods, fungi, and nematodes. However, despite the depauperate soil fauna at the invaded sites, no effects were seen on cellulose decomposition rates, nitrogen mineralization rates, or vascular plant growth. When Hilaria was planted into soils from not-invaded, recently invaded, and historically invaded sites (all currently or once dominated by Hilaria), germination and survivorship were not affected. In contrast, aboveground Hilaria biomass was significantly greater in recently invaded soils than in the other two soils. We attributed the Hilaria respons...

How Phosphorus Availability Affects the Impact of Nitrogen Deposition on Sphagnum and Vascular Plants in Bogs

To elucidate the impact of high nitrogen (N) deposition on intact bog vegetation, as affected by phosphorus (P) availability, we conducted a 4-year fertilization experiment with N and P at six sites, one with moderate N deposition and five with high N deposition. During the growing season, N (40 kg ha−1 ya−1), P (3 kg ha−1 y−1), or a combination of both elements was applied to the vegetation. The fertilization effects turned out to be additive in nature. Adding P decreased the inorganic N concentration and increased the P concentration in the rhizosphere at two sites. Furthermore, P stimulated Sphagnum growth and Sphagnum net primary productivity (NPP) at two sites; it also seemed to encourage growth at two other sites including the moderate-deposition site. Vascular plant growth remained largely unaffected but was depressed at one high-deposition site. Adding N increased the concentration of inorganic N in the rhizosphere at the moderate-deposition site and at two of the three high-deposition sites; vascular plant growth and litter production were encouraged at three high-deposition sites. The addition of N depressed Sphagnum height increment at four high deposition sites and reduced Sphagnum NPP at two sites. Shading by vascular plants was of minor importance in explaining the negative effects of N on Sphagnum. We conclude that because P alleviates the negative impact N has on Sphagnum by enhancing its capability to assimilate the deposited N, P availability is a major factor determining the impact of N deposition on Sphagnum production and thus on carbon sequestration in bogs.

Can soil temperature direct the composition of high arctic plant communities?

Abstract. Low temperatures exert a primary constraint on the growth of high arctic vascular plants. However, investigations into the impact of temperature on high arctic plants rarely separate out the role of air and soil temperatures, and few data exist to indicate whether soil temperatures alone can significantly influence the growth of high arctic vascular plants in a manner that might direct community composition.We examined the response of high arctic plants of three functional types (grasses, sedges/rushes and non‐graminoids) to manipulated soil temperature under common air temperature conditions. Target plants, within intact soil cores, were placed in water baths at a range of temperatures between 4.9 and 15.3 °C for one growing season. Grasses responded most rapidly to increased soil temperature, with increased total live plant mass, above‐ground live mass and total below‐ground live mass, with non‐graminoids having the lowest, and sedges/rushes an intermediate degree of response. The ratio of above‐ground live mass to total live mass increased in all growth forms. Grasses, in particular, responded to enhanced soil temperatures by increasing shoot size rather than shoot number. In all growth forms the mass of root tissue beneath the moss layer increased significantly and to a similar extent with increasing soil temperature.These results clearly indicate that different growth forms, although collected from the same plant community, respond differently to changes in soil temperature. As a consequence, factors influencing soil temperature in high arctic ecosystems, such as global climate change or herbivory (which leads to reduced moss depth and increased soil temperatures), may also direct changes in vascular plant community composition.

Can soil temperature direct the composition of high arctic plant communities?

Low temperatures exert a primary constraint on the growth of high arctic vascular plants. However, investigations into the impact of temperature on high arctic plants rarely separate out the role of air and soil temperatures, and few data exist to indicate whether soil temperatures alone can signifi- cantly influence the growth of high arctic vascular plants in a manner that might direct community composition. We examined the response of high arctic plants of three functional types (grasses, sedges/rushes and non-graminoids) to manipulated soil temperature under common air tempera- ture conditions. Target plants, within intact soil cores, were placed in water baths at a range of temperatures between 4.9 and 15.3 o C for one growing season. Grasses responded most rapidly to increased soil temperature, with increased total live plant mass, above-ground live mass and total below-ground live mass, with non-graminoids having the lowest, and sedges/ rushes an intermediate degree of response. The ratio of above- ground live mass to total live mass increased in all growth forms. Grasses, in particular, responded to enhanced soil temperatures by increasing shoot size rather than shoot number. In all growth forms the mass of root tissue beneath the moss layer increased significantly and to a similar extent with increasing soil temperature. These results clearly indicate that different growth forms, although collected from the same plant community, respond differently to changes in soil temperature. As a consequence, factors influencing soil temperature in high arctic ecosystems, such as global climate change or herbivory (which leads to reduced moss depth and increased soil temperatures), may also direct changes in vascular plant community composition.

Potassium limits potential growth of bog vegetation under elevated atmospheric CO2and N deposition

AbstractThe free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) and N deposition experiments on four ombrotrophic bogs in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Switzerland, revealed that after three years of treatment: (1) elevated atmospheric CO2concentration had no significant effect on the biomass growth ofSphagnumand vascular species; and (2) increased N deposition reduced Sphagnum growth, because it increased the cover of vascular plants and the tall mossPolytrichum strictum, while vascular plant biomass growth was not affected. This paper focuses on water chemistry, plant nutrient content, and litter decomposition rates. Potassium limitation, or low supply of K and P, may have prevented a significant increase ofSphagnumgrowth under elevated CO2and N deposition. Vascular plant growth under elevated CO2and N deposition was also limited by K, or by K in combination with P or N (N in CO2experiment). Elevated CO2and N deposition had no effect on decomposition rates ofSphagnumand vascular plant litter. Aside from a possible effect of N deposition on light competition between species, we expect that elevated atmospheric CO2and N deposition concentrations will not affectSphagnumand vascular plant growth in bogs of north‐west Europe due to K‐, or K in combination with N‐ or P‐, limited growth. For the same reason we expect no effect of elevated CO2and N deposition on litter decomposition. Net primary production of raised ombrotrophic bogs that are at or close to steady state, is regulated by input of nutrients through atmospheric deposition. Therefore, we hypothesize that the expected increase of plant growth under elevated CO2and N deposition is diminished by current levels of K (and to some extent P and N) in atmospheric deposition.

Time‐dependent effects of fertilization on plant biomass in floating fens

Abstract. A cross‐over fertilization experiment was carried out in Dutch floating fens to investigate effects on biomass production in the same and the following years. In total 16 fertilizer treatments were applied, combining four treatments in 1999 with four treatments in 2000 (addition of 20 g.m−2 N, 5 g.m−2 P, both elements and unfertilized control). The above‐ground biomass production of vascular plants was co‐limited by N and P in both years. However, in plots that were only fertilized in 1999 the effects of individual nutrients differed between the two years: N‐fertilization slightly increased the amount of biomass produced in the same year (1999), whereas P‐fertilization did so in the following year (2000). Fertilizer applied in 1999 also influenced the effects of fertilizer applied in 2000. One year after N‐fertilization vascular plant growth was still co‐limited by N and P, but one year after P‐fertilization, vascular plant growth was only limited by N. Bryophyte biomass responded weakly to fertilization. Nutrient concentrations in plant biomass, nutrient standing crops and measurements of N and P availability in the soil indicated that one year after fertilization, the N‐fertilizer had mostly ‘disappeared’ from N‐fertilized plots, whereas the availability of P remained markedly enhanced in P‐fertilized plots. In addition, P‐fertilization enhanced the uptake of N by plants the following year. The time‐dependence of fertilizer effects was probably caused by (1) higher addition of P than of N relative to the requirements of plants; (2) longer retention of P than of N in the system; (3) positive effect of P‐fertilization on the availability of N; (4) contrasting effects of N‐ and P‐fertilization on nutrient losses by plants and/or on their responses to subsequent nutrient addition; (5) changing interactions between vascular plants and mosses (mainly Sphagnum spp.); (6) nutrient export through the repeated harvest of above‐ground biomass. To determine which nutrient limits plant growth fertilization experiments should be short, avoiding that indirect effects of a non‐limiting nutrient influence results. To indicate how changed nutrient supply will affect an ecosystem longer‐term experiments are needed, so that indirect effects have time to develop and be detected.

Time-dependent effects of fertilization on plant biomass in floating fens

Abstract A cross-over fertilization experiment was carried out in Dutch floating fens to investigate effects on biomass production in the same and the following years. In total 16 fertilizer treatments were applied, combining four treatments in 1999 with four treatments in 2000 (addition of 20 g.m−2 N, 5 g.m−2 P, both elements and unfertilized control). The above-ground biomass production of vascular plants was co-limited by N and P in both years. However, in plots that were only fertilized in 1999 the effects of individual nutrients differed between the two years: N-fertilization slightly increased the amount of biomass produced in the same year (1999), whereas P-fertilization did so in the following year (2000). Fertilizer applied in 1999 also influenced the effects of fertilizer applied in 2000. One year after N-fertilization vascular plant growth was still co-limited by N and P, but one year after P-fertilization, vascular plant growth was only limited by N. Bryophyte biomass responded weakly to ferti...

Response of a Sphagnum bog plant community to elevated CO2 and N supply

The response of plant growth to rising CO2 levels appears to depend on nutrient availability, but it is not known whether the growth of bog plants reacts similarly. We therefore studied the effects of elevated CO2 in combination with N supply on the growth of Sphagnum mosses and vascular plants in ombrotrophic bog vegetation. Because the growth of Sphagnum is less nutrient-limited than that of vascular plants, we hypothesized that Sphagnum would benefit from elevated CO2. In our greenhouse experiment, peat monoliths (34 cm diameter, 40 cm deep) with intact bog vegetation were exposed to ambient (350 ppmv) or elevated (560 ppmv) atmospheric CO2 combined with low (no N addition) or high (5 g N m-2 yr-1 added) N deposition for two growing seasons. Elevated atmospheric CO2 had unexpected deleterious effects on the growth of Sphagnum magellanicum, the dominant Sphagnum species. Growth was greatly reduced, particularly in the second growing season when, regardless of N supply, the mosses looked unhealthy. The negative CO2 effect was strongest in the warmest months, suggesting a combined effect of elevated CO2 and the raised temperatures in the greenhouse. High N deposition favored Rhynchospora alba, which became the dominant vascular plant species during the experiment. Biomass increased more when N supply was high. There were no significant effects of elevated CO2 on vascular plants, although elevated CO2 combined with high N supply tended to increase the aboveground vascular plant biomass. As Sphagnum is the main carbon-sequestrating species in bogs and rising atmospheric CO2 levels are likely to be followed by increases in temperature, there is an urgent need for further research on the combined effects of elevated CO2 and increased temperature on Sphagnum growth in bog ecosystems.

Clonal architecture in marine macroalgae: ecological and evolutionary perspectives

The study of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of clonal growth in vascular plants has been widely addressed; however, marine macroalgae, which are interesting modular organisms that combine ‘simple’ morphologies and complex life cycles, have been almost ignored. This paper presents a review and analysis of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of clonality in marine macroalgae, including three main subjects: (1) modular construction (modules and ramets); (2) life cycle and evolutionary perspectives, and (3) ecological perspectives of clonality in marine macroalge. The biological emergent attributes of clonality are present in marine macroalgae e.g. high longevity of the genet by the continual renewal of modules, and variable morphological plasticity of ramets and modules in relation to environmental conditions. However, experimental work is still needed to solve questions such as the effect of crowding on survival rates and use of resources, as well as its effect on sexual or asexual patterns of reproduction. I expect that the study of the evolutionary consequences of the combined presence of alternation of generations and clonal growth in marine macroalgae will make important contributions to clonal plant theory.

Limited effect of increased atmospheric CO2concentration on ombrotrophic bog vegetation

Summary Boreal and subarctic peatlands contain 20–30% of the world’s soil organic carbon, and if growing, they constitute sinks for atmospheric CO2. We hypothesized that even in the nutrient‐poor bog environment, elevated CO2would stimulateSphagnumgrowth more than vascular plant growth, thereby improvingSphagnum’scompetitive strength and enhancing carbon (C) sequestration. Free‐air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) experiments took place on predominantly ombrotrophic peatbog‐lawns in Finland (FI), Sweden (SW), The Netherlands (NL), and Switzerland (CH). After 3 yr of treatment, increased CO2concentration (560 ppm on volume basis) had no significant effect onSphagnumor vascular plant biomass at either site. This research suggests that, just as with other nutrient‐poor ecosystems, increased atmospheric CO2concentrations will have a limited effect on bog ecosystems.

Reindeer in tundra ecosystems: the challenges of understanding system complexity

The resilience of tundra ecosystems is limited, with relatively few key biotic components determining the general pattern of the dynamics of these systems. Sustainable use of reindeer pastures, which are natural tundra ecosystems, should take into account interactions within the whole complex of key components. Among the most important are the small herbivorous rodents. For example, during peak densities lemmings may reduce above-ground plant biomass by 50-70%. At the same time, rapid turnover of nutrients in the form of significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen that lemmings excrete in urine promotes vascular plant growth. It is concluded that these kinds of studies are essential for the sustainable management of Russia's grazing lands: 1) comparative studies of productivity, biological diversity and structure of plant communities under the different pressures exerted by the main groups of herbivorous animals (reindeer and small rodents), as well as under varying levels of industrial development; 2) studies of the direct and indirect effects of herbivorous mammals on biological turnover and energy flow within the system; 3) studies of the role of industrial contamination on the turnover of nutrients in tundra ecosystems.

Reindeer in tundra ecosystems: the challenges of understanding system complexity

The resilience of tundra ecosystems is limited, with relatively few key biotic components determining the general pattern of the dynamics of these systems. Sustainable use of reindeer pastures, which are natural tundra ecosystems, should take into account interactions within the whole complex of key components. Among the most important are the small herbivorous rodents. For example, during peak densities lemmings may reduce above-ground plant biomass by 50-70%. At the same time, rapid turnover of nutrients in the form of significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen that lemmings excrete in urine promotes vascular plant growth. It is concluded that these kinds of studies are essential for the sustainable management of Russia's grazing lands: 1) comparative studies of productivity, biological diversity and structure of plant communities under the different pressures exerted by the main groups of herbivorous animals (reindeer and small rodents), as well as under varying levels of industrial development; 2) studies of the direct and indirect effects of herbivorous mammals on biological turnover and energy flow within the system; 3) studies of the role of industrial contamination on the turnover of nutrients in tundra ecosystems.

Effect of microbiotic soil surface crusts on emergence of vascular plants

Microbiotic crusts are a common and widespread feature of arid and semi-arid landscapes. Their effect on vascular plant success has been discussed controversially. However, only very few field studies have yet tried to experimentally investigate the effect of microbiotic crusts on vascular plant establishment. In this study we investigate the influence of cyanobacteria dominated microbiotic soil surface crust on vascular plants in a desert sand dune area by using a series of manipulative experiments. Crusts were disturbed and removed and density response to these treatments was monitored during the two following years. Emergence densities of vascular plants were considerably higher when crusts were removed and destroyed. This effect was particularly pronounced when the disturbances were applied before the main seed dispersal period. By experimentally preventing seed dispersal into disturbed areas we could show that undisturbed crusts reduce the probability for seeds to come to rest. This indicates that soil surface roughness is a major determinant for the establishment of vascular plants in the study area. We conclude that small-scale and well-timed disturbances of microbiotic crusts in arid lands may increase vascular plant establishment probabilities. A potential feedback process of long-term vegetation dynamics is suggested: disturbance of microbiotic crusts results in higher numbers of emerging plants, which in turn represent a rough seed-trapping element leading to a further increase in densities in consecutive years.

Approaches in the determination of plant nutrient uptake and distribution in space flight conditions.

The effective growth and development of vascular plants rely on the adequate availability of water and nutrients. Inefficiency in either the initial absorption, transportation, or distribution of these elements are factors which impinge on plant structure and metabolic integrity. The potential effect of space flight and microgravity conditions on the efficiency of these processes is unclear. Limitations in the available quantity of space-grown plant material and the sensitivity of routine analytical techniques have made an evaluation of these processes impractical. However, the recent introduction of new plant cultivating methodologies supporting the application of radionuclide elements and subsequent autoradiography techniques provides a highly sensitive investigative approach amenable to space flight studies. Experiments involving the use of gel based 'nutrient packs' and the radionuclides calcium-45 and iron-59 were conducted on the Shuttle mission STS-94. Uptake rates of the radionuclides between ground and flight plant material appeared comparable.

Boron Stimulates Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Growth

Boron is required for the growth of vascular plants and embryonic development in fish. The molecular basis of boron's essentiality, however, remains unknown for both. The objective of this study was to determine whether yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) could be used as a model for the evaluation of intracellular boron trafficking. Three experiments were conducted to assess the effect of boron supplementation on yeast growth. Cultures were grown in low boron media containing 0.04 μmol B/L. After 24 h, a new flask was inoculated with this culture; it was allowed to reach early log phase growth (9 h) and was then divided between two flasks. One flask was supplemented with ultrapure boric acid to achieve a concentration of 185 μmol B/L (+B); the other was supplemented with an equivalent volume of ultrapure water (NB). Boron significantly stimulated cell growth rate into the stationary phase of growth. Yeast cell boron concentrations decreased in both treatments over the course of the experiment, but analysis by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICPMS) did not detect differences in cellular concentration between the boron supplemented (B) and nonsupplemented (NB) groups. Ethanol concentrations did not differ between the two treatments, demonstrating that boron-stimulated growth was not a secondary effect of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition. The demonstration of boron-dependent growth stimulation in yeast suggests that Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used as a model system for the study of intracellular boron trafficking.

RESPONSES IN MICROBES AND PLANTS TO CHANGED TEMPERATURE, NUTRIENT, AND LIGHT REGIMES IN THE ARCTIC

Previous research has shown that experimental perturbations of arctic ecosystems simulating direct and indirect effects of predicted environmental changes have led to strong responses in the plant communities, mostly associated with increased plant nutrient availability. Similarly, changes in decomposition and nutrient mineralization are likely to occur if the soil warms and the soil moisture conditions are altered. Plant and microbial responses have usually been investigated separately, and few, if any, studies have addressed simultaneous responses to environmental changes in plants and soil microorganisms, except in models. We measured simultaneous responses in biomass, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) incorporation in plants and microorganisms after five years of factorial fertilizer addition, air warming, and shading. We expected increased N and P uptake by microorganisms after fertilizer addition and also after warming, due to increases in mineralization rates in warmer soils. Plant productivity and N and P uptake were expected to increase after fertilizer addition but less after warming, because microbes were expected to absorb most of the extra released nutrients. Shading was expected to decrease plant production and also microbial biomass, due to the reduced production of labile carbon (C) in plant root exudates associated with reduced photosynthesis. We found that the plants responded strongly to fertilizer addition by increased biomass accumulation and N and P uptake. They responded less to warming, but more than expected, showing a decline in N and P concentrations in many cases. There were few significant responses to shading. The strongest response was found in combined fertilizer addition and warming treatments. All functional vascular plant groups responded similarly. However, mosses declined under those conditions when vascular plant growth was most pronounced. Contrary to our expectation, microbial C, N, and P did not increase after warming, but microbial N and P increased after shading. As expected, fertilizer addition led to increased microbial P content, whereas microbial N either increased or did not change. In general, microbial C did not change in any treatment. The microbes accumulated extra N and P only when soil inorganic N or P levels increased, suggesting that the soil microorganisms absorbed extra nutrients only in cases of declining N and P sink strength in plants.

Growth and reproduction of Antarctic vascular plants in response to warming and UV radiation reductions in the field.

Along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula springtime ozone depletion events can lead to a two-fold increase in biologically effective UV-B radiation (UV-BBE) and summer air temperatures have risen ≈1.5°C during the past 50 years. We manipulated levels of UV radiation and temperature around Colobanthus quitensis (a cushion-forming plant, Caryophyllaceae) and Deschampsia antarctica (a tussock grass) along the Peninsula near Palmer Station for two field seasons. Ambient levels of UV were manipulated by placing filters that either transmitted UV (filter control), absorbed UV-B (reducing diurnal levels of UV-BBE by about 82%), or absorbed both UV-B and UV-A (reducing UV-BBE and UV-ABE by about 88 and 78%, respectively) on frames over naturally growing plants from November to March. Half the filters of each material completely surrounded the frames and raised diurnal and diel air temperatures around plants by an average of 2.3°C and 1.3°C, respectively. Reducing UV or warming had no effect on leaf concentrations of soluble UV-B absorbing compounds, UV-B absorbing surface waxes or chlorophylls. Warming had few effects on growth of either species over the first season. However, over the second field season warming improved growth of C. quitensis, leading to a 50% increase in leaf production (P < 0.10), a 26% increase in shoot production, and a 6% increase in foliar cover. In contrast, warming reduced growth of D. antarctica, leading to a 20% decline in leaf length, a 17% decline in leaf production (P < 0.10), and a 5% decline in foliar cover. Warming improved sexual reproduction in both species, primarily through faster development of reproductive structures and greater production of heavier seeds. Over the second field season, the percentage of reproductive structures that had reached the most developed (seed) stage in C. quitensis and D. antarctica was 20% and 15% higher, respectively, under warming. Capsules of C. quitensis produced 45% more seeds under warming and these seeds were 11% heavier. Growth of D. antarctica was improved when UV was reduced and these effects appeared to be cumulative over field seasons. Over the second season, tillers produced 55% more leaves and these leaves were 32% longer when UV-B was reduced. Tillers produced 137% more leaves that were 67% longer when both UV-B and UV-A were reduced. The effects of UV reduction were not as pronounced on C. quitensis, although over the second season cushions tended to be 17% larger and produce 21% more branches when UV-B was reduced, and tended to be 27% larger and produce 38% more branches when both UV-B and UV-A were reduced (P < 0.10). Few interactions were found between UV reduction and warming, although in the absence of warming, reducing UV led to slower development of reproductive structures in both species. The effects of warming and UV reduction were species specific and were often cumulative over the two field seasons, emphasizing the importance of long-term field manipulations in predicting the impacts of climate change.

CLO-PLA2 – a database of clonal plants in central Europe

’CLO-PLA2' (CLOnal PLAnts, version 2) is a database on architectural aspects of clonal growth in vascular plants of central Europe. The database includes 2749 species, characterised by 25 variables, either directly or indirectly related to clonal growth. The total number of items in the database is over 12 750. The structure of the database is described and the variables used to characterise clonal growth of individual species are listed. Two examples of database utilisation are given. The first concerns the relationship between habitat niche width and the mode of clonal growth. Turf graminoids, species with long-lived rhizomes either short to long and formed below-ground, or short and formed above-ground, and short-lived rhizomes formed above-ground, are over-represented among the species with very broad niches and under-represented among the species with narrow niches. In contrast, species multiplying by plant fragments are missing among the species with the broadest niches. The second example explores how individual clonal growth modes are combined in individual species. About 21% of species of clonal plants have more than one mode of clonal growth. Some combinations are over-represented in certain families and environments. The application of phylogenetic independent contrasts (PIC) showed that both phylogenetic constraints and adaptations to particular environmental conditions play important roles in determining the observed pattern.