The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest
understory vegetation

J 2021

The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation

PADULLES CUBINO, Josep, Idoia BIURRUN, Gianmaria BONARI, Tatiana BRASLAVSKAYA, Xavier FONT et. al.

Basic information

Original name

The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation

Authors

PADULLES CUBINO, Josep (724 Spain, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Idoia BIURRUN, Gianmaria BONARI, Tatiana BRASLAVSKAYA, Xavier FONT, Ute JANDT, Florian JANSEN, Valerijus RAŠOMAVIČIUS, Željko ŠKVORC, Wolfgang WILLNER and Milan CHYTRÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Ecography, HOBOKEN, Wiley, 2021, 0906-7590

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10619 Biodiversity conservation

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 6.802

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/21:00122531

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598

UT WoS

000664463300001

Keywords in English

environmental filtering; European Vegetation Archive; functional biogeography; plant functional traits; TRY database; vegetation-plot data

Abstract

V originále

Forest understories play a vital role in ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. However, the extent to which environmental conditions drive dominant ecological strategies in forest understories at the continental scale remains understudied. Here, we used similar to 29 500 forest vegetation plots sampled across Europe and classified into 25 forest types to explore the relative role of macroclimate, soil pH and tree canopy cover in driving abundance-weighted patterns in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) and plant size spectrum (PSS) of forest understories (shrub and herb layers). We calculated LES using specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and PSS using plant height and seed mass of vascular plant species found in the understories. We found that forest understories had more conservative leaf economics in areas with more extreme mean annual temperatures (mainly Fennoscandia and the Mediterranean Basin), more extreme soil pH and under more open canopies. Warm and summer-dry regions around the Mediterranean Basin and areas of Atlantic Europe also had taller understories with heavier seeds than continental temperate or boreal areas. Understories of broadleaved deciduous forests, such as Fagus forests on non-acid soils, or ravine forests, more commonly hosted species with acquisitive leaf economics. In contrast, some coniferous forests, such as Pinus, Larbc and Picea mire forests, or Pinus sylvestris light taiga and sclerophyllous forests, more commonly hosted species with conservative leaf economics. Our findings highlight the importance of macroclimate and soil factors in driving trait variation of understory communities at the continental scale and the mediator effect of canopy cover on these relationships. We also provide the first maps and analyses of LES and PSS of forest understories across Europe and give evidence that the understories of European forest types are differently positioned along major axes of trait variation.

Citovat

PADULLES CUBINO, Josep, Idoia BIURRUN, Gianmaria BONARI, Tatiana BRASLAVSKAYA, Xavier FONT, Ute JANDT, Florian JANSEN, Valerijus RAŠOMAVIČIUS, Željko ŠKVORC, Wolfgang WILLNER and Milan CHYTRÝ. The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation. Ecography. HOBOKEN: Wiley, 2021, vol. 44, No 9, p. 1311-1324. ISSN 0906-7590. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598.

@article{1796160,
   author = {Padulles Cubino, Josep and Biurrun, Idoia and Bonari, Gianmaria and Braslavskaya, Tatiana and Font, Xavier and Jandt, Ute and Jansen, Florian and Rašomavičius, Valerijus and Škvorc, Željko and Willner, Wolfgang and Chytrý, Milan},
   article_location = {HOBOKEN},
   article_number = {9},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598},
   keywords = {environmental filtering; European Vegetation Archive; functional biogeography; plant functional traits; TRY database; vegetation-plot data},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0906-7590},
   journal = {Ecography},
   title = {The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598},
   volume = {44},
   year = {2021}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1796160
AU  - Padulles Cubino, Josep - Biurrun, Idoia - Bonari, Gianmaria - Braslavskaya, Tatiana - Font, Xavier - Jandt, Ute - Jansen, Florian - Rašomavičius, Valerijus - Škvorc, Željko - Willner, Wolfgang - Chytrý, Milan
PY  - 2021
TI  - The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation
JF  - Ecography
VL  - 44
IS  - 9
SP  - 1311-1324
EP  - 1311-1324
PB  - Wiley
SN  - 09067590
KW  - environmental filtering
KW  - European Vegetation Archive
KW  - functional biogeography
KW  - plant functional traits
KW  - TRY database
KW  - vegetation-plot data
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598
N2  - Forest understories play a vital role in ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. However, the extent to which environmental conditions drive dominant ecological strategies in forest understories at the continental scale remains understudied. Here, we used similar to 29 500 forest vegetation plots sampled across Europe and classified into 25 forest types to explore the relative role of macroclimate, soil pH and tree canopy cover in driving abundance-weighted patterns in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) and plant size spectrum (PSS) of forest understories (shrub and herb layers). We calculated LES using specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and PSS using plant height and seed mass of vascular plant species found in the understories. We found that forest understories had more conservative leaf economics in areas with more extreme mean annual temperatures (mainly Fennoscandia and the Mediterranean Basin), more extreme soil pH and under more open canopies. Warm and summer-dry regions around the Mediterranean Basin and areas of Atlantic Europe also had taller understories with heavier seeds than continental temperate or boreal areas. Understories of broadleaved deciduous forests, such as Fagus forests on non-acid soils, or ravine forests, more commonly hosted species with acquisitive leaf economics. In contrast, some coniferous forests, such as Pinus, Larbc and Picea mire forests, or Pinus sylvestris light taiga and sclerophyllous forests, more commonly hosted species with conservative leaf economics. Our findings highlight the importance of macroclimate and soil factors in driving trait variation of understory communities at the continental scale and the mediator effect of canopy cover on these relationships. We also provide the first maps and analyses of LES and PSS of forest understories across Europe and give evidence that the understories of European forest types are differently positioned along major axes of trait variation.
ER  -

PADULLES CUBINO, Josep, Idoia BIURRUN, Gianmaria BONARI, Tatiana BRASLAVSKAYA, Xavier FONT, Ute JANDT, Florian JANSEN, Valerijus RAŠOMAVIČIUS, Željko ŠKVORC, Wolfgang WILLNER and Milan CHYTRÝ. The leaf economic and plant size spectra of European forest understory vegetation. \textit{Ecography}. HOBOKEN: Wiley, 2021, vol.~44, No~9, p.~1311-1324. ISSN~0906-7590. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05598.

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