Below-ground frontiers in trait-based plant ecology

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• 作者：Etienne Lalibert&eacute
• 刊名：New Phytologist
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：March 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：213
• 期：4
• 页码：1597-1603
• 全文大小：840K
• ISSN：1469-8137

文摘

Trait-based approaches have led to significant advances in plant ecology, but are currently biased toward above-ground traits. It is becoming clear that a stronger emphasis on below-ground traits is needed to better predict future changes in plant biodiversity and their consequences for ecosystem functioning. Here I propose six ‘below-ground frontiers’ in trait-based plant ecology, with an emphasis on traits governing soil nutrient acquisition: redefining fine roots; quantifying root trait dimensionality; integrating mycorrhizas; broadening the suite of root traits; determining linkages between root traits and abiotic and biotic factors; and understanding ecosystem-level consequences of root traits. Focusing research efforts along these frontiers should help to fulfil the promise of trait-based ecology: enhanced predictive capacity across ecological scales.