| Title: | The unfolding of plant growth form-defence syndromes along elevation gradients |
| Author(s): | Defossez E; Pellissier L; Rasmann S; |
| Address: | "Laboratory of Functional Ecology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchatel, Switzerland. Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1461-0248 (Electronic) 1461-023X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Understanding the functional economics that drives plant investment of resources requires investigating the interface between plant phenotypes and the variation in ecological conditions. While allocation to defence represents a large portion of the carbon budget, this axis is usually neglected in the study of plant economic spectrum. Using a novel geometrical approach, we analysed the co-variation in a comprehensive set of functional traits related to plant growth strategies, as well as chemical defences against herbivores on all 15 Cardamine species present in the Swiss Alps. By extracting geometrical information of the functional space, we observed clustering of plants into three main syndromes. Those different strategies of growth form and defence were also distributed within distinct elevational bands demonstrating an association between the functional space and the ecological conditions. We conclude that plant strategies converge into clear syndromes that trade off abiotic tolerance, growth and defence within each elevation zone" |
| Keywords: | *Herbivory Humans Phenotype *Plant Development Plants Syndrome Glucosinolates herbivore pressure leaf economic spectrum plant defence syndromes plant-herbivore interaction resource availability hypothesis volatile organic compounds; |
| Notes: | "MedlineDefossez, Emmanuel Pellissier, Loic Rasmann, Sergio eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/02/28 Ecol Lett. 2018 May; 21(5):609-618. doi: 10.1111/ele.12926. Epub 2018 Feb 26" |
