| Category |
Text Publication |
| Reference Category |
Journals |
| DOI |
10.1111/2041-210X.14288
|
Licence  |
|
| Title (Primary) |
Facilitating comparable research in seedling functional ecology |
| Author |
Winkler, D.E.; Garbowski, M.; Kožić, K.; Ladouceur, E.; Larson, J.; Martin, S.; Rosche, C.; Roscher, C.; Slate, M.L.; Korell, L. |
| Source Titel |
Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| Year |
2024 |
| Department |
iDiv; PHYDIV; SIE |
| Volume |
15 |
| Issue |
3 |
| Page From |
464 |
| Page To |
476 |
| Language |
englisch |
| Topic |
T5 Future Landscapes |
| Supplements |
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2F2041-210X.14288&file=mee314288-sup-0001-AppendixS1.pdf
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1111%2F2041-210X.14288&file=mee314288-sup-0002-AppendixS2.xlsx |
| Keywords |
functional traits, plant ontogeny; recruitment; seedling; sporophyte |
| Abstract |
- Ecologists have worked to ascribe function to the
variation found in plant populations, communities and ecosystems across
environments for at least the past century. The vast body of research in
functional ecology has drastically improved understanding of how
individuals respond to their environment, communities are assembled and
ecosystems function. However, with limited exceptions, few studies have
quantified differences in plant function during the earliest
stages of the plant life cycle, and fewer have tested how this early
variability shapes populations, communities and ecosystems.
- Drawing from the literature and our collective
experience, we describe the current state of knowledge in seedling
functional ecology and provide examples of how this subdiscipline can
enrich our fundamental understanding of plant function across levels of
organisation. To inspire progressive work in this area, we also outline
key considerations involved in seedling functional research (who, what,
when, where and how to measure seedling traits) and identify remaining
challenges and gaps in understanding around methodological approaches.
- Within this conceptual synthesis, we highlight three
critical areas in seedling ecology for future research to target. First,
given wide variation in the definition of a ‘seedling’, we provide a
standard definition based on seed reserve dependence while emphasising
the need to measure ontogenetic variation more clearly both within and
following the seedling stage. Second, studies demonstrate that seedlings
can be studied in multiple media (e.g. soil, agar, filter paper) and
conditions (e.g. field, greenhouse, laboratory). We recommend that
researchers select methods based on explicit goals, yet follow standard
guidelines to reduce methodological noise across studies. Third,
research is critically needed to assess the implications of different
methodologies on trait measurement and compatibility across studies.
- By highlighting the importance of seedling functional
ecology and suggesting pathways to address key challenges, we aim to
inspire future research that generates useful and comparable data on
seedling functional ecology. This work is critical to explain variation
within and among populations, communities and ecosystems and integrate
this most vulnerable stage of plant life into ecological frameworks.
|
| Persistent UFZ Identifier |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=28716 |
Winkler, D.E., Garbowski, M., Kožić, K., Ladouceur, E., Larson, J., Martin, S., Rosche, C., Roscher, C., Slate, M.L., Korell, L. (2024):
Facilitating comparable research in seedling functional ecology
Methods Ecol. Evol. 15 (3), 464 - 476 10.1111/2041-210X.14288 |
