Why functional ecology should consider all plant organs: An allocation-based perspective
Why functional ecology should consider all plant organs: An allocation-based perspective
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DOI：
10.1016/j.baae.2014.11.002
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发表时间：
2015-02-01
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Minden, Vanessa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kleyer, Michael;Minden, Vanessa
功能生态学通常分析一些选定的特征，并将它们与环境条件或生态系统特性联系起来。然而，不是单个性状，而是具有一组协调性状的整个植物响应环境或影响生态系统特性。在这里，我们认为，所有主要植物器官的性状之间的相关性应该是一个不可分割的一部分，响应或效果的研究。植物在根、多年生克隆器官、茎、叶和种子之间分配元素和生物量，以保证生长和繁殖。如果不同时考虑所有植物器官及其所执行的生物功能，即资源吸收、营养再生、支持和水力途径、光合作用和生殖繁殖，就几乎不可能评估性状对环境的反应和对生态系统的影响。指示这些功能的合适性状包括主要植物器官的质量、密度、大小、体积和元素含量。原则上，我们不建议收集许多特征，而是那些在器官中具有相似意义的特征。例如，比叶面积应辅以比根长和比茎长。我们提出了一些想法，如何协调分配到生物功能设置边界的范围内的性状表达的演替系列，因此也物种对环境的反应和对生态系统的影响。考虑所有主要植物器官之间的性状协调将提高我们对确保在图案化景观中生存的植物策略的理解。
Functional ecology often analyses a few selected traits and relates them either to environmental conditions or ecosystem properties. However, not the individual trait, but the whole plant with a set of coordinated traits responds to the environment or affects ecosystem properties. Here we argue that the correlation among traits of all major plant organs should be an integral part of response or effect studies. Plants allocate elements and biomass among roots, perennial clonal organs, stems, leaves and seeds to ensure growth and reproduction. Assessment of trait responses to the environment and effects on ecosystems is hardly possible without simultaneously considering all plant organs and the biological functions they perform, namely resource uptake, vegetative regeneration, support and hydraulic pathways, photosynthesis and generative reproduction. Suitable traits to indicate these functions include those of mass, density, size, volume, and element contents of the main plant organs. In principle, we do not propose to collect many traits, but those of similar significance across organs. For instance, specific leaf area should be complemented by specific root length and specific stem length. We present some thoughts on how coordinated allocation to biological functions sets boundaries to the range of trait expressions in successional series and consequently also to species responses to the environment and effects on ecosystems. Considering the coordination of traits amongst all major plant organs will improve our understanding of plant strategies ensuring survival in patterned landscapes.