Latitudinal gradients and beyond: understanding the drivers of global patterns in plant ecology

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There are astonishing gaps in our understanding of global patterns in the way plants grow, and the factors that underlie these patterns. We don’t know whether mean climatic conditions or extreme events are more important in shaping plant traits. We don’t know which environmental variables are most important in shaping most aspects of plant ecological strategy, and we don’t know what shape the relationship between latitude and most plant traits takes. This project will address these knowledge gaps, substantially improving our ability to predict the potential impacts of climate change on plants, and providing the basis for exciting new theory about the mechanisms driving the evolution of plant form and function in Australia, and around the world.