Plant Functional Traits

Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning

1st Edition - February 15, 2025
Editors: Manoj Kumar, Rainer W Bussmann, Nathan G Swenson
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 3 3 6 7 - 1
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 3 3 6 8 - 8

Plant Function Traits: Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning, part of the Plant Biology, Sustainability and Climate Change series, presents a wholistic understanding of… Read more

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Plant Function Traits: Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning, part of the Plant Biology, Sustainability and Climate Change series, presents a wholistic understanding of Plant Functional Traits. As global climate change advances, natural resources are facing increasing survival challenges, hence this book directly addresses that need, exploring the morphological, physiological, and phenological properties of a plant that can be used as a proxy to understand plant environment interactions. Users will find great illustrations throughout individual chapters, along with case studies that demonstrate applications of functional traits in classifying vegetation of a region into distinct type groups as Plant Functional Types (PFTs).

Additional information includes applications in the development of new generation of Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM) and an understanding of the response of vegetation to changing environments.

Title of Book
Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
About the editors
Preface
List of abbreviations
Chapter 1. Plant functional traits: the scientific basis and their significance in studying climate change impacts and ecosystem functioning
Abstract
1.1 Plant functional traits: the scientific basis
1.2 Significance of plant functional traits in studying climate change impacts
1.3 Plant functional traits in studying ecosystem functioning
1.4 Conclusion
References
Section I: Plant functional traits: the scientific basis
Chapter 2. Trait–performance relationships: contexts and complexity
Abstract
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Traits and performance as a matter of scale
2.3 Phenotypic integration in traits and performance relationships
2.4 Conclusion
References
Chapter 3. Plant functional geography: a reemerging field informing community assembly and ecosystem modeling research
Abstract
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Plant functional geography and community assembly
3.3 Plant functional geography and ecosystem modeling
3.4 Future directions and challenges
3.5 Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 4. Traits, occurrence, and abundance of plants
Abstract
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Abundance and rarity
4.3 Scale and context matter
4.4 Biotic interactions
4.5 Succession: a special case
4.6 Multitrait combinations and trait syndromes: new insights
4.7 Some roots of contrasting results
4.8 Conclusion
References
Section II: Functional relationship between trait and environment
Chapter 5. Unraveling the relationship between environment and plant functional traits
Abstract
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Quantifying trait–environment relationships
5.3 Traits and performance in the abiotic environment
5.4 Coordination, optimality, and trade-offs
5.5 Traits and response to the biotic environment
5.6 Application of trait–environment relationships
5.7 Future directions in trait-environment linkages
5.8 Conclusion
References
Chapter 6. Plant traits, microclimate modifications, and ecosystem functioning in managed environments
Abstract
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Wind
6.3 Rain
6.4 Temperature and humidity
6.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter 7. Plant functional traits and soil carbon dynamics
Abstract
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Soil carbon inputs
7.3 Soil carbon losses
7.4 Using plant functional traits within global carbon modeling
7.5 Conclusion
References
Section III: Ecosystem services and plant functional traits
Chapter 8. The use of functional traits in assessing productivity in natural ecosystems
Abstract
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Overview of functional traits, ecosystem functioning, and productivity
8.3 Functional patterns across ecosystems and community-level measurements
8.4 Data gathering
8.5 Effects of functional traits on productivity
8.6 Conclusion
Data availability
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 9. Trait-based selection of suitable plant species for restoring degraded ecosystems
Abstract
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Identifying functional restoration targets and species traits
9.3 Which traits to use?
9.4 Selecting species for restoration
9.5 Selecting species to achieve trait-based restoration targets
9.6 Challenges and future perspectives
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 10. Unraveling the phosphorus cycling from the functional trait approach of plant–soil interactions
Abstract
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Phosphorus uptake by plants
10.3 Role of plant–soil microorganisms interactions for phosphorus acquisition
10.4 Phosphorus release from litter and crop residues
10.5 Trait-based approach of phosphorus cycling in agroecosystems
10.6 Increasing phosphorus availability and cycling via trait-based agroecological practices
10.7 Conclusion and perspectives
References
Section IV: Species trait variability, monitoring and management
Chapter 11. Advancing the measurement of forest vegetation structural traits using terrestrial laser scanning
Abstract
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Structural traits
11.3 Traditional measurement methods
11.4 Remote sensing of plant traits
11.5 Terrestrial laser scanning for extraction of structural traits
11.6 Conclusion
References
Chapter 12. Investigating the origins and effects of intraspecific trait variation
Abstract
12.1 Introduction: a historical perspective
12.2 Mechanisms underlying plant intraspecific trait variation
12.3 Extent of plant intraspecific trait variation
12.4 Effects on higher order processes
12.5 Future directions
12.6 Conclusion
12.7 Supplementary data
References
Chapter 13. Disentangling the role of inter and intraspecific trait variations in plant community assembly processes
Abstract
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Describing plant communities on the basis of species traits
13.3 Inter and intraspecific trait variation
13.4 Environmental drivers of functional composition: the environmental filtering hypothesis and the role of intraspecific variation
13.5 Disentangling the inter and intraspecific sources of variations, practically
13.6 Community-weighted mean, community mean, and community assembly
13.7 Differences in trait responses to environmental changes: the need of considering multiple traits
13.8 Conclusions
Acknowledgment
References
Chapter 14. Alaska as a failed socio and ecological state? Some supporting evidence from the absence of carnivorous plant trait conservation using open access and ensemble model predictions
Abstract
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Real-world land conflicts affecting plants in Alaska
14.3 Methods
14.4 Results
14.5 Discussion
Acknowledgments
Appendix
References
Chapter 15. The role of plant functional traits in mitigating urban climate and environmental pollution
Abstract
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Plant functional traits: an in-depth exploration
15.3 Urban climate mitigation through selective traits
15.4 Reducing environmental pollution with selective traits
15.5 Integrating plant functional traits into urban planning and design
15.6 Conclusion
References
Section V: Functional traits and vegetation models
Chapter 16. Linking biophysical models with functional traits for ecological studies
Abstract
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Traits for ecological studies
16.3 Trait and environment relationship
16.4 From taxonomic scheme to functional attribute
16.5 Modeling vegetation processes and response
16.6 Linking traits in models
16.7 Future challenges and research direction
16.8 Conclusion
References
Chapter 17. Representation of plant functional traits in dynamic global vegetation models: current status, gaps, and future directions
Abstract
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Dynamic global vegetation models and functional traits
17.3 Plant functional traits and their representation in vegetation models
17.4 Functional traits in vegetation models: the way forward?
17.5 Conclusion
References
Further reading
Chapter 18. Modeling the relationships between traits, climate, and life history strategies: scope for research and practice
Abstract
18.1 Introduction: climate change, plant traits, and forests
18.2 Functional trait and life history strategies
18.3 Modeling of ecosystem processes utilizing plant functional traits
18.4 Scope and challenges
18.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter 19. Remote sensing and machine learning in vegetation phenology studies
Abstract
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Comparison of vegetation phenology growth studies
19.3 Bibliometric analysis
19.4 Conclusion
References
Index

Manoj Kumar

Dr. Kumar is a senior scientist working at Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India. Kumar primarily works in the field of forestry, environment, climate change, and related interdisciplinary fields with wider applications of Information Technology, Remote Sensing and GIS tools and has a working experience of more than fifteen years. His research area includes testing and development of dynamic vegetation models for the climate change impact studies. He has initiated work on developing forest growth simulation model (ForestInfo) to study functional relationship of plants with the environment that could be used for climate change impact studies and has published high impact international papers on various themes of agriculture, forestry, environment, and climate change. He has successfully implemented more than twenty research projects funded by national and international agencies.

Affiliations and expertise

Scientist, Biodiversity and Climate Change Division, Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education,INDIA

Rainer W Bussmann

Prof. Dr. Rainer W. Bussmann is a vegetation ecologist and an ethnobotanist. He is Head and Full Professor at the Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Georgia. Before moving to Georgia, he was director of William L. Brown Center at Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. He held academic appointments as Associate Professor of Botany and Scientific Director of Harold Lyon Arboretum at University of Hawaii, USA and Assistant Professor at University of Bayreuth, Germany. He holds affiliate appointments and serves as external thesis advisor at universities worldwide. He has authored over 330 peer-reviewed papers, over 1200 peer-reviewed book chapters, and authored or edited 38 books. According to Stanford University, he is recognized among the 2% most influential scientists worldwide. He is past President of the Society for Economic Botany and has served as board/council member of the Botanical Society of America, and International Society of Ethnobiology.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor of Ethnobotany and Head Department of Ethnobotany ,Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden.Georgia

Nathan G Swenson

Prof. Swenson is a world expert in the ecology and evolution of tree species. His work focuses on the functional and historical processes that determine the performance, distribution and dynamics of trees across space and time. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. He is currently the Gillen Director of the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center. He has published 2 books and over 160 peer reviewed papers including in journals such as Science, Nature and PNAS. Prof. Swenson has received multiple international awards including being named a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics and a recipient of the Ebbe Nielsen Prize from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Affiliations and expertise

Gillen Director of the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC).

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Plant Functional Traits

Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning

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Manoj Kumar

Rainer W Bussmann

Nathan G Swenson

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