Uncertainty persists within trait-based ecology, partly because few studies assess multiple axes of functional variation and their effect on plant performance. For 55 species from two semiarid grasslands, we quantified: i) covariation between economic traits of leaves and absorptive roots, ii) covariation among economic traits, plant height, leaf size, and seed mass, and iii) relationships between these traits and species abundance. Pairs of analogous leaf and root traits were at least weakly positively correlated (e.g., SLA and SRL). Two pairs of such traits, N content and DMC of leaves and roots, were at least moderately correlated (r>0.5) whether species were grouped by site, taxonomic group and growth form, or life history. Root diameter was positively correlated with seed mass for all groups of species except annuals and monocots. Species with higher LDMC tended to be more abundant (r=0.63). Annuals with larger seeds were more abundant (r=0.69). Compared to global-scale syntheses with many observations from mesic ecosystems, we observed stronger correlations between analogous leaf and root traits, weaker correlations between SLA and leaf N, and stronger correlations between SRL and root N. In dry grasslands, plant persistence may require coordination of above- and belowground traits, and dense tissues may facilitate dominance.
This dataset and data dictionary are available in comma-delimited format. They are supplement to: Mueller et al. 2023. Coordination of leaf, root, and seed traits shows the importance of whole plant economics in two semiarid grasslands. New Phytologist.
The locations of trait data collections are from two sites:
Detailed information on collections of measurements and statistical analysis can be found in the manuscript.
The dataset is accompanied by a data dictionary.
Unavailable data flag: NA indicates (1) Sampling date not recorded; (2) Trait was not measured; or (3) Trait value was identified as an extreme statistical outlier or otherwise deemed unreliable due to methodological error.
This work is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication license.
These data are related to: Blumenthal, Dana; Kray, Julie; Mueller, Kevin; Ocheltree, Troy (2020), Shortgrass steppe and northern mixedgrass prairie plant species traits, Dryad Dataset, https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8sf7m0cjr
Note that this dataset also includes additional traits and species beyond those presented in the Blumenthal et al. 2020 reference.