Sticking around: Plant persistence strategies on edaphic islands

Aim Species on islands are at high risk of extinction due to environmental changes, including global warming, land-use alterations and invasions. At local scales, extinctions can be offset by strategies promoting in situ persistence. We explored how persistence-related traits plants—that is, linked belowground resource conservation, growth, size longevity—on edaphic respond variation insularity the environment (soil microclimate), intraspecific variability, which is rarely considered functional island biogeography. hypothesised that plants facing strong harsh soil conditions characterised enhanced persistence abilities. Location Shallow-soil temperate dry grasslands granite outcrops, Central Europe. Methods focussed specialist species belonging different life histories, namely clonal non-clonal perennial plants. used linear mixed-effect models examine intra- interspecific trait patterns versus insularity, microclimate. Results Insularity tended promote smaller (non-clonal species) resource-conservative (both species), increasing likelihood Soil also contributed largely explaining patterns: growing conservative. Clonal distinguished highly consistent responses conditions, whereas showed distinct species-specific responses. Main conclusions Our findings have important implications for conservation biogeography plant specialists. may susceptible should or vary, example, abrupt changes geographical setting (e.g. habitat loss) factors N-deposition). Non-clonal instead face differently; some will go extinct, others survive, depending prevailing abiotic pressures. This seems challenge previous views predicted winners losers against extinction.