Turnover of Plant Species on an Ecological Gradient in Karst Dolines Is Reflected in Plant Traits: Chorotypes, Life Forms, Plant Architecture and Strategies

We analyzed plants and their traits in dolines, which are characteristic enclosed terrain depressions on carbonate (karst) plateaus. These landforms range from a few meters to over 100 m diameter, depth generally varying tens of meters. A pronounced ecological gradient can be found the bottom top, starting humid, cool shaded bottoms sunny, dry warm slopes tops. sampled dolines various depths distribution plant species how this is reflected traits: chorotypes, life forms, architecture strategies. used transect method floristic composition doline top. collected information about literature sources. The results show forms explain well and, lesser extent, also but functional strategies have low explanatory power. Life result adaptation environment, chorotypes defined as with an overlapping geographical pattern due environmental histories. Functional strategies, evolved enable succeed environments, unexpectedly