Plant Functional Traits Improve Diversity-Based Predictions of Temporal Stability of Grassland Productivity
نویسندگان
چکیده
The temporal stability of plant production is greater in communities with high than low species richness, but stability also may depend on species abundances and growth-related traits. Annual precipitation varied by greater than a factor of three over 11 years in central Texas, USA leading to large variation in production. Stability was greatest in communities that were not dominated by few species and in which dominant species rooted shallowly, had dense leaves, or responded to the wettest year with a minimal increase in production. Stability may depend as much on species abundances and functional traits as on species richness alone.
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