Can CSR classification be generally applied outside Britain

• Published in: Plant ecology Vol. 210; no. 2; pp. 253 - 261
• Main Authors: Cerabolini, Bruno E. L, Brusa, Guido, Ceriani, Roberta M, De Andreis, Rossella, Luzzaro, Alessandra, Pierce, Simon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.10.2010; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: adaptive radiation; Analysis; Applied Ecology; Bioclimatology; Biodiversity; biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; carbon; Classification; Community & Population Ecology; Corporate social responsibility; CSR theory; CSR triangle; Dry matter; Ecology; Economic growth rate; Flowering; Flowers & plants; Functional traits; Grime; Growth traits; Indigenous species; Leaf area; Leaves; Life Sciences; Multivariate analysis; phylogeny; Plant Ecology; Plant functional type; Plant growth; Plant species; Plant strategies; Plants; Species; stress tolerance; Terrestial Ecology; Tissues; Trade-off; United Kingdom; Vegetation; Vegetation canopies; United Kingdom > UK; United Kingdom; Plant strategies; Adaptive radiation; Trade-off; CSR theory; CSR triangle; Functional traits; Grime; Plant functional type
• ISSN: 1385-0237; 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/s11258-010-9753-6

The general applicability of CSR classification (a methodology for applying CSR theory) has not been tested outside Britain. We hypothesised that principal axes of trait variation for plant species native to southern European continental, sub-alpine and alpine bioclimatic zones correlate with CSR classification scores. Functional traits were quantified in situ for 506 species of 57 families. Multivariate analysis revealed three main modes in which plants invested biomass: (1) architectural extension of individual ramets (tall canopies, large leaves), (2) durable tissues (high leaf dry matter contents and carbon contents, low specific leaf areas) or (3) regenerative development (early, extensive flowering with delicate, nitrogen-rich leaves). These were highly significantly correlated with the extent of competitive ability (C), stress-tolerance (S) and ruderalism (R), respectively, determined by CSR classification. Despite being calibrated using only 43 British species, CSR classification is consistent with trait variation in a phylogenetically broader sample of species native to a wider range of bioclimatic zones.