Functional traits and phenotypic plasticity modulate species coexistence across contrasting climatic conditions

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 2555 - 11
• Main Authors: Pérez-Ramos, Ignacio M., Matías, Luis, Gómez-Aparicio, Lorena, Godoy, Óscar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11.06.2019; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/158; 631/158/853; 631/449/2668; Adaptation, Physiological; Biodiversity; Climate; Climatic conditions; Coexistence; Competition; Ecosystem; Field tests; Fitness; Functional plasticity; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnoliopsida - growth & development; Magnoliopsida - physiology; Models, Theoretical; multidisciplinary; Niches; Phenotype; Phenotypic plasticity; Physical characteristics; Plant communities; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant populations; Plant species; Plastic properties; Plasticity; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seeds - growth & development; Species

Functional traits are expected to modulate plant competitive dynamics. However, how traits and their plasticity in response to contrasting environments connect with the mechanisms determining species coexistence remains poorly understood. Here, we couple field experiments under two contrasting clima...