00489nas a2200133 4500008004100000022001400041245011500055210006900170300001400239490000800253100001900261700001800280856005700298 2022 eng d a0029-854900aClimate variability supersedes grazing to determine the anatomy and physiology of a dominant grassland species0 aClimate variability supersedes grazing to determine the anatomy  a345–3550 v1981 aBachle, Seton.1 aNippert, J.B. uhttps://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00442-022-05106-x00577nas a2200145 4500008004100000245013100041210006900172300001600241490000700257100001900264700002300283700001900306700001500325856009100340 2022 eng d00aIntra-canopy leaf trait variation facilitates high leaf area index and compensatory growth in a clonal woody-encroaching shrub0 aIntracanopy leaf trait variation facilitates high leaf area inde a2186–22020 v421 aTooley, E., G.1 aNippert, Jesse, B.1 aBachle, Seton.1 aKeen, R.M. uhttps://academic.oup.com/treephys/advance-article/doi/10.1093/treephys/tpac078/664798402138nas a2200121 4500008004100000245010800041210006900149520166700218100001901885700001901904700002301923856007001946 2018 eng d00aIntraspecific trait variability in Andropogon gerardii, a dominant grass species in the US Great Plains0 aIntraspecific trait variability in Andropogon gerardii a dominan3 a

The climatic conditions in the North American Great Plains are highly variable, characteristic of an inter-continental climate. Antecedent climate history has impacted the flora of Great Plains grasslands, resulting in high species richness as well as dominance by only a few grass species, such as Andropogon gerardii. While the productivity of A. gerardii is well described, the individual physiological, and morphological characteristics that confer species dominance over wide spatial gradients are not clearly understood. We performed a literature search to assess intra-specific trait variability of A. gerardii from as many locations as possible. Ultimately, only 13 locations in the Great Plains have reported common plant functional traits (PFTs) for this species. To best represent site-specific climate conditions, plant functional trait data (8 PFTs) were collected from literature reporting ambient growing conditions, and excluded experimental manipulations. For most PFTs, we found insufficient data to fully quantify the range of variation across the geographical extent of A. gerardii dominance. This is surprising given that we focused on the most abundant grass in one of the most well-studied regions globally. Furthermore, trait data collected from our literature search showed a high degree of variability, but no strong relationships were observed between mean trait values and climate predictors. Our review of the literature on A. gerardii suggests a role for trait variability as a mechanism enabling the dominance of this species across large regions such as the Great Plains of North America.

1 aBachle, Seton.1 aGriffith, D.M.1 aNippert, Jesse, B. uhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00217/full02033nas a2200133 4500008004100000245007400041210006900115300001200184490000700196520158700203100001901790700002301809856006701832 2018 eng d00aPhysiological and anatomical trait variability of dominant C4 grasses0 aPhysiological and anatomical trait variability of dominant C4 gr a14 - 200 v933 a

Climate variability is a key driver of physiological responses in common grass species in grasslands of North America. Differences in microanatomical traits among coexisting species may influence physiological responses to climate variability over large geographic scales. The goal of this research was to determine leaf-level physiological and microanatomical trait variability among four dominant C4 grass species across a natural precipitation gradient. Physiological traits were observed to vary significantly across the gradient with greater variability than microanatomical traits. Microanatomical traits were shown to predict physiological responses in A. gerardii and P. virgatum, but the nature of the relationships varied between species. These results illustrate that microanatomical and physiological traits vary across a precipitation gradient, there are clear linkages between microanatomy and physiology in grass species, and this evidence underscores the need for further investigation using phylogenetically diverse assemblages.

 

1 aBachle, Seton.1 aNippert, Jesse, B. uhttps://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1146609X17304587