Authors
Ryan C Donnelly, Emily R Wedel, Jeffrey H Taylor, Jesse B Nippert, Brent R Helliker, William J Riley, Christopher J Still, Daniel M Griffith
Publication date
2023/8
Journal
New Phytologist
Volume
239
Issue
3
Pages
875-887
Description
- Evolutionary history plays a key role driving patterns of trait variation across plant species. For scaling and modeling purposes, grass species are typically organized into C3 vs C4 plant functional types (PFTs). Plant functional type groupings may obscure important functional differences among species. Rather, grouping grasses by evolutionary lineage may better represent grass functional diversity.
- We measured 11 structural and physiological traits in situ from 75 grass species within the North American tallgrass prairie. We tested whether traits differed significantly among photosynthetic pathways or lineages (tribe) in annual and perennial grass species.
- Critically, we found evidence that grass traits varied among lineages, including independent origins of C4 photosynthesis. Using a rigorous model selection approach, tribe was included in the top models for five of nine traits for perennial species. Tribes were …
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RC Donnelly, ER Wedel, JH Taylor, JB Nippert… - New Phytologist, 2023