ArticleBMC plant biology2023
Plant trait networks reveal adaptation strategies in the drylands of China.
Article in BMC plant biology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Spectral network analysis illuminates coordinated plant traits across a climate gradient.The New phytologist · 2026Article
- Branching hierarchy shapes branch-leaf allometry and trait coordination in mountain shrubs of Dongling Mountain, Beijing.AoB PLANTS · 2026Article
- Changes in Potential Suitable Habitats, Species Turnover, and Conservation Gaps of Wild Plants in the Tarim Basin, China.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Desert Plant Trait Networks Differ Among Plant Life Forms and Soil Moisture-Salinity Environments.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Scaling and stoichiometry of seed nitrogen and phosphorus across Chinese grasslands.Plant diversity · 2026Article
- Responses of root exudates to phosphorus-rich patches in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and their module affiliation in the trait network.Plant diversity · 2026Article
- Aridity and drought: distinct concepts often conflated in ecological research.The New phytologist · 2026Review
- Scale-dependent decoupling of leaf traits and phylogeny reveals dimension-specific environmental filtering in Polyspora chrysandra-associated montane forests.BMC plant biology · 2026Article
- Differential resource acquisition strategies of herbaceous and woody plants in temperate forests.BMC plant biology · 2026Article
- Functional trait network analysis in birds.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Impact of varying diurnal temperature ranges on regulation of multiple physiological traits of a drought-tolerant moss (Grimmia pilifera).BMC plant biology · 2025Article
- Morphological and physiological responses to aridity in narrowly- and widely-distributed plant species in drylands.Science China. Life sciences · 2025Article
- How does species rarity influence the functional diversity and resilience along the successional pathway in heterogeneous karst forests?Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Plant Architectural Structure and Leaf Trait Responses to Environmental Change: A Meta-Analysis.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Plastic Responses ofPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Trade-off strategies between growth and defense of spring ephemeral plants in early spring.Frontiers in plant science · 2025Article
- Scaling of cotyledon and primary leaf mass versus area inAoB PLANTS · 2024Article
- Exploring Intraspecific Trait Variation in a Xerophytic Moss SpeciesPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Which Has a Greater Impact on Plant Functional Traits: Plant Source or Environment?Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPlants accomplish multiple functions by the interrelationships between functional traits. Clarifying the complex relationships between plant traits would enable us to better understand how plants employ different strategies to adapt to the environment. Although increasing attention is being paid to plant traits, few studies focused on the adaptation to aridity through the relationship among multiple traits. We established plant trait networks (PTNs) to explore the interdependence of sixteen plant traits across drylands.
resultsOur results revealed significant differences in PTNs among different plant life-forms and different levels of aridity. Trait relationships for woody plants were weaker, but were more modularized than for herbs. Woody plants were more connected in economic traits, whereas herbs were more connected in structural traits to reduce damage caused by drought. Furthermore, the correlations between traits were tighter with higher edge density in semi-arid than in arid regions, suggesting that resource sharing and trait coordination are more advantageous under low drought conditions. Importantly, our results demonstrated that stem phosphorus concentration (SPC) was a hub trait correlated with other traits across drylands.
conclusionsThe results demonstrate that plants exhibited adaptations to the arid environment by adjusting trait modules through alternative strategies. PTNs provide a new insight into understanding the adaptation strategies of plants to drought stress based on the interdependence among plant functional traits.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.