Plant Functional Traits

Plant Function Traits: Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning presents a wholistic understanding of Plant Functional Traits with the goal of informing current application and advancing future research. As global climate change advances, natural resources are facing increasing survival challenges. There is a need for scientific basis to develop and effectively implement sustainable resource planning. As part of the Plant Biology, Sustainability and Climate Change series, this book directly addresses that need. Plant functional traits are morphological, physiological and phenological properties of a plant that can be used as a proxy to understand plant environment interactions. They serve as indicators for understanding the impact of climate change at both species and community level. Most advance tools to understand the impact of climate change are in the form of computer-based simulation models termed as Dynamic Global Vegetation Models. These models can simulate the response of any stimulus on the plants considering response of selected traits. Thus, plant functional traits have emerged as an essential element when seeking to understand the effect of the changing environment upon plants. Plant Functional Traits provides the scientific basis for the study of functional traits including in situ studies and Earth observation-based monitoring and application in studying plant environment interactions to assess impact at various trophic levels and ecosystems. The book illustrates through individual chapters and case studies about application of functional traits in classifying vegetation of a region into distinct type groups as Plant Functional Types (PFTs), its application in the development of new generation of Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM) and understanding the response of vegetation to changing environment. Plant Function Traits improves theoretical and practical understanding on the functioning of ecosystem processes governed by plant functional traits. Presents foundational insights into multiple functional trait axesDescribes the quantification of functional traits from individuals to regionsIncludes the role of functional traits in developing new vegetation models for assessing the impact of climate change on plants