Here, we analysed a wide range of literature data on the leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA).
In nature, LMA varies more than 100‐fold among species. Part of this variation (c. 35%) can …

One of ecology's grand challenges is develo** general rules to explain and predict highly
complex systems. Understanding and predicting ecological processes from species' traits …

Plant traits–the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological
characteristics of plants and their organs–determine how primary producers respond to …

Most plants show considerable capacity to adjust their photosynthetic characteristics to their
growth temperatures (temperature acclimation). The most typical case is a shift in the …

Succession is a fundamental concept in ecology because it indicates how species
populations, communities, and ecosystems change over time on new substrate or after a …

Forests constitute important ecosystems in the global carbon cycle. However, how trees and
environmental conditions interact to determine the amount of organic carbon stored in forest …

Biodiversity is essential to healthy ecosystem function, influencing productivity and
resilience to disturbance. Biodiversity loss endangers essential ecosystem services and …

Biological stoichiometry theory considers the balance of multiple chemical elements in living
systems, whereas metabolic scaling theory considers how size affects metabolic properties …

Aim This first global quantification of the relationship between leaf traits and soil nutrient
fertility reflects the trade‐off between growth and nutrient conservation. The power of soils …

The tissue traits and architectures of plant species are important for land-plant ecology in
two ways. First, they control ecosystem processes and define habitat and resources for other …