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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 56(5)

Plant trait–environmental linkages among contrasting landscapes and climate regimes in temperate eucalypt woodlands

Karen E. Wills A C and Peter J. Clarke B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Plant Science, Private Bag 55, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.

B Botany, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: karen.wills@utas.edu.au

Australian Journal of Botany 56(5) 422-432 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT07150
Submitted: 6 August 2007  Accepted: 22 April 2008   Published: 24 July 2008

Abstract

Ecological sorting of species along climate and landscape gradients is a fundamental global pattern. However, the extent to which functional traits reflect floristic turnover in response to interactions between climate and landscape gradients is rarely assessed. We tested whether floristic variation among sites within a bioregion was more strongly correlated with soil fertility or climate. We then examined the relationship between floristic composition, environment and the co-variation of selected vegetative and regenerative functional traits. This allowed us to assess the ecological sorting of species along soil fertility and rainfall gradients and to detect any resource compensation effects via interactions between these factors. Floristic differences were equally associated with soil fertility and climate contrasts but species’ trait patterns were more strongly associated with soil fertility than rainfall. No interactive effects, which would suggest resource compensation, were detected. Instead, more fertile sites consistently had more forbs, annuals and grasses in comparison with less fertile sites which were dominated by woody species and had a higher abundance of graminoids. Three broad mechanisms for sorting of species based on trait patterns are proposed (1) differences in the fundamental regenerative and growth niche, (2) resource competition during establishment and (3) disturbance-mediated sorting.


Acknowledgements

We thank the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service for their assistance with this research. John Hunter provided data for some of the vegetation surveys. Catherine Nano and Lachlan Copeland assisted with fieldwork. Financial support was provided to KEW from an Australian Postgraduate Award and an NCW Beadle award.


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