The contribution of intraspecific trait variability to the functional diversity of herbaceous vegetation along a local environmental gradient

• DOI: 10.17581/bp.2025.14114
• Publication Date: 2025-05-02T05:49:30Z
• Authors: Tatiana G. Elumeeva; Tatiana M. Gavrilova; ; Oxana V. Cheredni...

Intraspecific trait variability reflects plant acclimation to habitats. In Central Forest Reserve (Tver’ Region, Russia) we studied four herbaceous communities with several common species: managed and abandoned mesic meadows, tall-herb subruderal communities and Filipendula ulmaria communities. To estimate the contribution of intraspecific variability to community weighted means (CWM) and indices of functional richness, evenness and divergence, we used the data on leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA) and vegetative height, measured per community type and their mean values across communities. Plant height had a positive covariation with CWMs, while SLA mostly had a negative covariation. For CWMs of leaf area, the species turnover was more important than the intraspecific variability. The highest functional richness by all the traits was observed in abandoned meadows. In subruderal communities the intraspecific variability of SLA can compensate for the losses in species and functional richness.