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Clustering of plant life strategies on meso-scale

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Abstract

The spatial pattern of life strategies gives us clues about what factors are important for structuring the vegetation and at which scale they work. In this study, we look at the spatial distribution of the CSR-strategies of Grime on a meso-scale (larger than 50 m × 50 m) in a temperate forest. To detect the spatial pattern of the different life forms, 79 plant species were surveyed according to a grid with 2431 cells of 50 m × 50 m. For each cell C, S and R-values were calculated and their spatial distribution was studied. The spatial patterns were then explained by available environmental factors. The different plant strategies clearly showed an aggregated pattern on a scale larger than 50 m × 50 m. This non-random and unequal distribution of the different life strategies could be explained by the factors that are under the control of the forest management, namely “distance to road” and “dominant (planted) tree species”. Patches with high C-values (C-biotopes) where found under pine, S-biotopes where found under mixed oak-beech and pure beech stands of 100 to 150 years old. R-biotopes were bound to the roads.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the institute for nature and forest research (INBO) and the agency for nature and forest (ANB) for providing the digital soil and stand map and allowing access to the study area. We also thank two anonymous referees for their helpful comments on previous versions of the article.

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Author notes

  1. Sandrine Godefroid

    Present address: National Botanic Garden of Belgium, Domein van Bouchout, 1860, Meise, Belgium

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Plant Biology and Nature Management (APNA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

    Wim Massant, Sandrine Godefroid & Nico Koedam

Authors
  1. Wim Massant
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  2. Sandrine Godefroid
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  3. Nico Koedam
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Correspondence to Wim Massant.

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Massant, W., Godefroid, S. & Koedam, N. Clustering of plant life strategies on meso-scale. Plant Ecol 205, 47–56 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9597-0

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