2024

• I. S. Matos, M. Boakye, M. Antonio, S. Carlos, A. Chu, M. A. Duarte, A. Echevarria, A. Fontao, L. Garcia, L. Huang, B. C. Johnson, S. Joshi, D. Kalantar, S. Madhavan, S. McDonough, I. Niewiadomski, N. Nguyen, H. J. Park, C. Pechuzal, J. Rohde, R. Sahu, M. Scudder, S. Sharma, L. Sneor, J. To, B. Vu, N. Vuong, N. Yokota, L. M. T. Aparecido, H. Forbes, M. Fricker, and B. Blonder, “Leaf architecture and functional traits for 122 species at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley,” Ecology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e4436, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4436
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract The dataset contains leaf venation architecture and functional traits for a phylogenetically diverse set of 122 plant species (including ferns, basal angiosperms, monocots, basal eudicots, asterids, and rosids) collected from the living collections of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley (37.87° N, 122.23° W; CA, USA) from February to September 2021. The sampled species originated from all continents, except Antarctica, and are distributed in different growth forms (aquatic, herb, climbing, tree, shrub). The functional dataset comprises 31 traits (mechanical, hydraulic, anatomical, physiological, economical, and chemical) and describes six main leaf functional axes (hydraulic conductance, resistance and resilience to damages caused by drought and herbivory, mechanical support, and construction cost). It also describes how architecture features vary across venation networks. Our trait dataset is suitable for (1) functional and architectural characterization of plant species; (2) identification of venation architecture-function trade-offs; (3) investigation of evolutionary trends in leaf venation networks; and (4) mechanistic modeling of leaf function. Data are made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4436,
  author = {Matos, Ilaine Silveira and Boakye, Mickey and Antonio, Monica and Carlos, Sonoma and Chu, Ashley and Duarte, Miguel A. and Echevarria, Andrea and Fontao, Adrian and Garcia, Lisa and Huang, LeeAnn and Johnson, Breanna Carrillo and Joshi, Shama and Kalantar, Diana and Madhavan, Srinivasan and McDonough, Samantha and Niewiadomski, Izzi and Nguyen, Nathan and Park, Hailey Jiyoon and Pechuzal, Caroline and Rohde, James and Sahu, Roshni and Scudder, Meg and Sharma, Satvik and Sneor, LeeDar and To, Jason and Vu, Bradley and Vuong, Natalie and Yokota, Nicole and Aparecido, Luiza M. T. and Forbes, Holly and Fricker, Mark and Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Leaf architecture and functional traits for 122 species at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley},
  journal = {Ecology},
  year = {2024},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e4436},
  keywords = {botanical garden, drought, ecology, functional traits, herbivory, leaf anatomy, leaf mechanics, leaf venation, plant ecophysiology, plant hydraulics, venation network},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4436},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_ECOL.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecy.4436},
  abstract = {Abstract The dataset contains leaf venation architecture and functional traits for a phylogenetically diverse set of 122 plant species (including ferns, basal angiosperms, monocots, basal eudicots, asterids, and rosids) collected from the living collections of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley (37.87° N, 122.23° W; CA, USA) from February to September 2021. The sampled species originated from all continents, except Antarctica, and are distributed in different growth forms (aquatic, herb, climbing, tree, shrub). The functional dataset comprises 31 traits (mechanical, hydraulic, anatomical, physiological, economical, and chemical) and describes six main leaf functional axes (hydraulic conductance, resistance and resilience to damages caused by drought and herbivory, mechanical support, and construction cost). It also describes how architecture features vary across venation networks. Our trait dataset is suitable for (1) functional and architectural characterization of plant species; (2) identification of venation architecture-function trade-offs; (3) investigation of evolutionary trends in leaf venation networks; and (4) mechanistic modeling of leaf function. Data are made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License.}
  }

• B. C. Posch, S. E. Bush, D. F. Koepke, A. Schuessler, L. L. D. Anderegg, L. M. T. Aparecido, B. W. Blonder, J. S. Guo, K. L. Kerr, M. E. Moran, H. F. Cooper, C. E. Doughty, C. A. Gehring, T. G. Whitham, G. J. Allan, and K. R. Hultine, “Intensive leaf cooling promotes tree survival during a record heatwave,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 121, iss. 43, p. e2408583121, 2024. doi:10.1073/pnas.2408583121
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{bradpnas,
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.2408583121},
  author = {Bradley C. Posch and Susan E. Bush and Dan F. Koepke and Alexandra Schuessler and Leander L.D. Anderegg and Luiza M.T. Aparecido and Benjamin W. Blonder and Jessica S. Guo and Kelly L. Kerr and Madeline E. Moran and Hillary F. Cooper and Christopher E. Doughty and Catherine A. Gehring and Thomas G. Whitham and Gerard J. Allan and Kevin R. Hultine },
  title = {Intensive leaf cooling promotes tree survival during a record heatwave},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
  volume = {121},
  number = {43},
  pages = {e2408583121},
  year = {2024},
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.2408583121},
  URL = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_PNAS.pdf},
  eprint = {https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2408583121}
  }

• B. Blonder, M. Lim, and O. Godoy, “Predicting and Prioritising Community Assembly: Learning Outcomes via Experiments,” Ecology Letters, vol. 27, iss. 10, p. e14535, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14535
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  ABSTRACT Community assembly provides the foundation for applications in biodiversity conservation, climate change, invasion, restoration and synthetic ecology. However, predicting and prioritising assembly outcomes remains difficult. We address this challenge via a mechanism-free approach useful when little data or knowledge exist (LOVE; Learning Outcomes Via Experiments). We carry out assembly experiments (‘actions’, here, random combinations of species additions) potentially in multiple environments, wait, and measure abundance outcomes. We then train a model to predict outcomes of novel actions or prioritise actions that would yield the most desirable outcomes. Across 10 single- and multi-environment datasets, when trained on 89 randomly selected actions, LOVE predicts outcomes with 0.5\%–3.4\% mean error, and prioritises actions for maximising richness, maximising abundance, or removing unwanted species, with 94\%–99\% mean true positive rate and 10\%–84\% mean true negative rate across tasks. LOVE complements existing mechanism-first approaches for community ecology and may help address numerous applied challenges.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14535,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin W. and Lim, Michael H. and Godoy, Oscar},
  title = {Predicting and Prioritising Community Assembly: Learning Outcomes via Experiments},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  year = {2024},
  volume = {27},
  number = {10},
  pages = {e14535},
  keywords = {coexistence, community assembly, community ecology, ethics, machine learning, prediction, prioritisation, synthetic ecology},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14535},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_ELE_LOVE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ele.14535},
  note = {e14535 ELE-00111-2024.R1},
  abstract = {ABSTRACT Community assembly provides the foundation for applications in biodiversity conservation, climate change, invasion, restoration and synthetic ecology. However, predicting and prioritising assembly outcomes remains difficult. We address this challenge via a mechanism-free approach useful when little data or knowledge exist (LOVE; Learning Outcomes Via Experiments). We carry out assembly experiments (‘actions’, here, random combinations of species additions) potentially in multiple environments, wait, and measure abundance outcomes. We then train a model to predict outcomes of novel actions or prioritise actions that would yield the most desirable outcomes. Across 10 single- and multi-environment datasets, when trained on 89 randomly selected actions, LOVE predicts outcomes with 0.5\%–3.4\% mean error, and prioritises actions for maximising richness, maximising abundance, or removing unwanted species, with 94\%–99\% mean true positive rate and 10\%–84\% mean true negative rate across tasks. LOVE complements existing mechanism-first approaches for community ecology and may help address numerous applied challenges.},
  year = {2024}
  }

• I. S. Matos, M. Boakye, I. Niewiadomski, M. Antonio, S. Carlos, B. C. Johnson, A. Chu, A. Echevarria, A. Fontao, L. Garcia, D. Kalantar, S. Madhavan, J. Mann, S. McDonough, J. Rohde, M. Scudder, S. Sharma, J. To, C. Tomaka, B. Vu, N. Yokota, H. Forbes, M. Fricker, and B. W. Blonder, “Leaf venation network architecture coordinates functional trade-offs across vein spatial scales: evidence for multiple alternative designs,” New Phytologist, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20037
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Variation in leaf venation network architecture may reflect trade-offs among multiple functions including efficiency, resilience, support, cost, and resistance to drought and herbivory. However, our knowledge about architecture-function trade-offs is mostly based on studies examining a small number of functional axes, so we still lack a more integrative picture of multidimensional trade-offs. Here, we measured architecture and functional traits on 122 ferns and angiosperms species to describe how trade-offs vary across phylogenetic groups and vein spatial scales (small, medium, and large vein width) and determine whether architecture traits at each scale have independent or integrated effects on each function. We found that generalized architecture-function trade-offs are weak. Architecture strongly predicts leaf support and damage resistance axes but weakly predicts efficiency and resilience axes. Architecture traits at different spatial scales contribute to different functional axes, allowing plants to independently modulate different functions by varying network properties at each scale. This independence of vein architecture traits within and across spatial scales may enable evolution of multiple alternative leaf network designs with similar functioning.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20037,
  author = {Matos, Ilaine Silveira and Boakye, Mickey and Niewiadomski, Izzi and Antonio, Monica and Carlos, Sonoma and Johnson, Breanna Carrillo and Chu, Ashley and Echevarria, Andrea and Fontao, Adrian and Garcia, Lisa and Kalantar, Diana and Madhavan, Srinivasan and Mann, Joseph and McDonough, Samantha and Rohde, James and Scudder, Meg and Sharma, Satvik and To, Jason and Tomaka, Connor and Vu, Bradley and Yokota, Nicole and Forbes, Holly and Fricker, Mark and Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {Leaf venation network architecture coordinates functional trade-offs across vein spatial scales: evidence for multiple alternative designs},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year = {2024},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {construction cost, damage resilience, damage resistance, functional trade-offs, leaf trait, network architecture, plant hydraulics, venation},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20037},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_NPH_tradeoffs.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.20037},
  abstract = {Summary Variation in leaf venation network architecture may reflect trade-offs among multiple functions including efficiency, resilience, support, cost, and resistance to drought and herbivory. However, our knowledge about architecture-function trade-offs is mostly based on studies examining a small number of functional axes, so we still lack a more integrative picture of multidimensional trade-offs. Here, we measured architecture and functional traits on 122 ferns and angiosperms species to describe how trade-offs vary across phylogenetic groups and vein spatial scales (small, medium, and large vein width) and determine whether architecture traits at each scale have independent or integrated effects on each function. We found that generalized architecture-function trade-offs are weak. Architecture strongly predicts leaf support and damage resistance axes but weakly predicts efficiency and resilience axes. Architecture traits at different spatial scales contribute to different functional axes, allowing plants to independently modulate different functions by varying network properties at each scale. This independence of vein architecture traits within and across spatial scales may enable evolution of multiple alternative leaf network designs with similar functioning.}
  }

• B. W. Blonder, “Why are triploid quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) common?,” American Journal of Botany, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e16325, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16325
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Premise Quaking aspen is a clonal tree species that has mixed ploidy, often with high relative abundance of both diploids and triploids but no haploids or tetraploids. Triploids typically have low fertility, leaving their occurrence apparently unlikely from an evolutionary perspective, unless they provide a “triploid bridge” to generating higher-fitness tetraploids—which are not observed in this species. This study focused on how triploidy can be maintained in quaking aspen. Methods A computational model was used to simulate gamete production, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, parent survival, and offspring survival in a population. All parameters were assumed to be cytotype-dependent and environment-independent. Sampling methods were used to identify parameter combinations consistent with observed cytotype frequencies. Results Many processes and parameter values were sufficient to yield a moderate frequency of triploids, and very few were necessary. The most plausible route involved higher triploid survival at the parent or offspring stage and limited unreduced gamete production by either diploid or triploid parents. Triploid fertility was helpful but not necessary. Conclusions The coexistence of diploids and triploids in quaking aspen is statistically likely and promoted by the existence of commonly observed, long-lived triploid clones. However, other mechanisms not captured by the model related to environmental variation could also occur. Further empirical data or more complex but difficult-to-parameterize models are needed to gain further insight.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16325,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {Why are triploid quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) common?},
  journal = {American Journal of Botany},
  year = {2024},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e16325},
  keywords = {mixed ploidy, polyploidy, quaking aspen, triploid bridge, triploid sterility, unreduced gametes},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16325},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_AJB.pdf},
  eprint = {https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajb2.16325},
  abstract = {Abstract Premise Quaking aspen is a clonal tree species that has mixed ploidy, often with high relative abundance of both diploids and triploids but no haploids or tetraploids. Triploids typically have low fertility, leaving their occurrence apparently unlikely from an evolutionary perspective, unless they provide a “triploid bridge” to generating higher-fitness tetraploids—which are not observed in this species. This study focused on how triploidy can be maintained in quaking aspen. Methods A computational model was used to simulate gamete production, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, parent survival, and offspring survival in a population. All parameters were assumed to be cytotype-dependent and environment-independent. Sampling methods were used to identify parameter combinations consistent with observed cytotype frequencies. Results Many processes and parameter values were sufficient to yield a moderate frequency of triploids, and very few were necessary. The most plausible route involved higher triploid survival at the parent or offspring stage and limited unreduced gamete production by either diploid or triploid parents. Triploid fertility was helpful but not necessary. Conclusions The coexistence of diploids and triploids in quaking aspen is statistically likely and promoted by the existence of commonly observed, long-lived triploid clones. However, other mechanisms not captured by the model related to environmental variation could also occur. Further empirical data or more complex but difficult-to-parameterize models are needed to gain further insight.}
  }

• I. S. Matos, S. McDonough, B. C. Johnson, D. Kalantar, J. Rohde, R. Sahu, J. Wang, A. Fontao, J. To, S. Carlos, L. Garcia, M. Boakye, H. Forbes, and B. W. Blonder, “Negative allometry of leaf xylem conduit diameter and double-wall thickness: implications for implosion safety,” New Phytologist, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19771
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Xylem conduits have lignified walls to resist crushing pressures. The thicker the double-wall (T) relative to its diameter (D), the greater the implosion safety. Having safer conduits may incur higher costs and reduced flow, while having less resistant xylem may lead to catastrophic collapse under drought. Although recent studies have shown that conduit implosion commonly occurs in leaves, little is known about how leaf xylem scales T vs D to trade off safety, flow efficiency, mechanical support, and cost. We measured T and D in > 7000 conduits of 122 species to investigate how T vs D scaling varies across clades, habitats, growth forms, leaf, and vein sizes. As conduits become wider, their double-cell walls become proportionally thinner, resulting in a negative allometry between T and D. That is, narrower conduits, which are usually subjected to more negative pressures, are proportionally safer than wider ones. Higher implosion safety (i.e. higher T/D ratios) was found in asterids, arid habitats, shrubs, small leaves, and minor veins. Despite the strong allometry, implosion safety does not clearly trade off with other measured leaf functions, suggesting that implosion safety at whole-leaf level cannot be easily predicted solely by individual conduits’ anatomy.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19771,
  author = {Matos, Ilaine Silveira and McDonough, Samantha and Johnson, Breanna Carrillo and Kalantar, Diana and Rohde, James and Sahu, Roshni and Wang, Joyce and Fontao, Adrian and To, Jason and Carlos, Sonoma and Garcia, Lisa and Boakye, Mickey and Forbes, Holly and Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {Negative allometry of leaf xylem conduit diameter and double-wall thickness: implications for implosion safety},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year = {2024},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {drought, implosion safety, leaf anatomy, plant allometry, plant hydraulics, xylem collapse, xylem conduit},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19771},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_NPH_IMPLOSION.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.19771},
  abstract = {Summary Xylem conduits have lignified walls to resist crushing pressures. The thicker the double-wall (T) relative to its diameter (D), the greater the implosion safety. Having safer conduits may incur higher costs and reduced flow, while having less resistant xylem may lead to catastrophic collapse under drought. Although recent studies have shown that conduit implosion commonly occurs in leaves, little is known about how leaf xylem scales T vs D to trade off safety, flow efficiency, mechanical support, and cost. We measured T and D in > 7000 conduits of 122 species to investigate how T vs D scaling varies across clades, habitats, growth forms, leaf, and vein sizes. As conduits become wider, their double-cell walls become proportionally thinner, resulting in a negative allometry between T and D. That is, narrower conduits, which are usually subjected to more negative pressures, are proportionally safer than wider ones. Higher implosion safety (i.e. higher T/D ratios) was found in asterids, arid habitats, shrubs, small leaves, and minor veins. Despite the strong allometry, implosion safety does not clearly trade off with other measured leaf functions, suggesting that implosion safety at whole-leaf level cannot be easily predicted solely by individual conduits' anatomy.}
  }

• D. Chen, A. Laini, and B. W. Blonder, “Statistical inference methods for n-dimensional hypervolumes: Applications to niches and functional diversity,” Methods in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 15, iss. 4, pp. 657-665, 2024. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14310
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract The size and shape of niche spaces or trait spaces are often analysed using hypervolumes estimated from data. The hypervolume R package has previously supported such analyses via descriptive but not inferential statistics. This gap has limited the use of hypothesis testing and confidence intervals when comparing or analysing hypervolumes. We introduce a new version of this R package that provides nonparametric methods for resampling, building confidence intervals and testing hypotheses. These new methods can be used to reduce the bias and variance of analyses, and well as provide statistical significance for hypervolume analysis. We illustrate usage on real datasets for the climate niche of tree species and the functional diversity of penguin species. We analyse the size and overlap of the respective niche or trait spaces. These statistical inference methods improve the interpretability and robustness of hypervolume analyses.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14310,
  author = {Chen, Daniel and Laini, Alex and Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {Statistical inference methods for n-dimensional hypervolumes: Applications to niches and functional diversity},
  journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  year={2024},
  volume = {15},
  number = {4},
  pages = {657-665},
  keywords = {bootstrap, confidence interval, functional diversity, hypervolume, niche, statistical inference},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14310},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2024_MEE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/2041-210X.14310},
  abstract = {Abstract The size and shape of niche spaces or trait spaces are often analysed using hypervolumes estimated from data. The hypervolume R package has previously supported such analyses via descriptive but not inferential statistics. This gap has limited the use of hypothesis testing and confidence intervals when comparing or analysing hypervolumes. We introduce a new version of this R package that provides nonparametric methods for resampling, building confidence intervals and testing hypotheses. These new methods can be used to reduce the bias and variance of analyses, and well as provide statistical significance for hypervolume analysis. We illustrate usage on real datasets for the climate niche of tree species and the functional diversity of penguin species. We analyse the size and overlap of the respective niche or trait spaces. These statistical inference methods improve the interpretability and robustness of hypervolume analyses.}
  }

2023

• B. Wong Blonder, J. Banks, A. Cruz, A. Dornhaus, K. R. Godfrey, J. S. Hoskinson, R. Lipson, P. Sommers, C. Stewart, and A. Strauss, Place-based scientific inquiry, New York: Routledge, 2023. doi:10.4324/9781003367192
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @Book{WongBlonder2023,
  author={Wong Blonder, Benjamin
  and Banks, Ja'nya
  and Cruz, Austin
  and Dornhaus, Anna
  and Godfrey, R. Keating
  and Hoskinson, Joshua S.
  and Lipson, Rebecca
  and Sommers, Pacifica
  and Stewart, Christy
  and Strauss, Alan},
  title={Place-based scientific inquiry},
  year={2023},
  month={May},
  day={25},
  publisher={Routledge},
  address={New York},
  isbn={9781003367192},
  doi={10.4324/9781003367192},
  url={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papaers/2023_Routledge book (first author).pdf}
  }

• A. Laini, T. Datry, and B. W. Blonder, “N-dimensional hypervolumes in trait-based ecology: Does occupancy rate matter?,” Functional Ecology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14344
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Many methods for estimating the functional diversity of biological communities rely on measuring geometrical properties of n-dimensional hypervolumes in a trait space. To date, these properties are calculated from individual hypervolumes or their pairwise combinations. Our capacity to detect functional diversity patterns due to the overlap of multiple hypervolumes is, thus, limited. Here, we propose a new approach for estimating functional diversity from a set of hypervolumes. We rely on the concept of occupancy rate, defined as the mean or absolute number of hypervolumes enclosing a given point in the trait space. Furthermore, we describe a permutation test to identify regions of the trait space in which the occupancy rate of two sets of hypervolumes differs. We illustrate the utility of our approach over existing methods with two examples on aquatic macroinvertebrates. The first example shows how occupancy rate relates to the stability of trait space utilisation due to increased flow intermittency and allows the identification of taxa in regions of the trait space with low occupancy rates. The second example shows how the permutation test based on occupancy rates can detect differences in trait space utilisation due to river morphology variation even with a high degree of overlap among input hypervolumes. Our newly developed approach is particularly suitable in functional diversity analysis when investigating patterns of overlap among multiple hypervolumes. We emphasise the need to consider analyses based on occupancy rate into functional diversity estimation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14344,
  author = {Laini, Alex and Datry, Thibault and Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {N-dimensional hypervolumes in trait-based ecology: Does occupancy rate matter?},
  journal = {Functional Ecology},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  year = {2023},
  keywords = {functional diversity, functional redundancy, functional stability, hypervolume, macroinvertebrates},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14344},
  URL = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_FEC_AL.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2435.14344},
  abstract = {Abstract Many methods for estimating the functional diversity of biological communities rely on measuring geometrical properties of n-dimensional hypervolumes in a trait space. To date, these properties are calculated from individual hypervolumes or their pairwise combinations. Our capacity to detect functional diversity patterns due to the overlap of multiple hypervolumes is, thus, limited. Here, we propose a new approach for estimating functional diversity from a set of hypervolumes. We rely on the concept of occupancy rate, defined as the mean or absolute number of hypervolumes enclosing a given point in the trait space. Furthermore, we describe a permutation test to identify regions of the trait space in which the occupancy rate of two sets of hypervolumes differs. We illustrate the utility of our approach over existing methods with two examples on aquatic macroinvertebrates. The first example shows how occupancy rate relates to the stability of trait space utilisation due to increased flow intermittency and allows the identification of taxa in regions of the trait space with low occupancy rates. The second example shows how the permutation test based on occupancy rates can detect differences in trait space utilisation due to river morphology variation even with a high degree of overlap among input hypervolumes. Our newly developed approach is particularly suitable in functional diversity analysis when investigating patterns of overlap among multiple hypervolumes. We emphasise the need to consider analyses based on occupancy rate into functional diversity estimation. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.}
  }

• J. C. Garen, L. M. T. Aparecido, B. W. Blonder, M. A. Cavaleri, M. Slot, and S. T. Michaletz, “Canopy-top measurements do not accurately quantify canopy-scale leaf thermoregulation,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 120, iss. 15, p. e2301914120, 2023. doi:10.1073/pnas.2301914120
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{doi:10.1073/pnas.2301914120,
  author = {Josef C. Garen and Luiza Maria T. Aparecido and Benjamin W. Blonder and Molly A. Cavaleri and Martijn Slot and Sean T. Michaletz },
  title = {Canopy-top measurements do not accurately quantify canopy-scale leaf thermoregulation},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
  volume = {120},
  number = {15},
  pages = {e2301914120},
  year = {2023},
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.2301914120},
  URL = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_PNAS.pdf},
  eprint = {https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2301914120}
  }

• Z. Guo, C. J. Still, C. K. F. Lee, Y. Ryu, B. Blonder, J. Wang, T. C. Bonebrake, A. Hughes, Y. Li, H. C. H. Yeung, K. Zhang, Y. K. Law, Z. Lin, and J. Wu, “Does plant ecosystem thermoregulation occur? An extratropical assessment at different spatial and temporal scales,” New Phytologist, vol. 238, iss. 3, pp. 1004-1018, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary To what degree plant ecosystems thermoregulate their canopy temperature (Tc) is critical to assess ecosystems’ metabolisms and resilience with climate change, but remains controversial, with opinions from no to moderate thermoregulation capability. With global datasets of Tc, air temperature (Ta), and other environmental and biotic variables from FLUXNET and satellites, we tested the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis (indicated by Tc & Ta regression slope < 1 or Tc < Ta around midday) across global extratropics, including temporal and spatial dimensions. Across daily to weekly and monthly timescales, over 80\% of sites/ecosystems have slopes ≥1 or Tc > Ta around midday, rejecting the above hypothesis. For those sites unsupporting the hypothesis, their Tc–Ta difference (ΔT) exhibits considerable seasonality that shows negative, partial correlations with leaf area index, implying a certain degree of thermoregulation capability. Spatially, site-mean ΔT exhibits larger variations than the slope indicator, suggesting ΔT is a more sensitive indicator for detecting thermoregulatory differences across biomes. Furthermore, this large spatial-wide ΔT variation (0–6°C) is primarily explained by environmental variables (38\%) and secondarily by biotic factors (15\%). These results demonstrate diverse thermoregulation patterns across global extratropics, with most ecosystems negating the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis, but their thermoregulation still occurs, implying that slope < 1 or Tc < Ta are not necessary conditions for plant thermoregulation.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632,
  author = {Guo, Zhengfei and Still, Christopher J. and Lee, Calvin K. F. and Ryu, Youngryel and Blonder, Benjamin and Wang, Jing and Bonebrake, Timothy C. and Hughes, Alice and Li, Yan and Yeung, Henry C. H. and Zhang, Kun and Law, Ying Ki and Lin, Ziyu and Wu, Jin},
  title = {Does plant ecosystem thermoregulation occur? An extratropical assessment at different spatial and temporal scales},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  volume = {238},
  number = {3},
  pages = {1004-1018},
  keywords = {biotic and abiotic drivers, climate change, ecosystem thermoregulation, FLUXNET2015, limited homeothermy, megathermy, satellite},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_NPH_GUO.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18632},
  abstract = {Summary To what degree plant ecosystems thermoregulate their canopy temperature (Tc) is critical to assess ecosystems' metabolisms and resilience with climate change, but remains controversial, with opinions from no to moderate thermoregulation capability. With global datasets of Tc, air temperature (Ta), and other environmental and biotic variables from FLUXNET and satellites, we tested the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis (indicated by Tc \& Ta regression slope < 1 or Tc < Ta around midday) across global extratropics, including temporal and spatial dimensions. Across daily to weekly and monthly timescales, over 80\% of sites/ecosystems have slopes ≥1 or Tc > Ta around midday, rejecting the above hypothesis. For those sites unsupporting the hypothesis, their Tc–Ta difference (ΔT) exhibits considerable seasonality that shows negative, partial correlations with leaf area index, implying a certain degree of thermoregulation capability. Spatially, site-mean ΔT exhibits larger variations than the slope indicator, suggesting ΔT is a more sensitive indicator for detecting thermoregulatory differences across biomes. Furthermore, this large spatial-wide ΔT variation (0–6°C) is primarily explained by environmental variables (38\%) and secondarily by biotic factors (15\%). These results demonstrate diverse thermoregulation patterns across global extratropics, with most ecosystems negating the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis, but their thermoregulation still occurs, implying that slope < 1 or Tc < Ta are not necessary conditions for plant thermoregulation.},
  year = {2023}
  }

• B. W. Blonder, P. G. Brodrick, D. K. Chadwick, E. Carroll, R. M. Cruz-de Hoyos, M. Expósito-Alonso, S. Hateley, M. Moon, C. A. Ray, H. Tran, and J. A. Walton, "Climate lags and genetics determine phenology in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)," New Phytologist, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18850
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Spatiotemporal patterns of phenology may be affected by mosaics of environmental and genetic variation. Environmental drivers may have temporally lagged impacts, but patterns and mechanisms remain poorly known. We combine multiple genomic, remotely sensed, and physically modeled datasets to determine the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of canopy phenology in quaking aspen, a widespread clonal dioecious tree species with diploid and triploid cytotypes. We show that over 391 km2 of southwestern Colorado: greenup date, greendown date, and growing season length vary by weeks and differ across sexes, cytotypes, and genotypes; phenology has high phenotypic plasticity and heritabilities of 31–61\% (interquartile range); and snowmelt date, soil moisture, and air temperature predict phenology, at temporal lags of up to 3 yr. Our study shows that lagged environmental effects are needed to explain phenological variation and that the effect of cytotype on phenology is obscured by its correlation with topography. Phenological patterns are consistent with responses to multiyear accumulation of carbon deficit or hydraulic damage.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18850,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin W. and Brodrick, Philip G. and Chadwick, K. Dana and Carroll, Erin and Cruz-de Hoyos, Roxanne M. and Expósito-Alonso, Moisés and Hateley, Shannon and Moon, Minkyu and Ray, Courtenay A. and Tran, Hoang and Walton, James A.},
  title = {Climate lags and genetics determine phenology in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  year = {2023},
  keywords = {carbon allocation, drought, genome-wide association, landscape genetics, phenology, ploidy level, remote sensing, sex},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18850},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_NPH_ASPEN.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18850},
  abstract = {Summary Spatiotemporal patterns of phenology may be affected by mosaics of environmental and genetic variation. Environmental drivers may have temporally lagged impacts, but patterns and mechanisms remain poorly known. We combine multiple genomic, remotely sensed, and physically modeled datasets to determine the spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of canopy phenology in quaking aspen, a widespread clonal dioecious tree species with diploid and triploid cytotypes. We show that over 391 km2 of southwestern Colorado: greenup date, greendown date, and growing season length vary by weeks and differ across sexes, cytotypes, and genotypes; phenology has high phenotypic plasticity and heritabilities of 31–61\% (interquartile range); and snowmelt date, soil moisture, and air temperature predict phenology, at temporal lags of up to 3 yr. Our study shows that lagged environmental effects are needed to explain phenological variation and that the effect of cytotype on phenology is obscured by its correlation with topography. Phenological patterns are consistent with responses to multiyear accumulation of carbon deficit or hydraulic damage.}
  }

• B. W. Blonder, P. Gaüzère, L. L. Iversen, P. Ke, W. K. Petry, C. A. Ray, R. Salguero-Gómez, W. Sharpless, and C. Violle, "Predicting and controlling ecological communities via trait and environment mediated parameterizations of dynamical models," Oikos, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e09415, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09415
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Predicting or controlling the state of an ecological community is a core global change challenge. Dynamical models provide one toolkit, but parameterizing these models can be challenging, and interpretation can be difficult. We here propose rewriting dynamical model parameters in terms of more interpretable and measurable functional traits and environmental variables (trait and environment mediated parameterizations; TEMPs). For prediction, this approach could help make interpretable forecasts of equilibrium community dynamics (species coexistence), invasibility surfaces (dynamics due to biotic context), and responses to environmental change (dynamics due to abiotic context). For control, this approach could help identify policies that yield desired species and trait compositions through perturbations of the abundance of species with certain traits, or of the environment.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09415,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin Wong and Gaüzère, Pierre and Iversen, Lars L. and Ke, Po-Ju and Petry, William K. and Ray, Courtenay A. and Salguero-Gómez, Roberto and Sharpless, William and Violle, Cyrille},
  title = {Predicting and controlling ecological communities via trait and environment mediated parameterizations of dynamical models},
  journal = {Oikos},
  year = {2023},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e09415},
  keywords = {community dynamics, prediction, optimal control, dynamical model, forecast, functional trait},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09415},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_OIKOS.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.09415},
  abstract = {Predicting or controlling the state of an ecological community is a core global change challenge. Dynamical models provide one toolkit, but parameterizing these models can be challenging, and interpretation can be difficult. We here propose rewriting dynamical model parameters in terms of more interpretable and measurable functional traits and environmental variables (trait and environment mediated parameterizations; TEMPs). For prediction, this approach could help make interpretable forecasts of equilibrium community dynamics (species coexistence), invasibility surfaces (dynamics due to biotic context), and responses to environmental change (dynamics due to abiotic context). For control, this approach could help identify policies that yield desired species and trait compositions through perturbations of the abundance of species with certain traits, or of the environment.}
  }

• B. W. Blonder, L. M. T. Aparecido, K. R. Hultine, D. Lombardozzi, S. T. Michaletz, B. C. Posch, M. Slot, and K. Winter, "Plant water use theory should incorporate hypotheses about extreme environments, population ecology, and community ecology," New Phytologist, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18800
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Plant water use theory has largely been developed within a plant-performance paradigm that conceptualizes water use in terms of value for carbon gain and that sits within a neoclassical economic framework. This theory works very well in many contexts but does not consider other values of water to plants that could impact their fitness. Here, we survey a range of alternative hypotheses for drivers of water use and stomatal regulation. These hypotheses are organized around relevance to extreme environments, population ecology, and community ecology. Most of these hypotheses are not yet empirically tested and some are controversial (e.g. requiring more agency and behavior than is commonly believed possible for plants). Some hypotheses, especially those focused around using water to avoid thermal stress, using water to promote reproduction instead of growth, and using water to hoard it, may be useful to incorporate into theory or to implement in Earth System Models.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18800,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin Wong and Aparecido, Luiza Maria Teophilo and Hultine, Kevin R. and Lombardozzi, Danica and Michaletz, Sean T. and Posch, Bradley C. and Slot, Martijn and Winter, Klaus},
  title = {Plant water use theory should incorporate hypotheses about extreme environments, population ecology, and community ecology},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year = {2023},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {allocation, community ecology, life history, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, stomatal regulation, trade-off, transpiration},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18800},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_NPH_WATER.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18800},
  abstract = {Summary Plant water use theory has largely been developed within a plant-performance paradigm that conceptualizes water use in terms of value for carbon gain and that sits within a neoclassical economic framework. This theory works very well in many contexts but does not consider other values of water to plants that could impact their fitness. Here, we survey a range of alternative hypotheses for drivers of water use and stomatal regulation. These hypotheses are organized around relevance to extreme environments, population ecology, and community ecology. Most of these hypotheses are not yet empirically tested and some are controversial (e.g. requiring more agency and behavior than is commonly believed possible for plants). Some hypotheses, especially those focused around using water to avoid thermal stress, using water to promote reproduction instead of growth, and using water to hoard it, may be useful to incorporate into theory or to implement in Earth System Models.}
  }

• M. A. Duarte, S. Woo, K. Hultine, B. Blonder, and L. M. T. Aparecido, "Vein network redundancy and mechanical resistance mitigate gas exchange losses under simulated herbivory in desert plants," AoB PLANTS, 2023. doi:10.1093/aobpla/plad002
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  {Herbivory can impact gas exchange, but the causes of interspecific variation in response remain poorly understood. We aimed to determine (1) what effects does experimental herbivory damage to leaf midveins have on leaf gas exchange and, (2) whether changes in leaf gas exchange after damage was predicted by leaf mechanical or venation traits. We hypothesized that herbivory-driven impacts on leaf gas exchange would be mediated by (1a/1b) venation networks, either by more vein resistance, or possibly trading off with other structural defenses; (2a/2b) or more reticulation (resilience, providing more alternate flow pathways after damage) or less reticulation (sectoriality, preventing spread of reduced functionality after damage). We simulated herbivory by damaging the midveins of four leaves from each of nine Sonoran Desert species. We then measured the percent change in photosynthesis (ΔAn\\%), transpiration (ΔEt\\%) and stomatal conductance (Δgsw\\%) between treated and control leaves. We assessed the relationship of each with leaf venation traits and other mechanical traits. ΔAn\\% varied between +10\\% and -55\\%, similar to ΔEt\\% (+27\\%, -54\\%) and Δgsw\\% (+36\\%, -53\\%). There was no tradeoff between venation and other structural defenses. Increased damage resilience (reduced ΔAn\\%, ΔEt\\%, Δgsw\\%) was marginally associated with lower force-to-tear (P\\<0.05), and higher minor vein density (P\\<0.10) but not major vein density or reticulation. Leaf venation networks may thus partially mitigate the response of gas exchange to herbivory and other types of vein damage through either resistance or resilience.}

  @article{10.1093/aobpla/plad002,
  author = {Duarte, Miguel A and Woo, Sabrina and Hultine, Kevin and Blonder, Benjamin and Aparecido, Luiza Maria T},
  title = "{Vein network redundancy and mechanical resistance mitigate gas exchange losses under simulated herbivory in desert plants}",
  journal = {AoB PLANTS},
  year = {2023},
  month = {01},
  abstract = "{Herbivory can impact gas exchange, but the causes of interspecific variation in response remain poorly understood. We aimed to determine (1) what effects does experimental herbivory damage to leaf midveins have on leaf gas exchange and, (2) whether changes in leaf gas exchange after damage was predicted by leaf mechanical or venation traits. We hypothesized that herbivory-driven impacts on leaf gas exchange would be mediated by (1a/1b) venation networks, either by more vein resistance, or possibly trading off with other structural defenses; (2a/2b) or more reticulation (resilience, providing more alternate flow pathways after damage) or less reticulation (sectoriality, preventing spread of reduced functionality after damage). We simulated herbivory by damaging the midveins of four leaves from each of nine Sonoran Desert species. We then measured the percent change in photosynthesis (ΔAn\\%), transpiration (ΔEt\\%) and stomatal conductance (Δgsw\\%) between treated and control leaves. We assessed the relationship of each with leaf venation traits and other mechanical traits. ΔAn\\% varied between +10\\% and -55\\%, similar to ΔEt\\% (+27\\%, -54\\%) and Δgsw\\% (+36\\%, -53\\%). There was no tradeoff between venation and other structural defenses. Increased damage resilience (reduced ΔAn\\%, ΔEt\\%, Δgsw\\%) was marginally associated with lower force-to-tear (P\\<0.05), and higher minor vein density (P\\<0.10) but not major vein density or reticulation. Leaf venation networks may thus partially mitigate the response of gas exchange to herbivory and other types of vein damage through either resistance or resilience.}",
  issn = {2041-2851},
  doi = {10.1093/aobpla/plad002},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plad002},
  note = {plad002},
  eprint = {https://academic.oup.com/aobpla/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/aobpla/plad002/48845593/plad002.pdf},
  }

• B. W. Blonder, M. H. Lim, Z. Sunberg, and C. Tomlin, "Navigation between initial and desired community states using shortcuts," Ecology Letters, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14171
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Ecological management problems often involve navigating from an initial to a desired community state. We ask whether navigation without brute-force additions and deletions of species is possible via: adding/deleting a small number of individuals of a species, changing the environment, and waiting. Navigation can yield direct paths (single sequence of actions) or shortcut paths (multiple sequences of actions with lower cost than a direct path). We ask (1) when is non-brute-force navigation possible?; (2) do shortcuts exist and what are their properties?; and (3) what heuristics predict shortcut existence? Using a state diagram framework applied to several empirical datasets, we show that (1) non-brute-force navigation is only possible between some state pairs, (2) shortcuts exist between many state pairs; and (3) changes in abundance and richness are the strongest predictors of shortcut existence, independent of dataset and algorithm choices. State diagrams thus unveil hidden strategies for manipulating species coexistence and efficiently navigating between states.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14171,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin W. and Lim, Michael H. and Sunberg, Zachary and Tomlin, Claire},
  title = {Navigation between initial and desired community states using shortcuts},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  year = {2023},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {coexistence, community assembly, community dynamics, optimal control, state transition},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14171},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2023_ELE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ele.14171},
  abstract = {Abstract Ecological management problems often involve navigating from an initial to a desired community state. We ask whether navigation without brute-force additions and deletions of species is possible via: adding/deleting a small number of individuals of a species, changing the environment, and waiting. Navigation can yield direct paths (single sequence of actions) or shortcut paths (multiple sequences of actions with lower cost than a direct path). We ask (1) when is non-brute-force navigation possible?; (2) do shortcuts exist and what are their properties?; and (3) what heuristics predict shortcut existence? Using a state diagram framework applied to several empirical datasets, we show that (1) non-brute-force navigation is only possible between some state pairs, (2) shortcuts exist between many state pairs; and (3) changes in abundance and richness are the strongest predictors of shortcut existence, independent of dataset and algorithm choices. State diagrams thus unveil hidden strategies for manipulating species coexistence and efficiently navigating between states.}
  }

2022

• C. A. Ray, R. E. Kapas, Ø. H. Opedal, and B. W. Blonder, "Linking microenvironment modification to species interactions and demography in an alpine plant community," Oikos, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e09235, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09235
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Individual plants can modify the microenvironment within their spatial neighborhood. However, the consequences of microenvironment modification for demography and species interactions remain unclear at the community scale. In a study of co-occurring alpine plants, we 1) determined the extent of species-specific microclimate modification by comparing temperature and soil moisture between vegetated and non-vegetated microsites for several focal species. We 2) determined how vital rates (survival, growth, fecundity) of all species varied in response to aboveground and belowground vegetative overlap with inter- and intraspecific neighbors as proxies for microenvironment modification. For 1), surface temperatures were buffered (lower maximums and higher minimums) and soil moisture was higher below the canopies of most species compared to non-vegetated areas. For 2), vegetative overlap predicted most vital rates, although the effect varied depending on whether aboveground or belowground overlap was considered. Vital rate response to microenvironment-modification proxies (vegetative overlap) was also frequently context dependent with respect to plant size and macroclimate. Microenvironment modification and spatial overlapping of individuals are key drivers of demography and species interactions in this alpine community.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09235,
  author = {Ray, Courtenay A. and Kapas, Rozalia E. and Opedal, Øystein H. and Blonder, Benjamin W.},
  title = {Linking microenvironment modification to species interactions and demography in an alpine plant community},
  journal = {Oikos},
  year={2022},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e09235},
  keywords = {alpine, community dynamics, demography, microenvironment modification, species interactions, vital rates},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09235},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_OIKOS_CR.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.09235},
  abstract = {Individual plants can modify the microenvironment within their spatial neighborhood. However, the consequences of microenvironment modification for demography and species interactions remain unclear at the community scale. In a study of co-occurring alpine plants, we 1) determined the extent of species-specific microclimate modification by comparing temperature and soil moisture between vegetated and non-vegetated microsites for several focal species. We 2) determined how vital rates (survival, growth, fecundity) of all species varied in response to aboveground and belowground vegetative overlap with inter- and intraspecific neighbors as proxies for microenvironment modification. For 1), surface temperatures were buffered (lower maximums and higher minimums) and soil moisture was higher below the canopies of most species compared to non-vegetated areas. For 2), vegetative overlap predicted most vital rates, although the effect varied depending on whether aboveground or belowground overlap was considered. Vital rate response to microenvironment-modification proxies (vegetative overlap) was also frequently context dependent with respect to plant size and macroclimate. Microenvironment modification and spatial overlapping of individuals are key drivers of demography and species interactions in this alpine community.}
  }

• P. Gaüzère, B. Blonder, P. Denelle, B. Fournier, M. Grenié, Léo. Delalandre, T. Münkemüller, F. Munoz, C. Violle, and W. Thuiller, "The functional trait distinctiveness of plant species is scale dependent," Ecography, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e06504, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06504
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Beyond the local abundance of species, their functional trait distinctiveness is now recognized as a key driver of community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Yet, since the functional distinctiveness of a species is always relative to a given species pool, a species distinct at regional scale might not necessarily be distinct at local or community scale, and reciprocally. To assess the importance of scale (i.e. the definition of a species pool) when quantifying the functional distinctiveness of species, and how it might distort the ecological conclusions derived from it, we quantified trait distinctiveness of 1350 plant species at regional, local and community scales over ca 88 000 grassland plots in France. We measured differences in functional distinctiveness of species between regional (mainland France), local (10 × 10 km cell) and community (10 × 10 m plot) scale, and tested the influence of environmental predictors (climate and nitrogen input) and contexts (environmental distinctiveness, frequency and heterogeneity) on these variations. In line with theoretical expectations, we found large variation in functional distinctiveness (in particular between regional and community scales) for many species, with a general tendency of lower distinctiveness at smaller scales. We also showed that nitrogen input – a key aspect of high land use intensity – and environmental frequency partly explained the differences between local and regional scale only. These results suggest the role played by environmental filtering on species distinctiveness at local scale, but the determinant of distinctiveness variations at community scale still need to be elucidated. Our study provides robust empirical evidence that measures of ecological originality are strongly scale-dependent. We urge ecologists to carefully consider the scale at which they measure distinctiveness, as ignoring scale dependencies could lead to biased (or even entirely wrong) conclusions when not considered at the scale of interest for the respective research question.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06504,
  author = {Gaüzère, Pierre and Blonder, Benjamin and Denelle, Pierre and Fournier, Bertrand and Grenié, Matthias and Delalandre, Léo and Münkemüller, Tamara and Munoz, Francois and Violle, Cyrille and Thuiller, Wilfried},
  title = {The functional trait distinctiveness of plant species is scale dependent},
  journal = {Ecography},
  year={2022},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e06504},
  keywords = {community ecology, ecological originality, leaf traits, trait-based ecology},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06504},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_ECOG_P.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ecog.06504},
  abstract = {Beyond the local abundance of species, their functional trait distinctiveness is now recognized as a key driver of community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Yet, since the functional distinctiveness of a species is always relative to a given species pool, a species distinct at regional scale might not necessarily be distinct at local or community scale, and reciprocally. To assess the importance of scale (i.e. the definition of a species pool) when quantifying the functional distinctiveness of species, and how it might distort the ecological conclusions derived from it, we quantified trait distinctiveness of 1350 plant species at regional, local and community scales over ca 88 000 grassland plots in France. We measured differences in functional distinctiveness of species between regional (mainland France), local (10 × 10 km cell) and community (10 × 10 m plot) scale, and tested the influence of environmental predictors (climate and nitrogen input) and contexts (environmental distinctiveness, frequency and heterogeneity) on these variations. In line with theoretical expectations, we found large variation in functional distinctiveness (in particular between regional and community scales) for many species, with a general tendency of lower distinctiveness at smaller scales. We also showed that nitrogen input – a key aspect of high land use intensity – and environmental frequency partly explained the differences between local and regional scale only. These results suggest the role played by environmental filtering on species distinctiveness at local scale, but the determinant of distinctiveness variations at community scale still need to be elucidated. Our study provides robust empirical evidence that measures of ecological originality are strongly scale-dependent. We urge ecologists to carefully consider the scale at which they measure distinctiveness, as ignoring scale dependencies could lead to biased (or even entirely wrong) conclusions when not considered at the scale of interest for the respective research question.}
  }

• Z. Guo, C. J. Still, C. K. F. Lee, Y. Ryu, B. Blonder, J. Wang, T. C. Bonebrake, A. Hughes, Y. Li, H. C. H. Yeung, K. Zhang, Y. K. Law, Z. Lin, and J. Wu, "Does plant ecosystem thermoregulation occur? An extratropical assessment at different spatial and temporal scales," New Phytologist, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary To what degree plant ecosystems thermoregulate their canopy temperature (Tc) is critical to assess ecosystems' metabolisms and resilience with climate change, but remains controversial, with opinions from no to moderate thermoregulation capability. With global datasets of Tc, air temperature (Ta), and other environmental and biotic variables from FLUXNET and satellites, we tested the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis (indicated by Tc & Ta regression slope < 1 or Tc < Ta around midday) across global extratropics, including temporal and spatial dimensions. Across daily to weekly and monthly timescales, over 80\% of sites/ecosystems have slopes ≥1 or Tc > Ta around midday, rejecting the above hypothesis. For those sites unsupporting the hypothesis, their Tc–Ta difference (ΔT) exhibits considerable seasonality that shows negative, partial correlations with leaf area index, implying a certain degree of thermoregulation capability. Spatially, site-mean ΔT exhibits larger variations than the slope indicator, suggesting ΔT is a more sensitive indicator for detecting thermoregulatory differences across biomes. Furthermore, this large spatial-wide ΔT variation (0–6°C) is primarily explained by environmental variables (38\%) and secondarily by biotic factors (15\%). These results demonstrate diverse thermoregulation patterns across global extratropics, with most ecosystems negating the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis, but their thermoregulation still occurs, implying that slope < 1 or Tc < Ta are not necessary conditions for plant thermoregulation.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632,
  author = {Guo, Zhengfei and Still, Christopher J. and Lee, Calvin K. F. and Ryu, Youngryel and Blonder, Benjamin and Wang, Jing and Bonebrake, Timothy C. and Hughes, Alice and Li, Yan and Yeung, Henry C. H. and Zhang, Kun and Law, Ying Ki and Lin, Ziyu and Wu, Jin},
  title = {Does plant ecosystem thermoregulation occur? An extratropical assessment at different spatial and temporal scales},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year={2022},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {biotic and abiotic drivers, climate change, ecosystem thermoregulation, FLUXNET2015, limited homeothermy, megathermy, satellite},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18632},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_NPH_Z.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18632},
  abstract = {Summary To what degree plant ecosystems thermoregulate their canopy temperature (Tc) is critical to assess ecosystems' metabolisms and resilience with climate change, but remains controversial, with opinions from no to moderate thermoregulation capability. With global datasets of Tc, air temperature (Ta), and other environmental and biotic variables from FLUXNET and satellites, we tested the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis (indicated by Tc \& Ta regression slope < 1 or Tc < Ta around midday) across global extratropics, including temporal and spatial dimensions. Across daily to weekly and monthly timescales, over 80\% of sites/ecosystems have slopes ≥1 or Tc > Ta around midday, rejecting the above hypothesis. For those sites unsupporting the hypothesis, their Tc–Ta difference (ΔT) exhibits considerable seasonality that shows negative, partial correlations with leaf area index, implying a certain degree of thermoregulation capability. Spatially, site-mean ΔT exhibits larger variations than the slope indicator, suggesting ΔT is a more sensitive indicator for detecting thermoregulatory differences across biomes. Furthermore, this large spatial-wide ΔT variation (0–6°C) is primarily explained by environmental variables (38\%) and secondarily by biotic factors (15\%). These results demonstrate diverse thermoregulation patterns across global extratropics, with most ecosystems negating the ‘limited homeothermy’ hypothesis, but their thermoregulation still occurs, implying that slope < 1 or Tc < Ta are not necessary conditions for plant thermoregulation.}
  }

• J. R. Ali, B. W. Blonder, A. L. Pigot, and J. A. Tobias, "Bird extinctions threaten to cause disproportionate reductions of functional diversity and uniqueness," Functional Ecology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14201
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Human activities are driving rapid defaunation of Earth's ecosystems through increasing rates of extinction. However, the ecological consequences of species loss remain unclear, in part due to the limited availability of high-resolution functional trait data. To address this, we assess how predicted extinctions will reshape avian functional diversity quantified using a multidimensional trait space, or morphospace, reflecting variation in eight key morphological traits closely linked to ecological function across 9943 (>99\%) extant bird species. We show that large regions of this morphospace are represented by very few species and, thus, vulnerable to species loss. We also find evidence that species at highest risk of extinction are both larger and functionally unique in terms of ecological trait dimensions unrelated to size, such as beak shape and wing shape. Although raw patterns suggest a positive relationship between extinction risk and functional uniqueness, this is removed when accounting for phylogeny and body mass, indicating a dominant role for clade-specific factors, including the combination of larger average body size and higher extinction risk in the non-passerine clade. Regardless of how a threat is related to uniqueness, we show using simulations that the loss of currently threatened bird species would result in a greater loss of morphological diversity than expected under random extinctions. Our results suggest that ongoing declines of threatened bird species may drive a disproportionately large loss of morphological diversity, with potentially major consequences for ecosystem functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14201,
  author = {Ali, Jarome R. and Blonder, Benjamin W. and Pigot, Alex L. and Tobias, Joseph A.},
  title = {Bird extinctions threaten to cause disproportionate reductions of functional diversity and uniqueness},
  journal = {Functional Ecology},
  year={2022},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {extinction, functional redundancy, functional traits, hypervolume, morphological diversity, threatened species, trait space, uniqueness},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14201},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_FEC_J.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2435.14201},
  abstract = {Abstract Human activities are driving rapid defaunation of Earth's ecosystems through increasing rates of extinction. However, the ecological consequences of species loss remain unclear, in part due to the limited availability of high-resolution functional trait data. To address this, we assess how predicted extinctions will reshape avian functional diversity quantified using a multidimensional trait space, or morphospace, reflecting variation in eight key morphological traits closely linked to ecological function across 9943 (>99\%) extant bird species. We show that large regions of this morphospace are represented by very few species and, thus, vulnerable to species loss. We also find evidence that species at highest risk of extinction are both larger and functionally unique in terms of ecological trait dimensions unrelated to size, such as beak shape and wing shape. Although raw patterns suggest a positive relationship between extinction risk and functional uniqueness, this is removed when accounting for phylogeny and body mass, indicating a dominant role for clade-specific factors, including the combination of larger average body size and higher extinction risk in the non-passerine clade. Regardless of how a threat is related to uniqueness, we show using simulations that the loss of currently threatened bird species would result in a greater loss of morphological diversity than expected under random extinctions. Our results suggest that ongoing declines of threatened bird species may drive a disproportionately large loss of morphological diversity, with potentially major consequences for ecosystem functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.}
  }

• S. Díaz, J. Kattge, J. H. C. Cornelissen, I. J. Wright, S. Lavorel, S. Dray, B. Reu, M. Kleyer, C. Wirth, C. I. Prentice, E. Garnier, G. Bönisch, M. Westoby, H. Poorter, P. B. Reich, A. T. Moles, J. Dickie, A. E. Zanne, J. Chave, J. S. Wright, S. N. Sheremetiev, H. Jactel, C. Baraloto, B. E. L. Cerabolini, S. Pierce, B. Shipley, F. Casanoves, J. S. Joswig, A. Günther, V. Falczuk, N. Rüger, M. D. Mahecha, L. D. Gorné, B. Amiaud, O. K. Atkin, M. Bahn, D. Baldocchi, M. Beckmann, B. Blonder, W. Bond, B. Bond-Lamberty, K. Brown, S. Burrascano, C. Byun, G. Campetella, J. Cavender-Bares, S. F. Chapin, B. Choat, D. A. Coomes, W. K. Cornwell, J. Craine, D. Craven, M. Dainese, A. C. de Araujo, F. T. de Vries, T. F. Domingues, B. J. Enquist, J. Fagúndez, J. Fang, F. Fernández-Méndez, M. T. Fernandez-Piedade, H. Ford, E. Forey, G. T. Freschet, S. Gachet, R. Gallagher, W. Green, G. R. Guerin, A. G. Gutiérrez, S. P. Harrison, W. N. Hattingh, T. He, T. Hickler, S. I. Higgins, P. Higuchi, J. Ilic, R. B. Jackson, A. Jalili, S. Jansen, F. Koike, C. König, N. Kraft, K. Kramer, H. Kreft, I. Kühn, H. Kurokawa, E. G. Lamb, D. C. Laughlin, M. Leishman, S. Lewis, F. Louault, A. C. M. Malhado, P. Manning, P. Meir, M. Mencuccini, J. Messier, R. Miller, V. Minden, J. Molofsky, R. Montgomery, G. Montserrat-Martí, M. Moretti, S. Müller, Ü. Niinemets, R. Ogaya, K. Öllerer, V. Onipchenko, Y. Onoda, W. A. Ozinga, J. G. Pausas, B. Peco, J. Penuelas, V. D. Pillar, C. Pladevall, C. Römermann, L. Sack, N. Salinas, B. Sandel, J. Sardans, B. Schamp, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, E. Schulze, F. Schweingruber, S. Shiodera, Ê. Sosinski, N. Soudzilovskaia, M. J. Spasojevic, E. Swaine, N. Swenson, S. Tautenhahn, K. Thompson, A. Totte, R. Urrutia-Jalabert, F. Valladares, P. van Bodegom, F. Vasseur, K. Verheyen, D. Vile, C. Violle, B. von Holle, P. Weigelt, E. Weiher, M. C. Wiemann, M. Williams, J. Wright, and G. Zotz, "The global spectrum of plant form and function: enhanced species-level trait dataset," Scientific Data, vol. 9, iss. 1, p. 755, 2022. doi:10.1038/s41597-022-01774-9
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Here we provide the `Global Spectrum of Plant Form and Function Dataset', containing species mean values for six vascular plant traits. Together, these traits –plant height, stem specific density, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen content per dry mass, and diaspore (seed or spore) mass – define the primary axes of variation in plant form and function. The dataset is based on ca. 1 million trait records received via the TRY database (representing ca. 2,500 original publications) and additional unpublished data. It provides 92,159 species mean values for the six traits, covering 46,047 species. The data are complemented by higher-level taxonomic classification and six categorical traits (woodiness, growth form, succulence, adaptation to terrestrial or aquatic habitats, nutrition type and leaf type). Data quality management is based on a probabilistic approach combined with comprehensive validation against expert knowledge and external information. Intense data acquisition and thorough quality control produced the largest and, to our knowledge, most accurate compilation of empirically observed vascular plant species mean traits to date.

  @Article{Díaz2022,
  author={D{\'i}az, Sandra
  and Kattge, Jens
  and Cornelissen, Johannes H. C.
  and Wright, Ian J.
  and Lavorel, Sandra
  and Dray, St{\'e}phane
  and Reu, Bj{\"o}rn
  and Kleyer, Michael
  and Wirth, Christian
  and Prentice, I. Colin
  and Garnier, Eric
  and B{\"o}nisch, Gerhard
  and Westoby, Mark
  and Poorter, Hendrik
  and Reich, Peter B.
  and Moles, Angela T.
  and Dickie, John
  and Zanne, Amy E.
  and Chave, J{\'e}r{\^o}me
  and Wright, S. Joseph
  and Sheremetiev, Serge N.
  and Jactel, Herv{\'e}
  and Baraloto, Christopher
  and Cerabolini, Bruno E. L.
  and Pierce, Simon
  and Shipley, Bill
  and Casanoves, Fernando
  and Joswig, Julia S.
  and G{\"u}nther, Angela
  and Falczuk, Valeria
  and R{\"u}ger, Nadja
  and Mahecha, Miguel D.
  and Gorn{\'e}, Lucas D.
  and Amiaud, Bernard
  and Atkin, Owen K.
  and Bahn, Michael
  and Baldocchi, Dennis
  and Beckmann, Michael
  and Blonder, Benjamin
  and Bond, William
  and Bond-Lamberty, Ben
  and Brown, Kerry
  and Burrascano, Sabina
  and Byun, Chaeho
  and Campetella, Giandiego
  and Cavender-Bares, Jeannine
  and Chapin, F. Stuart
  and Choat, Brendan
  and Coomes, David Anthony
  and Cornwell, William K.
  and Craine, Joseph
  and Craven, Dylan
  and Dainese, Matteo
  and de Araujo, Alessandro Carioca
  and de Vries, Franciska T.
  and Domingues, Tomas Ferreira
  and Enquist, Brian J.
  and Fag{\'u}ndez, Jaime
  and Fang, Jingyun
  and Fern{\'a}ndez-M{\'e}ndez, Fernando
  and Fernandez-Piedade, Maria T.
  and Ford, Henry
  and Forey, Estelle
  and Freschet, Gregoire T.
  and Gachet, Sophie
  and Gallagher, Rachael
  and Green, Walton
  and Guerin, Greg R.
  and Guti{\'e}rrez, Alvaro G.
  and Harrison, Sandy P.
  and Hattingh, Wesley Neil
  and He, Tianhua
  and Hickler, Thomas
  and Higgins, Steven I.
  and Higuchi, Pedro
  and Ilic, Jugo
  and Jackson, Robert B.
  and Jalili, Adel
  and Jansen, Steven
  and Koike, Fumito
  and K{\"o}nig, Christian
  and Kraft, Nathan
  and Kramer, Koen
  and Kreft, Holger
  and K{\"u}hn, Ingolf
  and Kurokawa, Hiroko
  and Lamb, Eric G.
  and Laughlin, Daniel C.
  and Leishman, Michelle
  and Lewis, Simon
  and Louault, Fr{\'e}d{\'e}rique
  and Malhado, Ana C. M.
  and Manning, Peter
  and Meir, Patrick
  and Mencuccini, Maurizio
  and Messier, Julie
  and Miller, Regis
  and Minden, Vanessa
  and Molofsky, Jane
  and Montgomery, Rebecca
  and Montserrat-Mart{\'i}, Gabriel
  and Moretti, Marco
  and M{\"u}ller, Sandra
  and Niinemets, {\"U}lo
  and Ogaya, Rom{\`a}
  and {\"O}llerer, Kinga
  and Onipchenko, Vladimir
  and Onoda, Yusuke
  and Ozinga, Wim A.
  and Pausas, Juli G.
  and Peco, Bego{\~{n}}a
  and Penuelas, Josep
  and Pillar, Val{\'e}rio D.
  and Pladevall, Clara
  and R{\"o}mermann, Christine
  and Sack, Lawren
  and Salinas, Norma
  and Sandel, Brody
  and Sardans, Jordi
  and Schamp, Brandon
  and Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael
  and Schulze, Ernst-Detlef
  and Schweingruber, Fritz
  and Shiodera, Satomi
  and Sosinski, {\^E}nio
  and Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda
  and Spasojevic, Marko J.
  and Swaine, Emily
  and Swenson, Nathan
  and Tautenhahn, Susanne
  and Thompson, Ken
  and Totte, Alexia
  and Urrutia-Jalabert, Roc{\'i}o
  and Valladares, Fernando
  and van Bodegom, Peter
  and Vasseur, Fran{\c{c}}ois
  and Verheyen, Kris
  and Vile, Denis
  and Violle, Cyrille
  and von Holle, Betsy
  and Weigelt, Patrick
  and Weiher, Evan
  and Wiemann, Michael C.
  and Williams, Mathew
  and Wright, Justin
  and Zotz, Gerhard},
  title={The global spectrum of plant form and function: enhanced species-level trait dataset},
  journal={Scientific Data},
  year={2022},
  month={Dec},
  day={07},
  volume={9},
  number={1},
  pages={755},
  abstract={Here we provide the `Global Spectrum of Plant Form and Function Dataset', containing species mean values for six vascular plant traits. Together, these traits --plant height, stem specific density, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen content per dry mass, and diaspore (seed or spore) mass -- define the primary axes of variation in plant form and function. The dataset is based on ca. 1 million trait records received via the TRY database (representing ca. 2,500 original publications) and additional unpublished data. It provides 92,159 species mean values for the six traits, covering 46,047 species. The data are complemented by higher-level taxonomic classification and six categorical traits (woodiness, growth form, succulence, adaptation to terrestrial or aquatic habitats, nutrition type and leaf type). Data quality management is based on a probabilistic approach combined with comprehensive validation against expert knowledge and external information. Intense data acquisition and thorough quality control produced the largest and, to our knowledge, most accurate compilation of empirically observed vascular plant species mean traits to date.},
  issn={2052-4463},
  doi={10.1038/s41597-022-01774-9},
  url={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_NAT.pdf}
  }

• J. C. Garen, H. A. Branch, I. Borrego, B. Blonder, J. R. Stinziano, and S. T. Michaletz, "Gas exchange analysers exhibit large measurement error driven by internal thermal gradients," New Phytologist, vol. 236, iss. 2, pp. 369-384, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18347
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Portable gas exchange analysers provide critical data for understanding plant-atmosphere carbon and water fluxes, and for parameterising Earth system models that forecast climate change effects and feedbacks. We characterised temperature measurement errors in the Li-Cor LI-6400XT and LI-6800, and estimated downstream errors in derived quantities, including stomatal conductance (gsw) and leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). The LI-6400XT exhibited air temperature errors (differences between reported air temperature and air temperature measured near the leaf) up to 7.2°C, leaf temperature errors up to 5.3°C, and relative errors in gsw and Ci that increased as temperatures departed from ambient. This caused errors in leaf-to-air temperature relationships, assimilation–temperature curves and CO2 response curves. Temperature dependencies of maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and maximum RuBP regeneration rate (Jmax) showed errors of 12\% and 35\%, respectively. These errors are likely to be idiosyncratic and may differ among machines and environmental conditions. The LI-6800 exhibited much smaller errors. Earth system model predictions may be erroneous, as much of their parametrisation data were measured on the LI-6400XT system, depending on the methods used. We make recommendations for minimising errors and correcting data in the LI-6400XT. We also recommend transitioning to the LI-6800 for future data collection.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18347,
  author = {Garen, Josef C. and Branch, Haley A. and Borrego, Isaac and Blonder, Benjamin and Stinziano, Joseph R. and Michaletz, Sean T.},
  title = {Gas exchange analysers exhibit large measurement error driven by internal thermal gradients},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year={2022},
  volume = {236},
  number = {2},
  pages = {369-384},
  keywords = {air temperature, ecophysiology, energy budget, leaf temperature, LI-6400XT, LI-6800, photosynthesis, thermoregulation},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18347},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_NPH_G.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18347},
  abstract = {Summary Portable gas exchange analysers provide critical data for understanding plant-atmosphere carbon and water fluxes, and for parameterising Earth system models that forecast climate change effects and feedbacks. We characterised temperature measurement errors in the Li-Cor LI-6400XT and LI-6800, and estimated downstream errors in derived quantities, including stomatal conductance (gsw) and leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). The LI-6400XT exhibited air temperature errors (differences between reported air temperature and air temperature measured near the leaf) up to 7.2°C, leaf temperature errors up to 5.3°C, and relative errors in gsw and Ci that increased as temperatures departed from ambient. This caused errors in leaf-to-air temperature relationships, assimilation–temperature curves and CO2 response curves. Temperature dependencies of maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and maximum RuBP regeneration rate (Jmax) showed errors of 12\% and 35\%, respectively. These errors are likely to be idiosyncratic and may differ among machines and environmental conditions. The LI-6800 exhibited much smaller errors. Earth system model predictions may be erroneous, as much of their parametrisation data were measured on the LI-6400XT system, depending on the methods used. We make recommendations for minimising errors and correcting data in the LI-6400XT. We also recommend transitioning to the LI-6800 for future data collection.},
  year = {2022}
  }

• B. W. Blonder, "Carrying the Moral Burden of Safe Fieldwork," The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, p. e2031, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2031
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Fieldwork in ecology and the environmental sciences often leads to negative physical and emotional outcomes for workers. I argue that this is largely due to an abdication of responsibility on the part of their supervisors, and that supervisors are charged with carrying three interlinked moral burdens: first, the duty of promoting safety; second, the duty of ensuring safe experiences are accessible to all; and third, the duty of continuing to learn and improve. To help, I offer a set of safety actions that supervisors can easily implement. I then offer a set of personal reflections on how we should think about failure, accountability, learning, repair, and forgiveness in the scientific workplace.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2031,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin Wong},
  title = {Carrying the Moral Burden of Safe Fieldwork},
  journal = {The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America},
  year={2022},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {e2031},
  keywords = {field safety, field work, equity, inclusion, ethics, supervisor},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.2031},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_BESA.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bes2.2031},
  note = {e2031 BES22-0071},
  abstract = {Abstract Fieldwork in ecology and the environmental sciences often leads to negative physical and emotional outcomes for workers. I argue that this is largely due to an abdication of responsibility on the part of their supervisors, and that supervisors are charged with carrying three interlinked moral burdens: first, the duty of promoting safety; second, the duty of ensuring safe experiences are accessible to all; and third, the duty of continuing to learn and improve. To help, I offer a set of safety actions that supervisors can easily implement. I then offer a set of personal reflections on how we should think about failure, accountability, learning, repair, and forgiveness in the scientific workplace.}
  }

• B. Blonder, T. Bowles, K. De Master, R. Z. Fanshel, M. Girotto, A. Kahn, T. Keenan, M. Mascarenhas, W. Mgbara, S. Pickett, M. Potts, and M. Rodriguez, Advancing Inclusion and Anti-Racism in the College Classroom: A rubric and resource guide for instructorsZenodo, 2022. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5874656
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @misc{blonder_benjamin_2022_5874656,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and
  Bowles, Timothy and
  De Master, Kathryn and
  Fanshel, Rosalie Zdzienicka and
  Girotto, Manuela and
  Kahn, Alexandra and
  Keenan, Trevor and
  Mascarenhas, Michael and
  Mgbara, Whitney and
  Pickett, Sarah and
  Potts, Matthew and
  Rodriguez, Marisella},
  title = {{Advancing Inclusion and Anti-Racism in the College
  Classroom: A rubric and resource guide for
  instructors}},
  month = jan,
  year = 2022,
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  version = {1.0.0},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.5874656},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5874656}
  }

• B. Blonder, P. G. Brodrick, J. A. Walton, K. Chadwick, I. K. Breckheimer, S. Marchetti, C. A. Ray, and K. E. Mock, "Remote sensing of cytotype and its consequences for canopy damage in quaking aspen," Global Change Biology, vol. 28, iss. 7, pp. 2491-2504, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16064
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Mapping geographic mosaics of genetic variation and their consequences via genotype x environment interactions at large extents and high resolution has been limited by the scalability of DNA sequencing. Here, we address this challenge for cytotype (chromosome copy number) variation in quaking aspen, a drought-impacted foundation tree species. We integrate airborne imaging spectroscopy data with ground-based DNA sequencing data and canopy damage data in 391 km2 of southwestern Colorado. We show that (1) aspen cover and cytotype can be remotely sensed at 1 m spatial resolution, (2) the geographic mosaic of cytotypes is heterogeneous and interdigitated, (3) triploids have higher leaf nitrogen, canopy water content, and carbon isotope shifts (δ13C) than diploids, and (4) canopy damage varies among cytotypes and depends on interactions with topography, canopy height, and trait variables. Triploids are at higher risk in hotter and drier conditions.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16064,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Brodrick, Philip G. and Walton, James A. and Chadwick, Katherine Dana and Breckheimer, Ian K. and Marchetti, Suzanne and Ray, Courtenay A. and Mock, Karen E.},
  title = {Remote sensing of cytotype and its consequences for canopy damage in quaking aspen},
  journal = {Global Change Biology},
  year = {2022},
  volume = {28},
  number = {7},
  pages = {2491-2504},
  keywords = {aspen, cytotype, forest mortality, genotype × environment interaction, G×E, hyperspectral, imaging spectroscopy, landscape genetics, ploidy level, remote sensing},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16064},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2022_GCB.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.16064},
  abstract = {Abstract Mapping geographic mosaics of genetic variation and their consequences via genotype x environment interactions at large extents and high resolution has been limited by the scalability of DNA sequencing. Here, we address this challenge for cytotype (chromosome copy number) variation in quaking aspen, a drought-impacted foundation tree species. We integrate airborne imaging spectroscopy data with ground-based DNA sequencing data and canopy damage data in 391 km2 of southwestern Colorado. We show that (1) aspen cover and cytotype can be remotely sensed at 1 m spatial resolution, (2) the geographic mosaic of cytotypes is heterogeneous and interdigitated, (3) triploids have higher leaf nitrogen, canopy water content, and carbon isotope shifts (δ13C) than diploids, and (4) canopy damage varies among cytotypes and depends on interactions with topography, canopy height, and trait variables. Triploids are at higher risk in hotter and drier conditions.}
  }

• D. A. Fordham, S. C. Brown, R. H. Akçakaya, B. W. Brook, S. Haythorne, A. Manica, K. T. Shoemaker, J. J. Austin, B. Blonder, J. Pilowsky, C. Rahbek, and D. Nogues-Bravo, "Process-explicit models reveal pathway to extinction for woolly mammoth using pattern-oriented validation," Ecology Letters, vol. 25, iss. 1, pp. 125-137, 2022. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13911
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Pathways to extinction start long before the death of the last individual. However, causes of early stage population declines and the susceptibility of small residual populations to extirpation are typically studied in isolation. Using validated process-explicit models, we disentangle the ecological mechanisms and threats that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of the woolly mammoth. We show that reconciling ancient DNA data on woolly mammoth population decline with fossil evidence of location and timing of extinction requires process-explicit models with specific demographic and niche constraints, and a constrained synergy of climatic change and human impacts. Validated models needed humans to hasten climate-driven population declines by many millennia, and to allow woolly mammoths to persist in mainland Arctic refugia until the mid-Holocene. Our results show that the role of humans in the extinction dynamics of woolly mammoth began well before the Holocene, exerting lasting effects on the spatial pattern and timing of its range-wide extinction.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13911,
  author = {Fordham, Damien A. and Brown, Stuart C. and Akçakaya, H. Reşit and Brook, Barry W. and Haythorne, Sean and Manica, Andrea and Shoemaker, Kevin T. and Austin, Jeremy J. and Blonder, Benjamin and Pilowsky, Julia and Rahbek, Carsten and Nogues-Bravo, David},
  title = {Process-explicit models reveal pathway to extinction for woolly mammoth using pattern-oriented validation},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  year = {2022},
  volume = {25},
  number = {1},
  pages = {125-137},
  keywords = {climate change, ecological process, extinction dynamics, mechanistic model, megafauna, metapopulation, Pleistocene-Holocene transition, population model, range dynamics, synergistic threats},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13911},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_ELE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ele.13911},
  abstract = {Abstract Pathways to extinction start long before the death of the last individual. However, causes of early stage population declines and the susceptibility of small residual populations to extirpation are typically studied in isolation. Using validated process-explicit models, we disentangle the ecological mechanisms and threats that were integral in the initial decline and later extinction of the woolly mammoth. We show that reconciling ancient DNA data on woolly mammoth population decline with fossil evidence of location and timing of extinction requires process-explicit models with specific demographic and niche constraints, and a constrained synergy of climatic change and human impacts. Validated models needed humans to hasten climate-driven population declines by many millennia, and to allow woolly mammoths to persist in mainland Arctic refugia until the mid-Holocene. Our results show that the role of humans in the extinction dynamics of woolly mammoth began well before the Holocene, exerting lasting effects on the spatial pattern and timing of its range-wide extinction.}
  }

2021

• B. Blonder, "A lynching in Gothic, Colorado?," Colorado Magazine, vol. Summer, 2021.
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{cm2021,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {A lynching in Gothic, Colorado?},
  journal = {Colorado Magazine},
  volume = {Summer},
  eprint = {https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2021/10/29/lynching-gothic-colorado},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_CM.pdf},
  year = {2021}
  }

• B. Blonder, "Cytotype and Genotype Predict Mortality and Recruitment in Colorado Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)," The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, vol. 102, iss. 4, p. e01930, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1930
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1930,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Cytotype and Genotype Predict Mortality and Recruitment in Colorado Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)},
  journal = {The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America},
  year = {2021},
  volume = {102},
  number = {4},
  pages = {e01930},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1930},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_BESA.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bes2.1930}
  }

• B. Blonder, C. A. Ray, J. A. Walton, M. Castaneda, D. K. Chadwick, M. O. Clyne, P. Gaüzère, L. L. Iversen, M. Lusk, R. G. Strimbeck, S. Troy, and K. E. Mock, "Cytotype and genotype predict mortality and recruitment in Colorado quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)," Ecological Applications, vol. 31, iss. 8, p. e02438, 2021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2438
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Species responses to climate change depend on environment, genetics, and interactions among these factors. Intraspecific cytotype (ploidy level) variation is a common type of genetic variation in many species. However, the importance of intraspecific cytotype variation in determining demography across environments is poorly known. We studied quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), which occurs in diploid and triploid cytotypes. This widespread tree species is experiencing contractions in its western range, which could potentially be linked to cytotype-dependent drought tolerance. We found that interactions between cytotype and environment drive mortality and recruitment across 503 plots in Colorado. Triploids were more vulnerable to mortality relative to diploids and had reduced recruitment on more drought-prone and disturbed plots relative to diploids. Furthermore, there was substantial genotype-dependent variation in demography. Thus, cytotype and genotype variation are associated with decline in this foundation species. Future assessment of demographic responses to climate change will benefit from knowledge of how genetic and environmental mosaics interact to determine species’ ecophysiology and demography.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2438,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Ray, Courtenay A. and Walton, James A. and Castaneda, Marco and Chadwick, K. Dana and Clyne, Michael O. and Gaüzère, Pierre and Iversen, Lars L. and Lusk, Madison and Strimbeck, G. Richard and Troy, Savannah and Mock, Karen E.},
  title = {Cytotype and genotype predict mortality and recruitment in Colorado quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)},
  journal = {Ecological Applications},
  year = {2021},
  volume = {31},
  number = {8},
  pages = {e02438},
  keywords = {cytotype, demography, drought mortality, forest, ploidy level, Populus tremuloides},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2438},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_EAP.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eap.2438},
  abstract = {Abstract Species responses to climate change depend on environment, genetics, and interactions among these factors. Intraspecific cytotype (ploidy level) variation is a common type of genetic variation in many species. However, the importance of intraspecific cytotype variation in determining demography across environments is poorly known. We studied quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), which occurs in diploid and triploid cytotypes. This widespread tree species is experiencing contractions in its western range, which could potentially be linked to cytotype-dependent drought tolerance. We found that interactions between cytotype and environment drive mortality and recruitment across 503 plots in Colorado. Triploids were more vulnerable to mortality relative to diploids and had reduced recruitment on more drought-prone and disturbed plots relative to diploids. Furthermore, there was substantial genotype-dependent variation in demography. Thus, cytotype and genotype variation are associated with decline in this foundation species. Future assessment of demographic responses to climate change will benefit from knowledge of how genetic and environmental mosaics interact to determine species’ ecophysiology and demography.}
  }

• B. Blonder, "Who belongs here? Remembering all of our history is important...," Crested Butte News (July 30), p. 4, 2021.
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{cbeditorial2021,
  title={Who belongs here? Remembering all of our history is important...},
  author={Blonder, Benjamin},
  journal={Crested Butte News (July 30)},
  pages={4},
  year={2021},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_CBN.pdf}
  }

• L. A. Trethowan, B. Blonder, E. Kintamani, D. Girmansyah, T. M. Utteridge, and F. Q. Brearley, "Metal-rich soils increase tropical tree stoichiometric distinctiveness," Plant and Soil, p. 1–11, 2021. doi:10.1007/s11104-021-04839-7
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{trethowan2021metal,
  title={Metal-rich soils increase tropical tree stoichiometric distinctiveness},
  author={Trethowan, Liam A and Blonder, Benjamin and Kintamani, Endang and Girmansyah, Deden and Utteridge, Timothy MA and Brearley, Francis Q},
  journal={Plant and Soil},
  pages={1--11},
  year={2021},
  publisher={Springer},
  doi = {10.1007/s11104-021-04839-7},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2021_PS.pdf}
  }

2020

• H. Xu, B. Blonder, M. Jodra, Y. Malhi, and M. Fricker, "Automated and accurate segmentation of leaf venation networks via deep learning," New Phytologist, vol. 229, iss. 1, pp. 631-648, 2020. doi:10.1111/nph.16923
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Leaf vein network geometry can predict levels of resource transport, defence and mechanical support that operate at different spatial scales. However, it is challenging to quantify network architecture across scales due to the difficulties both in segmenting networks from images and in extracting multiscale statistics from subsequent network graph representations. Here we developed deep learning algorithms using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automatically segment leaf vein networks. Thirty-eight CNNs were trained on subsets of manually defined ground-truth regions from >700 leaves representing 50 southeast Asian plant families. Ensembles of six independently trained CNNs were used to segment networks from larger leaf regions (c. 100 mm2). Segmented networks were analysed using hierarchical loop decomposition to extract a range of statistics describing scale transitions in vein and areole geometry. The CNN approach gave a precision-recall harmonic mean of 94.5\% ± 6\%, outperforming other current network extraction methods, and accurately described the widths, angles and connectivity of veins. Multiscale statistics then enabled the identification of previously undescribed variation in network architecture across species. We provide a LeafVeinCNN software package to enable multiscale quantification of leaf vein networks, facilitating the comparison across species and the exploration of the functional significance of different leaf vein architectures.

  @article{doi:10.1111/nph.16923,
  author = {Xu, Hao and Blonder, Benjamin and Jodra, Miguel and Malhi, Yadvinder and Fricker, Mark},
  title = {Automated and accurate segmentation of leaf venation networks via deep learning},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  volume = {229},
  number = {1},
  pages = { 631-648},
  year = {2020},
  keywords = {biological network analysis, convolutional neural network, deep learning, hierarchical loop decomposition, leaf trait, leaf venation network, network scaling, spatial transportation network},
  doi = {10.1111/nph.16923},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_NPH_XU.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.16923},
  abstract = {Summary Leaf vein network geometry can predict levels of resource transport, defence and mechanical support that operate at different spatial scales. However, it is challenging to quantify network architecture across scales due to the difficulties both in segmenting networks from images and in extracting multiscale statistics from subsequent network graph representations. Here we developed deep learning algorithms using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automatically segment leaf vein networks. Thirty-eight CNNs were trained on subsets of manually defined ground-truth regions from >700 leaves representing 50 southeast Asian plant families. Ensembles of six independently trained CNNs were used to segment networks from larger leaf regions (c. 100 mm2). Segmented networks were analysed using hierarchical loop decomposition to extract a range of statistics describing scale transitions in vein and areole geometry. The CNN approach gave a precision-recall harmonic mean of 94.5\% ± 6\%, outperforming other current network extraction methods, and accurately described the widths, angles and connectivity of veins. Multiscale statistics then enabled the identification of previously undescribed variation in network architecture across species. We provide a LeafVeinCNN software package to enable multiscale quantification of leaf vein networks, facilitating the comparison across species and the exploration of the functional significance of different leaf vein architectures.}
  }

• A. Shenkin, L. P. Bentley, I. Oliveras, N. Salinas, S. Adu-Bredu, B. H. Marimon-Junior, B. S. Marimon, T. Peprah, E. L. Choque, L. Trujillo Rodriguez, E. R. Clemente Arenas, C. Adonteng, J. Seidu, F. B. Passos, S. M. Reis, B. Blonder, M. Silman, B. J. Enquist, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "The Influence of Ecosystem and Phylogeny on Tropical Tree Crown Size and Shape," Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, vol. 3, p. 109, 2020. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2020.501757
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  The sizes and shapes of tree crowns are of fundamental importance in ecology, yet understanding the forces that determine them remains elusive. A cardinal question facing ecologists is the degree to which general and non-specific vs. ecological and context-dependent processes are responsible for shaping tree crowns. Here, we test this question for the first time across diverse tropical ecosystems. Using trees from 20 plots varying in elevation, precipitation, and ecosystem type across the paleo- and neo-tropics, we test the relationship between crown dimensions and tree size. By analyzing these scaling relationships across environmental gradients, biogeographic regions, and phylogenetic distance, we extend Metabolic Scaling Theory (MST) predictions to include how local selective pressures shape variation in crown dimensions. Across all sites, we find strong agreement between mean trends and MST predictions for the scaling of crown size and shape, but large variation around the mean. While MST explained approximately half of the observed variation in tree crown dimensions, we find that local, ecosystem, and phylogenetic predictors account for the half of the residual variation. Crown scaling does not change significantly across regions, but does change across ecosystem types, where savanna tree crowns grow more quickly with tree girth than forest tree crowns. Crowns of legumes were wider and more voluminous than those of other taxa. Thus, while MST can accurately describe the central tendency of tree crown size, local ecological conditions and evolutionary history appear to modify the scaling of crown shape. Importantly, our extension of MST incorporating these differences accounts for the mechanisms driving variation in the scaling of crown dimensions across the tropics. We present allometric equations for the prediction of crown dimensions across tropical ecosystems. These results are critical when scaling the function of individual trees to larger spatial scales or incorporating the size and shape of tree crowns in global biogeochemical models.

  @ARTICLE{10.3389/ffgc.2020.501757,
  AUTHOR={Shenkin, Alexander and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Oliveras, Imma and Salinas, Norma and Adu-Bredu, Stephen and Marimon-Junior, Ben Hur and Marimon, Beatriz S. and Peprah, Theresa and Choque, Efrain Lopez and Trujillo Rodriguez, Lucio and Clemente Arenas, Edith Rosario and Adonteng, Christian and Seidu, John and Passos, Fabio Barbosa and Reis, Simone Matias and Blonder, Benjamin and Silman, Miles and Enquist, Brian J. and Asner, Gregory P. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  TITLE={The Influence of Ecosystem and Phylogeny on Tropical Tree Crown Size and Shape},
  JOURNAL={Frontiers in Forests and Global Change},
  VOLUME={3},
  PAGES={109},
  YEAR={2020},
  URL={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_FFGC_SHENKIN.pdf},
  DOI={10.3389/ffgc.2020.501757},
  ISSN={2624-893X},
  ABSTRACT={The sizes and shapes of tree crowns are of fundamental importance in ecology, yet understanding the forces that determine them remains elusive. A cardinal question facing ecologists is the degree to which general and non-specific vs. ecological and context-dependent processes are responsible for shaping tree crowns. Here, we test this question for the first time across diverse tropical ecosystems. Using trees from 20 plots varying in elevation, precipitation, and ecosystem type across the paleo- and neo-tropics, we test the relationship between crown dimensions and tree size. By analyzing these scaling relationships across environmental gradients, biogeographic regions, and phylogenetic distance, we extend Metabolic Scaling Theory (MST) predictions to include how local selective pressures shape variation in crown dimensions. Across all sites, we find strong agreement between mean trends and MST predictions for the scaling of crown size and shape, but large variation around the mean. While MST explained approximately half of the observed variation in tree crown dimensions, we find that local, ecosystem, and phylogenetic predictors account for the half of the residual variation. Crown scaling does not change significantly across regions, but does change across ecosystem types, where savanna tree crowns grow more quickly with tree girth than forest tree crowns. Crowns of legumes were wider and more voluminous than those of other taxa. Thus, while MST can accurately describe the central tendency of tree crown size, local ecological conditions and evolutionary history appear to modify the scaling of crown shape. Importantly, our extension of MST incorporating these differences accounts for the mechanisms driving variation in the scaling of crown dimensions across the tropics. We present allometric equations for the prediction of crown dimensions across tropical ecosystems. These results are critical when scaling the function of individual trees to larger spatial scales or incorporating the size and shape of tree crowns in global biogeochemical models.}
  }

• D. K. Chadwick, P. G. Brodrick, K. Grant, T. Goulden, A. Henderson, N. Falco, H. Wainwright, K. H. Williams, M. Bill, I. Breckheimer, E. L. Brodie, H. Steltzer, C. R. F. Williams, B. Blonder, J. Chen, B. Dafflon, J. Damerow, M. Hancher, A. Khurram, J. Lamb, C. R. Lawrence, M. McCormick, J. Musinsky, S. Pierce, A. Polussa, M. Hastings Porro, A. Scott, H. W. Singh, P. O. Sorensen, C. Varadharajan, B. Whitney, and K. Maher, "Integrating airborne remote sensing and field campaigns for ecology and Earth system science," Methods in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 11, iss. 11, pp. 1492-1508, 2020. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13463
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract In recent years, the availability of airborne imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral) data has expanded dramatically. The high spatial and spectral resolution of these data uniquely enable spatially explicit ecological studies including species mapping, assessment of drought mortality and foliar trait distributions. However, we have barely begun to unlock the potential of these data to use direct mapping of vegetation characteristics to infer subsurface properties of the critical zone. To assess their utility for Earth systems research, imaging spectroscopy data acquisitions require integration with large, coincident ground-based datasets collected by experts in ecology and environmental and Earth science. Without coordinated, well-planned field campaigns, potential knowledge leveraged from advanced airborne data collections could be lost. Despite the growing importance of this field, documented methods to couple such a wide variety of disciplines remain sparse. We coordinated the first National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) survey performed outside of their core sites, which took place in the Upper East River watershed, Colorado. Extensive planning for sample tracking and organization allowed field and flight teams to update the ground-based sampling strategy daily. This enabled collection of an extensive set of physical samples to support a wide range of ecological, microbiological, biogeochemical and hydrological studies. We present a framework for integrating airborne and field campaigns to obtain high-quality data for foliar trait prediction and document an archive of coincident physical samples collected to support a systems approach to ecological research in the critical zone. This detailed methodological account provides an example of how a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team can coordinate to maximize knowledge gained from an airborne survey, an approach that could be extended to other studies. The coordination of imaging spectroscopy surveys with appropriately timed and extensive field surveys, along with high-quality processing of these data, presents a unique opportunity to reveal new insights into the structure and dynamics of the critical zone. To our knowledge, this level of co-aligned sampling has never been undertaken in tandem with AOP surveys and subsequent studies utilizing this archive will shed considerable light on the breadth of applications for which imaging spectroscopy data can be leveraged.

  @article{doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13463,
  author = {Chadwick, K. Dana and Brodrick, Philip G. and Grant, Kathleen and Goulden, Tristan and Henderson, Amanda and Falco, Nicola and Wainwright, Haruko and Williams, Kenneth H. and Bill, Markus and Breckheimer, Ian and Brodie, Eoin L. and Steltzer, Heidi and Williams, Charles F. Rick and Blonder, Benjamin and Chen, Jiancong and Dafflon, Baptiste and Damerow, Joan and Hancher, Matt and Khurram, Aizah and Lamb, Jack and Lawrence, Corey R. and McCormick, Maeve and Musinsky, John and Pierce, Samuel and Polussa, Alexander and Hastings Porro, Maceo and Scott, Andea and Singh, Hans Wu and Sorensen, Patrick O. and Varadharajan, Charuleka and Whitney, Bizuayehu and Maher, Katharine},
  title = {Integrating airborne remote sensing and field campaigns for ecology and Earth system science},
  journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  volume = {11},
  number = {11},
  pages = {1492-1508},
  year = {2020},
  keywords = {airborne remote sensing, field surveys, foliar traits, hyperspectral imaging, imaging spectroscopy, metadata, NEON AOP, sample tracking},
  doi = {10.1111/2041-210X.13463},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_MEE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/2041-210X.13463},
  abstract = {Abstract In recent years, the availability of airborne imaging spectroscopy (hyperspectral) data has expanded dramatically. The high spatial and spectral resolution of these data uniquely enable spatially explicit ecological studies including species mapping, assessment of drought mortality and foliar trait distributions. However, we have barely begun to unlock the potential of these data to use direct mapping of vegetation characteristics to infer subsurface properties of the critical zone. To assess their utility for Earth systems research, imaging spectroscopy data acquisitions require integration with large, coincident ground-based datasets collected by experts in ecology and environmental and Earth science. Without coordinated, well-planned field campaigns, potential knowledge leveraged from advanced airborne data collections could be lost. Despite the growing importance of this field, documented methods to couple such a wide variety of disciplines remain sparse. We coordinated the first National Ecological Observatory Network Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) survey performed outside of their core sites, which took place in the Upper East River watershed, Colorado. Extensive planning for sample tracking and organization allowed field and flight teams to update the ground-based sampling strategy daily. This enabled collection of an extensive set of physical samples to support a wide range of ecological, microbiological, biogeochemical and hydrological studies. We present a framework for integrating airborne and field campaigns to obtain high-quality data for foliar trait prediction and document an archive of coincident physical samples collected to support a systems approach to ecological research in the critical zone. This detailed methodological account provides an example of how a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team can coordinate to maximize knowledge gained from an airborne survey, an approach that could be extended to other studies. The coordination of imaging spectroscopy surveys with appropriately timed and extensive field surveys, along with high-quality processing of these data, presents a unique opportunity to reveal new insights into the structure and dynamics of the critical zone. To our knowledge, this level of co-aligned sampling has never been undertaken in tandem with AOP surveys and subsequent studies utilizing this archive will shed considerable light on the breadth of applications for which imaging spectroscopy data can be leveraged.}
  }

• P. Gaüzère, L. L. Iversen, A. W. R. Seddon, C. Violle, and B. Blonder, "Equilibrium in plant functional trait responses to warming is stronger under higher climate variability during the Holocene," Global Ecology and Biogeography, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/geb.13176
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Aim The functional trait composition of plant communities is thought to be determined largely by climate, but relationships between contemporary trait distributions and climate are often weak. Spatial mismatches between trait and climatic conditions are commonly thought to arise from disequilibrium responses to past environmental changes. We aimed to investigate whether current trait–climate disequilibrium is likely to emerge during plant functional responses to Holocene climate warming. Location North America. Time period 14–0 ka. Major taxa studied Terrestrial plants. Methods We joined global trait data with palaeoecological time series and climate simulations on 425 sites. We estimated plant community functional composition for three leaf traits involved in resource use. We then quantified disequilibrium in plant trait temporal responses to climate change during two contrasted periods: a period of high climate variability (14–7 ka) and a period of low climate variability (7–0 ka). Results Functional trait composition showed consistent deviation from climatic equilibrium during both periods. The temporal dynamics of trait composition tends to be positively correlated with climate equilibrium expectations during Holocene climate warming (14–7 ka), but not during a subsequent period of low climate variability (7–0 ka). Main conclusions Long-term functional responses of plants to climate change showed mixed evidence for both equilibrium and disequilibrium responses. Temporal trait dynamics were closer to the expectations of spatial dynamics under high climate variability, indicating that the relevance of space-for-time substitution might be dependent, in part, on climate variability. Our results also suggest that current mismatches between trait and climatic conditions might arise because of a divergence of factors influencing trait dynamics during periods of low climate variability. These findings provide a counterpoint to the common assumption that contemporary trait–climate mismatches result from lagged responses to past climate warming. Our study also demonstrates the need for a deeper investigation of the potential influence of non-climatic factors on functional plant community dynamics.

  @article{doi:10.1111/geb.13176,
  author = {Gaüzère, Pierre and Iversen, Lars Lønsmann and Seddon, Alistair W. R. and Violle, Cyrille and Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Equilibrium in plant functional trait responses to warming is stronger under higher climate variability during the Holocene},
  journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography},
  year={2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {climate legacy, climate mismatch, disequilibrium dynamics, functional trait, global change, Late Quaternary, palynology, space-for-time substitution},
  doi = {10.1111/geb.13176},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_GEB.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/geb.13176},
  abstract = {Abstract Aim The functional trait composition of plant communities is thought to be determined largely by climate, but relationships between contemporary trait distributions and climate are often weak. Spatial mismatches between trait and climatic conditions are commonly thought to arise from disequilibrium responses to past environmental changes. We aimed to investigate whether current trait–climate disequilibrium is likely to emerge during plant functional responses to Holocene climate warming. Location North America. Time period 14–0 ka. Major taxa studied Terrestrial plants. Methods We joined global trait data with palaeoecological time series and climate simulations on 425 sites. We estimated plant community functional composition for three leaf traits involved in resource use. We then quantified disequilibrium in plant trait temporal responses to climate change during two contrasted periods: a period of high climate variability (14–7 ka) and a period of low climate variability (7–0 ka). Results Functional trait composition showed consistent deviation from climatic equilibrium during both periods. The temporal dynamics of trait composition tends to be positively correlated with climate equilibrium expectations during Holocene climate warming (14–7 ka), but not during a subsequent period of low climate variability (7–0 ka). Main conclusions Long-term functional responses of plants to climate change showed mixed evidence for both equilibrium and disequilibrium responses. Temporal trait dynamics were closer to the expectations of spatial dynamics under high climate variability, indicating that the relevance of space-for-time substitution might be dependent, in part, on climate variability. Our results also suggest that current mismatches between trait and climatic conditions might arise because of a divergence of factors influencing trait dynamics during periods of low climate variability. These findings provide a counterpoint to the common assumption that contemporary trait–climate mismatches result from lagged responses to past climate warming. Our study also demonstrates the need for a deeper investigation of the potential influence of non-climatic factors on functional plant community dynamics.}
  }

• B. Blonder, S. Both, M. Jodra, H. Xu, M. Fricker, I. S. Matos, N. Majalap, D. F. R. P. Burslem, Y. A. Teh, and Y. Malhi, "Linking functional traits to multiscale statistics of leaf venation networks," New Phytologist, vol. 29, iss. 11, pp. 2052-2066, 2020. doi:10.1111/nph.16830
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Summary Leaf venation networks evolved along several functional axes, including resource transport, damage resistance, mechanical strength, and construction cost. Because functions may depend on architectural features at different scales, network architecture may vary across spatial scales to satisfy functional tradeoffs. We develop a framework for quantifying network architecture with multiscale statistics describing elongation ratios, circularity ratios, vein density, and minimum spanning tree ratios. We quantify vein networks for leaves of 260 southeast Asian tree species in samples of up to 2 cm2, pairing multiscale statistics with traits representing axes of resource transport, damage resistance, mechanical strength, and cost. We show that these multiscale statistics clearly differentiate species’ architecture and delineate a phenotype space that shifts at larger scales; functional linkages vary with scale and are weak, with vein density, minimum spanning tree ratio, and circularity ratio linked to mechanical strength (measured by force to punch) and elongation ratio and circularity ratio linked to damage resistance (measured by tannins); and phylogenetic conservatism of network architecture is low but scale-dependent. This work provides tools to quantify the function and evolution of venation networks. Future studies including primary and secondary veins may uncover additional insights.

  @article{doi:10.1111/nph.16830,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Both, Sabine and Jodra, Miguel and Xu, Hao and Fricker, Mark and Matos, Ilaíne S. and Majalap, Noreen and Burslem, David F.R.P. and Teh, Yit Arn and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Linking functional traits to multiscale statistics of leaf venation networks},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  year={2020},
  volume = {29},
  number = {11},
  pages = {2052-2066},
  keywords = {construction cost, damage resistance, functional trait, leaf, mechanical strength, network architecture, resource transport, venation network},
  doi = {10.1111/nph.16830},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_NPH_BALI.pdf},
  eprint = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.16830},
  abstract = {Summary Leaf venation networks evolved along several functional axes, including resource transport, damage resistance, mechanical strength, and construction cost. Because functions may depend on architectural features at different scales, network architecture may vary across spatial scales to satisfy functional tradeoffs. We develop a framework for quantifying network architecture with multiscale statistics describing elongation ratios, circularity ratios, vein density, and minimum spanning tree ratios. We quantify vein networks for leaves of 260 southeast Asian tree species in samples of up to 2 cm2, pairing multiscale statistics with traits representing axes of resource transport, damage resistance, mechanical strength, and cost. We show that these multiscale statistics clearly differentiate species’ architecture and delineate a phenotype space that shifts at larger scales; functional linkages vary with scale and are weak, with vein density, minimum spanning tree ratio, and circularity ratio linked to mechanical strength (measured by force to punch) and elongation ratio and circularity ratio linked to damage resistance (measured by tannins); and phylogenetic conservatism of network architecture is low but scale-dependent. This work provides tools to quantify the function and evolution of venation networks. Future studies including primary and secondary veins may uncover additional insights.}
  }

• B. Blonder, S. Escobar, R. E. Kapás, and S. T. Michaletz, "Low predictability of energy balance traits and leaf temperature metrics in desert, montane and alpine plant communities," Functional Ecology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13643
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Leaf energy balance may influence plant performance and community composition. While biophysical theory can link leaf energy balance to many traits and environment variables, predicting leaf temperature and key driver traits with incomplete parameterizations remains challenging. Predicting thermal offsets (δ, Tleaf − Tair difference) or thermal coupling strengths (β, Tleaf vs. Tair slope) is challenging. We ask: (a) whether environmental gradients predict variation in energy balance traits (absorptance, leaf angle, stomatal distribution, maximum stomatal conductance, leaf area, leaf height); (b) whether commonly measured leaf functional traits (dry matter content, mass per area, nitrogen fraction, δ13C, height above ground) predict energy balance traits; and (c) how traits and environmental variables predict δ and β among species. We address these questions with diurnal measurements of 41 species co-occurring along a 1,100 m elevation gradient spanning desert to alpine biomes. We show that (a) energy balance traits are only weakly associated with environmental gradients and (b) are not well predicted by common functional traits. We also show that (c) δ and β can be partially approximated using interactions among site environment and traits, with a much larger role for environment than traits. The heterogeneity in leaf temperature metrics and energy balance traits challenges larger-scale predictive models of plant performance under environmental change. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

  @article{doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13643,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Escobar, Sabastian and Kapás, Rozália E. and Michaletz, Sean T.},
  title = {Low predictability of energy balance traits and leaf temperature metrics in desert, montane and alpine plant communities},
  journal = {Functional Ecology},
  year={2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {elevation gradient, energy balance, leaf functional trait, leaf temperature, subalpine, thermal ecology},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2435.13643},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_FEC_thermal.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2435.13643},
  abstract = {Abstract Leaf energy balance may influence plant performance and community composition. While biophysical theory can link leaf energy balance to many traits and environment variables, predicting leaf temperature and key driver traits with incomplete parameterizations remains challenging. Predicting thermal offsets (δ, Tleaf − Tair difference) or thermal coupling strengths (β, Tleaf vs. Tair slope) is challenging. We ask: (a) whether environmental gradients predict variation in energy balance traits (absorptance, leaf angle, stomatal distribution, maximum stomatal conductance, leaf area, leaf height); (b) whether commonly measured leaf functional traits (dry matter content, mass per area, nitrogen fraction, δ13C, height above ground) predict energy balance traits; and (c) how traits and environmental variables predict δ and β among species. We address these questions with diurnal measurements of 41 species co-occurring along a 1,100 m elevation gradient spanning desert to alpine biomes. We show that (a) energy balance traits are only weakly associated with environmental gradients and (b) are not well predicted by common functional traits. We also show that (c) δ and β can be partially approximated using interactions among site environment and traits, with a much larger role for environment than traits. The heterogeneity in leaf temperature metrics and energy balance traits challenges larger-scale predictive models of plant performance under environmental change. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.}
  }

• P. Gauzere, X. Morin, C. Violle, I. Caspeta, C. Ray, and B. Blonder, "Vacant yet invasible niches in forest community assembly," Functional Ecology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13614
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract It is controversial whether communities are saturated with species, or have vacant niches. The prevalence of vacant niches and the processes likely to promote their existence are poorly known. We used a process-based forest gap-model to simulate plant community dynamics in 11 sites along a climatic gradient across central Europe. We then used hypervolume analyses to study the existence of vacant niches (seen as empty volumes in the trait space of local species pools and communities), and we tested for the effect of abiotic (environmental filtering) and biotic (competition) processes on the functional hypervolumes along the climatic gradient. Last, we performed invasion simulations to assess the invasibility of detected vacant niches. Our results suggest that empty volumes in trait space are common, can arise from both abiotic and biotic processes and are more likely in cold climates. We also showed that most vacant niches are invasible. Synthesis. Our work supports the view that niche space is unsaturated, and that many viable ecological strategies are absent from these forest communities. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

  @article{doi:10.1111/1365-2435.13614,
  author = {Gauzere, Pierre and Morin, Xavier and Violle, Cyrille and Caspeta, Ivanna and Ray, Courtenay and Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Vacant yet invasible niches in forest community assembly},
  journal = {Functional Ecology},
  year={2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {assembly mechanisms, forest, functional traits, hypervolume, non-equilibrium, saturation, trait space},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2435.13614},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_FEC.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2435.13614},
  abstract = {Abstract It is controversial whether communities are saturated with species, or have vacant niches. The prevalence of vacant niches and the processes likely to promote their existence are poorly known. We used a process-based forest gap-model to simulate plant community dynamics in 11 sites along a climatic gradient across central Europe. We then used hypervolume analyses to study the existence of vacant niches (seen as empty volumes in the trait space of local species pools and communities), and we tested for the effect of abiotic (environmental filtering) and biotic (competition) processes on the functional hypervolumes along the climatic gradient. Last, we performed invasion simulations to assess the invasibility of detected vacant niches. Our results suggest that empty volumes in trait space are common, can arise from both abiotic and biotic processes and are more likely in cold climates. We also showed that most vacant niches are invasible. Synthesis. Our work supports the view that niche space is unsaturated, and that many viable ecological strategies are absent from these forest communities. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.}
  }

• J. J. Lembrechts, J. Aalto, M. B. Ashcroft, P. De Frenne, M. Kopecký, J. Lenoir, M. Luoto, I. M. D. Maclean, O. Roupsard, E. Fuentes-Lillo, R. A. García, L. Pellissier, C. Pitteloud, J. M. Alatalo, S. W. Smith, R. G. Björk, L. Muffler, A. Ratier Backes, S. Cesarz, F. Gottschall, J. Okello, J. Urban, R. Plichta, M. Svátek, S. S. Phartyal, S. Wipf, N. Eisenhauer, M. Pușcaș, P. D. Turtureanu, A. Varlagin, R. D. Dimarco, A. S. Jump, K. Randall, E. Dorrepaal, K. Larson, J. Walz, L. Vitale, M. Svoboda, R. Finger Higgens, A. H. Halbritter, S. R. Curasi, I. Klupar, A. Koontz, W. D. Pearse, E. Simpson, M. Stemkovski, B. Jessen Graae, M. Vedel Sørensen, T. T. Høye, R. M. Fernández Calzado, J. Lorite, M. Carbognani, M. Tomaselli, T. G. W. Forte, A. Petraglia, S. Haesen, B. Somers, K. Van Meerbeek, M. P. Björkman, K. Hylander, S. Merinero, M. Gharun, N. Buchmann, J. Dolezal, R. Matula, A. D. Thomas, J. J. Bailey, D. Ghosn, G. Kazakis, M. A. de Pablo, J. Kemppinen, P. Niittynen, L. Rew, T. Seipel, C. Larson, J. D. M. Speed, J. Ardö, N. Cannone, M. Guglielmin, F. Malfasi, M. Y. Bader, R. Canessa, A. Stanisci, J. Kreyling, J. Schmeddes, L. Teuber, V. Aschero, M. Čiliak, F. Máliš, P. De Smedt, S. Govaert, C. Meeussen, P. Vangansbeke, K. Gigauri, A. Lamprecht, H. Pauli, K. Steinbauer, M. Winkler, M. Ueyama, M. A. Nuñez, T. Ursu, S. Haider, R. E. M. Wedegärtner, M. Smiljanic, M. Trouillier, M. Wilmking, J. Altman, J. Brůna, L. Hederová, M. Macek, M. Man, J. Wild, P. Vittoz, M. Pärtel, P. Barančok, R. Kanka, J. Kollár, A. Palaj, A. Barros, A. C. Mazzolari, M. Bauters, P. Boeckx, J. Benito Alonso, S. Zong, V. Di Cecco, Z. Sitková, K. Tielbörger, L. van den Brink, R. Weigel, J. Homeier, J. C. Dahlberg, S. Medinets, V. Medinets, H. J. De Boeck, M. Portillo-Estrada, L. T. Verryckt, A. Milbau, G. N. Daskalova, H. J. D. Thomas, I. H. Myers-Smith, B. Blonder, J. G. Stephan, P. Descombes, F. Zellweger, E. R. Frei, B. Heinesch, C. Andrews, J. Dick, L. Siebicke, A. Rocha, R. A. Senior, C. Rixen, J. J. Jimenez, J. Boike, A. Pauchard, T. Scholten, B. Scheffers, D. Klinges, E. W. Basham, J. Zhang, Z. Zhang, C. Géron, F. Fazlioglu, O. Candan, J. Sallo Bravo, F. Hrbacek, K. Laska, E. Cremonese, P. Haase, F. E. Moyano, C. Rossi, and I. Nijs, "SoilTemp: A global database of near-surface temperature," Global Change Biology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/gcb.15123
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Current analyses and predictions of spatially explicit patterns and processes in ecology most often rely on climate data interpolated from standardized weather stations. This interpolated climate data represents long-term average thermal conditions at coarse spatial resolutions only. Hence, many climate-forcing factors that operate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions are overlooked. This is particularly important in relation to effects of observation height (e.g. vegetation, snow and soil characteristics) and in habitats varying in their exposure to radiation, moisture and wind (e.g. topography, radiative forcing or cold-air pooling). Since organisms living close to the ground relate more strongly to these microclimatic conditions than to free-air temperatures, microclimatic ground and near-surface data are needed to provide realistic forecasts of the fate of such organisms under anthropogenic climate change, as well as of the functioning of the ecosystems they live in. To fill this critical gap, we highlight a call for temperature time series submissions to SoilTemp, a geospatial database initiative compiling soil and near-surface temperature data from all over the world. Currently, this database contains time series from 7,538 temperature sensors from 51 countries across all key biomes. The database will pave the way toward an improved global understanding of microclimate and bridge the gap between the available climate data and the climate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions relevant to most organisms and ecosystem processes.

  @article{doi:10.1111/gcb.15123,
  author = {Lembrechts, Jonas J. and Aalto, Juha and Ashcroft, Michael B. and De Frenne, Pieter and Kopecký, Martin and Lenoir, Jonathan and Luoto, Miska and Maclean, Ilya M. D. and Roupsard, Olivier and Fuentes-Lillo, Eduardo and García, Rafael A. and Pellissier, Loïc and Pitteloud, Camille and Alatalo, Juha M. and Smith, Stuart W. and Björk, Robert G. and Muffler, Lena and Ratier Backes, Amanda and Cesarz, Simone and Gottschall, Felix and Okello, Joseph and Urban, Josef and Plichta, Roman and Svátek, Martin and Phartyal, Shyam S. and Wipf, Sonja and Eisenhauer, Nico and Pușcaș, Mihai and Turtureanu, Pavel D. and Varlagin, Andrej and Dimarco, Romina D. and Jump, Alistair S. and Randall, Krystal and Dorrepaal, Ellen and Larson, Keith and Walz, Josefine and Vitale, Luca and Svoboda, Miroslav and Finger Higgens, Rebecca and Halbritter, Aud H. and Curasi, Salvatore R. and Klupar, Ian and Koontz, Austin and Pearse, William D. and Simpson, Elizabeth and Stemkovski, Michael and Jessen Graae, Bente and Vedel Sørensen, Mia and Høye, Toke T. and Fernández Calzado, M. Rosa and Lorite, Juan and Carbognani, Michele and Tomaselli, Marcello and Forte, T'ai G. W. and Petraglia, Alessandro and Haesen, Stef and Somers, Ben and Van Meerbeek, Koenraad and Björkman, Mats P. and Hylander, Kristoffer and Merinero, Sonia and Gharun, Mana and Buchmann, Nina and Dolezal, Jiri and Matula, Radim and Thomas, Andrew D. and Bailey, Joseph J. and Ghosn, Dany and Kazakis, George and de Pablo, Miguel A. and Kemppinen, Julia and Niittynen, Pekka and Rew, Lisa and Seipel, Tim and Larson, Christian and Speed, James D. M. and Ardö, Jonas and Cannone, Nicoletta and Guglielmin, Mauro and Malfasi, Francesco and Bader, Maaike Y. and Canessa, Rafaella and Stanisci, Angela and Kreyling, Juergen and Schmeddes, Jonas and Teuber, Laurenz and Aschero, Valeria and Čiliak, Marek and Máliš, František and De Smedt, Pallieter and Govaert, Sanne and Meeussen, Camille and Vangansbeke, Pieter and Gigauri, Khatuna and Lamprecht, Andrea and Pauli, Harald and Steinbauer, Klaus and Winkler, Manuela and Ueyama, Masahito and Nuñez, Martin A. and Ursu, Tudor-Mihai and Haider, Sylvia and Wedegärtner, Ronja E. M. and Smiljanic, Marko and Trouillier, Mario and Wilmking, Martin and Altman, Jan and Brůna, Josef and Hederová, Lucia and Macek, Martin and Man, Matěj and Wild, Jan and Vittoz, Pascal and Pärtel, Meelis and Barančok, Peter and Kanka, Róbert and Kollár, Jozef and Palaj, Andrej and Barros, Agustina and Mazzolari, Ana C. and Bauters, Marijn and Boeckx, Pascal and Benito Alonso, José-Luis and Zong, Shengwei and Di Cecco, Valter and Sitková, Zuzana and Tielbörger, Katja and van den Brink, Liesbeth and Weigel, Robert and Homeier, Jürgen and Dahlberg, C. Johan and Medinets, Sergiy and Medinets, Volodymyr and De Boeck, Hans J. and Portillo-Estrada, Miguel and Verryckt, Lore T. and Milbau, Ann and Daskalova, Gergana N. and Thomas, Haydn J. D. and Myers-Smith, Isla H. and Blonder, Benjamin and Stephan, Jörg G. and Descombes, Patrice and Zellweger, Florian and Frei, Esther R. and Heinesch, Bernard and Andrews, Christopher and Dick, Jan and Siebicke, Lukas and Rocha, Adrian and Senior, Rebecca A. and Rixen, Christian and Jimenez, Juan J. and Boike, Julia and Pauchard, Aníbal and Scholten, Thomas and Scheffers, Brett and Klinges, David and Basham, Edmund W. and Zhang, Jian and Zhang, Zhaochen and Géron, Charly and Fazlioglu, Fatih and Candan, Onur and Sallo Bravo, Jhonatan and Hrbacek, Filip and Laska, Kamil and Cremonese, Edoardo and Haase, Peter and Moyano, Fernando E. and Rossi, Christian and Nijs, Ivan},
  title = {SoilTemp: A global database of near-surface temperature},
  journal = {Global Change Biology},
  year={2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {climate change, database, ecosystem processes, microclimate, soil climate, species distributions, temperature, topoclimate},
  doi = {10.1111/gcb.15123},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_GCB_ST.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.15123},
  abstract = {Abstract Current analyses and predictions of spatially explicit patterns and processes in ecology most often rely on climate data interpolated from standardized weather stations. This interpolated climate data represents long-term average thermal conditions at coarse spatial resolutions only. Hence, many climate-forcing factors that operate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions are overlooked. This is particularly important in relation to effects of observation height (e.g. vegetation, snow and soil characteristics) and in habitats varying in their exposure to radiation, moisture and wind (e.g. topography, radiative forcing or cold-air pooling). Since organisms living close to the ground relate more strongly to these microclimatic conditions than to free-air temperatures, microclimatic ground and near-surface data are needed to provide realistic forecasts of the fate of such organisms under anthropogenic climate change, as well as of the functioning of the ecosystems they live in. To fill this critical gap, we highlight a call for temperature time series submissions to SoilTemp, a geospatial database initiative compiling soil and near-surface temperature data from all over the world. Currently, this database contains time series from 7,538 temperature sensors from 51 countries across all key biomes. The database will pave the way toward an improved global understanding of microclimate and bridge the gap between the available climate data and the climate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions relevant to most organisms and ecosystem processes.}
  }

• L. M. T. Aparecido, S. Woo, C. Suazo, K. R. Hultine, and B. Blonder, "High water use in desert plants exposed to extreme heat," Ecology Letters, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/ele.13516
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Many plant water use models predict leaves maximize carbon assimilation while minimizing water loss via transpiration. Alternate scenarios may occur at high temperature, including heat avoidance, where leaves increase water loss to evaporatively cool regardless of carbon uptake; or heat failure, where leaves non-adaptively lose water also regardless of carbon uptake. We hypothesized that these alternative scenarios are common in species exposed to hot environments, with heat avoidance more common in species with high construction cost leaves. Diurnal measurements of leaf temperature and gas exchange for 11 Sonoran Desert species revealed that 37\% of these species increased transpiration in the absence of increased carbon uptake. High leaf mass per area partially predicted this behaviour (r2 = 0.39). These data are consistent with heat avoidance and heat failure, but failure is less likely given the ecological dominance of the focal species. These behaviours are not yet captured in any extant plant water use model.

  @article{doi:10.1111/ele.13516,
  author = {Aparecido, Luiza M. T. and Woo, Sabrina and Suazo, Crystal and Hultine, Kevin R. and Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {High water use in desert plants exposed to extreme heat},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  year={2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {Cowan–Farquhar, functional trait, heat waves, Sonoran desert, stomatal regulation, thermal stress, transpiration, water use efficiency},
  doi = {10.1111/ele.13516},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_ELE.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ele.13516},
  abstract = {Abstract Many plant water use models predict leaves maximize carbon assimilation while minimizing water loss via transpiration. Alternate scenarios may occur at high temperature, including heat avoidance, where leaves increase water loss to evaporatively cool regardless of carbon uptake; or heat failure, where leaves non-adaptively lose water also regardless of carbon uptake. We hypothesized that these alternative scenarios are common in species exposed to hot environments, with heat avoidance more common in species with high construction cost leaves. Diurnal measurements of leaf temperature and gas exchange for 11 Sonoran Desert species revealed that 37\% of these species increased transpiration in the absence of increased carbon uptake. High leaf mass per area partially predicted this behaviour (r2 = 0.39). These data are consistent with heat avoidance and heat failure, but failure is less likely given the ecological dominance of the focal species. These behaviours are not yet captured in any extant plant water use model.}
  }

• H. J. D. Thomas, A. D. Bjorkman, I. H. Myers-Smith, S. C. Elmendorf, J. Kattge, S. Diaz, M. Vellend, D. Blok, J. H. C. Cornelissen, B. C. Forbes, G. H. R. Henry, R. D. Hollister, S. Normand, J. S. Prevéy, C. Rixen, G. Schaepman-Strub, M. Wilmking, S. Wipf, W. K. Cornwell, P. S. A. Beck, D. Georges, S. J. Goetz, K. C. Guay, N. Rüger, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, M. J. Spasojevic, J. M. Alatalo, H. D. Alexander, A. Anadon-Rosell, S. Angers-Blondin, M. te Beest, L. T. Berner, R. G. Björk, A. Buchwal, A. Buras, M. Carbognani, K. S. Christie, L. S. Collier, E. J. Cooper, B. Elberling, A. Eskelinen, E. R. Frei, O. Grau, P. Grogan, M. Hallinger, M. M. P. D. Heijmans, L. Hermanutz, J. M. G. Hudson, J. F. Johnstone, K. Hülber, M. Iturrate-Garcia, C. M. Iversen, F. Jaroszynska, E. Kaarlejarvi, A. Kulonen, L. J. Lamarque, T. C. Lantz, E. Lévesque, C. J. Little, A. Michelsen, A. Milbau, J. Nabe-Nielsen, S. S. Nielsen, J. M. Ninot, S. F. Oberbauer, J. Olofsson, V. G. Onipchenko, A. Petraglia, S. B. Rumpf, R. Shetti, J. D. M. Speed, K. N. Suding, K. D. Tape, M. Tomaselli, A. J. Trant, U. A. Treier, M. Tremblay, S. E. Venn, T. Vowles, S. Weijers, P. A. Wookey, T. J. Zamin, M. Bahn, B. Blonder, P. M. van Bodegom, B. Bond-Lamberty, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, F. S. Chapin, J. M. Craine, M. Dainese, W. A. Green, S. Jansen, M. Kleyer, P. Manning, Ü. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, W. A. Ozinga, J. Peñuelas, P. Poschlod, P. B. Reich, B. Sandel, B. S. Schamp, S. N. Sheremetiev, and F. T. de Vries, "Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome," Nature Communications, vol. 11, iss. 1, p. 1351, 2020. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15014-4
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of plant species is thought to be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding to strategies of plant size and resource acquisition. However, it is unknown whether global plant trait relationships extend to climatic extremes, and if these interspecific relationships are confounded by trait variation within species. We test whether trait relationships extend to the cold extremes of life on Earth using the largest database of tundra plant traits yet compiled. We show that tundra plants demonstrate remarkably similar resource economic traits, but not size traits, compared to global distributions, and exhibit the same two dimensions of trait variation. Three quarters of trait variation occurs among species, mirroring global estimates of interspecific trait variation. Plant trait relationships are thus generalizable to the edge of global trait-space, informing prediction of plant community change in a warming world.

  @Article{Thomas2020,
  author={Thomas, H. J. D.
  and Bjorkman, A. D.
  and Myers-Smith, I. H.
  and Elmendorf, S. C.
  and Kattge, J.
  and Diaz, S.
  and Vellend, M.
  and Blok, D.
  and Cornelissen, J. H. C.
  and Forbes, B. C.
  and Henry, G. H. R.
  and Hollister, R. D.
  and Normand, S.
  and Prev{\'e}y, J. S.
  and Rixen, C.
  and Schaepman-Strub, G.
  and Wilmking, M.
  and Wipf, S.
  and Cornwell, W. K.
  and Beck, P. S. A.
  and Georges, D.
  and Goetz, S. J.
  and Guay, K. C.
  and R{\"u}ger, N.
  and Soudzilovskaia, N. A.
  and Spasojevic, M. J.
  and Alatalo, J. M.
  and Alexander, H. D.
  and Anadon-Rosell, A.
  and Angers-Blondin, S.
  and te Beest, M.
  and Berner, L. T.
  and Bj{\"o}rk, R. G.
  and Buchwal, A.
  and Buras, A.
  and Carbognani, M.
  and Christie, K. S.
  and Collier, L. S.
  and Cooper, E. J.
  and Elberling, B.
  and Eskelinen, A.
  and Frei, E. R.
  and Grau, O.
  and Grogan, P.
  and Hallinger, M.
  and Heijmans, M. M. P. D.
  and Hermanutz, L.
  and Hudson, J. M. G.
  and Johnstone, J. F.
  and H{\"u}lber, K.
  and Iturrate-Garcia, M.
  and Iversen, C. M.
  and Jaroszynska, F.
  and Kaarlejarvi, E.
  and Kulonen, A.
  and Lamarque, L. J.
  and Lantz, T. C.
  and L{\'e}vesque, E.
  and Little, C. J.
  and Michelsen, A.
  and Milbau, A.
  and Nabe-Nielsen, J.
  and Nielsen, S. S.
  and Ninot, J. M.
  and Oberbauer, S. F.
  and Olofsson, J.
  and Onipchenko, V. G.
  and Petraglia, A.
  and Rumpf, S. B.
  and Shetti, R.
  and Speed, J. D. M.
  and Suding, K. N.
  and Tape, K. D.
  and Tomaselli, M.
  and Trant, A. J.
  and Treier, U. A.
  and Tremblay, M.
  and Venn, S. E.
  and Vowles, T.
  and Weijers, S.
  and Wookey, P. A.
  and Zamin, T. J.
  and Bahn, M.
  and Blonder, B.
  and van Bodegom, P. M.
  and Bond-Lamberty, B.
  and Campetella, G.
  and Cerabolini, B. E. L.
  and Chapin, F. S.
  and Craine, J. M.
  and Dainese, M.
  and Green, W. A.
  and Jansen, S.
  and Kleyer, M.
  and Manning, P.
  and Niinemets, {\"U}
  and Onoda, Y.
  and Ozinga, W. A.
  and Pe{\~n}uelas, J.
  and Poschlod, P.
  and Reich, P. B.
  and Sandel, B.
  and Schamp, B. S.
  and Sheremetiev, S. N.
  and de Vries, F. T.},
  title={Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome},
  journal={Nature Communications},
  year={2020},
  volume={11},
  number={1},
  pages={1351},
  abstract={The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of plant species is thought to be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding to strategies of plant size and resource acquisition. However, it is unknown whether global plant trait relationships extend to climatic extremes, and if these interspecific relationships are confounded by trait variation within species. We test whether trait relationships extend to the cold extremes of life on Earth using the largest database of tundra plant traits yet compiled. We show that tundra plants demonstrate remarkably similar resource economic traits, but not size traits, compared to global distributions, and exhibit the same two dimensions of trait variation. Three quarters of trait variation occurs among species, mirroring global estimates of interspecific trait variation. Plant trait relationships are thus generalizable to the edge of global trait-space, informing prediction of plant community change in a warming world.},
  issn={2041-1723},
  doi={10.1038/s41467-020-15014-4},
  url={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_NCOM.pdf}
  }

• T. Jucker, T. D. Jackson, F. Zellweger, T. Swinfield, N. Gregory, J. Williamson, E. M. Slade, J. W. Phillips, P. R. L. Bittencourt, B. Blonder, M. J. W. Boyle, F. M. D. Ellwood, D. Hemprich-Bennett, O. T. Lewis, R. Matula, R. A. Senior, A. Shenkin, M. Svátek, and D. A. Coomes, "A Research Agenda for Microclimate Ecology in Human-Modified Tropical Forests," Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, vol. 2, p. 92, 2020. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2019.00092
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Logging and habitat fragmentation impact tropical forest ecosystems in numerous ways, perhaps the most striking of which is by altering the temperature, humidity, and light environment of the forest—its microclimate. Because local-scale microclimatic conditions directly influence the physiology, demography and behavior of most species, many of the impacts of land-use intensification on the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of tropical forests have been attributed to changes in microclimate. However, the actual pathways through which altered microclimatic conditions reshape the ecology of these human-modified ecosystems remain largely unexplored. To bridge this knowledge gap, here we outline an agenda for future microclimate research in human-modified tropical ecosystems. We focus specifically on three main themes: the role of microclimate in shaping (i) species distributions, (ii) species interactions, and (iii) ecosystem functioning in tropical forests. In doing so we aim to highlight how a renewed focus on microclimate can help us not only better understand the ecology of human-modified tropical ecosystems, but also guide efforts to manage and protect them.

  @ARTICLE{10.3389/ffgc.2019.00092,
  AUTHOR={Jucker, Tommaso and Jackson, Tobias D. and Zellweger, Florian and Swinfield, Tom and Gregory, Nichar and Williamson, Joseph and Slade, Eleanor M. and Phillips, Josie W. and Bittencourt, Paulo R. L. and Blonder, Benjamin and Boyle, Michael J. W. and Ellwood, M. D. Farnon and Hemprich-Bennett, David and Lewis, Owen T. and Matula, Radim and Senior, Rebecca A. and Shenkin, Alexander and Svátek, Martin and Coomes, David A.},
  TITLE={A Research Agenda for Microclimate Ecology in Human-Modified Tropical Forests},
  JOURNAL={Frontiers in Forests and Global Change},
  VOLUME={2},
  PAGES={92},
  YEAR={2020},
  URL={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_FFGC.pdf},
  DOI={10.3389/ffgc.2019.00092},
  ISSN={2624-893X},
  ABSTRACT={Logging and habitat fragmentation impact tropical forest ecosystems in numerous ways, perhaps the most striking of which is by altering the temperature, humidity, and light environment of the forest—its microclimate. Because local-scale microclimatic conditions directly influence the physiology, demography and behavior of most species, many of the impacts of land-use intensification on the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of tropical forests have been attributed to changes in microclimate. However, the actual pathways through which altered microclimatic conditions reshape the ecology of these human-modified ecosystems remain largely unexplored. To bridge this knowledge gap, here we outline an agenda for future microclimate research in human-modified tropical ecosystems. We focus specifically on three main themes: the role of microclimate in shaping (i) species distributions, (ii) species interactions, and (iii) ecosystem functioning in tropical forests. In doing so we aim to highlight how a renewed focus on microclimate can help us not only better understand the ecology of human-modified tropical ecosystems, but also guide efforts to manage and protect them.}
  }

• J. Kattge, G. Bönisch, S. Díaz, S. Lavorel, I. C. Prentice, P. Leadley, S. Tautenhahn, G. D. A. Werner, T. Aakala, M. Abedi, A. T. R. Acosta, G. C. Adamidis, K. Adamson, M. Aiba, C. H. Albert, J. M. Alcántara, C. Alcázar C, I. Aleixo, H. Ali, B. Amiaud, C. Ammer, M. M. Amoroso, M. Anand, C. Anderson, N. Anten, J. Antos, D. M. G. Apgaua, T. Ashman, D. H. Asmara, G. P. Asner, M. Aspinwall, O. Atkin, I. Aubin, L. Baastrup-Spohr, K. Bahalkeh, M. Bahn, T. Baker, W. J. Baker, J. P. Bakker, D. Baldocchi, J. Baltzer, A. Banerjee, A. Baranger, J. Barlow, D. R. Barneche, Z. Baruch, D. Bastianelli, J. Battles, W. Bauerle, M. Bauters, E. Bazzato, M. Beckmann, H. Beeckman, C. Beierkuhnlein, R. Bekker, G. Belfry, M. Belluau, M. Beloiu, R. Benavides, L. Benomar, M. L. Berdugo-Lattke, E. Berenguer, R. Bergamin, J. Bergmann, M. Bergmann Carlucci, L. Berner, M. Bernhardt-Römermann, C. Bigler, A. D. Bjorkman, C. Blackman, C. Blanco, B. Blonder, D. Blumenthal, K. T. Bocanegra-González, P. Boeckx, S. Bohlman, K. Böhning-Gaese, L. Boisvert-Marsh, W. Bond, B. Bond-Lamberty, A. Boom, C. C. F. Boonman, K. Bordin, E. H. Boughton, V. Boukili, D. M. J. S. Bowman, S. Bravo, M. R. Brendel, M. R. Broadley, K. A. Brown, H. Bruelheide, F. Brumnich, H. H. Bruun, D. Bruy, S. W. Buchanan, S. F. Bucher, N. Buchmann, R. Buitenwerf, D. E. Bunker, J. Bürger, S. Burrascano, D. F. R. P. Burslem, B. J. Butterfield, C. Byun, M. Marques, M. C. Scalon, M. Caccianiga, M. Cadotte, M. Cailleret, J. Camac, J. J. Camarero, C. Campany, G. Campetella, J. A. Campos, L. Cano-Arboleda, R. Canullo, M. Carbognani, F. Carvalho, F. Casanoves, B. Castagneyrol, J. A. Catford, J. Cavender-Bares, B. E. L. Cerabolini, M. Cervellini, E. Chacón-Madrigal, K. Chapin, S. F. Chapin, S. Chelli, S. Chen, A. Chen, P. Cherubini, F. Chianucci, B. Choat, K. Chung, M. Chytrý, D. Ciccarelli, L. Coll, C. G. Collins, L. Conti, D. Coomes, J. H. C. Cornelissen, W. K. Cornwell, P. Corona, M. Coyea, J. Craine, D. Craven, J. P. G. M. Cromsigt, A. Csecserits, K. Cufar, M. Cuntz, A. C. da Silva, K. M. Dahlin, M. Dainese, I. Dalke, M. Dalle Fratte, A. T. Dang-Le, J. Danihelka, M. Dannoura, S. Dawson, A. J. de Beer, A. De Frutos, J. R. De Long, B. Dechant, S. Delagrange, N. Delpierre, G. Derroire, A. S. Dias, M. H. Diaz-Toribio, P. G. Dimitrakopoulos, M. Dobrowolski, D. Doktor, P. Dřevojan, N. Dong, J. Dransfield, S. Dressler, L. Duarte, E. Ducouret, S. Dullinger, W. Durka, R. Duursma, O. Dymova, A. E-Vojtkó, R. L. Eckstein, H. Ejtehadi, J. Elser, T. Emilio, K. Engemann, M. B. Erfanian, A. Erfmeier, A. Esquivel-Muelbert, G. Esser, M. Estiarte, T. F. Domingues, W. F. Fagan, J. Fagúndez, D. S. Falster, Y. Fan, J. Fang, E. Farris, F. Fazlioglu, Y. Feng, F. Fernandez-Mendez, C. Ferrara, J. Ferreira, A. Fidelis, B. Finegan, J. Firn, T. J. Flowers, D. F. B. Flynn, V. Fontana, E. Forey, C. Forgiarini, L. François, M. Frangipani, D. Frank, C. Frenette-Dussault, G. T. Freschet, E. L. Fry, N. M. Fyllas, G. G. Mazzochini, S. Gachet, R. Gallagher, G. Ganade, F. Ganga, P. García-Palacios, V. Gargaglione, E. Garnier, J. L. Garrido, A. L. de Gasper, G. Gea-Izquierdo, D. Gibson, A. N. Gillison, A. Giroldo, M. Glasenhardt, S. Gleason, M. Gliesch, E. Goldberg, B. Göldel, E. Gonzalez-Akre, J. L. Gonzalez-Andujar, A. González-Melo, A. González-Robles, B. J. Graae, E. Granda, S. Graves, W. A. Green, T. Gregor, N. Gross, G. R. Guerin, A. Günther, A. G. Gutiérrez, L. Haddock, A. Haines, J. Hall, A. Hambuckers, W. Han, S. P. Harrison, W. Hattingh, J. E. Hawes, T. He, P. He, J. M. Heberling, A. Helm, S. Hempel, J. Hentschel, B. Hérault, A. Hereş, K. Herz, M. Heuertz, T. Hickler, P. Hietz, P. Higuchi, A. L. Hipp, A. Hirons, M. Hock, J. A. Hogan, K. Holl, O. Honnay, D. Hornstein, E. Hou, N. Hough-Snee, K. A. Hovstad, T. Ichie, B. Igić, E. Illa, M. Isaac, M. Ishihara, L. Ivanov, L. Ivanova, C. M. Iversen, J. Izquierdo, R. B. Jackson, B. Jackson, H. Jactel, A. M. Jagodzinski, U. Jandt, S. Jansen, T. Jenkins, A. Jentsch, J. R. P. Jespersen, G. Jiang, J. L. Johansen, D. Johnson, E. J. Jokela, C. A. Joly, G. J. Jordan, G. S. Joseph, D. Junaedi, R. R. Junker, E. Justes, R. Kabzems, J. Kane, Z. Kaplan, T. Kattenborn, L. Kavelenova, E. Kearsley, A. Kempel, T. Kenzo, A. Kerkhoff, M. I. Khalil, N. L. Kinlock, W. D. Kissling, K. Kitajima, T. Kitzberger, R. Kjøller, T. Klein, M. Kleyer, J. Klimešová, J. Klipel, B. Kloeppel, S. Klotz, J. M. H. Knops, T. Kohyama, F. Koike, J. Kollmann, B. Komac, K. Komatsu, C. König, N. J. B. Kraft, K. Kramer, H. Kreft, I. Kühn, D. Kumarathunge, J. Kuppler, H. Kurokawa, Y. Kurosawa, S. Kuyah, J. Laclau, B. Lafleur, E. Lallai, E. Lamb, A. Lamprecht, D. J. Larkin, D. Laughlin, Y. Le Bagousse-Pinguet, G. le Maire, P. C. le Roux, E. le Roux, T. Lee, F. Lens, S. L. Lewis, B. Lhotsky, Y. Li, X. Li, J. W. Lichstein, M. Liebergesell, J. Y. Lim, Y. Lin, J. C. Linares, C. Liu, D. Liu, U. Liu, S. Livingstone, J. Llusià, M. Lohbeck, Á. López-García, G. Lopez-Gonzalez, Z. Lososová, F. Louault, B. A. Lukács, P. Lukeš, Y. Luo, M. Lussu, S. Ma, C. Maciel Rabelo Pereira, M. Mack, V. Maire, A. Mäkelä, H. Mäkinen, A. C. M. Malhado, A. Mallik, P. Manning, S. Manzoni, Z. Marchetti, L. Marchino, V. Marcilio-Silva, E. Marcon, M. Marignani, L. Markesteijn, A. Martin, C. Martínez-Garza, J. Martínez-Vilalta, T. Mašková, K. Mason, N. Mason, T. J. Massad, J. Masse, I. Mayrose, J. McCarthy, L. M. McCormack, K. McCulloh, I. R. McFadden, B. J. McGill, M. Y. McPartland, J. S. Medeiros, B. Medlyn, P. Meerts, Z. Mehrabi, P. Meir, F. P. L. Melo, M. Mencuccini, C. Meredieu, J. Messier, I. Mészáros, J. Metsaranta, S. T. Michaletz, C. Michelaki, S. Migalina, R. Milla, J. E. D. Miller, V. Minden, R. Ming, K. Mokany, A. T. Moles, A. Molnár V, J. Molofsky, M. Molz, R. A. Montgomery, A. Monty, L. Moravcová, A. Moreno-Martínez, M. Moretti, A. S. Mori, S. Mori, D. Morris, J. Morrison, L. Mucina, S. Mueller, C. D. Muir, S. C. Müller, F. Munoz, I. H. Myers-Smith, R. W. Myster, M. Nagano, S. Naidu, A. Narayanan, B. Natesan, L. Negoita, A. S. Nelson, E. L. Neuschulz, J. Ni, G. Niedrist, J. Nieto, Ü. Niinemets, R. Nolan, H. Nottebrock, Y. Nouvellon, A. Novakovskiy, T. N. Network, K. O. Nystuen, A. O'Grady, K. O'Hara, A. O'Reilly-Nugent, S. Oakley, W. Oberhuber, T. Ohtsuka, R. Oliveira, K. Öllerer, M. E. Olson, V. Onipchenko, Y. Onoda, R. E. Onstein, J. C. Ordonez, N. Osada, I. Ostonen, G. Ottaviani, S. Otto, G. E. Overbeck, W. A. Ozinga, A. T. Pahl, T. C. E. Paine, R. J. Pakeman, A. C. Papageorgiou, E. Parfionova, M. Pärtel, M. Patacca, S. Paula, J. Paule, H. Pauli, J. G. Pausas, B. Peco, J. Penuelas, A. Perea, P. L. Peri, A. C. Petisco-Souza, A. Petraglia, A. M. Petritan, O. L. Phillips, S. Pierce, V. D. Pillar, J. Pisek, A. Pomogaybin, H. Poorter, A. Portsmuth, P. Poschlod, C. Potvin, D. Pounds, S. A. Powell, S. A. Power, A. Prinzing, G. Puglielli, P. Pyšek, V. Raevel, A. Rammig, J. Ransijn, C. A. Ray, P. B. Reich, M. Reichstein, D. E. B. Reid, M. Réjou-Méchain, V. R. de Dios, S. Ribeiro, S. Richardson, K. Riibak, M. C. Rillig, F. Riviera, E. M. R. Robert, S. Roberts, B. Robroek, A. Roddy, A. V. Rodrigues, A. Rogers, E. Rollinson, V. Rolo, C. Römermann, D. Ronzhina, C. Roscher, J. A. Rosell, M. F. Rosenfield, C. Rossi, D. B. Roy, S. Royer-Tardif, N. Rüger, R. Ruiz-Peinado, S. B. Rumpf, G. M. Rusch, M. Ryo, L. Sack, A. Saldaña, B. Salgado-Negret, R. Salguero-Gomez, I. Santa-Regina, A. C. Santacruz-García, J. Santos, J. Sardans, B. Schamp, M. Scherer-Lorenzen, M. Schleuning, B. Schmid, M. Schmidt, S. Schmitt, J. V. Schneider, S. D. Schowanek, J. Schrader, F. Schrodt, B. Schuldt, F. Schurr, G. Selaya Garvizu, M. Semchenko, C. Seymour, J. C. Sfair, J. M. Sharpe, C. S. Sheppard, S. Sheremetiev, S. Shiodera, B. Shipley, T. A. Shovon, A. Siebenkäs, C. Sierra, V. Silva, M. Silva, T. Sitzia, H. Sjöman, M. Slot, N. G. Smith, D. Sodhi, P. Soltis, D. Soltis, B. Somers, G. Sonnier, M. V. Sørensen, E. E. Sosinski Jr, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, A. F. Souza, M. Spasojevic, M. G. Sperandii, A. B. Stan, J. Stegen, K. Steinbauer, J. G. Stephan, F. Sterck, D. B. Stojanovic, T. Strydom, M. L. Suarez, J. Svenning, I. Svitková, M. Svitok, M. Svoboda, E. Swaine, N. Swenson, M. Tabarelli, K. Takagi, U. Tappeiner, R. Tarifa, S. Tauugourdeau, C. Tavsanoglu, M. te Beest, L. Tedersoo, N. Thiffault, D. Thom, E. Thomas, K. Thompson, P. E. Thornton, W. Thuiller, L. Tichý, D. Tissue, M. G. Tjoelker, D. Y. P. Tng, J. Tobias, P. Török, T. Tarin, J. M. Torres-Ruiz, B. Tóthmérész, M. Treurnicht, V. Trivellone, F. Trolliet, V. Trotsiuk, J. L. Tsakalos, I. Tsiripidis, N. Tysklind, T. Umehara, V. Usoltsev, M. Vadeboncoeur, J. Vaezi, F. Valladares, J. Vamosi, P. M. van Bodegom, M. van Breugel, E. Van Cleemput, M. van de Weg, S. van der Merwe, F. van der Plas, M. T. van der Sande, M. van Kleunen, K. Van Meerbeek, M. Vanderwel, K. A. Vanselow, A. Vårhammar, L. Varone, M. Y. Vasquez Valderrama, K. Vassilev, M. Vellend, E. J. Veneklaas, H. Verbeeck, K. Verheyen, A. Vibrans, I. Vieira, J. Villacís, C. Violle, P. Vivek, K. Wagner, M. Waldram, A. Waldron, A. P. Walker, M. Waller, G. Walther, H. Wang, F. Wang, W. Wang, H. Watkins, J. Watkins, U. Weber, J. T. Weedon, L. Wei, P. Weigelt, E. Weiher, A. W. Wells, C. Wellstein, E. Wenk, M. Westoby, A. Westwood, P. J. White, M. Whitten, M. Williams, D. E. Winkler, K. Winter, C. Womack, I. J. Wright, J. S. Wright, J. Wright, B. X. Pinho, F. Ximenes, T. Yamada, K. Yamaji, R. Yanai, N. Yankov, B. Yguel, K. J. Zanini, A. E. Zanne, D. Zelený, Y. Zhao, J. Zheng, J. Zheng, K. Ziemińska, C. R. Zirbel, G. Zizka, I. C. Zo-Bi, G. Zotz, and C. Wirth, "TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access," Global Change Biology, vol. n/a, iss. n/a, 2020. doi:10.1111/gcb.14904
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.

  @article{doi:10.1111/gcb.14904,
  author = {Kattge, Jens and Bönisch, Gerhard and Díaz, Sandra and Lavorel, Sandra and Prentice, Iain Colin and Leadley, Paul and Tautenhahn, Susanne and Werner, Gijsbert D. A. and Aakala, Tuomas and Abedi, Mehdi and Acosta, Alicia T. R. and Adamidis, George C. and Adamson, Kairi and Aiba, Masahiro and Albert, Cécile H. and Alcántara, Julio M. and Alcázar C, Carolina and Aleixo, Izabela and Ali, Hamada and Amiaud, Bernard and Ammer, Christian and Amoroso, Mariano M. and Anand, Madhur and Anderson, Carolyn and Anten, Niels and Antos, Joseph and Apgaua, Deborah Mattos Guimarães and Ashman, Tia-Lynn and Asmara, Degi Harja and Asner, Gregory P. and Aspinwall, Michael and Atkin, Owen and Aubin, Isabelle and Baastrup-Spohr, Lars and Bahalkeh, Khadijeh and Bahn, Michael and Baker, Timothy and Baker, William J. and Bakker, Jan P. and Baldocchi, Dennis and Baltzer, Jennifer and Banerjee, Arindam and Baranger, Anne and Barlow, Jos and Barneche, Diego R. and Baruch, Zdravko and Bastianelli, Denis and Battles, John and Bauerle, William and Bauters, Marijn and Bazzato, Erika and Beckmann, Michael and Beeckman, Hans and Beierkuhnlein, Carl and Bekker, Renee and Belfry, Gavin and Belluau, Michael and Beloiu, Mirela and Benavides, Raquel and Benomar, Lahcen and Berdugo-Lattke, Mary Lee and Berenguer, Erika and Bergamin, Rodrigo and Bergmann, Joana and Bergmann Carlucci, Marcos and Berner, Logan and Bernhardt-Römermann, Markus and Bigler, Christof and Bjorkman, Anne D. and Blackman, Chris and Blanco, Carolina and Blonder, Benjamin and Blumenthal, Dana and Bocanegra-González, Kelly T. and Boeckx, Pascal and Bohlman, Stephanie and Böhning-Gaese, Katrin and Boisvert-Marsh, Laura and Bond, William and Bond-Lamberty, Ben and Boom, Arnoud and Boonman, Coline C. F. and Bordin, Kauane and Boughton, Elizabeth H. and Boukili, Vanessa and Bowman, David M. J. S. and Bravo, Sandra and Brendel, Marco Richard and Broadley, Martin R. and Brown, Kerry A. and Bruelheide, Helge and Brumnich, Federico and Bruun, Hans Henrik and Bruy, David and Buchanan, Serra W. and Bucher, Solveig Franziska and Buchmann, Nina and Buitenwerf, Robert and Bunker, Daniel E. and Bürger, Jana and Burrascano, Sabina and Burslem, David F. R. P. and Butterfield, Bradley J. and Byun, Chaeho and Marques, Marcia and Scalon, Marina C. and Caccianiga, Marco and Cadotte, Marc and Cailleret, Maxime and Camac, James and Camarero, Jesús Julio and Campany, Courtney and Campetella, Giandiego and Campos, Juan Antonio and Cano-Arboleda, Laura and Canullo, Roberto and Carbognani, Michele and Carvalho, Fabio and Casanoves, Fernando and Castagneyrol, Bastien and Catford, Jane A. and Cavender-Bares, Jeannine and Cerabolini, Bruno E. L. and Cervellini, Marco and Chacón-Madrigal, Eduardo and Chapin, Kenneth and Chapin, F. Stuart and Chelli, Stefano and Chen, Si-Chong and Chen, Anping and Cherubini, Paolo and Chianucci, Francesco and Choat, Brendan and Chung, Kyong-Sook and Chytrý, Milan and Ciccarelli, Daniela and Coll, Lluís and Collins, Courtney G. and Conti, Luisa and Coomes, David and Cornelissen, Johannes H. C. and Cornwell, William K. and Corona, Piermaria and Coyea, Marie and Craine, Joseph and Craven, Dylan and Cromsigt, Joris P. G. M. and Csecserits, Anikó and Cufar, Katarina and Cuntz, Matthias and da Silva, Ana Carolina and Dahlin, Kyla M. and Dainese, Matteo and Dalke, Igor and Dalle Fratte, Michele and Dang-Le, Anh Tuan and Danihelka, Jirí and Dannoura, Masako and Dawson, Samantha and de Beer, Arend Jacobus and De Frutos, Angel and De Long, Jonathan R. and Dechant, Benjamin and Delagrange, Sylvain and Delpierre, Nicolas and Derroire, Géraldine and Dias, Arildo S. and Diaz-Toribio, Milton Hugo and Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G. and Dobrowolski, Mark and Doktor, Daniel and Dřevojan, Pavel and Dong, Ning and Dransfield, John and Dressler, Stefan and Duarte, Leandro and Ducouret, Emilie and Dullinger, Stefan and Durka, Walter and Duursma, Remko and Dymova, Olga and E-Vojtkó, Anna and Eckstein, Rolf Lutz and Ejtehadi, Hamid and Elser, James and Emilio, Thaise and Engemann, Kristine and Erfanian, Mohammad Bagher and Erfmeier, Alexandra and Esquivel-Muelbert, Adriane and Esser, Gerd and Estiarte, Marc and Domingues, Tomas F. and Fagan, William F. and Fagúndez, Jaime and Falster, Daniel S. and Fan, Ying and Fang, Jingyun and Farris, Emmanuele and Fazlioglu, Fatih and Feng, Yanhao and Fernandez-Mendez, Fernando and Ferrara, Carlotta and Ferreira, Joice and Fidelis, Alessandra and Finegan, Bryan and Firn, Jennifer and Flowers, Timothy J. and Flynn, Dan F. B. and Fontana, Veronika and Forey, Estelle and Forgiarini, Cristiane and François, Louis and Frangipani, Marcelo and Frank, Dorothea and Frenette-Dussault, Cedric and Freschet, Grégoire T. and Fry, Ellen L. and Fyllas, Nikolaos M. and Mazzochini, Guilherme G. and Gachet, Sophie and Gallagher, Rachael and Ganade, Gislene and Ganga, Francesca and García-Palacios, Pablo and Gargaglione, Veronica and Garnier, Eric and Garrido, Jose Luis and de Gasper, André Luís and Gea-Izquierdo, Guillermo and Gibson, David and Gillison, Andrew N. and Giroldo, Aelton and Glasenhardt, Mary-Claire and Gleason, Sean and Gliesch, Mariana and Goldberg, Emma and Göldel, Bastian and Gonzalez-Akre, Erika and Gonzalez-Andujar, Jose L. and González-Melo, Andrés and González-Robles, Ana and Graae, Bente Jessen and Granda, Elena and Graves, Sarah and Green, Walton A. and Gregor, Thomas and Gross, Nicolas and Guerin, Greg R. and Günther, Angela and Gutiérrez, Alvaro G. and Haddock, Lillie and Haines, Anna and Hall, Jefferson and Hambuckers, Alain and Han, Wenxuan and Harrison, Sandy P. and Hattingh, Wesley and Hawes, Joseph E. and He, Tianhua and He, Pengcheng and Heberling, Jacob Mason and Helm, Aveliina and Hempel, Stefan and Hentschel, Jörn and Hérault, Bruno and Hereş, Ana-Maria and Herz, Katharina and Heuertz, Myriam and Hickler, Thomas and Hietz, Peter and Higuchi, Pedro and Hipp, Andrew L. and Hirons, Andrew and Hock, Maria and Hogan, James Aaron and Holl, Karen and Honnay, Olivier and Hornstein, Daniel and Hou, Enqing and Hough-Snee, Nate and Hovstad, Knut Anders and Ichie, Tomoaki and Igić, Boris and Illa, Estela and Isaac, Marney and Ishihara, Masae and Ivanov, Leonid and Ivanova, Larissa and Iversen, Colleen M. and Izquierdo, Jordi and Jackson, Robert B. and Jackson, Benjamin and Jactel, Hervé and Jagodzinski, Andrzej M. and Jandt, Ute and Jansen, Steven and Jenkins, Thomas and Jentsch, Anke and Jespersen, Jens Rasmus Plantener and Jiang, Guo-Feng and Johansen, Jesper Liengaard and Johnson, David and Jokela, Eric J. and Joly, Carlos Alfredo and Jordan, Gregory J. and Joseph, Grant Stuart and Junaedi, Decky and Junker, Robert R. and Justes, Eric and Kabzems, Richard and Kane, Jeffrey and Kaplan, Zdenek and Kattenborn, Teja and Kavelenova, Lyudmila and Kearsley, Elizabeth and Kempel, Anne and Kenzo, Tanaka and Kerkhoff, Andrew and Khalil, Mohammed I. and Kinlock, Nicole L. and Kissling, Wilm Daniel and Kitajima, Kaoru and Kitzberger, Thomas and Kjøller, Rasmus and Klein, Tamir and Kleyer, Michael and Klimešová, Jitka and Klipel, Joice and Kloeppel, Brian and Klotz, Stefan and Knops, Johannes M. H. and Kohyama, Takashi and Koike, Fumito and Kollmann, Johannes and Komac, Benjamin and Komatsu, Kimberly and König, Christian and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and Kramer, Koen and Kreft, Holger and Kühn, Ingolf and Kumarathunge, Dushan and Kuppler, Jonas and Kurokawa, Hiroko and Kurosawa, Yoko and Kuyah, Shem and Laclau, Jean-Paul and Lafleur, Benoit and Lallai, Erik and Lamb, Eric and Lamprecht, Andrea and Larkin, Daniel J. and Laughlin, Daniel and Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Yoann and le Maire, Guerric and le Roux, Peter C. and le Roux, Elizabeth and Lee, Tali and Lens, Frederic and Lewis, Simon L. and Lhotsky, Barbara and Li, Yuanzhi and Li, Xine and Lichstein, Jeremy W. and Liebergesell, Mario and Lim, Jun Ying and Lin, Yan-Shih and Linares, Juan Carlos and Liu, Chunjiang and Liu, Daijun and Liu, Udayangani and Livingstone, Stuart and Llusià, Joan and Lohbeck, Madelon and López-García, Álvaro and Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela and Lososová, Zdeňka and Louault, Frédérique and Lukács, Balázs A. and Lukeš, Petr and Luo, Yunjian and Lussu, Michele and Ma, Siyan and Maciel Rabelo Pereira, Camilla and Mack, Michelle and Maire, Vincent and Mäkelä, Annikki and Mäkinen, Harri and Malhado, Ana Claudia Mendes and Mallik, Azim and Manning, Peter and Manzoni, Stefano and Marchetti, Zuleica and Marchino, Luca and Marcilio-Silva, Vinicius and Marcon, Eric and Marignani, Michela and Markesteijn, Lars and Martin, Adam and Martínez-Garza, Cristina and Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi and Mašková, Tereza and Mason, Kelly and Mason, Norman and Massad, Tara Joy and Masse, Jacynthe and Mayrose, Itay and McCarthy, James and McCormack, M. Luke and McCulloh, Katherine and McFadden, Ian R. and McGill, Brian J. and McPartland, Mara Y. and Medeiros, Juliana S. and Medlyn, Belinda and Meerts, Pierre and Mehrabi, Zia and Meir, Patrick and Melo, Felipe P. L. and Mencuccini, Maurizio and Meredieu, Céline and Messier, Julie and Mészáros, Ilona and Metsaranta, Juha and Michaletz, Sean T. and Michelaki, Chrysanthi and Migalina, Svetlana and Milla, Ruben and Miller, Jesse E. D. and Minden, Vanessa and Ming, Ray and Mokany, Karel and Moles, Angela T. and Molnár V, Attila and Molofsky, Jane and Molz, Martin and Montgomery, Rebecca A. and Monty, Arnaud and Moravcová, Lenka and Moreno-Martínez, Alvaro and Moretti, Marco and Mori, Akira S. and Mori, Shigeta and Morris, Dave and Morrison, Jane and Mucina, Ladislav and Mueller, Sandra and Muir, Christopher D. and Müller, Sandra Cristina and Munoz, François and Myers-Smith, Isla H. and Myster, Randall W. and Nagano, Masahiro and Naidu, Shawna and Narayanan, Ayyappan and Natesan, Balachandran and Negoita, Luka and Nelson, Andrew S. and Neuschulz, Eike Lena and Ni, Jian and Niedrist, Georg and Nieto, Jhon and Niinemets, Ülo and Nolan, Rachael and Nottebrock, Henning and Nouvellon, Yann and Novakovskiy, Alexander and The Nutrient Network and Nystuen, Kristin Odden and O'Grady, Anthony and O'Hara, Kevin and O'Reilly-Nugent, Andrew and Oakley, Simon and Oberhuber, Walter and Ohtsuka, Toshiyuki and Oliveira, Ricardo and Öllerer, Kinga and Olson, Mark E. and Onipchenko, Vladimir and Onoda, Yusuke and Onstein, Renske E. and Ordonez, Jenny C. and Osada, Noriyuki and Ostonen, Ivika and Ottaviani, Gianluigi and Otto, Sarah and Overbeck, Gerhard E. and Ozinga, Wim A. and Pahl, Anna T. and Paine, C. E. Timothy and Pakeman, Robin J. and Papageorgiou, Aristotelis C. and Parfionova, Evgeniya and Pärtel, Meelis and Patacca, Marco and Paula, Susana and Paule, Juraj and Pauli, Harald and Pausas, Juli G. and Peco, Begoña and Penuelas, Josep and Perea, Antonio and Peri, Pablo Luis and Petisco-Souza, Ana Carolina and Petraglia, Alessandro and Petritan, Any Mary and Phillips, Oliver L. and Pierce, Simon and Pillar, Valério D. and Pisek, Jan and Pomogaybin, Alexandr and Poorter, Hendrik and Portsmuth, Angelika and Poschlod, Peter and Potvin, Catherine and Pounds, Devon and Powell, A. Shafer and Power, Sally A. and Prinzing, Andreas and Puglielli, Giacomo and Pyšek, Petr and Raevel, Valerie and Rammig, Anja and Ransijn, Johannes and Ray, Courtenay A. and Reich, Peter B. and Reichstein, Markus and Reid, Douglas E. B. and Réjou-Méchain, Maxime and de Dios, Victor Resco and Ribeiro, Sabina and Richardson, Sarah and Riibak, Kersti and Rillig, Matthias C. and Riviera, Fiamma and Robert, Elisabeth M. R. and Roberts, Scott and Robroek, Bjorn and Roddy, Adam and Rodrigues, Arthur Vinicius and Rogers, Alistair and Rollinson, Emily and Rolo, Victor and Römermann, Christine and Ronzhina, Dina and Roscher, Christiane and Rosell, Julieta A. and Rosenfield, Milena Fermina and Rossi, Christian and Roy, David B. and Royer-Tardif, Samuel and Rüger, Nadja and Ruiz-Peinado, Ricardo and Rumpf, Sabine B. and Rusch, Graciela M. and Ryo, Masahiro and Sack, Lawren and Saldaña, Angela and Salgado-Negret, Beatriz and Salguero-Gomez, Roberto and Santa-Regina, Ignacio and Santacruz-García, Ana Carolina and Santos, Joaquim and Sardans, Jordi and Schamp, Brandon and Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael and Schleuning, Matthias and Schmid, Bernhard and Schmidt, Marco and Schmitt, Sylvain and Schneider, Julio V. and Schowanek, Simon D. and Schrader, Julian and Schrodt, Franziska and Schuldt, Bernhard and Schurr, Frank and Selaya Garvizu, Galia and Semchenko, Marina and Seymour, Colleen and Sfair, Julia C. and Sharpe, Joanne M. and Sheppard, Christine S. and Sheremetiev, Serge and Shiodera, Satomi and Shipley, Bill and Shovon, Tanvir Ahmed and Siebenkäs, Alrun and Sierra, Carlos and Silva, Vasco and Silva, Mateus and Sitzia, Tommaso and Sjöman, Henrik and Slot, Martijn and Smith, Nicholas G. and Sodhi, Darwin and Soltis, Pamela and Soltis, Douglas and Somers, Ben and Sonnier, Grégory and Sørensen, Mia Vedel and Sosinski Jr, Enio Egon and Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A. and Souza, Alexandre F. and Spasojevic, Marko and Sperandii, Marta Gaia and Stan, Amanda B. and Stegen, James and Steinbauer, Klaus and Stephan, Jörg G. and Sterck, Frank and Stojanovic, Dejan B. and Strydom, Tanya and Suarez, Maria Laura and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Svitková, Ivana and Svitok, Marek and Svoboda, Miroslav and Swaine, Emily and Swenson, Nathan and Tabarelli, Marcelo and Takagi, Kentaro and Tappeiner, Ulrike and Tarifa, Rubén and Tauugourdeau, Simon and Tavsanoglu, Cagatay and te Beest, Mariska and Tedersoo, Leho and Thiffault, Nelson and Thom, Dominik and Thomas, Evert and Thompson, Ken and Thornton, Peter E. and Thuiller, Wilfried and Tichý, Lubomír and Tissue, David and Tjoelker, Mark G. and Tng, David Yue Phin and Tobias, Joseph and Török, Péter and Tarin, Tonantzin and Torres-Ruiz, José M. and Tóthmérész, Béla and Treurnicht, Martina and Trivellone, Valeria and Trolliet, Franck and Trotsiuk, Volodymyr and Tsakalos, James L. and Tsiripidis, Ioannis and Tysklind, Niklas and Umehara, Toru and Usoltsev, Vladimir and Vadeboncoeur, Matthew and Vaezi, Jamil and Valladares, Fernando and Vamosi, Jana and van Bodegom, Peter M. and van Breugel, Michiel and Van Cleemput, Elisa and van de Weg, Martine and van der Merwe, Stephni and van der Plas, Fons and van der Sande, Masha T. and van Kleunen, Mark and Van Meerbeek, Koenraad and Vanderwel, Mark and Vanselow, Kim André and Vårhammar, Angelica and Varone, Laura and Vasquez Valderrama, Maribel Yesenia and Vassilev, Kiril and Vellend, Mark and Veneklaas, Erik J. and Verbeeck, Hans and Verheyen, Kris and Vibrans, Alexander and Vieira, Ima and Villacís, Jaime and Violle, Cyrille and Vivek, Pandi and Wagner, Katrin and Waldram, Matthew and Waldron, Anthony and Walker, Anthony P. and Waller, Martyn and Walther, Gabriel and Wang, Han and Wang, Feng and Wang, Weiqi and Watkins, Harry and Watkins, James and Weber, Ulrich and Weedon, James T. and Wei, Liping and Weigelt, Patrick and Weiher, Evan and Wells, Aidan W. and Wellstein, Camilla and Wenk, Elizabeth and Westoby, Mark and Westwood, Alana and White, Philip John and Whitten, Mark and Williams, Mathew and Winkler, Daniel E. and Winter, Klaus and Womack, Chevonne and Wright, Ian J. and Wright, S. Joseph and Wright, Justin and Pinho, Bruno X. and Ximenes, Fabiano and Yamada, Toshihiro and Yamaji, Keiko and Yanai, Ruth and Yankov, Nikolay and Yguel, Benjamin and Zanini, Kátia Janaina and Zanne, Amy E. and Zelený, David and Zhao, Yun-Peng and Zheng, Jingming and Zheng, Ji and Ziemińska, Kasia and Zirbel, Chad R. and Zizka, Georg and Zo-Bi, Irié Casimir and Zotz, Gerhard and Wirth, Christian},
  title = {TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access},
  journal = {Global Change Biology},
  year = {2020},
  volume = {n/a},
  number = {n/a},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {data coverage, data integration, data representativeness, functional diversity, plant traits, TRY plant trait database},
  doi = {10.1111/gcb.14904},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2020_GCB.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.14904},
  abstract = {Abstract Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.}
  }

• C. A. Knight, J. L. Blois, B. Blonder, M. Macias-Fauria, A. Ordonez, and J. Svenning, "Community Assembly and Climate Mismatch in Late Quaternary Eastern North American Pollen Assemblages," The American Naturalist, 2020. doi:10.1086/706340
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{doi:10.1086/706340,
  author = {Knight, Clarke A. and Blois, Jessica L. and Blonder, Benjamin and Macias-Fauria, Marc and Ordonez, Alejandro and Svenning, Jens-Christian},
  title = {Community Assembly and Climate Mismatch in Late Quaternary Eastern North American Pollen Assemblages},
  journal = {The American Naturalist},
  volume = {0},
  number = {0},
  pages = {000-000},
  year = {2020},
  doi = {10.1086/706340},
  URL = {
  Click to access 2020_AMNAT.pdf
  },
  eprint = {
  https://doi.org/10.1086/706340
  }
  }

2019

• L. L. Iversen, A. Winkel, L. Baastrup-Spohr, A. B. Hinke, J. Alahuhta, A. Baattrup-Pedersen, S. Birk, P. Brodersen, P. A. Chambers, F. Ecke, T. Feldmann, D. Gebler, J. Heino, T. S. Jespersen, S. J. Moe, T. Riis, L. Sass, O. Vestergaard, S. C. Maberly, K. Sand-Jensen, and O. Pedersen, "Catchment properties and the photosynthetic trait composition of freshwater plant communities," Science, vol. 366, iss. 6467, p. 878–881, 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aay5945
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {Iversen878,
  author = {Iversen, L. L. and Winkel, A. and Baastrup-Spohr, L. and Hinke, A. B. and Alahuhta, J. and Baattrup-Pedersen, A. and Birk, S. and Brodersen, P. and Chambers, P. A. and Ecke, F. and Feldmann, T. and Gebler, D. and Heino, J. and Jespersen, T. S. and Moe, S. J. and Riis, T. and Sass, L. and Vestergaard, O. and Maberly, S. C. and Sand-Jensen, K. and Pedersen, O.},
  title = {Catchment properties and the photosynthetic trait composition of freshwater plant communities},
  volume = {366},
  number = {6467},
  pages = {878--881},
  year = {2019},
  doi = {10.1126/science.aay5945},
  publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science},
  issn = {0036-8075},
  URL = {https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6467/878},
  eprint = {https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6467/878.full.pdf},
  journal = {Science}
  }

• B. Blonder, B. J. Graae, B. Greer, M. Haagsma, K. Helsen, R. E. Kapás, H. Pai, J. Rieksta, D. Sapena, C. J. Still, and R. Strimbeck, "Remote sensing of ploidy level in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)," Journal of Ecology, 2019. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13296
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13296,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Graae, Bente J. and Greer, Burke and Haagsma, Marja and Helsen, Kenny and Kapás, Rozália E. and Pai, Henry and Rieksta, Jolanta and Sapena, Dillon and Still, Christopher J. and Strimbeck, Richard},
  title = {Remote sensing of ploidy level in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  volume = {0},
  number = {0},
  pages = {},
  year = {2019},
  keywords = {adaptation, ploidy level, polyploidy, quaking aspen, reflectance, remote sensing, spectrometry, UAS},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.13296},
  url = {https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2019_JECOL_ASPEN.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.13296},
  }

• B. Blonder, S. Both, M. Jodra, N. Majalap, D. Burslem, Y. A. Teh, and Y. Malhi, "Leaf Venation Networks of Bornean Trees: Images and Hand-Traced Segmentations," The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, vol. 100, iss. 4, p. e01606, 2019. doi:10.1002/bes2.1606
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{doi:10.1002/bes2.1606,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Both, Sabine and Jodra, Miguel and Majalap, Noreen and Burslem, David and Teh, Yit Arn and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Leaf Venation Networks of Bornean Trees: Images and Hand-Traced Segmentations},
  journal = {The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America},
  volume = {100},
  number = {4},
  pages = {e01606},
  doi = {10.1002/bes2.1606},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2019_BES.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bes2.1606},
  year = {2019}
  }

• K. C. B. Weiss and C. A. Ray, "Unifying functional trait approaches to understand the assemblage of ecological communities: synthesizing taxonomic divides," Ecography, 2019. doi:10.1111/ecog.04387
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Functional traits have long been considered the ‘holy grail’ in community ecology due to their potential to link phenotypic variation with ecological processes. Advancements across taxonomic disciplines continue to support functional ecology's objective to approach generality in community assembly. However, a divergence of definitions, aims and methods across taxa has created discord, limiting the field's predictive capacity. Here, we provide a guide to support functional ecological comparisons across taxa. We describe advances in cross-taxa functional research, identify gaps in approaches, synthesize definitions and unify methodological considerations. When deciding which traits to compare, particularly response traits, we advocate selecting functionally analogous traits that relate to community assembly processes. Finally, we describe at what scale and for which questions functional comparisons across taxa are useful and when other approaches may be more constructive. Our approach promotes standardized methods for integrative research across taxa to identify broad trends in community assembly.

  @article{doi:10.1111/ecog.04387,
  author = {Weiss, Katherine C. B. and Ray, Courtenay A.},
  title = {Unifying functional trait approaches to understand the assemblage of ecological communities: synthesizing taxonomic divides},
  journal = {Ecography},
  volume = {0},
  number = {0},
  pages = {},
  year = {2019},
  keywords = {community ecology, comparative ecology, cross-taxa comparison, functional ecology, functional traits},
  doi = {10.1111/ecog.04387},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2019_ECOG.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ecog.04387},
  abstract = {Functional traits have long been considered the ‘holy grail’ in community ecology due to their potential to link phenotypic variation with ecological processes. Advancements across taxonomic disciplines continue to support functional ecology's objective to approach generality in community assembly. However, a divergence of definitions, aims and methods across taxa has created discord, limiting the field's predictive capacity. Here, we provide a guide to support functional ecological comparisons across taxa. We describe advances in cross-taxa functional research, identify gaps in approaches, synthesize definitions and unify methodological considerations. When deciding which traits to compare, particularly response traits, we advocate selecting functionally analogous traits that relate to community assembly processes. Finally, we describe at what scale and for which questions functional comparisons across taxa are useful and when other approaches may be more constructive. Our approach promotes standardized methods for integrative research across taxa to identify broad trends in community assembly.}
  }

• M. Bendixen, I. Overeem, M. T. Rosing, A. A. Bj{o}rk, K. H. Kjær, A. Kroon, G. Zeitz, and L. L. Iversen, "Promises and perils of sand exploitation in Greenland," Nature Sustainability, vol. 2, iss. 2, p. 98, 2019.
  [BibTeX]

  @article{bendixen2019promises,
  title={Promises and perils of sand exploitation in Greenland},
  author={Bendixen, Mette and Overeem, Irina and Rosing, Minik T and Bj{\o}rk, Anders Anker and Kj{\ae}r, Kurt H and Kroon, Aart and Zeitz, Gavin and Iversen, Lars L{\o}nsmann},
  journal={Nature Sustainability},
  volume={2},
  number={2},
  pages={98},
  year={2019},
  publisher={Nature Publishing Group}
  }

• M. Bendixen, J. Best, C. Hackney, and L. L. Iversen, Time is running out for sandNature Publishing Group, 2019.
  [BibTeX]

  @misc{bendixen2019time,
  title={Time is running out for sand},
  author={Bendixen, Mette and Best, Jim and Hackney, Chris and Iversen, Lars L{\o}nsmann},
  year={2019},
  publisher={Nature Publishing Group}
  }

• B. Blonder, S. Both, M. Jodra, N. Majalap, D. Burslem, Y. A. Teh, and Y. Malhi, "Leaf venation networks of Bornean trees: images and hand-traced segmentations," Ecology, p. e02844, 2019. doi:10.1002/ecy.2844
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract The data set contains images of leaf venation networks obtained from tree species in Malaysian Borneo. The data set contains 726 leaves from 295 species comprising 50 families, sampled from eight forest plots in Sabah. Image extents are approximately 1 × 1 cm, or 50 megapixels. All images contain a region of interest in which all veins have been hand traced. The complete data set includes over 30 billion pixels, of which more than 600 million have been validated by hand tracing. These images are suitable for morphological characterization of these species, as well as for training of machine-learning algorithms that segment biological networks from images. Data are made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License. You are free to copy, distribute, and use the database; to produce works from the database; and to modify, transform, and build upon the database. You must attribute any public use of the database, or works produced from the database, in the manner specified in the license. For any use or redistribution of the database, or works produced from it, you must make clear to others the license of the database and keep intact any notices on the original database.

  @article{doi:10.1002/ecy.2844,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Both, Sabine and Jodra, Miguel and Majalap, Noreen and Burslem, David and Teh, Yit Arn and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Leaf venation networks of Bornean trees: images and hand-traced segmentations},
  journal = {Ecology},
  volume = {0},
  number = {0},
  year = {2019},
  pages = {e02844},
  keywords = {botany, cleared leaf, ecology, image analysis, image segmentation, leaf venation, machine learning, plant ecophysiology, tropical forest, tropical forest, vein network, venation network},
  doi = {10.1002/ecy.2844},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2019_ECOL.pdf},
  eprint = {https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ecy.2844},
  abstract = {Abstract The data set contains images of leaf venation networks obtained from tree species in Malaysian Borneo. The data set contains 726 leaves from 295 species comprising 50 families, sampled from eight forest plots in Sabah. Image extents are approximately 1 × 1 cm, or 50 megapixels. All images contain a region of interest in which all veins have been hand traced. The complete data set includes over 30 billion pixels, of which more than 600 million have been validated by hand tracing. These images are suitable for morphological characterization of these species, as well as for training of machine-learning algorithms that segment biological networks from images. Data are made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License. You are free to copy, distribute, and use the database; to produce works from the database; and to modify, transform, and build upon the database. You must attribute any public use of the database, or works produced from the database, in the manner specified in the license. For any use or redistribution of the database, or works produced from it, you must make clear to others the license of the database and keep intact any notices on the original database.}
  }

• I. Šímová, B. Sandel, B. J. Enquist, S. T. Michaletz, J. Kattge, C. Violle, B. J. McGill, B. Blonder, K. Engemann, R. K. Peet, S. K. Wiser, N. Morueta-Holme, B. Boyle, N. J. B. Kraft, and J. Svenning, "The relationship of woody plant size and leaf nutrient content to large-scale productivity for forests across the Americas," Journal of Ecology, vol. 107, iss. 5, pp. 2278-2290, 2019. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13163
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Ecosystem processes are driven by both environmental variables and the attributes of component species. The extent to which these effects are independent and/or dependent upon each other has remained unclear. We assess the extent to which climate affects net primary productivity (NPP) both directly and indirectly via its effect on plant size and leaf functional traits. Using species occurrences and functional trait databases for North and South America, we describe the upper limit of woody plant height within 200 × 200 km grid-cells. In addition to maximum tree height, we quantify grid-cell means of three leaf traits (specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentration) also hypothesized to influence productivity. Using structural equation modelling, we test the direct and indirect effects of environment and plant traits on remotely sensed MODIS-derived estimates of NPP, using plant size (satellite-measured canopy height and potential maximum tree height), leaf traits, growing season length, soil nutrients, climate and disturbances as explanatory variables. Our results show that climate affects NPP directly as well as indirectly via plant size in both tropical and temperate forests. In tropical forests NPP further increases with leaf phosphorus concentration, whereas in temperate forests it increases with leaf nitrogen concentration. In boreal forests, NPP most strongly increases with increasing temperature and neither plant size nor leaf traits have a significant influence. Synthesis. Our results suggest that at large spatial scales plant size and leaf nutrient traits can improve predictions of forest productivity over those based on climate alone. However, at higher latitudes their role is overridden by stressful climate. Our results provide independent empirical evidence for where and how global vegetation models predicting carbon fluxes could benefit from including effects of plant size and leaf stoichiometry.

  @article{doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13163,
  author = {Šímová, Irena and Sandel, Brody and Enquist, Brian J. and Michaletz, Sean T. and Kattge, Jens and Violle, Cyrille and McGill, Brian J. and Blonder, Benjamin and Engemann, Kristine and Peet, Robert K. and Wiser, Susan K. and Morueta-Holme, Naia and Boyle, Brad and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and Svenning, Jens-Christian},
  title = {The relationship of woody plant size and leaf nutrient content to large-scale productivity for forests across the Americas},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  volume = {107},
  number = {5},
  pages = {2278-2290},
  keywords = {BIEN database, biogeography and macroecology, biomass production, ecosystem function and services, leaf nitrogen, leaf phosphorous, MODIS, TRY database},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.13163},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2019_JECOL.pdf},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.13163},
  abstract = {Abstract Ecosystem processes are driven by both environmental variables and the attributes of component species. The extent to which these effects are independent and/or dependent upon each other has remained unclear. We assess the extent to which climate affects net primary productivity (NPP) both directly and indirectly via its effect on plant size and leaf functional traits. Using species occurrences and functional trait databases for North and South America, we describe the upper limit of woody plant height within 200 × 200 km grid-cells. In addition to maximum tree height, we quantify grid-cell means of three leaf traits (specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentration) also hypothesized to influence productivity. Using structural equation modelling, we test the direct and indirect effects of environment and plant traits on remotely sensed MODIS-derived estimates of NPP, using plant size (satellite-measured canopy height and potential maximum tree height), leaf traits, growing season length, soil nutrients, climate and disturbances as explanatory variables. Our results show that climate affects NPP directly as well as indirectly via plant size in both tropical and temperate forests. In tropical forests NPP further increases with leaf phosphorus concentration, whereas in temperate forests it increases with leaf nitrogen concentration. In boreal forests, NPP most strongly increases with increasing temperature and neither plant size nor leaf traits have a significant influence. Synthesis. Our results suggest that at large spatial scales plant size and leaf nutrient traits can improve predictions of forest productivity over those based on climate alone. However, at higher latitudes their role is overridden by stressful climate. Our results provide independent empirical evidence for where and how global vegetation models predicting carbon fluxes could benefit from including effects of plant size and leaf stoichiometry.},
  year = {2019}
  }

2018

• L. L. Iversen and M. Bendixen, "Funding agencies can prevent harassment," Science, vol. 361, iss. 6398, p. 140–140, 2018.
  [BibTeX]

  @article{iversen2018funding,
  title={Funding agencies can prevent harassment},
  author={Iversen, Lars L and Bendixen, Mette},
  journal={Science},
  volume={361},
  number={6398},
  pages={140--140},
  year={2018},
  publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science}
  }

• P. Gaüzère, L. L. Iversen, J. Barnagaud, J. Svenning, and B. Blonder, "Empirical Predictability of Community Responses to Climate Change," Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 6, p. 186, 2018. doi:10.3389/fevo.2018.00186
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Robust predictions of ecosystem responses to climate change are challenging. To achieve such predictions, ecology has extensively relied on the assumption that community states and dynamics are at equilibrium with climate. However, empirical evidence from Quaternary and contemporary data suggest that species communities rarely follow equilibrium dynamics with climate change. This discrepancy between the conceptual foundation of many predictive models and observed community dynamics casts doubts on our ability to successfully predict future community states. Here we used community response diagrams to empirically investigate the occurrence of different classes of disequilibrium responses in plant communities during the Late Quaternary, and bird communities during modern climate warming in North America. We documented a large variability in types of responses, suggesting that equilibrium dynamics are not the most common type of response to climate change. Bird responses appeared less predictable to modern climate warming than plant responses to Late Quaternary climate warming. Furthermore, we showed that baseline climate gradients were a strong predictor of disequilibrium states, while ecological factors such as species’ traits had a substantial, but inconsistent effect on the deviation from equilibrium. We conclude that (1) complex temporal community dynamics including stochastic responses, lags, and alternate states are common; (2) assuming equilibrium dynamics to predict biodiversity responses to future climate changes may lead to unsuccessful predictions

  @ARTICLE{10.3389/fevo.2018.00186,
  AUTHOR={Gaüzère, Pierre and Iversen, Lars Lønsmann and Barnagaud, Jean-Yves and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Blonder, Benjamin},
  TITLE={Empirical Predictability of Community Responses to Climate Change},
  JOURNAL={Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution},
  VOLUME={6},
  PAGES={186},
  YEAR={2018},
  URL={http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_FEVO.pdf},
  DOI={10.3389/fevo.2018.00186},
  ISSN={2296-701X},
  ABSTRACT={Robust predictions of ecosystem responses to climate change are challenging. To achieve such predictions, ecology has extensively relied on the assumption that community states and dynamics are at equilibrium with climate. However, empirical evidence from Quaternary and contemporary data suggest that species communities rarely follow equilibrium dynamics with climate change. This discrepancy between the conceptual foundation of many predictive models and observed community dynamics casts doubts on our ability to successfully predict future community states. Here we used community response diagrams to empirically investigate the occurrence of different classes of disequilibrium responses in plant communities during the Late Quaternary, and bird communities during modern climate warming in North America. We documented a large variability in types of responses, suggesting that equilibrium dynamics are not the most common type of response to climate change. Bird responses appeared less predictable to modern climate warming than plant responses to Late Quaternary climate warming. Furthermore, we showed that baseline climate gradients were a strong predictor of disequilibrium states, while ecological factors such as species’ traits had a substantial, but inconsistent effect on the deviation from equilibrium. We conclude that (1) complex temporal community dynamics including stochastic responses, lags, and alternate states are common; (2) assuming equilibrium dynamics to predict biodiversity responses to future climate changes may lead to unsuccessful predictions}
  }

• H. Bruelheide, J. Dengler, O. Purschke, J. Lenoir, B. Jiménez-Alfaro, S. M. Hennekens, Z. Botta-Dukát, M. Chytrý, R. Field, F. Jansen, J. Kattge, V. D. Pillar, F. Schrodt, M. D. Mahecha, R. K. Peet, B. Sandel, P. van Bodegom, J. Altman, E. Alvarez-Dávila, M. A. S. Arfin Khan, F. Attorre, I. Aubin, C. Baraloto, J. G. Barroso, M. Bauters, E. Bergmeier, I. Biurrun, A. D. Bjorkman, B. Blonder, A. Carni, L. Cayuela, T. Cerný, H. J. C. Cornelissen, D. Craven, M. Dainese, G. Derroire, M. De Sanctis, S. Díaz, J. Dolezal, W. Farfan-Rios, T. R. Feldpausch, N. J. Fenton, E. Garnier, G. R. Guerin, A. G. Gutiérrez, S. Haider, T. Hattab, G. Henry, B. Hérault, P. Higuchi, N. Hölzel, J. Homeier, A. Jentsch, N. Jürgens, Z. Kacki, D. N. Karger, M. Kessler, M. Kleyer, I. Knollová, A. Y. Korolyuk, I. Kühn, D. C. Laughlin, F. Lens, J. Loos, F. Louault, M. I. Lyubenova, Y. Malhi, C. Marcenò, M. Mencuccini, J. V. Müller, J. Munzinger, I. H. Myers-Smith, D. A. Neill, Ü. Niinemets, K. H. Orwin, W. A. Ozinga, J. Penuelas, A. Pérez-Haase, P. Petrík, O. L. Phillips, M. Pärtel, P. B. Reich, C. Römermann, A. V. Rodrigues, F. M. Sabatini, J. Sardans, M. Schmidt, G. Seidler, J. E. Silva Espejo, M. Silveira, A. Smyth, M. Sporbert, J. Svenning, Z. Tang, R. Thomas, I. Tsiripidis, K. Vassilev, C. Violle, R. Virtanen, E. Weiher, E. Welk, K. Wesche, M. Winter, C. Wirth, and U. Jandt, "Global trait-environment relationships of plant communities," Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018. doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0699-8
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Plant functional traits directly affect ecosystem functions. At the species level, trait combinations depend on trade-offs representing different ecological strategies, but at the community level trait combinations are expected to be decoupled from these trade-offs because different strategies can facilitate co-existence within communities. A key question is to what extent community-level trait composition is globally filtered and how well it is related to global versus local environmental drivers. Here, we perform a global, plot-level analysis of trait-environment relationships, using a database with more than 1.1 million vegetation plots and 26,632 plant species with trait information. Although we found a strong filtering of 17 functional traits, similar climate and soil conditions support communities differing greatly in mean trait values. The two main community trait axes that capture half of the global trait variation (plant stature and resource acquisitiveness) reflect the trade-offs at the species level but are weakly associated with climate and soil conditions at the global scale. Similarly, within-plot trait variation does not vary systematically with macro-environment. Our results indicate that, at fine spatial grain, macro-environmental drivers are much less important for functional trait composition than has been assumed from floristic analyses restricted to co-occurrence in large grid cells. Instead, trait combinations seem to be predominantly filtered by local-scale factors such as disturbance, fine-scale soil conditions, niche partitioning and biotic interactions.

  @Article{Bruelheide2018,
  author={Bruelheide, Helge
  and Dengler, J{\"u}rgen
  and Purschke, Oliver
  and Lenoir, Jonathan
  and Jim{\'e}nez-Alfaro, Borja
  and Hennekens, Stephan M.
  and Botta-Duk{\'a}t, Zolt{\'a}n
  and Chytr{\'y}, Milan
  and Field, Richard
  and Jansen, Florian
  and Kattge, Jens
  and Pillar, Val{\'e}rio D.
  and Schrodt, Franziska
  and Mahecha, Miguel D.
  and Peet, Robert K.
  and Sandel, Brody
  and van Bodegom, Peter
  and Altman, Jan
  and Alvarez-D{\'a}vila, Esteban
  and Arfin Khan, Mohammed A. S.
  and Attorre, Fabio
  and Aubin, Isabelle
  and Baraloto, Christopher
  and Barroso, Jorcely G.
  and Bauters, Marijn
  and Bergmeier, Erwin
  and Biurrun, Idoia
  and Bjorkman, Anne D.
  and Blonder, Benjamin
  and Carni, Andraz
  and Cayuela, Luis
  and Cern{\'y}, Tom{\'a}s
  and Cornelissen, J. Hans C.
  and Craven, Dylan
  and Dainese, Matteo
  and Derroire, G{\'e}raldine
  and De Sanctis, Michele
  and D{\'i}az, Sandra
  and Dolezal, Jir{\'i}
  and Farfan-Rios, William
  and Feldpausch, Ted R.
  and Fenton, Nicole J.
  and Garnier, Eric
  and Guerin, Greg R.
  and Guti{\'e}rrez, Alvaro G.
  and Haider, Sylvia
  and Hattab, Tarek
  and Henry, Greg
  and H{\'e}rault, Bruno
  and Higuchi, Pedro
  and H{\"o}lzel, Norbert
  and Homeier, J{\"u}rgen
  and Jentsch, Anke
  and J{\"u}rgens, Norbert
  and Kacki, Zygmunt
  and Karger, Dirk N.
  and Kessler, Michael
  and Kleyer, Michael
  and Knollov{\'a}, Ilona
  and Korolyuk, Andrey Y.
  and K{\"u}hn, Ingolf
  and Laughlin, Daniel C.
  and Lens, Frederic
  and Loos, Jacqueline
  and Louault, Fr{\'e}d{\'e}rique
  and Lyubenova, Mariyana I.
  and Malhi, Yadvinder
  and Marcen{\`o}, Corrado
  and Mencuccini, Maurizio
  and M{\"u}ller, Jonas V.
  and Munzinger, J{\'e}r{\^o}me
  and Myers-Smith, Isla H.
  and Neill, David A.
  and Niinemets, {\"U}lo
  and Orwin, Kate H.
  and Ozinga, Wim A.
  and Penuelas, Josep
  and P{\'e}rez-Haase, Aaron
  and Petr{\'i}k, Petr
  and Phillips, Oliver L.
  and P{\"a}rtel, Meelis
  and Reich, Peter B.
  and R{\"o}mermann, Christine
  and Rodrigues, Arthur V.
  and Sabatini, Francesco Maria
  and Sardans, Jordi
  and Schmidt, Marco
  and Seidler, Gunnar
  and Silva Espejo, Javier Eduardo
  and Silveira, Marcos
  and Smyth, Anita
  and Sporbert, Maria
  and Svenning, Jens-Christian
  and Tang, Zhiyao
  and Thomas, Raquel
  and Tsiripidis, Ioannis
  and Vassilev, Kiril
  and Violle, Cyrille
  and Virtanen, Risto
  and Weiher, Evan
  and Welk, Erik
  and Wesche, Karsten
  and Winter, Marten
  and Wirth, Christian
  and Jandt, Ute},
  title={Global trait-environment relationships of plant communities},
  journal={Nature Ecology \& Evolution},
  year={2018},
  abstract={Plant functional traits directly affect ecosystem functions. At the species level, trait combinations depend on trade-offs representing different ecological strategies, but at the community level trait combinations are expected to be decoupled from these trade-offs because different strategies can facilitate co-existence within communities. A key question is to what extent community-level trait composition is globally filtered and how well it is related to global versus local environmental drivers. Here, we perform a global, plot-level analysis of trait-environment relationships, using a database with more than 1.1 million vegetation plots and 26,632 plant species with trait information. Although we found a strong filtering of 17 functional traits, similar climate and soil conditions support communities differing greatly in mean trait values. The two main community trait axes that capture half of the global trait variation (plant stature and resource acquisitiveness) reflect the trade-offs at the species level but are weakly associated with climate and soil conditions at the global scale. Similarly, within-plot trait variation does not vary systematically with macro-environment. Our results indicate that, at fine spatial grain, macro-environmental drivers are much less important for functional trait composition than has been assumed from floristic analyses restricted to co-occurrence in large grid cells. Instead, trait combinations seem to be predominantly filtered by local-scale factors such as disturbance, fine-scale soil conditions, niche partitioning and biotic interactions.},
  issn={2397-334X},
  doi={10.1038/s41559-018-0699-8},
  url={http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_NEE_ter.pdf}
  }

• C. E. Doughty, P. E. Santos-Andrade, A. Shenkin, G. R. Goldsmith, L. P. Bentley, B. Blonder, S. Díaz, N. Salinas, B. J. Enquist, R. E. Martin, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Tropical forest leaves may darken in response to climate change," Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018. doi:10.1038/s41559-018-0716-y
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Tropical forest leaf albedo (reflectance) greatly impacts how much energy the planet absorbs; however; little is known about how it might be impacted by climate change. Here, we measure leaf traits and leaf albedo at ten 1-ha plots along a 3,200-m elevation gradient in Peru. Leaf mass per area (LMA) decreased with warmer temperatures along the elevation gradient; the distribution of LMA was positively skewed at all sites indicating a shift in LMA towards a warmer climate and future reduced tropical LMA. Reduced LMA was significantly (P < 0.0001) correlated with reduced leaf near-infrared (NIR) albedo; community-weighted mean NIR albedo significantly (P < 0.01) decreased as temperature increased. A potential future 2 {\textdegree}C increase in tropical temperatures could reduce lowland tropical leaf LMA by 6-7 g m-2 (5-6\%) and reduce leaf NIR albedo by 0.0015-0.002 units. Reduced NIR albedo means that leaves are darker and absorb more of the Sun's energy. Climate simulations indicate this increased absorbed energy will warm tropical forests more at high CO2 conditions with proportionately more energy going towards heating and less towards evapotranspiration and cloud formation.

  @Article{Doughty2018,
  author={Doughty, Christopher E.
  and Santos-Andrade, Paul Efren
  and Shenkin, Alexander
  and Goldsmith, Gregory R.
  and Bentley, Lisa P.
  and Blonder, Benjamin
  and D{\'i}az, Sandra
  and Salinas, Norma
  and Enquist, Brian J.
  and Martin, Roberta E.
  and Asner, Gregory P.
  and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title={Tropical forest leaves may darken in response to climate change},
  journal={Nature Ecology \& Evolution},
  year={2018},
  abstract={Tropical forest leaf albedo (reflectance) greatly impacts how much energy the planet absorbs; however; little is known about how it might be impacted by climate change. Here, we measure leaf traits and leaf albedo at ten 1-ha plots along a 3,200-m elevation gradient in Peru. Leaf mass per area (LMA) decreased with warmer temperatures along the elevation gradient; the distribution of LMA was positively skewed at all sites indicating a shift in LMA towards a warmer climate and future reduced tropical LMA. Reduced LMA was significantly (P < 0.0001) correlated with reduced leaf near-infrared (NIR) albedo; community-weighted mean NIR albedo significantly (P < 0.01) decreased as temperature increased. A potential future 2 {\textdegree}C increase in tropical temperatures could reduce lowland tropical leaf LMA by 6-7 g m-2 (5-6\%) and reduce leaf NIR albedo by 0.0015-0.002 units. Reduced NIR albedo means that leaves are darker and absorb more of the Sun's energy. Climate simulations indicate this increased absorbed energy will warm tropical forests more at high CO2 conditions with proportionately more energy going towards heating and less towards evapotranspiration and cloud formation.},
  issn={2397-334X},
  doi={10.1038/s41559-018-0716-y},
  url={http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_NEE_albedo.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, S. Both, D. A. Coomes, D. Elias, T. Jucker, J. Kvasnica, N. Majalap, Y. S. Malhi, D. Milodowski, T. Riutta, and M. Svátek, "Extreme and Highly Heterogeneous Microclimates in Selectively Logged Tropical Forests," Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, vol. 1, p. 5, 2018. doi:10.3389/ffgc.2018.00005
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Microclimate within forests influences ecosystem fluxes and demographic rates. Anthropogenic disturbances such as selective logging can affect within-forest microclimate through effects on forest structure, leading to indirect effects on forests beyond the immediate impact of logging. However, the scope and predictability of these effects remains poorly understood. Here we use a microclimate thermal proxy (sensitive to radiative, convective, and conductive heat fluxes) measured at the forest floor in three 1-ha forest plots spanning a logging intensity gradient in Malaysian Borneo. We show 1) that thermal proxy ranges and spatiotemporal heterogeneity are doubled between old growth and heavily logged forests, with extremes often exceeding 45°C, 2) that nearby weather station air temperatures provide estimates of maximum thermal proxy values that are biased down by 5-10°C, and 3) that lower canopy density, higher canopy height, and higher biomass removal are associated with higher maximum temperatures. Thus, logged forests are less buffered from regional climate change than old growth forests, and experience much higher microclimate extremes and heterogeneity. Better predicting the linkages between regional climate and its effects on within-forest microclimate will be critical for understanding the wide range of conditions experienced within tropical forests.

  @ARTICLE{10.3389/ffgc.2018.00005,
  AUTHOR={Blonder, Benjamin and Both, Sabine and Coomes, David A. and Elias, Dafydd and Jucker, Tommaso and Kvasnica, Jakub and Majalap, Noreen and Malhi, Yadvinder Singh and Milodowski, David and Riutta, Terhi and Svátek, Martin},
  TITLE={Extreme and Highly Heterogeneous Microclimates in Selectively Logged Tropical Forests},
  JOURNAL={Frontiers in Forests and Global Change},
  VOLUME={1},
  PAGES={5},
  YEAR={2018},
  URL={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_FFGC.pdf},
  DOI={10.3389/ffgc.2018.00005},
  ISSN={2624-893X},
  ABSTRACT={Microclimate within forests influences ecosystem fluxes and demographic rates. Anthropogenic disturbances such as selective logging can affect within-forest microclimate through effects on forest structure, leading to indirect effects on forests beyond the immediate impact of logging. However, the scope and predictability of these effects remains poorly understood. Here we use a microclimate thermal proxy (sensitive to radiative, convective, and conductive heat fluxes) measured at the forest floor in three 1-ha forest plots spanning a logging intensity gradient in Malaysian Borneo. We show 1) that thermal proxy ranges and spatiotemporal heterogeneity are doubled between old growth and heavily logged forests, with extremes often exceeding 45°C, 2) that nearby weather station air temperatures provide estimates of maximum thermal proxy values that are biased down by 5-10°C, and 3) that lower canopy density, higher canopy height, and higher biomass removal are associated with higher maximum temperatures. Thus, logged forests are less buffered from regional climate change than old growth forests, and experience much higher microclimate extremes and heterogeneity. Better predicting the linkages between regional climate and its effects on within-forest microclimate will be critical for understanding the wide range of conditions experienced within tropical forests.}
  }

• A. D. Bjorkman, I. H. Myers-Smith, S. C. Elmendorf, S. Normand, N. Rüger, P. S. A. Beck, A. Blach-Overgaard, D. Blok, H. J. C. Cornelissen, B. C. Forbes, D. Georges, S. J. Goetz, K. C. Guay, G. H. R. Henry, J. HilleRisLambers, R. D. Hollister, D. N. Karger, J. Kattge, P. Manning, J. S. Prevéy, C. Rixen, G. Schaepman-Strub, H. J. D. Thomas, M. Vellend, M. Wilmking, S. Wipf, M. Carbognani, L. Hermanutz, E. Lévesque, U. Molau, A. Petraglia, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, M. J. Spasojevic, M. Tomaselli, T. Vowles, J. M. Alatalo, H. D. Alexander, A. Anadon-Rosell, S. Angers-Blondin, M. te Beest, L. Berner, R. G. Björk, A. Buchwal, A. Buras, K. Christie, E. J. Cooper, S. Dullinger, B. Elberling, A. Eskelinen, E. R. Frei, O. Grau, P. Grogan, M. Hallinger, K. A. Harper, M. M. P. D. Heijmans, J. Hudson, K. Hülber, M. Iturrate-Garcia, C. M. Iversen, F. Jaroszynska, J. F. Johnstone, R. H. J{o}rgensen, E. Kaarlejärvi, R. Klady, S. Kuleza, A. Kulonen, L. J. Lamarque, T. Lantz, C. J. Little, J. D. M. Speed, A. Michelsen, A. Milbau, J. Nabe-Nielsen, S. S. Nielsen, J. M. Ninot, S. F. Oberbauer, J. Olofsson, V. G. Onipchenko, S. B. Rumpf, P. Semenchuk, R. Shetti, L. S. Collier, L. E. Street, K. N. Suding, K. D. Tape, A. Trant, U. A. Treier, J. Tremblay, M. Tremblay, S. Venn, S. Weijers, T. Zamin, N. Boulanger-Lapointe, W. A. Gould, D. S. Hik, A. Hofgaard, I. S. Jónsdóttir, J. Jorgenson, J. Klein, B. Magnusson, C. Tweedie, P. A. Wookey, M. Bahn, B. Blonder, P. M. van Bodegom, B. Bond-Lamberty, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, S. F. Chapin, W. K. Cornwell, J. Craine, M. Dainese, F. T. de Vries, S. Díaz, B. J. Enquist, W. Green, R. Milla, Ü. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, J. C. Ordoñez, W. A. Ozinga, J. Penuelas, H. Poorter, P. Poschlod, P. B. Reich, B. Sandel, B. Schamp, S. Sheremetev, and E. Weiher, "Plant functional trait change across a warming tundra biome," Nature, 2018. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0563-7
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  The tundra is warming more rapidly than any other biome on Earth, and the potential ramifications are far-reaching because of global feedback effects between vegetation and climate. A better understanding of how environmental factors shape plant structure and function is crucial for predicting the consequences of environmental change for ecosystem functioning. Here we explore the biome-wide relationships between temperature, moisture and seven key plant functional traits both across space and over three decades of warming at 117 tundra locations. Spatial temperature-trait relationships were generally strong but soil moisture had a marked influence on the strength and direction of these relationships, highlighting the potentially important influence of changes in water availability on future trait shifts in tundra plant communities. Community height increased with warming across all sites over the past three decades, but other traits lagged far behind predicted rates of change. Our findings highlight the challenge of using space-for-time substitution to predict the functional consequences of future warming and suggest that functions that are tied closely to plant height will experience the most rapid change. They also reveal the strength with which environmental factors shape biotic communities at the coldest extremes of the planet and will help to improve projections of functional changes in tundra ecosystems with climate warming.

  @Article{Bjorkman2018,
  author={Bjorkman, Anne D.
  and Myers-Smith, Isla H.
  and Elmendorf, Sarah C.
  and Normand, Signe
  and R{\"u}ger, Nadja
  and Beck, Pieter S. A.
  and Blach-Overgaard, Anne
  and Blok, Daan
  and Cornelissen, J. Hans C.
  and Forbes, Bruce C.
  and Georges, Damien
  and Goetz, Scott J.
  and Guay, Kevin C.
  and Henry, Gregory H. R.
  and HilleRisLambers, Janneke
  and Hollister, Robert D.
  and Karger, Dirk N.
  and Kattge, Jens
  and Manning, Peter
  and Prev{\'e}y, Janet S.
  and Rixen, Christian
  and Schaepman-Strub, Gabriela
  and Thomas, Haydn J. D.
  and Vellend, Mark
  and Wilmking, Martin
  and Wipf, Sonja
  and Carbognani, Michele
  and Hermanutz, Luise
  and L{\'e}vesque, Esther
  and Molau, Ulf
  and Petraglia, Alessandro
  and Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A.
  and Spasojevic, Marko J.
  and Tomaselli, Marcello
  and Vowles, Tage
  and Alatalo, Juha M.
  and Alexander, Heather D.
  and Anadon-Rosell, Alba
  and Angers-Blondin, Sandra
  and Beest, Mariska te
  and Berner, Logan
  and Bj{\"o}rk, Robert G.
  and Buchwal, Agata
  and Buras, Allan
  and Christie, Katherine
  and Cooper, Elisabeth J.
  and Dullinger, Stefan
  and Elberling, Bo
  and Eskelinen, Anu
  and Frei, Esther R.
  and Grau, Oriol
  and Grogan, Paul
  and Hallinger, Martin
  and Harper, Karen A.
  and Heijmans, Monique M. P. D.
  and Hudson, James
  and H{\"u}lber, Karl
  and Iturrate-Garcia, Maitane
  and Iversen, Colleen M.
  and Jaroszynska, Francesca
  and Johnstone, Jill F.
  and J{\o}rgensen, Rasmus Halfdan
  and Kaarlej{\"a}rvi, Elina
  and Klady, Rebecca
  and Kuleza, Sara
  and Kulonen, Aino
  and Lamarque, Laurent J.
  and Lantz, Trevor
  and Little, Chelsea J.
  and Speed, James D. M.
  and Michelsen, Anders
  and Milbau, Ann
  and Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob
  and Nielsen, Sigrid Sch{\o}ler
  and Ninot, Josep M.
  and Oberbauer, Steven F.
  and Olofsson, Johan
  and Onipchenko, Vladimir G.
  and Rumpf, Sabine B.
  and Semenchuk, Philipp
  and Shetti, Rohan
  and Collier, Laura Siegwart
  and Street, Lorna E.
  and Suding, Katharine N.
  and Tape, Ken D.
  and Trant, Andrew
  and Treier, Urs A.
  and Tremblay, Jean-Pierre
  and Tremblay, Maxime
  and Venn, Susanna
  and Weijers, Stef
  and Zamin, Tara
  and Boulanger-Lapointe, No{\'e}mie
  and Gould, William A.
  and Hik, David S.
  and Hofgaard, Annika
  and J{\'o}nsd{\'o}ttir, Ingibj{\"o}rg S.
  and Jorgenson, Janet
  and Klein, Julia
  and Magnusson, Borgthor
  and Tweedie, Craig
  and Wookey, Philip A.
  and Bahn, Michael
  and Blonder, Benjamin
  and van Bodegom, Peter M.
  and Bond-Lamberty, Benjamin
  and Campetella, Giandiego
  and Cerabolini, Bruno E. L.
  and Chapin, F. Stuart
  and Cornwell, William K.
  and Craine, Joseph
  and Dainese, Matteo
  and de Vries, Franciska T.
  and D{\'i}az, Sandra
  and Enquist, Brian J.
  and Green, Walton
  and Milla, Ruben
  and Niinemets, {\"U}lo
  and Onoda, Yusuke
  and Ordo{\~n}ez, Jenny C.
  and Ozinga, Wim A.
  and Penuelas, Josep
  and Poorter, Hendrik
  and Poschlod, Peter
  and Reich, Peter B.
  and Sandel, Brody
  and Schamp, Brandon
  and Sheremetev, Serge
  and Weiher, Evan},
  title={Plant functional trait change across a warming tundra biome},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2018},
  abstract={The tundra is warming more rapidly than any other biome on Earth, and the potential ramifications are far-reaching because of global feedback effects between vegetation and climate. A better understanding of how environmental factors shape plant structure and function is crucial for predicting the consequences of environmental change for ecosystem functioning. Here we explore the biome-wide relationships between temperature, moisture and seven key plant functional traits both across space and over three decades of warming at 117 tundra locations. Spatial temperature-trait relationships were generally strong but soil moisture had a marked influence on the strength and direction of these relationships, highlighting the potentially important influence of changes in water availability on future trait shifts in tundra plant communities. Community height increased with warming across all sites over the past three decades, but other traits lagged far behind predicted rates of change. Our findings highlight the challenge of using space-for-time substitution to predict the functional consequences of future warming and suggest that functions that are tied closely to plant height will experience the most rapid change. They also reveal the strength with which environmental factors shape biotic communities at the coldest extremes of the planet and will help to improve projections of functional changes in tundra ecosystems with climate warming.},
  issn={1476-4687},
  doi={10.1038/s41586-018-0563-7},
  url={https://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_NAT.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder and S. T. Michaletz, "A model for leaf temperature decoupling from air temperature," Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, vol. 262, pp. 354-360, 2018. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.07.012
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{BLONDER2018354,
  title = "A model for leaf temperature decoupling from air temperature",
  journal = "Agricultural and Forest Meteorology",
  volume = "262",
  pages = "354 - 360",
  year = "2018",
  issn = "0168-1923",
  doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2018.07.012",
  url = "http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_AFM.pdf",
  author = "Benjamin Blonder and Sean T. Michaletz",
  keywords = "Leaf temperature, Stomatal regulation, Heat stress, Energy balance, Ecophysiology"
  }

• B. Blonder, B. J. Enquist, B. J. Graae, J. Kattge, B. S. Maitner, N. Morueta-Holme, A. Ordonez, I. Šímová, J. Singarayer, J. Svenning, P. J. Valdes, and C. Violle, "Late Quaternary climate legacies in contemporary plant functional composition," Global Change Biology, 2018. doi:10.1111/gcb.14375
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract The functional composition of plant communities is commonly thought to be determined by contemporary climate. However, if rates of climate-driven immigration and/or exclusion of species are slow, then contemporary functional composition may be explained by paleoclimate as well as by contemporary climate. We tested this idea by coupling contemporary maps of plant functional trait composition across North and South America to paleoclimate means and temporal variation in temperature and precipitation from the Last Interglacial (120 ka) to the present. Paleoclimate predictors strongly improved prediction of contemporary functional composition compared to contemporary climate predictors, with a stronger influence of temperature in North America (especially during periods of ice melting) and of precipitation in South America (across all times). Thus, climate from tens of thousands of years ago influences contemporary functional composition via slow assemblage dynamics.

  @article{doi:10.1111/gcb.14375,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Enquist, Brian J. and Graae, Bente J. and Kattge, Jens and Maitner, Brian S. and Morueta-Holme, Naia and Ordonez, Alejandro and Šímová, Irena and Singarayer, Joy and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Valdes, Paul J. and Violle, Cyrille},
  title = {Late Quaternary climate legacies in contemporary plant functional composition},
  journal = {Global Change Biology},
  year = "2018",
  volume = {0},
  number = {0},
  pages = {},
  keywords = {climate change, disequilibrium, exclusion, functional diversity, functional trait, Holocene, immigration, lag, legacy, Pleistocene},
  doi = {10.1111/gcb.14375},
  url = {http:/www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_GCB.pdf},
  eprint = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcb.14375},
  abstract = {Abstract The functional composition of plant communities is commonly thought to be determined by contemporary climate. However, if rates of climate-driven immigration and/or exclusion of species are slow, then contemporary functional composition may be explained by paleoclimate as well as by contemporary climate. We tested this idea by coupling contemporary maps of plant functional trait composition across North and South America to paleoclimate means and temporal variation in temperature and precipitation from the Last Interglacial (120 ka) to the present. Paleoclimate predictors strongly improved prediction of contemporary functional composition compared to contemporary climate predictors, with a stronger influence of temperature in North America (especially during periods of ice melting) and of precipitation in South America (across all times). Thus, climate from tens of thousands of years ago influences contemporary functional composition via slow assemblage dynamics.}
  }

• L. L. Iversen and M. Bendixen, "Funding agencies can prevent harassment," Science, vol. 361, iss. 6398, p. 140–140, 2018. doi:10.1126/science.aau3979
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {Iversen140,
  author = {Iversen, Lars L. and Bendixen, Mette},
  editor = {Sills, Jennifer},
  title = {Funding agencies can prevent harassment},
  volume = {361},
  number = {6398},
  pages = {140--140},
  year = {2018},
  doi = {10.1126/science.aau3979},
  publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science},
  issn = {0036-8075},
  URL = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_SCI_Iversen.pdf},
  journal = {Science}
  }

• B. Blonder, R. E. Kapas, R. M. Dalton, B. J. Graae, J. M. Heiling, and Ø. H. Opedal, "Microenvironment and functional-trait context dependence predict alpine plant community dynamics," Journal of Ecology, vol. 106, iss. 4, pp. 1323-1337, 2018. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12973
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Abstract Predicting the structure and dynamics of communities is difficult. Approaches linking functional traits to niche boundaries, species co-occurrence and demography are promising, but have so far had limited success. We hypothesized that predictability in community ecology could be improved by incorporating more accurate measures of fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and the context-dependent function of traits. We tested these hypotheses using long term whole-community demography data from an alpine plant community in Colorado. Species distributions along microenvironmental gradients covaried with traits important for below-ground processes. Positive associations between species distributions across life stages could not be explained by abiotic microenvironment alone, consistent with facilitative processes. Rates of growth, survival, fecundity and recruitment were predicted by the direct and interactive effects of trait, microenvironment, macroenvironment and neighbourhood axes. Synthesis. Context-dependent interactions between multiple traits and microenvironmental axes are needed to predict fine-scale community structure and dynamics.

  @article{https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12973,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Kapas, Rozalia E. and Dalton, Rebecca M. and Graae, Bente J. and Heiling, Jacob M. and Opedal, Øystein H.},
  title = {Microenvironment and functional-trait context dependence predict alpine plant community dynamics},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  volume = {106},
  number = {4},
  pages = {1323-1337},
  keywords = {Below-ground processes, biotic interactions, demography, environmental filtering, facilitation, functional trait, interaction network, microclimate},
  doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12973},
  url = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1365-2745.12973},
  eprint = {https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2745.12973},
  abstract = {Abstract Predicting the structure and dynamics of communities is difficult. Approaches linking functional traits to niche boundaries, species co-occurrence and demography are promising, but have so far had limited success. We hypothesized that predictability in community ecology could be improved by incorporating more accurate measures of fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and the context-dependent function of traits. We tested these hypotheses using long term whole-community demography data from an alpine plant community in Colorado. Species distributions along microenvironmental gradients covaried with traits important for below-ground processes. Positive associations between species distributions across life stages could not be explained by abiotic microenvironment alone, consistent with facilitative processes. Rates of growth, survival, fecundity and recruitment were predicted by the direct and interactive effects of trait, microenvironment, macroenvironment and neighbourhood axes. Synthesis. Context-dependent interactions between multiple traits and microenvironmental axes are needed to predict fine-scale community structure and dynamics.},
  year = {2018}
  }

• M. van Zonneveld, N. Larranaga, B. Blonder, L. Coradin, J. I. Hormaza, and D. Hunter, "Human diets drive range expansion of megafauna-dispersed fruit species," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018. doi:10.1073/pnas.1718045115
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by megafauna have regained relevance for diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying distribution ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Our results show that human food usage has expanded the distribution of species that would otherwise have suffered range contraction after extinction of megafauna. Our analyses help in identifying range segments of fruit species that may hold key genetic diversity to sustain food systems and to maintain critical ecosystem functions.Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by Pleistocene megafauna have regained relevance in diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying geographic and environmental ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of megafauna-dispersed fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Three quarters of the fruit species that were once dispersed by megafauna later became part of human diets. Our results suggest that, because of extensive dispersal and management, humans have expanded the geographic and environmental ranges of species that would otherwise have suffered range contraction after extinction of megafauna. Our results suggest that humans have been the principal dispersal agent for a large proportion of Neotropical fruit species between Central and South America. Our analyses help to identify range segments that may hold key genetic diversity resulting from historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. These genetic resources are a fundamental source to improve and diversify contemporary food systems and to maintain critical ecosystem functions. Public, private, and societal initiatives that stimulate dietary diversity could expand the food usage of these megafauna-dispersed fruit species to enhance human nutrition in combination with biodiversity conservation.

  @article {van Zonneveld201718045,
  author = {van Zonneveld, Maarten and Larranaga, Nerea and Blonder, Benjamin and Coradin, Lidio and Hormaza, Jos{\'e} I. and Hunter, Danny},
  title = {Human diets drive range expansion of megafauna-dispersed fruit species},
  year = {2018},
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.1718045115},
  publisher = {National Academy of Sciences},
  abstract = {Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by megafauna have regained relevance for diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying distribution ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Our results show that human food usage has expanded the distribution of species that would otherwise have suffered range contraction after extinction of megafauna. Our analyses help in identifying range segments of fruit species that may hold key genetic diversity to sustain food systems and to maintain critical ecosystem functions.Neotropical fruit species once dispersed by Pleistocene megafauna have regained relevance in diversifying human diets to address malnutrition. Little is known about the historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. We quantified the human role in modifying geographic and environmental ranges of Neotropical fruit species by comparing the distribution of megafauna-dispersed fruit species that have been part of both human and megafauna diets with fruit species that were exclusively part of megafauna diets. Three quarters of the fruit species that were once dispersed by megafauna later became part of human diets. Our results suggest that, because of extensive dispersal and management, humans have expanded the geographic and environmental ranges of species that would otherwise have suffered range contraction after extinction of megafauna. Our results suggest that humans have been the principal dispersal agent for a large proportion of Neotropical fruit species between Central and South America. Our analyses help to identify range segments that may hold key genetic diversity resulting from historic interactions between humans and these fruit species. These genetic resources are a fundamental source to improve and diversify contemporary food systems and to maintain critical ecosystem functions. Public, private, and societal initiatives that stimulate dietary diversity could expand the food usage of these megafauna-dispersed fruit species to enhance human nutrition in combination with biodiversity conservation.},
  issn = {0027-8424},
  URL = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_PNAS.pdf},
  eprint = {http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/03/07/1718045115.full.pdf},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}
  }

• B. Blonder, N. Salinas, L. P. Bentley, A. Shenkin, P. O. Chambi Porroa, Y. Valdez Tejeira, T. E. Boza Espinoza, G. R. Goldsmith, L. Enrico, R. Martin, G. P. Asner, S. Díaz, B. J. Enquist, and Y. Malhi, "Structural and defensive roles of angiosperm leaf venation network reticulation across an Andes–Amazon elevation gradient," Journal of Ecology, p. n/a–n/a, 2018. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12945
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {JEC:JEC12945,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Salinas, Norma and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Shenkin, Alexander and Chambi Porroa, Percy Orlando and Valdez Tejeira, Yolvi and Boza Espinoza, Tatiana Erika and Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Enrico, Lucas and Martin, Roberta and Asner, Gregory P. and Díaz, Sandra and Enquist, Brian J. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Structural and defensive roles of angiosperm leaf venation network reticulation across an Andes–Amazon elevation gradient},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  issn = {1365-2745},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_JECOL_CHAMBASA.pdf},
  year = {2018},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.12945},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  keywords = {damage resilience, damage resistance, leaf performance, loop, redundancy, reticulation, trait space, tropical forest, venation network},
  }

• I. Šímová, C. Violle, J. Svenning, J. Kattge, K. Engemann, B. Sandel, R. K. Peet, S. K. Wiser, B. Blonder, B. J. McGill, B. Boyle, N. Morueta-Holme, N. J. B. Kraft, P. M. van Bodegom, A. G. Gutiérrez, M. Bahn, W. A. Ozinga, A. Tószögyová, and B. J. Enquist, "Spatial patterns and climate relationships of major plant traits in the New World differ between woody and herbaceous species," Journal of Biogeography, p. n/a–n/a, 2018. doi:10.1111/jbi.13171
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {JBI:JBI13171,
  author = {Šímová, Irena and Violle, Cyrille and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Kattge, Jens and Engemann, Kristine and Sandel, Brody and Peet, Robert K. and Wiser, Susan K. and Blonder, Benjamin and McGill, Brian J. and Boyle, Brad and Morueta-Holme, Naia and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and van Bodegom, Peter M. and Gutiérrez, Alvaro G. and Bahn, Michael and Ozinga, Wim A. and Tószögyová, Anna and Enquist, Brian J.},
  title = {Spatial patterns and climate relationships of major plant traits in the New World differ between woody and herbaceous species},
  journal = {Journal of Biogeography},
  issn = {1365-2699},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2018_JBI.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/jbi.13171},
  year = {2018},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  keywords = {BIEN database, environmental filtering, functional biogeography, growth form, habit, macroecology, plant functional traits, plant functional types, TRY database},
  }

2017

• E. E. Butler, A. Datta, H. Flores-Moreno, M. Chen, K. R. Wythers, F. Fazayeli, A. Banerjee, O. K. Atkin, J. Kattge, B. Amiaud, B. Blonder, G. Boenisch, B. Bond-Lamberty, K. A. Brown, C. Byun, G. Campetella, B. E. L. Cerabolini, J. H. C. Cornelissen, J. M. Craine, D. Craven, F. T. de Vries, S. Díaz, T. F. Domingues, E. Forey, A. González-Melo, N. Gross, W. Han, W. N. Hattingh, T. Hickler, S. Jansen, K. Kramer, N. J. B. Kraft, H. Kurokawa, D. C. Laughlin, P. Meir, V. Minden, Ü. Niinemets, Y. Onoda, J. Peñuelas, Q. Read, L. Sack, B. Schamp, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, M. J. Spasojevic, E. Sosinski, P. E. Thornton, F. Valladares, P. M. van Bodegom, M. Williams, C. Wirth, and P. B. Reich, "Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017. doi:10.1073/pnas.1708984114
  [BibTeX] [Abstract] [Download PDF]
  

  Our ability to understand and predict the response of ecosystems to a changing environment depends on quantifying vegetation functional diversity. However, representing this diversity at the global scale is challenging. Typically, in Earth system models, characterization of plant diversity has been limited to grouping related species into plant functional types (PFTs), with all trait variation in a PFT collapsed into a single mean value that is applied globally. Using the largest global plant trait database and state of the art Bayesian modeling, we created fine-grained global maps of plant trait distributions that can be applied to Earth system models. Focusing on a set of plant traits closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration—specific leaf area (SLA) and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen (Nm) and phosphorus (Pm), we characterize how traits vary within and among over 50,000 ∼50×50-km cells across the entire vegetated land surface. We do this in several ways—without defining the PFT of each grid cell and using 4 or 14 PFTs; each model’s predictions are evaluated against out-of-sample data. This endeavor advances prior trait mapping by generating global maps that preserve variability across scales by using modern Bayesian spatial statistical modeling in combination with a database over three times larger than that in previous analyses. Our maps reveal that the most diverse grid cells possess trait variability close to the range of global PFT means.

  @article{Butler01122017,
  author = {Butler, Ethan E. and Datta, Abhirup and Flores-Moreno, Habacuc and Chen, Ming and Wythers, Kirk R. and Fazayeli, Farideh and Banerjee, Arindam and Atkin, Owen K. and Kattge, Jens and Amiaud, Bernard and Blonder, Benjamin and Boenisch, Gerhard and Bond-Lamberty, Ben and Brown, Kerry A. and Byun, Chaeho and Campetella, Giandiego and Cerabolini, Bruno E. L. and Cornelissen, Johannes H. C. and Craine, Joseph M. and Craven, Dylan and de Vries, Franciska T. and Díaz, Sandra and Domingues, Tomas F. and Forey, Estelle and González-Melo, Andrés and Gross, Nicolas and Han, Wenxuan and Hattingh, Wesley N. and Hickler, Thomas and Jansen, Steven and Kramer, Koen and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and Kurokawa, Hiroko and Laughlin, Daniel C. and Meir, Patrick and Minden, Vanessa and Niinemets, Ülo and Onoda, Yusuke and Peñuelas, Josep and Read, Quentin and Sack, Lawren and Schamp, Brandon and Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A. and Spasojevic, Marko J. and Sosinski, Enio and Thornton, Peter E. and Valladares, Fernando and van Bodegom, Peter M. and Williams, Mathew and Wirth, Christian and Reich, Peter B.},
  title = {Mapping local and global variability in plant trait distributions},
  year = {2017},
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.1708984114},
  abstract ={Our ability to understand and predict the response of ecosystems to a changing environment depends on quantifying vegetation functional diversity. However, representing this diversity at the global scale is challenging. Typically, in Earth system models, characterization of plant diversity has been limited to grouping related species into plant functional types (PFTs), with all trait variation in a PFT collapsed into a single mean value that is applied globally. Using the largest global plant trait database and state of the art Bayesian modeling, we created fine-grained global maps of plant trait distributions that can be applied to Earth system models. Focusing on a set of plant traits closely coupled to photosynthesis and foliar respiration—specific leaf area (SLA) and dry mass-based concentrations of leaf nitrogen (Nm) and phosphorus (Pm), we characterize how traits vary within and among over 50,000 ∼50×50-km cells across the entire vegetated land surface. We do this in several ways—without defining the PFT of each grid cell and using 4 or 14 PFTs; each model’s predictions are evaluated against out-of-sample data. This endeavor advances prior trait mapping by generating global maps that preserve variability across scales by using modern Bayesian spatial statistical modeling in combination with a database over three times larger than that in previous analyses. Our maps reveal that the most diverse grid cells possess trait variability close to the range of global PFT means.},
  URL = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_PNAS.pdf},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}
  }

• C. E. Doughty, P. E. Santos-Andrade, G. R. Goldsmith, B. Blonder, A. Shenkin, L. P. Bentley, C. Chavana-Bryant, W. Huaraca-Huasco, S. Díaz, N. Salinas, B. J. Enquist, R. Martin, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Can Leaf Spectroscopy Predict Leaf and Forest Traits Along a Peruvian Tropical Forest Elevation Gradient?," Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, p. n/a–n/a, 2017. doi:10.1002/2017JG003883
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {JGRG:JGRG20902,
  author = {Doughty, Christopher E. and Santos-Andrade, P. E. and Goldsmith, G. R. and Blonder, B. and Shenkin, A. and Bentley, L. P. and Chavana-Bryant, C. and Huaraca-Huasco, W. and Díaz, S. and Salinas, N. and Enquist, B. J. and Martin, R. and Asner, G. P. and Malhi, Y.},
  title = {Can Leaf Spectroscopy Predict Leaf and Forest Traits Along a Peruvian Tropical Forest Elevation Gradient?},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences},
  issn = {2169-8961},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_JGR.pdf},
  doi = {10.1002/2017JG003883},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  year = {2017},
  keywords = {Carbon cycling, Ecosystems: structure and dynamics, PLS regression, spectroscopy, tropical forests},
  note = {2017JG003883},
  }

• B. J. Enquist, L. P. Bentley, A. Shenkin, B. Maitner, V. Savage, S. Michaletz, B. Blonder, V. Buzzard, T. E. B. Espinoza, W. Farfan-Rios, C. E. Doughty, G. R. Goldsmith, R. E. Martin, N. Salinas, M. Silman, S. Díaz, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Assessing trait-based scaling theory in tropical forests spanning a broad temperature gradient," Global Ecology and Biogeography, p. n/a–n/a, 2017. doi:10.1111/geb.12645
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {GEB:GEB12645,
  author = {Enquist, Brian J. and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Shenkin, Alexander and Maitner, Brian and Savage, Van and Michaletz, Sean and Blonder, Benjamin and Buzzard, Vanessa and Espinoza, Tatiana Erika Boza and Farfan-Rios, William and Doughty, Christopher E. and Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Martin, Roberta E. and Salinas, Norma and Silman, Miles and Díaz, Sandra and Asner, Gregory P. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Assessing trait-based scaling theory in tropical forests spanning a broad temperature gradient},
  journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography},
  issn = {1466-8238},
  url = {http://www.benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_GEB_Enquist.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/geb.12645},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  year = {2017},
  keywords = {Amazon, Andes, ecosystem function, elevation gradient, metabolic scaling theory, scaling, stoichiometry, trait-based ecology},
  }

• C. Puritty, L. R. Strickland, E. Alia, B. Blonder, E. Klein, M. T. Kohl, E. McGee, M. Quintana, R. E. Ridley, B. Tellman, and L. R. Gerber, "Without inclusion, diversity initiatives may not be enough," Science, vol. 357, iss. 6356, p. 1101–1102, 2017. doi:10.1126/science.aai9054
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {Puritty1101,
  author = {Puritty, Chandler and Strickland, Lynette R. and Alia, Eanas and Blonder, Benjamin and Klein, Emily and Kohl, Michel T. and McGee, Earyn and Quintana, Maclovia and Ridley, Robyn E. and Tellman, Beth and Gerber, Leah R.},
  title = {Without inclusion, diversity initiatives may not be enough},
  volume = {357},
  number = {6356},
  pages = {1101--1102},
  year = {2017},
  doi = {10.1126/science.aai9054},
  publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science},
  issn = {0036-8075},
  URL = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_SCI.pdf},
  eprint = {http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6356/1101.full.pdf},
  journal = {Science}
  }

• B. Blonder, "Hypervolume concepts in niche- and trait-based ecology," Ecography, p. n/a–n/a, 2017. doi:10.1111/ecog.03187
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {ECOG:ECOG3187,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Hypervolume concepts in niche- and trait-based ecology},
  journal = {Ecography},
  publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd},
  issn = {1600-0587},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_ECOG.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/ecog.03187},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  year = {2017},
  }

• B. Blonder, C. B. Morrow, B. Maitner, D. J. Harris, C. Lamanna, C. Violle, B. J. Enquist, and A. J. Kerkhoff, "New approaches for delineating n-dimensional hypervolumes," Methods in Ecology and Evolution, p. n/a–n/a, 2017. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.12865
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {MEE3:MEE312865,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Morrow, Cecina Babich and Maitner, Brian and Harris, David J. and Lamanna, Christine and Violle, Cyrille and Enquist, Brian J. and Kerkhoff, Andrew J.},
  title = {New approaches for delineating n-dimensional hypervolumes},
  journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  issn = {2041-210X},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_MEE.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/2041-210X.12865},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  year = {2017},
  keywords = {functional diversity, functional space, hypervolume, kernel density estimation, niche, niche modelling, support vector machine},
  }

• J. Stark, R. Lehman, L. Crawford, B. J. Enquist, and B. Blonder, "Does environmental heterogeneity drive functional trait variation? A test in montane and alpine meadows," Oikos, p. n/a–n/a, 2017. doi:10.1111/oik.04311
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {OIK:OIK4311,
  author = {Stark, Jordan and Lehman, Rebecca and Crawford, Lake and Enquist, Brian J. and Blonder, Benjamin},
  title = {Does environmental heterogeneity drive functional trait variation? A test in montane and alpine meadows},
  journal = {Oikos},
  publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd},
  issn = {1600-0706},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_OIK.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/oik.04311},
  pages = {n/a--n/a},
  year = {2017},
  }

• M. S. Wu, S. J. Feakins, R. E. Martin, A. Shenkin, L. P. Bentley, B. Blonder, N. Salinas, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Altitude effect on leaf wax carbon isotopic composition in humid tropical forests," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 206, pp. 1-17, 2017. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.02.022
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{Wu20171,
  title = "Altitude effect on leaf wax carbon isotopic composition in humid tropical forests ",
  journal = "Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta ",
  volume = "206",
  number = "",
  pages = "1 - 17",
  year = "2017",
  note = "",
  issn = "0016-7037",
  doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.02.022",
  url = "http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_GCA.pdf",
  author = "Mong Sin Wu and Sarah J. Feakins and Roberta E. Martin and Alexander Shenkin and Lisa Patrick Bentley and Benjamin Blonder and Norma Salinas and Gregory P. Asner and Yadvinder Malhi",
  }

• G. R. Goldsmith, L. P. Bentley, A. Shenkin, N. Salinas, B. Blonder, R. E. Martin, R. Castro-Ccossco, P. Chambi-Porroa, S. Diaz, B. J. Enquist, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient," New Phytologist, vol. 214, iss. 3, p. 989–1001, 2017. doi:10.1111/nph.14121
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {NPH:NPH14121,
  author = {Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Shenkin, Alexander and Salinas, Norma and Blonder, Benjamin and Martin, Roberta E. and Castro-Ccossco, Rosa and Chambi-Porroa, Percy and Diaz, Sandra and Enquist, Brian J. and Asner, Gregory P. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Variation in leaf wettability traits along a tropical montane elevation gradient},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  volume = {214},
  number = {3},
  issn = {1469-8137},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_NPH.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/nph.14121},
  pages = {989--1001},
  keywords = {cloud forest, contact angle, drip tips, ecohydrology, foliar water uptake, functional traits, leaf hydrophobicity, leaf water repellency},
  year = {2017},
  note = {2016-21821},
  }

• B. Blonder, C. Lamanna, C. Violle, and B. J. Enquist, "Using n-dimensional hypervolumes for species distribution modelling: A response to Qiao et al. (2017)," Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2017. doi:10.1111/geb.12611
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {GEB:GEB12611,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Lamanna, Christine and Violle, Cyrille and Enquist, Brian J.},
  title = {Using n-dimensional hypervolumes for species distribution modelling: A response to Qiao et al. (2017)},
  journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography},
  issn = {1466-8238},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_GEB.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/geb.12611},
  year = {2017},
  pages = {},
  }

• B. Blonder, N. Salinas, L. Patrick Bentley, A. Shenkin, P. O. Chambi Porroa, Y. Valdez Tejeira, C. Violle, N. M. Fyllas, G. R. Goldsmith, R. Martin, G. P. Asner, S. Díaz, B. J. Enquist, and Y. Malhi, "Predicting trait-environment relationships for venation networks along an Andes-Amazon elevation gradient," Ecology, p. 1239–1255, 2017. doi:10.1002/ecy.1747
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {ECY:ECY1747,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Salinas, Norma and Patrick Bentley, Lisa and Shenkin, Alexander and Chambi Porroa, Percy Orlando and Valdez Tejeira, Yolvi and Violle, Cyrille and Fyllas, Nikolaos M. and Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Martin, Roberta and Asner, Gregory P. and Díaz, Sandra and Enquist, Brian J. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  title = {Predicting trait-environment relationships for venation networks along an Andes-Amazon elevation gradient},
  journal = {Ecology},
  issn = {1939-9170},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_ECOL.pdf},
  doi = {10.1002/ecy.1747},
  pages = {1239–1255},
  keywords = {Vein density, vein radius, leaf thickness, conductance, community assembly, community-weighted mean, abundance-weighting, functional trait, environmental filtering, Amazon basin, Andes, trait-environment relationship},
  year = {2017},
  }

• B. Blonder, D. E. Moulton, J. Blois, B. J. Enquist, B. J. Graae, M. Macias-Fauria, B. McGill, S. Nogué, A. Ordonez, B. Sandel, and J. Svenning, "Predictability in community dynamics," Ecology Letters, p. 293–306, 2017. doi:10.1111/ele.12736
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {blonder_predictability_2017,
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Moulton, Derek E. and Blois, Jessica and Enquist, Brian J. and Graae, Bente J. and Macias-Fauria, Marc and McGill, Brian and Nogué, Sandra and Ordonez, Alejandro and Sandel, Brody and Svenning, Jens-Christian},
  title = {Predictability in community dynamics},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  issn = {1461-0248},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2017_ELE.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/ele.12736},
  pages = {293–306},
  keywords = {Alternate states, chaos, climate change, community assembly, community climate, community response diagram, disequilibrium, hysteresis, lag, memory effects},
  year = {2017},
  }

2016

• N. Morueta-Holme, B. Blonder, B. Sandel, B. J. McGill, R. K. Peet, J. E. Ott, C. Violle, B. J. Enquist, P. M. Jørgensen, and J. Svenning, "A network approach for inferring species associations from co-occurrence data," Ecography, vol. 39, iss. 12, p. 1139–1150, 2016. doi:10.1111/ecog.01892
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article {morueta_ecography_2015,
  author = {Morueta-Holme, Naia and Blonder, Benjamin and Sandel, Brody and McGill, Brian J. and Peet, Robert K. and Ott, Jeffrey E. and Violle, Cyrille and Enquist, Brian J. and Jørgensen, Peter M. and Svenning, Jens-Christian},
  title = {A network approach for inferring species associations from co-occurrence data},
  journal = {Ecography},
  volume = {39},
  number = {12},
  publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd},
  issn = {1600-0587},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2015_ECOG.pdf},
  doi = {10.1111/ecog.01892},
  pages = {1139--1150},
  year = {2016},
  }

• S. J. Feakins, T. Peters, M. S. Wu, A. Shenkin, N. Salinas, C. A. J. Girardin, L. P. Bentley, B. Blonder, B. J. Enquist, R. E. Martin, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Production of leaf wax n-alkanes across a tropical forest elevation transect," Organic Geochemistry, vol. 100, p. 89–100, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2016.07.004
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{feakins_production_2016,
  title = {Production of leaf wax n-alkanes across a tropical forest elevation transect},
  volume = {100},
  issn = {0146-6380},
  doi = {10.1016/j.orggeochem.2016.07.004},
  journal = {Organic Geochemistry},
  author = {Feakins, Sarah J. and Peters, Tom and Wu, Mong Sin and Shenkin, Alexander and Salinas, Norma and Girardin, Cecile A. J. and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Blonder, Benjamin and Enquist, Brian J. and Martin, Roberta E. and Asner, Gregory P. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  month = oct,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000381909900009},
  pages = {89--100},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_OG.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, "Pushing Past Boundaries for Trait Hypervolumes: A Response to Carmona et al.," Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 31, iss. 9, p. 665–667, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2016.07.001
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_pushing_2016,
  title = {Pushing {Past} {Boundaries} for {Trait} {Hypervolumes}: {A} {Response} to {Carmona} et al.},
  volume = {31},
  issn = {0169-5347},
  doi = {10.1016/j.tree.2016.07.001},
  number = {9},
  journal = {Trends in Ecology \& Evolution},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin},
  month = sep,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000382346200004},
  pages = {665--667},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_TREE.pdf}
  }

• J. Loranger, B. Blonder, E. Garnier, B. Shipley, D. Vile, and C. Violle, "Occupancy and overlap in trait space along a successional gradient in Mediterranean old fields," American Journal of Botany, vol. 103, iss. 6, p. 1050–1060, 2016. doi:10.3732/ajb.1500483
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{loranger_occupancy_2016,
  title = {Occupancy and overlap in trait space along a successional gradient in {Mediterranean} old fields},
  volume = {103},
  issn = {0002-9122},
  doi = {10.3732/ajb.1500483},
  number = {6},
  journal = {American Journal of Botany},
  author = {Loranger, Jessy and Blonder, Benjamin and Garnier, Eric and Shipley, Bill and Vile, Denis and Violle, Cyrille},
  month = jun,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000378888100010},
  pages = {1050--1060},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_AJB.pdf}
  }

• S. J. Feakins, L. P. Bentley, N. Salinas, A. Shenkin, B. Blonder, G. R. Goldsmith, C. Ponton, L. J. Arvin, M. S. Wu, T. Peters, J. A. West, R. E. Martin, B. J. Enquist, G. P. Asner, and Y. Malhi, "Plant leaf wax biomarkers capture gradients in hydrogen isotopes of precipitation from the Andes and Amazon," Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, vol. 182, p. 155–172, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2016.03.018
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{feakins_plant_2016,
  title = {Plant leaf wax biomarkers capture gradients in hydrogen isotopes of precipitation from the {Andes} and {Amazon}},
  volume = {182},
  issn = {0016-7037},
  doi = {10.1016/j.gca.2016.03.018},
  journal = {Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta},
  author = {Feakins, Sarah J. and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Salinas, Norma and Shenkin, Alexander and Blonder, Benjamin and Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Ponton, Camilo and Arvin, Lindsay J. and Wu, Mong Sin and Peters, Tom and West, A. Joshua and Martin, Roberta E. and Enquist, Brian J. and Asner, Gregory P. and Malhi, Yadvinder},
  month = jun,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000374503900010},
  pages = {155--172},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_GCA.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, "Do Hypervolumes Have Holes?," American Naturalist, vol. 187, iss. 4, p. E93–E105, 2016. doi:10.1086/685444
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_hypervolumes_2016,
  title = {Do {Hypervolumes} {Have} {Holes}?},
  volume = {187},
  issn = {0003-0147},
  doi = {10.1086/685444},
  number = {4},
  journal = {American Naturalist},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin},
  month = apr,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000373127000003},
  pages = {E93--E105},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_AMNT.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, B. G. Baldwin, B. J. Enquist, and R. H. Robichaux, "Variation and macroevolution in leaf functional traits in the Hawaiian silversword alliance (Asteraceae)," Journal of Ecology, vol. 104, iss. 1, p. 219–228, 2016. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12497
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_variation_2016,
  title = {Variation and macroevolution in leaf functional traits in the {Hawaiian} silversword alliance ({Asteraceae})},
  volume = {104},
  issn = {0022-0477},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.12497},
  number = {1},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Baldwin, Bruce G. and Enquist, Brian J. and Robichaux, Robert H.},
  month = jan,
  year = {2016},
  note = {WOS:000368298700021},
  pages = {219--228},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2016_JECOL.pdf}
  }

2015

• B. Blonder, D. Nogues-Bravo, M. K. Borregaard, J. C. Donoghue, P. M. Jorgensen, N. J. B. Kraft, J. Lessard, N. Morueta-Holme, B. Sandel, J. Svenning, C. Violle, C. Rahbek, and B. J. Enquist, "Linking environmental filtering and disequilibrium to biogeography with a community climate framework," Ecology, vol. 96, iss. 4, p. 972–985, 2015. doi:10.1890/14-0589.1
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_linking_2015,
  title = {Linking environmental filtering and disequilibrium to biogeography with a community climate framework},
  volume = {96},
  issn = {0012-9658},
  doi = {10.1890/14-0589.1},
  number = {4},
  journal = {Ecology},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Nogues-Bravo, David and Borregaard, Michael K. and Donoghue, John C. and Jorgensen, Peter M. and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and Lessard, Jean-Philippe and Morueta-Holme, Naia and Sandel, Brody and Svenning, Jens-Christian and Violle, Cyrille and Rahbek, Carsten and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = apr,
  year = {2015},
  note = {WOS:000353038200009},
  pages = {972--985},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2015_ECOL.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, F. Vasseur, C. Violle, B. Shipley, B. J. Enquist, and D. Vile, "Testing models for the leaf economics spectrum with leaf and whole-plant traits in Arabidopsis thaliana," Aob Plants, vol. 7, p. plv049, 2015. doi:10.1093/aobpla/plv049
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_testing_2015,
  title = {Testing models for the leaf economics spectrum with leaf and whole-plant traits in {Arabidopsis} thaliana},
  volume = {7},
  issn = {2041-2851},
  doi = {10.1093/aobpla/plv049},
  journal = {Aob Plants},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Vasseur, Francois and Violle, Cyrille and Shipley, Bill and Enquist, Brian J. and Vile, Denis},
  year = {2015},
  note = {WOS:000357422100009},
  pages = {plv049},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2015_AOBP.pdf}
  }

2014

• B. Blonder, L. Sloat, B. J. Enquist, and B. McGill, "Separating Macroecological Pattern and Process: Comparing Ecological, Economic, and Geological Systems," Plos One, vol. 9, iss. 11, p. e112850, 2014. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112850
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_separating_2014,
  title = {Separating {Macroecological} {Pattern} and {Process}: {Comparing} {Ecological}, {Economic}, and {Geological} {Systems}},
  volume = {9},
  issn = {1932-6203},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0112850},
  number = {11},
  journal = {Plos One},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Sloat, Lindsey and Enquist, Brian J. and McGill, Brian},
  month = nov,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000344816700099},
  pages = {e112850},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_PONE.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, C. Violle, L. P. Bentley, and B. J. Enquist, "Inclusion of vein traits improves predictive power for the leaf economic spectrum: a response to Sack et al. (2013)," Journal of Experimental Botany, vol. 65, iss. 18, p. 5109–5114, 2014. doi:10.1093/jxb/eru143
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_inclusion_2014,
  title = {Inclusion of vein traits improves predictive power for the leaf economic spectrum: a response to {Sack} et al. (2013)},
  volume = {65},
  issn = {0022-0957},
  doi = {10.1093/jxb/eru143},
  number = {18},
  journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Violle, Cyrille and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = oct,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000343182800001},
  pages = {5109--5114},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_JEXPB.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder and B. J. Enquist, "Inferring climate from angiosperm leaf venation networks," New Phytologist, vol. 204, iss. 1, p. 116–126, 2014. doi:10.1111/nph.12780
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_inferring_2014,
  title = {Inferring climate from angiosperm leaf venation networks},
  volume = {204},
  issn = {0028-646X},
  doi = {10.1111/nph.12780},
  number = {1},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = oct,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000341193500014},
  pages = {116--126},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_NPH.pdf}
  }

• C. Lamanna, B. Blonder, C. Violle, N. J. B. Kraft, B. Sandel, I. Simova, J. C. Donoghue, J. Svenning, B. J. McGill, B. Boyle, V. Buzzard, S. Dolins, P. M. Jorgensen, A. Marcuse-Kubitza, N. Morueta-Holme, R. K. Peet, W. H. Piel, J. Regetz, M. Schildhauer, N. Spencer, B. Thiers, S. K. Wiser, and B. J. Enquist, "Functional trait space and the latitudinal diversity gradient," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 111, iss. 38, p. 13745–13750, 2014. doi:10.1073/pnas.1317722111
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{lamanna_functional_2014,
  title = {Functional trait space and the latitudinal diversity gradient},
  volume = {111},
  issn = {0027-8424},
  doi = {10.1073/pnas.1317722111},
  number = {38},
  journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
  author = {Lamanna, Christine and Blonder, Benjamin and Violle, Cyrille and Kraft, Nathan J. B. and Sandel, Brody and Simova, Irena and Donoghue, John C. and Svenning, Jens-Christian and McGill, Brian J. and Boyle, Brad and Buzzard, Vanessa and Dolins, Steven and Jorgensen, Peter M. and Marcuse-Kubitza, Aaron and Morueta-Holme, Naia and Peet, Robert K. and Piel, William H. and Regetz, James and Schildhauer, Mark and Spencer, Nick and Thiers, Barbara and Wiser, Susan K. and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = sep,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000341988200030},
  pages = {13745--13750},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_PNAS.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, D. L. Royer, K. R. Johnson, I. Miller, and B. J. Enquist, "Plant Ecological Strategies Shift Across the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary," Plos Biology, vol. 12, iss. 9, p. e1001949, 2014. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_plant_2014,
  title = {Plant {Ecological} {Strategies} {Shift} {Across} the {Cretaceous}-{Paleogene} {Boundary}},
  volume = {12},
  issn = {1545-7885},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949},
  number = {9},
  journal = {Plos Biology},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Royer, Dana L. and Johnson, Kirk R. and Miller, Ian and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = sep,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000342905400011},
  pages = {e1001949},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_PBIO.pdf}
  }

• A. T. Moles, S. E. Perkins, S. W. Laffan, H. Flores-Moreno, M. Awasthy, M. L. Tindall, L. Sack, A. Pitman, J. Kattge, L. W. Aarssen, M. Anand, M. Bahn, B. Blonder, J. Cavender-Bares, H. J. C. Cornelissen, W. K. Cornwell, S. Diaz, J. B. Dickie, G. T. Freschet, J. G. Griffiths, A. G. Gutierrez, F. A. Hemmings, T. Hickler, T. D. Hitchcock, M. Keighery, M. Kleyer, H. Kurokawa, M. R. Leishman, K. Liu, U. Niinemets, V. Onipchenko, Y. Onoda, J. Penuelas, V. D. Pillar, P. B. Reich, S. Shiodera, A. Siefert, E. E. Sosinski, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, E. K. Swaine, N. G. Swenson, P. M. van Bodegom, L. Warman, E. Weiher, I. J. Wright, H. Zhang, M. Zobel, and S. P. Bonser, "Which is a better predictor of plant traits: temperature or precipitation?," Journal of Vegetation Science, vol. 25, iss. 5, p. 1167–1180, 2014. doi:10.1111/jvs.12190
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{moles_which_2014,
  title = {Which is a better predictor of plant traits: temperature or precipitation?},
  volume = {25},
  issn = {1100-9233},
  doi = {10.1111/jvs.12190},
  number = {5},
  journal = {Journal of Vegetation Science},
  author = {Moles, Angela T. and Perkins, Sarah E. and Laffan, Shawn W. and Flores-Moreno, Habacuc and Awasthy, Monica and Tindall, Marianne L. and Sack, Lawren and Pitman, Andy and Kattge, Jens and Aarssen, Lonnie W. and Anand, Madhur and Bahn, Michael and Blonder, Benjamin and Cavender-Bares, Jeannine and Cornelissen, J. Hans C. and Cornwell, Will K. and Diaz, Sandra and Dickie, John B. and Freschet, Gregoire T. and Griffiths, Joshua G. and Gutierrez, Alvaro G. and Hemmings, Frank A. and Hickler, Thomas and Hitchcock, Timothy D. and Keighery, Matthew and Kleyer, Michael and Kurokawa, Hiroko and Leishman, Michelle R. and Liu, Kenwin and Niinemets, Uelo and Onipchenko, Vladimir and Onoda, Yusuke and Penuelas, Josep and Pillar, Valerio D. and Reich, Peter B. and Shiodera, Satomi and Siefert, Andrew and Sosinski, Enio E. and Soudzilovskaia, Nadejda A. and Swaine, Emily K. and Swenson, Nathan G. and van Bodegom, Peter M. and Warman, Laura and Weiher, Evan and Wright, Ian J. and Zhang, Hongxiang and Zobel, Martin and Bonser, Stephen P.},
  month = sep,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000340572700009},
  pages = {1167--1180},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_JVS.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, C. Lamanna, C. Violle, and B. J. Enquist, "The n-dimensional hypervolume," Global Ecology and Biogeography, vol. 23, iss. 5, p. 595–609, 2014. doi:10.1111/geb.12146
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_n-dimensional_2014,
  title = {The n-dimensional hypervolume},
  volume = {23},
  issn = {1466-822X},
  doi = {10.1111/geb.12146},
  number = {5},
  journal = {Global Ecology and Biogeography},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Lamanna, Christine and Violle, Cyrille and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = may,
  year = {2014},
  note = {WOS:000333417100008},
  pages = {595--609},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2014_GEB.pdf}
  }

2013

• B. Blonder, C. Violle, and B. J. Enquist, "Assessing the causes and scales of the leaf economics spectrum using venation networks in Populus tremuloides," Journal of Ecology, vol. 101, iss. 4, p. 981–989, 2013. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12102
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_assessing_2013,
  title = {Assessing the causes and scales of the leaf economics spectrum using venation networks in {Populus} tremuloides},
  volume = {101},
  issn = {0022-0477},
  doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.12102},
  number = {4},
  journal = {Journal of Ecology},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Violle, Cyrille and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = jul,
  year = {2013},
  note = {WOS:000320938100015},
  pages = {981--989},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2013_JECOL.pdf}
  }

• N. Perez-Harguindeguy, S. Diaz, E. Garnier, S. Lavorel, H. Poorter, P. Jaureguiberry, M. S. Bret-Harte, W. K. Cornwell, J. M. Craine, D. E. Gurvich, C. Urcelay, E. J. Veneklaas, P. B. Reich, L. Poorter, I. J. Wright, P. Ray, L. Enrico, J. G. Pausas, A. C. de Vos, N. Buchmann, G. Funes, F. Quetier, J. G. Hodgson, K. Thompson, H. D. Morgan, H. ter Steege, M. G. A. van der Heijden, L. Sack, B. Blonder, P. Poschlod, M. V. Vaieretti, G. Conti, A. C. Staver, S. Aquino, and J. H. C. Cornelissen, "New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide," Australian Journal of Botany, vol. 61, iss. 3, p. 167–234, 2013. doi:10.1071/BT12225
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{perez-harguindeguy_new_2013,
  title = {New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide},
  volume = {61},
  issn = {0067-1924},
  doi = {10.1071/BT12225},
  number = {3},
  journal = {Australian Journal of Botany},
  author = {Perez-Harguindeguy, N. and Diaz, S. and Garnier, E. and Lavorel, S. and Poorter, H. and Jaureguiberry, P. and Bret-Harte, M. S. and Cornwell, W. K. and Craine, J. M. and Gurvich, D. E. and Urcelay, C. and Veneklaas, E. J. and Reich, P. B. and Poorter, L. and Wright, I. J. and Ray, P. and Enrico, L. and Pausas, J. G. and de Vos, A. C. and Buchmann, N. and Funes, G. and Quetier, F. and Hodgson, J. G. and Thompson, K. and Morgan, H. D. and ter Steege, H. and van der Heijden, M. G. A. and Sack, L. and Blonder, B. and Poschlod, P. and Vaieretti, M. V. and Conti, G. and Staver, A. C. and Aquino, S. and Cornelissen, J. H. C.},
  year = {2013},
  note = {WOS:000318568100001},
  pages = {167--234},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2013_AJB.pdf}
  }

2012

• B. Blonder, T. W. Wey, A. Dornhaus, R. James, and A. Sih, "Temporal dynamics and network analysis," Methods in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 3, iss. 6, p. 958–972, 2012. doi:10.1111/j.2041-210X.2012.00236.x
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_temporal_2012,
  title = {Temporal dynamics and network analysis},
  volume = {3},
  issn = {2041-210X},
  doi = {10.1111/j.2041-210X.2012.00236.x},
  number = {6},
  journal = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Wey, Tina W. and Dornhaus, Anna and James, Richard and Sih, Andrew},
  month = dec,
  year = {2012},
  note = {WOS:000312462000002},
  pages = {958--972},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2012_TN.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, F. De Carlo, J. Moore, M. Rivers, and B. J. Enquist, "X-ray imaging of leaf venation networks," New Phytologist, vol. 196, iss. 4, p. 1274–1282, 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04355.x
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_x-ray_2012,
  title = {X-ray imaging of leaf venation networks},
  volume = {196},
  issn = {0028-646X},
  doi = {10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04355.x},
  number = {4},
  journal = {New Phytologist},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and De Carlo, Francesco and Moore, Jared and Rivers, Mark and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = dec,
  year = {2012},
  note = {WOS:000310676400032},
  pages = {1274--1282},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2012_NPH.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, V. Buzzard, I. Simova, L. Sloat, B. Boyle, R. Lipson, B. Aguilar-Beaucage, A. Andrade, B. Barber, C. Barnes, D. Bushey, P. Cartagena, M. Chaney, K. Contreras, M. Cox, M. Cueto, C. Curtis, M. Fisher, L. Furst, J. Gallegos, R. Hall, A. Hauschild, A. Jerez, N. Jones, A. Klucas, A. Kono, M. Lamb, J. D. R. Matthai, C. McIntyre, J. McKenna, N. Mosier, M. Navabi, A. Ochoa, L. Pace, R. Plassmann, R. Richter, B. Russakoff, H. St Aubyn, R. Stagg, M. Sterner, E. Stewart, T. T. Thompson, J. Thornton, P. J. Trujillo, T. J. Volpe, and B. J. Enquist, "THE LEAF-AREA SHRINKAGE EFFECT CAN BIAS PALEOCLIMATE AND ECOLOGY RESEARCH," American Journal of Botany, vol. 99, iss. 11, p. 1756–1763, 2012. doi:10.3732/ajb.1200062
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_leaf-area_2012,
  title = {{THE} {LEAF}-{AREA} {SHRINKAGE} {EFFECT} {CAN} {BIAS} {PALEOCLIMATE} {AND} {ECOLOGY} {RESEARCH}},
  volume = {99},
  issn = {0002-9122},
  doi = {10.3732/ajb.1200062},
  number = {11},
  journal = {American Journal of Botany},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Buzzard, Vanessa and Simova, Irena and Sloat, Lindsey and Boyle, Brad and Lipson, Rebecca and Aguilar-Beaucage, Brianna and Andrade, Angelina and Barber, Benjamin and Barnes, Chris and Bushey, Dharma and Cartagena, Paulina and Chaney, Max and Contreras, Karina and Cox, Mandarava and Cueto, Maya and Curtis, Cannon and Fisher, Mariah and Furst, Lindsey and Gallegos, Jessica and Hall, Ruby and Hauschild, Amelia and Jerez, Alex and Jones, Nadja and Klucas, Aaron and Kono, Anita and Lamb, Mary and Matthai, Jacob David Ruiz and McIntyre, Colten and McKenna, Joshua and Mosier, Nicholas and Navabi, Maya and Ochoa, Alex and Pace, Liam and Plassmann, Ryland and Richter, Rachel and Russakoff, Ben and St Aubyn, Holden and Stagg, Ryan and Sterner, Marley and Stewart, Emily and Thompson, Ting Ting and Thornton, Jake and Trujillo, Parker J. and Volpe, Trevor J. and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = nov,
  year = {2012},
  note = {WOS:000311579700015},
  pages = {1756--1763},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2012_AJB.pdf}
  }

2011

• J. Kattge, S. Diaz, S. Lavorel, C. Prentice, P. Leadley, G. Boenisch, E. Garnier, M. Westoby, P. B. Reich, I. J. Wright, J. H. C. Cornelissen, C. Violle, S. P. Harrison, P. M. van Bodegom, M. Reichstein, B. J. Enquist, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, D. D. Ackerly, M. Anand, O. Atkin, M. Bahn, T. R. Baker, D. Baldocchi, R. Bekker, C. C. Blanco, B. Blonder, W. J. Bond, R. Bradstock, D. E. Bunker, F. Casanoves, J. Cavender-Bares, J. Q. Chambers, F. S. Chapin, J. Chave, D. Coomes, W. K. Cornwell, J. M. Craine, B. H. Dobrin, L. Duarte, W. Durka, J. Elser, G. Esser, M. Estiarte, W. F. Fagan, J. Fang, F. Fernandez-Mendez, A. Fidelis, B. Finegan, O. Flores, H. Ford, D. Frank, G. T. Freschet, N. M. Fyllas, R. V. Gallagher, W. A. Green, A. G. Gutierrez, T. Hickler, S. I. Higgins, J. G. Hodgson, A. Jalili, S. Jansen, C. A. Joly, A. J. Kerkhoff, D. Kirkup, K. Kitajima, M. Kleyer, S. Klotz, J. M. H. Knops, K. Kramer, I. Kuehn, H. Kurokawa, D. Laughlin, T. D. Lee, M. Leishman, F. Lens, T. Lenz, S. L. Lewis, J. Lloyd, J. Llusia, F. Louault, S. Ma, M. D. Mahecha, P. Manning, T. Massad, B. E. Medlyn, J. Messier, A. T. Moles, S. C. Mueller, K. Nadrowski, S. Naeem, U. Niinemets, S. Noellert, A. Nueske, R. Ogaya, J. Oleksyn, V. G. Onipchenko, Y. Onoda, J. Ordonez, G. Overbeck, W. A. Ozinga, S. Patino, S. Paula, J. G. Pausas, J. Penuelas, O. L. Phillips, V. Pillar, H. Poorter, L. Poorter, P. Poschlod, A. Prinzing, R. Proulx, A. Rammig, S. Reinsch, B. Reu, L. Sack, B. Salgado-Negre, J. Sardans, S. Shiodera, B. Shipley, A. Siefert, E. Sosinski, J. -F. Soussana, E. Swaine, N. Swenson, K. Thompson, P. Thornton, M. Waldram, E. Weiher, M. White, S. White, S. J. Wright, B. Yguel, S. Zaehle, A. E. Zanne, and C. Wirth, "TRY - a global database of plant traits," Global Change Biology, vol. 17, iss. 9, p. 2905–2935, 2011. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02451.x
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{kattge_try_2011,
  title = {{TRY} - a global database of plant traits},
  volume = {17},
  issn = {1354-1013},
  doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02451.x},
  number = {9},
  journal = {Global Change Biology},
  author = {Kattge, J. and Diaz, S. and Lavorel, S. and Prentice, C. and Leadley, P. and Boenisch, G. and Garnier, E. and Westoby, M. and Reich, P. B. and Wright, I. J. and Cornelissen, J. H. C. and Violle, C. and Harrison, S. P. and van Bodegom, P. M. and Reichstein, M. and Enquist, B. J. and Soudzilovskaia, N. A. and Ackerly, D. D. and Anand, M. and Atkin, O. and Bahn, M. and Baker, T. R. and Baldocchi, D. and Bekker, R. and Blanco, C. C. and Blonder, B. and Bond, W. J. and Bradstock, R. and Bunker, D. E. and Casanoves, F. and Cavender-Bares, J. and Chambers, J. Q. and Chapin, F. S. and Chave, J. and Coomes, D. and Cornwell, W. K. and Craine, J. M. and Dobrin, B. H. and Duarte, L. and Durka, W. and Elser, J. and Esser, G. and Estiarte, M. and Fagan, W. F. and Fang, J. and Fernandez-Mendez, F. and Fidelis, A. and Finegan, B. and Flores, O. and Ford, H. and Frank, D. and Freschet, G. T. and Fyllas, N. M. and Gallagher, R. V. and Green, W. A. and Gutierrez, A. G. and Hickler, T. and Higgins, S. I. and Hodgson, J. G. and Jalili, A. and Jansen, S. and Joly, C. A. and Kerkhoff, A. J. and Kirkup, D. and Kitajima, K. and Kleyer, M. and Klotz, S. and Knops, J. M. H. and Kramer, K. and Kuehn, I. and Kurokawa, H. and Laughlin, D. and Lee, T. D. and Leishman, M. and Lens, F. and Lenz, T. and Lewis, S. L. and Lloyd, J. and Llusia, J. and Louault, F. and Ma, S. and Mahecha, M. D. and Manning, P. and Massad, T. and Medlyn, B. E. and Messier, J. and Moles, A. T. and Mueller, S. C. and Nadrowski, K. and Naeem, S. and Niinemets, Ue and Noellert, S. and Nueske, A. and Ogaya, R. and Oleksyn, J. and Onipchenko, V. G. and Onoda, Y. and Ordonez, J. and Overbeck, G. and Ozinga, W. A. and Patino, S. and Paula, S. and Pausas, J. G. and Penuelas, J. and Phillips, O. L. and Pillar, V. and Poorter, H. and Poorter, L. and Poschlod, P. and Prinzing, A. and Proulx, R. and Rammig, A. and Reinsch, S. and Reu, B. and Sack, L. and Salgado-Negre, B. and Sardans, J. and Shiodera, S. and Shipley, B. and Siefert, A. and Sosinski, E. and Soussana, J.-F. and Swaine, E. and Swenson, N. and Thompson, K. and Thornton, P. and Waldram, M. and Weiher, E. and White, M. and White, S. and Wright, S. J. and Yguel, B. and Zaehle, S. and Zanne, A. E. and Wirth, C.},
  month = sep,
  year = {2011},
  note = {WOS:000293399000011},
  pages = {2905--2935},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2012_GCB.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder and A. Dornhaus, "Time-Ordered Networks Reveal Limitations to Information Flow in Ant Colonies," Plos One, vol. 6, iss. 5, p. e20298, 2011. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020298
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_time-ordered_2011,
  title = {Time-{Ordered} {Networks} {Reveal} {Limitations} to {Information} {Flow} in {Ant} {Colonies}},
  volume = {6},
  issn = {1932-6203},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0020298},
  number = {5},
  journal = {Plos One},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Dornhaus, Anna},
  month = may,
  year = {2011},
  note = {WOS:000290793400053},
  pages = {e20298},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2011_PONE.pdf}
  }

• B. Blonder, C. Violle, L. P. Bentley, and B. J. Enquist, "Venation networks and the origin of the leaf economics spectrum," Ecology Letters, vol. 14, iss. 2, p. 91–100, 2011. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01554.x
  [BibTeX] [Download PDF]

  @article{blonder_venation_2011,
  title = {Venation networks and the origin of the leaf economics spectrum},
  volume = {14},
  issn = {1461-023X},
  doi = {10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01554.x},
  number = {2},
  journal = {Ecology Letters},
  author = {Blonder, Benjamin and Violle, Cyrille and Bentley, Lisa Patrick and Enquist, Brian J.},
  month = feb,
  year = {2011},
  note = {WOS:000286599600003},
  pages = {91--100},
  url = {http://benjaminblonder.org/papers/2011_ELE.pdf}
  }