Seed and seedling traits suggest ontogenetic coordination in the functional recruitment niche for dryland restoration species

Plant recruitment is shaped by functioning across seed and seedling stages. Because seed morphology and germination directly influence seedling exposure to resources and the environment, these two stages may be linked through trait synergies and tradeoffs that coordinate functioning through early ontogeny. However, the wide range of traits impacting environmental response at each ontogenetic stage is rarely explored in tandem to understand the potential dimensionality of the functional recruitment niche. We explored covariation among 13 seed and seedling traits linked to stress tolerance, rate of germination or growth, light response, temperature response, and other functions for 49 species found in semi-arid rangelands. Using phylogenetically informed ordination and cluster analysis, we asked how trait covariation across multiple ontogenetic stages and functions shapes the dimensionality of the functional recruitment niche. The first two trait dimensions identified at separate seed and..., , , # Seed and seedling traits suggest ontogenetic coordination in the functional recruitment niche for dryland restoration species

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhpt](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhpt)

## Description of the data and file structure

This study used seed germination and seedling growth experiments to estimate seed and seedling traits for 49 plant species occurring naturally in cold deserts of the Western US.

### Files and variables

#### File: metadata.csv

**Description:** Contains information on the variables stored in each data file associated with the study

##### Variables

* file: the specific data file being described
* variable: the specific column being described
* description: a basic description of the variable captured by each column
* type: the type of data represented by each variable (character, numeric, etc.)
* units: the unit of the variable, if applicable
* notes: details about how the variable was collected

#### File: GerminationTime\_by\_T...