Moss functional trait ecology: Trends, gaps, and biases in the current literature

Functional traits are critical tools in plant ecology for capturing organism-environment interactions based on trade-offs as well as making links between organismal and ecosystem processes. While broad frameworks for functional traits have been developed for vascular plants, we lack the same for bryophytes, despite an escalation in the number of bryophyte functional trait studies conducted in the last 45 years and an increased recognition of the ecological roles bryophytes play across ecosystems. In this review, we compiled data from 282 published articles (10005 records) focusing on functional traits measured in mosses, and sought to (a) examine trends in types of traits measured, (b) capture taxonomic and geographic breadth of trait coverage, (c) reveal biases in coverage in the current literature, and (d) develop a bryophyte-function index (BFI) to describe completeness of current trait coverage and identify global gaps to focus research efforts. The most commonly measured response t..., We performed two searches in the Web of Science Core Collection on March 13, 2023 to compile a list of all published research on terrestrial moss functional traits. Search terms were selected based on our preliminary literature review and general expertise on mosses and functional trait ecology. We did not use an a priori list of moss functional traits, and, rather, allowed the literature to inform the diversity of traits analyzed in this review. Our first search identified articles with the terms moss or bryophyte and trait or morphology ((moss* OR bryophyte*) AND (trait* OR morpholog*)) and the second search identified articles with the terms moss or bryophyte AND function AND ecosystem ((moss* OR bryophyte*) AND function* AND ecosystem*). Combined, these searches identified 9989 research articles that met our criteria. Article titles and abstracts were subsequently scanned in two stages to exclude duplicates and articles without trait data connected to a specific moss genus (versus m..., , # Moss functional trait ecology: Trends, gaps, and biases in the current literature

 This README file was generated on 2024-01-12 by Kirsten K. Coe

GENERAL INFORMATION

1\. Title of Dataset: Moss functional trait ecology: Trends, gaps, and biases in the current literature

2\. Author Information

            Principal Investigator Contact Information

             Name: Kirsten K. Coe

             Institution: Middlebury College

             Address: Middlebury, VT, 05753

             Email:

3\. Date of data collection (single date, range, approximate date): March 13, 2023 (search performed); 1979-2023 (publication dates of compiled manuscripts in review)

4\. Geographic locations of data collection: Middlebury, VT, USA; Portland, OR, USA.

5\. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity Award #1840931, NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award #1907214

SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION

1\. Licenses/restrictions placed on the dat...