database of 104 species of the Algerian steppe.xlsx

We
present here probably the first functional database of feature for
the steppe of North Africa (Algeria) of 104 species in terms of
underground vegetative features and surface, features floral and flowering
period. In this region, the strong seasonality in abiotic harshness and
pollinators’ availability shape the reproductive success of plants and the
right moment of flowering is essential for reproductive success. However, it is
still poorly understood which traits constrain the timing (phenology) of
flowering in a given, harsh environments. We hypothesized that phenological
differentiation may be controlled by the plants’ tolerance or avoidance of
drought stress and the plants’ capacity of attracting particular groups of
pollinators (reflected, respectively, by vegetative and floral traits). We also
present the novel hypothesis that a plant’s tolerance to drought might either
relax or strengthen the effect of pollinator groups on phenology.  This
permits to show that flowering phenology is strongly influenced by the plants’
ability to tolerate drought through deep roots (but not leaf traits), and the
plant’s ability to attract different pollinators through different floral
colours and shapes. Most interestingly, root depth modified the effects of
floral characters. In the more tolerant, deep-rooting species flowering
phenologies converge among species attracting different pollinators (without
becoming less variable overall). Abiotically less tolerant species, in
contrast, appear to suffer a double burden from water stress and limited
pollinator availability. Global warming might reinforce this double abiotic and
biotic burden.