Changes in species and functional composition along a hydrological gradient reveals multiple ecological strategies among graminoid communities in neotropical grasslands and savannas

In the study we investigate the role of hydrological conditions on the taxonomic and functional composition of graminoid communities in savannas and grasslands in central Brazil. In 18 sites along a gradient from prolonged waterlogging to five months of dry soil conditions, we obtained the cover of each grass and sedge species and measured leaf (specific leaf area, dry matter content, N and P content), root (specific length, diameter, tissue density), hydraulic (predawn and midday leaf water potential) and whole-individual (height, aboveground biomass, percent of green leaves at the dry season peak) traits of species accounting for 80% of the cover of graminoids (51 species). In each site we obtained soil properties and monitored water table depth and soil moisture for two consecutive years. The attached files include the data used for assessing the effect of abiotic variables (Abiotic_data) on the taxonomic (Taxonomic_data) and functional (Functional_data) of the 18 graminoid communities.