Unraveling the clonal trait space: Beyond aboveground and fine-root traits

Plant trait variation is constrained by mechanical and energetic tradeoffs as attested by the global spectrum of plant form and function and the fine-root economics space for above- and belowground traits. However, traits that are key for fitness maintenance in some plant groups, such as clonal and bud bank traits, have not yet been integrated within the frameworks provided by the aboveground and the fine-root economics space.
By using an extensive dataset encompassing aboveground, fine-root, clonal, and bud bank traits of 2000 species of Central European herbs, we asked whether clonal and bud bank traits correspond to the placement of species in the aboveground or fine-root trait spaces.
Perennial clonal and non-clonal herbs show indistinct positioning within the aboveground and fine-root trait spaces. This extends and reinforces previous fragmentary evidence of weak correlations between clonal and bud bank traits and aboveground trait dimensions. Additionally, we identify for the firs..., , , # Data and code to reproduce the analyses reported in the main text of the article:

Title: \"Unraveling the clonal trait space: beyond aboveground and fine-root traits\"

Authors: Chelli, Stefano; Klimešová, Jitka; Tsalakos, James; Puglielli, Giacomo

Journal: Journal of Ecology

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# Data:

## 1 - CloPla\_GSPFF\_Imputed.csv

It includes

### 1.1. - Taxonomic information

Resolved_name: species binomial according to the Plant List v.1.1.
genus: the genus to which each species belongs.
family: the family to which each species belongs.
order: the order to which each species belongs.

### 1.2. - Metadata from Klimešová et al. (2017, Ecology 98, 1179-1179)

woody (binomial): 1- woody plant, excluding small shrubs (chamaephytes) and suffruticose plants, 0 - otherwise
annual (binomial): 1 - plants typically living for one season. Includes winter annuals, 0 - otherwise.
perennial (binomial): 1 - plants that do not multiply vegetatively and are neither annual nor woody, 0 - otherwise
clonal (b...