Diversity and distribution of Raunkiær's life forms in European vegetation

Journal
Journal of Vegetation Science
Date Issued
2024-01
Author(s)
Midolo, Gabriele
Axmanová, Irena
Divíšek, Jan
Dřevojan, Pavel
Lososová, Zdeňka
Večeřa, Martin
Karger, Dirk Nikolaus
Thuiller, Wilfried
Bruelheide, Helge
Aćić, Svetlana
Attorre, Fabio
Biurrun, Idoia
Boch, Steffen
Bonari, Gianmaria
Čarni, Andraž
Chiarucci, Alessandro
Ćušterevska, Renata
Dengler, Jürgen
Dziuba, Tetiana
Garbolino, Emmanuel
Jandt, Ute
Lenoir, Jonathan
Marcenò, Corrado
Rūsiņa, Solvita
Šibík, Jozef
Škvorc, Željko
Stančić, Zvjezdana
Stanišić‐Vujačić, Milica
Svenning, Jens‐Christian
Swacha, Grzegorz
Vassilev, Kiril
Chytrý, Milan
DOI
10.1111/jvs.13229
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Aims</jats:title><jats:p>The Raunkiær's system classifies vascular plants into life forms based on the position of renewal buds during periods unfavourable for plant growth. Despite the importance of Raunkiær's system for ecological research, a study exploring the diversity and distribution of life forms on a continental scale is missing. We aim to (i) map the diversity and distribution of life forms in European vegetation and (ii) test for effects of bioclimatic variables while controlling for habitat‐specific responses.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Location</jats:title><jats:p>Europe.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>We used data on life forms of 8883 species recorded in 546,501 vegetation plots of different habitats (forest, grassland, scrub and wetland). For each plot, we calculated: (i) the proportion of species of each life form and (ii) the richness and evenness of life forms. We mapped these plot‐level metrics averaged across 50 km × 50 km grid cells and modelled their response to bioclimatic variables.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Hemicryptophytes were the most widespread life form, especially in the temperate zone of Central Europe. Conversely, therophyte and chamaephyte species were more common in the Mediterranean as well as in the dry temperate regions. Moreover, chamaephytes were also more common in the boreal and arctic zones. Higher proportions of phanerophytes were found in the Mediterranean. Overall, a higher richness of life forms was found at lower latitudes while evenness showed more spatially heterogeneous patterns. Habitat type was the main discriminator for most of the responses analysed, but several moisture‐related predictors still showed a marked effect on the diversity of therophytes and chamaephytes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>Our maps can be used as a tool for future biogeographic and macro‐ecological research at a continental scale. Habitat type and bioclimatic conditions are key for regulating the diversity and distribution of plant life forms, with concomitant consequences for the response of functional diversity in European vegetation to global environmental changes.</jats:p></jats:sec>
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