Appraising the roles of nutrient availability, global change, and functional traits during the angiosperm rise to dominance.
To explain the rise of angiosperms during the Cretaceous, Berendse & Scheffer (Ecol. Lett., 12, 2009, 865) invoke feedbacks between leaf litter, soil nutrients, and growth, overlooking other factors affecting resource acquisition by Cretaceous plants. We evaluate their hypothesis, highlight alternative explanations, and emphasize use of a broader framework for understanding the angiosperm radiation.
Mueller
Kevin E
KE
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA. kevin.e.mueller@gmail.com
Diefendorf
Aaron F
AF
Freeman
Katherine H
KH
Eissenstat
David M
DM
D057231:Climate Change; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000502:physiology*