title: Apparent plasticity in functional traits determining competitive ability and spatial distribution: a case from desert.
abstract: Species competitive abilities and their distributions are closely related to functional traits such as biomass allocation patterns. When we consider how nutrient supply affects competitive abilities, quantifying the apparent and true plasticity in functional traits is important because the allometric relationships among traits are universal in plants. We propose to integrate the notion of allometry and the classical reaction norm into a composite theoretical framework that quantifies the apparent and true plasticity. Combining the framework with a meta-analysis, a series of field surveys and a competition experiment, we aimed to determine the causes of the dune/interdune distribution patterns of two Haloxylon species in the Gurbantonggut Desert. We found that (1) the biomass allocation patterns of both Haloxylon species in responses to environmental conditions were apparent rather than true plasticity and (2) the allometric allocation patterns affected the plants' competition for soil nutrient supply. A key implication of our results is that the apparent plasticity in functional traits of plants determines their response to environmental change. Without identifying the apparent and true plasticity, we would substantially overestimate the magnitude, duration and even the direction of plant responses in functional traits to climate change.
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 40-3 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, P. R. China [2] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A, Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100039, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 40-3 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Gui-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences and Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: G Darrel
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Jenerette
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong-fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 40-3 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, P. R. China [2] University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A, Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100039, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 40-3 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003889:Desert Climate; D010641:Phenotype; D018517:Plant Roots; D010944:Plants; D011157:Population Dynamics; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012621:Seasons; D036226:Seedlings; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D012987:Soil