Global change and the functional ecology of grasses

Description

Grasses are one of the most ecologically and economically important plant families. As climate changes, the composition of grassland communities can change and the ecological strategies employed by the resident species can shift. Understanding these responses is critical for predicting the responses of grasslands to climate change. These responses will then feed back to climate change, influence agricultural productivity and change ecosystem processes such as fire dynamics. This study is part of a larger project examining how grass species change their ecological strategies as conditions change. We do this through the lens of functional traits - measurable traits of individuals that affect their fitness in a particular environment. Our work at RMBL fits into a larger picture we are developing of grass trait patterns across the western US and globally.