TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access
База данных признаков растений TRY: расширенное покрытие и открытый доступ
2019-12-31
SCID: 54.1/q9yau5pn
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TRY plant trait databasedata gaps and biasesplant functional traitstrait data coveragetrait-based ecology
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Abstract (AI)
Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
Key Findings
1
Closing TRY’s remaining data gaps and reducing biases requires coordinated data mobilization and trait measurement in collaboration with other initiatives.
2
Ecologically important continuous traits show substantial incompleteness and limited representativeness because they require individual-level measurements in environmental contexts.
3
Species coverage is strongest for categorical traits, with almost complete coverage for plant growth form.
4
TRY is the main globally used plant-trait database and supports research across ecology, evolution, conservation, ecosystem management, and Earth-system modelling.
5
The TRY database has grown continuously since 2007 and now offers unprecedented plant-trait coverage under an open-access policy.
Research Object
TRY plant trait database
Research Subject
the coverage, completeness, representativeness, and data gaps and biases of compiled plant trait data under an open access policy
Publication Details
Publication Date
2019-12-31
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