Why trees and shrubs but rarely trubs?

Marten Scheffer, Remi Vergnon, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Stijn Hantson, Milena Holmgren, Egbert H. van Nes, Chi Xu

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

An analysis of the maximum height of woody plant species across the globe reveals that an intermediate size is remarkably rare. We speculate that this may be due to intrinsic suboptimality or to ecosystem bistability with open landscapes favouring shrubs, and closed canopies propelling trees to excessive tallness.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)433-434
Number of pages2
JournalTrends in Ecology and Evolution
Volume29
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2014
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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