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Diverse drivers such as climate, soil fertility, neighborhood competition, and functional traits all contribute to variation in tree stem demographic rates. However, these demographic drivers operate at different scales, making it difficult to compare the relative importance of each driver on tree demography. Using c. 20,000 stem records from New Zealand's temperate rain forests, we analyzed the growth, recruitment, and mortality rates of 48 tree species and determined the relative importance of demographic drivers in a multilevel modeling approach. Tree species' maximum height emerged as the one most strongly associated with all demographic rates, with a positive association with growth rate and negative associations with recruitment and mortality rates. Climate, soil properties, neighborhood competition, stem size, and other functional traits also played significant roles in shaping demographic rates. Forest structure and functional composition were linked to climate and soil, with warm, dry climates and fertile soil associated with higher growth and recruitment rates. Neighborhood competition affected demographic rates depending on stem size, with smaller stems experiencing stronger negative effects, suggesting asymmetric competition where larger trees exert greater competitive effects on smaller trees. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering multiple drivers of demographic rates to better understand forest tree dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present data on sexual systems and associated traits in the New Zealand angiosperm flora and discuss reasons for the anomalously high levels of gender dimorphism in the flora, and the low levels of monoecy in woody species. Along with Hawai’i and New Caledonia, New Zealand has exceptionally high levels of gender dimorphism (19.5% of angiosperm species). The plant traits associated with gender dimorphism (woody growth, small, unspecialised white to yellow-green flowers, abiotic pollination, fleshy fruit) are the same as those in other regions and most gender dimorphic species belong to lineages that were already gender dimorphic on arrival in New Zealand. We attribute the high levels of gender dimorphism to several distinct factors. New Zealand’s evergreen forests have many small trees and understorey shrubs with fleshy fruit and small, open, inconspicuous flowers, a combination characterised by high levels of gender dimorphism elsewhere. Many of these species belong to lineages that migrated from the tropical north, a region with high levels of gender dimorphism. In comparison with many other regions, the New Zealand angiosperm flora has few annuals, and few plants with large, specialised flowers or pollinated by birds, traits elsewhere associated with exceedingly low levels of gender dimorphism. Finally, chance may have played a role through the association of gender dimorphism with rapidly radiating lineages. While the New Zealand angiosperm flora has similar levels of monoecy (14.2%) to other comparable regions, monoecy is exceptionally uncommon in the tree flora (3.4% for strictly monoecious species). However, the endemic Nothofagaceae and introduced woody monoecious species thrive in New Zealand. We suggest it is the lack of temperate sources for monoecious tree species, combined with the difficulty large-fruited monoecious tropical species have in crossing ocean gaps that may be ultimate reason for their failure to establish in greater numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dryland ecosystems face serious threats from climate change. Establishing the spatial pattern of ecosystem multifunctionality, maximum height and the correlation of biodiversity patterns with climate change is important for understanding changes in complex ecosystem processes. However, the understanding of their relationships across large spatial areas remains limited in drylands. Methods: Accordingly, this study examined the spatial patterns of ecosystem multifunctionality, maximum height and considered a set of potential environmental drivers by investigating natural shrub communities in Northwest China. Results: We found that the ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and maximum height of shrub communities were both affected by longitude, which was positively correlated with the precipitation gradient. Specifically, the EMF was driven by high precipitation seasonality, and the maximum height was driven by high precipitation stability during the growing season. Among the multiple biodiversity predictors, species beta diversity (SD-beta) is the most common in determining EMF, although this relationship is weak. Discussion: Unlike tree life form, we did not observe biodiversity-maximum height relationships in shrub communities. Based on these results, we suggest that more attention should be paid to the climatical fluctuations mediated biodiversity mechanisms, which are tightly correlated with ecosystem's service capacity and resistance capacity under a rapid climate change scenario in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity and salinity pose significant challenges for agriculture in the Galapagos Islands, severely limiting crop yields needed to sustainably meet the growing demands of the human population in the archipelago. To address this issue, environmentally friendly water-saving technologies such as Hydrogel and Groasis Growboxx were considered to be potential solutions. This study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of Hydrogel application on five crops: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), Cucumber (Cucumis melo), Pepper (Capsicum annuum), Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), from 2017 to 2018. The experiment stopped due to the pandemic in 2019–2020. When the study continued in 2021, Growboxx® was introduced as a treatment for Pepper and Tomato. This study revealed that the application of Hydrogel resulted in enhanced yields, with the degree of improvement varying across different crops and cultivation periods. Notably, when comparing Hydrogel and Growboxx treatments, differences of up to 30% in fruit weight were observed. However, it is important to note that these results can vary in different environments. For example, in Tomato cultivation, Growboxx exhibited 10% higher fruit weight in San Cristobal compared to Santa Cruz Island. Our findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the Galapagos Islands, offering crop-specific guidance to support informed decisions on adopting the most appropriate technologies for their farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideal height is one of the things that people in Indonesia and around the world want. This study aims to formulate guidelines for predicting the maximum height of men and women. The method used in this research is descriptive. This study observed the growth and development of height for girls aged 0-18 years and boys aged 0-19 years. This research was conducted in the city of Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. The research sample was obtained from Posyandu, PAUD, SD, SMP, and SMA. Data were collected by observing the respondent's height. Data analysis used the Miles and Huberman model, namely data reduction, data tabulation, data presentation, and concluding. Measurements for predicting a child's height can be done by considering weight and age percentage. The results showed that predicting a child's height could be done by considering the percentage of weight and age. Every year the growth of the child's height will increase according to the age of growth. Therefore, child height growth data can predict the maximum height of children at the age of 18 years for girls and 19 years for boys. Furthermore, the child height prediction method can be applied to determine the child's height in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational TEWS play a key role in reducing tsunami impact on populated coastal areas around the world in the event of an earthquake-generated tsunami. Traditionally, these systems in the NEAM region have relied on the implementation of decision matrices. The very short arrival times of the tsunami waves from generation to impact in this region have made it not possible to use real-time on-the-fly simulations to produce more accurate alert levels. In these cases, when time restriction is so demanding, an alternative to the use of decision matrices is the use of datasets of precomputed tsunami scenarios. In this paper we propose the use of neural networks to predict the tsunami maximum height and arrival time in the context of TEWS. Different neural networks were trained to solve these problems. Additionally, ensemble techniques were used to obtain better results.

Background: Forests have a huge potential to mitigate global warming through CO2 accumulation in their living biomass. Thus, understanding the functioning of these ecosystems is crucial for revealing factors that drive biomass accumulation. Functional diversity helps us understand ecosystem services, including biomass accumulation. Within this context, this work aimed to investigate the role of functional diversity in biomass accumulation for woody vegetation of the Cerradão. Methods: We estimated above-ground biomass (AGB) of 50 Cerradão stands in Brazil and measured five different functional traits associated with tree species' survival and growth. For each stand, we calculated five community-weighted means (CWMs), based on each functional trait, and three functional diversity metrics. We specifically explored the relationship between CWMs describing functional diversity metrics and AGB. After that, exponential regressions were adjusted, using the variables that presented significant correlation as independent variables and AGB as a dependent variable. Regressions with more than one independent variable were fitted in a way that avoided collinearity. Based on the strongest correlation coefficient (r) and the lowest Akaike value (AIC), we chose the best regression to explain the majority of the variance in AGB. Results: Our results showed the role of function in determining AGB. In particular, bivariate correlations show that four CWM functional traits and two functional diversity metrics are significantly associated with AGB production, with CWM showing AGB estimation variables. However, multiple regression analyses show that maximum height is the only trait significantly associated with AGB and it alone provides the best model fit. Conclusions: The accumulation of AGB in Cerradão is explained by the mass ratio theory, and this ecosystem services is directly related to the presence and abundance of species with greater potential tree height (Htmax). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents some phenotypical performances of five offsprings families who belong to five lines created in Cyprinus carpio population, Lausitz variety, at Arinis fishery complex, Maramures county. We observed the total body length (from top of nose to tail’s end), the tail base length (from top of nose to tail’s base), maximum height, body weight. The data were statistical analyzed using the average and dispersal indices and the differences were tested using Student test. There are significant differences at all the observed traits, between the offsprings obtained from the parental couples matched after DNA fingerprinting using PCR-RAPD technique and migration on polyacrylamide gel. There is also observed a homogeneity between the families offsprings, as well as a variability quite big between the families, which allows a good intra- and interlinear selection, useful for the lines consolidation. The performance values are shown at the ages of 45-47 days and 145-147 days, on 100 offsprings per family, randomly captured for the representability of the extraction population.

The paper presents some phenotypical performances of five offsprings families who belong to five lines created in Cyprinus carpio population, Galitian variety, at Arinis fishery complex, Maramures county. We observed the total body length (from top of nose to tail’s end), the tail base length (from top of nose to tail’s base), maximum height, body weight. The data were statistical analyzed using the average and dispersal indices and the differences were tested using Student test. There are significant differences at all the observed traits, between the offsprings obtained from the parental couples matched after DNA fingerprinting using PCR-RAPD technique and migration on polyacrylamide gel. There is also observed a homogeneity between the families offsprings, as well as a variability quite big between the families, which allows a good intra- and interlinear selection, useful for the lines consolidation. The performance values are shown at the ages of 45-47 days and 145-147 days, on 100 offspring per family, randomly captured for the representability of the extraction population.

Functional traits are proxies for a species' ecology and physiology and are often correlated with plant vital rates. As such they have the potential to guide species selection for restoration projects. However, predictive trait‐based models often only explain a small proportion of plant performance, suggesting that commonly measured traits do not capture all important ecological differences between species. Some residual variation in vital rates may be evolutionarily conserved and captured using taxonomic groupings alongside common functional traits. We tested this hypothesis using growth rate data for 17,299 trees and shrubs from 80 species of Eucalyptus and 43 species of Acacia, two hyper‐diverse and co‐occurring genera, collected from 497 neighborhood plots in 137 Australian mixed‐species revegetation plantings. We modeled relative growth rates of individual plants as a function of environmental conditions, species‐mean functional traits, and neighbor density and diversity, across a moisture availability gradient. We then assessed whether the strength and direction of these relationships differed between the two genera. We found that the inclusion of genus‐specific relationships offered a significant but modest improvement to model fit (1.6%–1.7% greater R2 than simpler models). More importantly, almost all correlates of growth rate differed between Eucalyptus and Acacia in strength, direction, or how they changed along the moisture gradient. These differences mapped onto physiological differences between the genera that were not captured solely by measured functional traits. Our findings suggest taxonomic groupings can capture or mediate variation in plant performance missed by common functional traits. The inclusion of taxonomy can provide a more nuanced understanding of how functional traits interact with abiotic and biotic conditions to drive plant performance, which may be important for constructing trait‐based frameworks to improve restoration outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity and salinity pose significant challenges for agriculture in the Galapagos Islands, severely limiting crop yields needed to sustainably meet the growing demands of the human population in the archipelago. To address this issue, environmentally friendly water-saving technologies such as Hydrogel and Groasis Growboxx were considered to be potential solutions. This study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of Hydrogel application on five crops: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), Cucumber (Cucumis melo), Pepper (Capsicum annuum), Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), from 2017 to 2018. The experiment stopped due to the pandemic in 2019–2020. When the study continued in 2021, Growboxx® was introduced as a treatment for Pepper and Tomato. This study revealed that the application of Hydrogel resulted in enhanced yields, with the degree of improvement varying across different crops and cultivation periods. Notably, when comparing Hydrogel and Growboxx treatments, differences of up to 30% in fruit weight were observed. However, it is important to note that these results can vary in different environments. For example, in Tomato cultivation, Growboxx exhibited 10% higher fruit weight in San Cristobal compared to Santa Cruz Island. Our findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders in the Galapagos Islands, offering crop-specific guidance to support informed decisions on adopting the most appropriate technologies for their farms.

Operational TEWS play a key role in reducing tsunami impact on populated coastal areas around the world in the event of an earthquake-generated tsunami. Traditionally, these systems in the NEAM region have relied on the implementation of decision matrices. The very short arrival times of the tsunami waves from generation to impact in this region have made it not possible to use real-time on-the-fly simulations to produce more accurate alert levels. In these cases, when time restriction is so demanding, an alternative to the use of decision matrices is the use of datasets of precomputed tsunami scenarios. In this paper we propose the use of neural networks to predict the tsunami maximum height and arrival time in the context of TEWS. Different neural networks were trained to solve these problems. Additionally, ensemble techniques were used to obtain better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chinese trees adapted to wet, warm, highly heterogeneous, and dynamic light environments might be expected to systematically differ from other non‐Chinese trees based on stem allometry and life em allo. However, our understanding of the extent to which how differentiation in forest architecture and species size influences tree allometry relates to fundamental physiological and ecological trade‐offs, climate, forest structure, and function is limited. We quantified height–diameter allometries and growth increments of 13,594 individuals of 151 tree species across China. Although trees grew statistically indistinguishably from the theoretically predicted exponent, the height–diameter allometries for trees in China deviated from tree patterns in other continental forests worldwide. Chinese trees showed substantially lower heights at a given diameter for larger trees and asymptotic heights (33.05 m), with values were 5.5% to 43.3% lower than those estimated for continental rain forest trees in South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. In total, 149 of 151 species showed significant nonlinearity of height–diameter allometry with asymptotic heights ranging from 6.33 to 50.54 m; additionally, half (74/149 species) fell in the range of 20–33.5 m, averaging 21.98 ± 8.70 m (SE) for canopy trees. In subsets of canopy trees sampled from larger‐statured species and deciduous trees, the approximated maximum heights were 14–42% larger than those of smaller‐statured and evergreens and those in other wet and warmer regions found worldwide. These results suggest flexible phenotypic responses of height–diameter allometries to heterogeneous light conditions along understory‐canopy gradients. Average growth rates, varying from 0.02 to 0.78 cm/yr (mean of 0.25 cm/yr), were positively related to the asymptotic height, diameter at inflection, and allometric intercept but negatively correlated with the shape of the asymptotic curve and allometric slope. Species with asymptotic heights above 30 m or inflection sizes larger than 20 cm clearly depicted higher growth rates than smaller ones.

Chinese trees adapted to wet, warm, highly heterogeneous, and dynamic light environments might be expected to systematically differ from other non‐Chinese trees based on stem allometry and life em allo. However, our understanding of the extent to which how differentiation in forest architecture and species size influences tree allometry relates to fundamental physiological and ecological trade‐offs, climate, forest structure, and function is limited. We quantified height–diameter allometries and growth increments of 13,594 individuals of 151 tree species across China. Although trees grew statistically indistinguishably from the theoretically predicted exponent, the height–diameter allometries for trees in China deviated from tree patterns in other continental forests worldwide. Chinese trees showed substantially lower heights at a given diameter for larger trees and asymptotic heights (33.05 m), with values were 5.5% to 43.3% lower than those estimated for continental rain forest trees in South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. In total, 149 of 151 species showed significant nonlinearity of height–diameter allometry with asymptotic heights ranging from 6.33 to 50.54 m; additionally, half (74/149 species) fell in the range of 20–33.5 m, averaging 21.98 ± 8.70 m (SE) for canopy trees. In subsets of canopy trees sampled from larger‐statured species and deciduous trees, the approximated maximum heights were 14–42% larger than those of smaller‐statured and evergreens and those in other wet and warmer regions found worldwide. These results suggest flexible phenotypic responses of height–diameter allometries to heterogeneous light conditions along understory‐canopy gradients. Average growth rates, varying from 0.02 to 0.78 cm/yr (mean of 0.25 cm/yr), were positively related to the asymptotic height, diameter at inflection, and allometric intercept but negatively correlated with the shape of the asymptotic curve and allometric slope. Species with asymptotic heights above 30 m or inflection sizes larger than 20 cm clearly depicted higher growth rates than smaller ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental gradients act as potent filters on species distributions driving compositional shifts across communities. Compositional shifts may reflect differences in physiological tolerances to a limiting resource that result in broad distributions for tolerant species and restricted distributions for intolerant species (i.e. a nested pattern). Alternatively, trade‐offs in resource use or conflicting species' responses to multiple resources can result in complete turnover of species along gradients.We combined trait (leaf area, leaf mass per area, wood density and maximum height) and distribution data for 550 tree species to examine taxonomic and functional composition at 72 sites across strong gradients of soil phosphorus (P) and rainfall in central Panama.We determined whether functional and taxonomic composition was nested or turned over completely and whether community mean traits and species composition were more strongly driven by P or moisture.Turnover characterized the functional composition of tree communities. Leaf traits responded to both gradients, with species having larger and thinner leaves in drier and more fertile sites than in wetter and less fertile sites. These leaf trait–moisture relationships contradict predictions based on drought responses and suggest a greater role for differences in light availability than in moisture. Shifts in wood density and maximum height were weaker than for leaf traits with taller species dominating wet sites and low wood density species dominating P‐rich sites.Turnover characterized the taxonomic composition of tree communities. Geographic distances explained a larger fraction of variation for taxonomic composition than for functional composition, and community mean traits were more strongly driven by P than moisture.Synthesis. Our results offer weak support for the tolerance hypothesis for tree communities in central Panama. Instead, we observe functional and taxonomic turnover reflecting trade‐offs and conflicting species' responses to multiple abiotic factors including moisture, soil phosphorus and potentially other correlated variables (e.g. light). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Metabolic scaling theory (MST) is one of ecology's most high-profile general models and can be used to link size distributions and productivity in forest systems. Much of MST's foundation is based on size distributions following a power law function with a scaling exponent of −2, a property assumed to be consistent in steady-state ecosystems. We tested the theory's generality by comparing actual size distributions with those predicted using MST parameters assumed to be general. We then used environmental variables and functional traits to explain deviation from theoretical expectations. Finally, we compared values of relative productivity predicted using MST with a remote-sensed measure of productivity. We found that fire-prone heath communities deviated from MST-predicted size distributions, whereas fire-sensitive rainforests largely agreed with the theory. Scaling exponents ranged from −1.4 to −5.3. Deviation from the power law assumption was best explained by specific leaf area, which varies along fire frequency and moisture gradients. While MST may hold in low-disturbance systems, we show that it cannot be applied under many environmental contexts. The theory should remain general, but understanding the factors driving deviation from MST and subsequent refinements is required if it is to be applied robustly across larger scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of estimating extreme height values can be used in forest modeling to improve fits to the marginal distribution of heights in the following bivariate diameter-height models: the SBB Johnson’s distribution, the bivariate beta (GDB-2) distribution, the bivariate Logit-Logistic (LL-2) distribution and the power-normal (PN) distribution. Some applications to LiDAR derived data are also possible, e.g., for error calibration. Practical applications in forest management may also be considered, e.g., for pruning. In probability theory and statistics, the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution, also known as the Fisher-Tippett distribution, is a family of continuous probability distributions that combine the Gumbel, Fréchet and Weibull distributions. This study compared the three distributions for fitting extreme values of tree heights (maximum and minimum heights), which were measured in 185 permanent research plots in Pinus pinaster Ait. stands, 97 research plots in Pinus radiata D. Don stands, and 128 research plots in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Most of the eucalyptus stands were measured three times giving a total of 304 measurements. All plots are located in northwestern Spain. The Bias, Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Square Error (MSE) of the mean relative frequency of trees were used to evaluate the goodness-of-fit of the different functions, as well as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic Dn. The Gumbel and the Weibull cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) proved suitable for describing extreme values of height distributions of the above-mentioned tree species in northwestern Spain. The Fréchet distribution was only used to model maximum values and yielded the poorest results in all cases.

Ecologists often determine the relative importance of niche- and dispersal-based processes via variation partitioning based on species composition. Functional traits and their proxies of phylogeny are expected to increase the detection of niche-based processes and reduce the unexplained variation relative to species identity. We collected eight adult tree traits and phylogenetic data of 41 species and employed a phylogenetic fuzzy weighting method to address this issue in a 9-ha temperate forest dynamics plot. We used redundancy analysis to relate species, phylogenetic and functional compositions to environmental (soil resources and topography) and spatial variables. We also performed multi-scaled analyses on spatial variables by adding environment as the covariates to determine if functional traits increase the detection of niche-based processes at broad scales. The functional traits and intraspecific variation of the wood density among ontogenetic stages could dramatically increase the detection of niche-based processes and reduce the unexplained variation relative to species identity. Phylogenetic and functional compositions were mainly driven by total soil P and elevation, while species composition was weakly affected by multiple environmental variables. After controlling for the environment, a larger amount of the compositional variations in seed mass and maximum height were explained by finer-scaled spatial variables, indicating that dispersal processes may be important at fine spatial scales. Our results suggested that considering functional traits and their intraspecific variations could improve our understanding of ecological processes and increase our ability to predict the responses of plants to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Guardrail heights play a crucial role in the way that errant vehicles interact with roadside barriers. Low rail heights increase the propensity of vehicle rollover and override, whereas excessively tall rails promote underride. Further, rail mounting heights and post embedment depths may be altered by variations in roadside terrain. An increased guardrail height may be desirable to accommodate construction tolerances, soil erosion, frost heave, and future roadway overlays. This study aimed to investigate and identify a maximum safe installation height for the Midwest Guardrail System that would be robust and remain crashworthy before and after pavement overlays.Methods: A research investigation was performed to evaluate the safety performance of increased mounting heights for the standard 787-mm (31-in.)-tall Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) through crash testing and computer simulation. Two full-scale crash tests with small passenger cars were performed on the MGS with top-rail mounting heights of 864 and 914 mm (34 and 36 in.). Test results were then used to calibrate computer simulation models.Results: In the first test, a small car impacted the MGS with 864-mm (34-in.) rail height at 102 km/h (63.6 mph) and 25.0° and was successfully redirected. In the second test, another small car impacted the MGS with a 914-mm (36-in.) rail height at 103 km/h (64.1 mph) and 25.6° and was successful. Both system heights satisfied the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 3 (TL-3) evaluation criteria. Test results were then used to calibrate computer simulation models. A mounting height of 36 in. was determined to be the maximum guardrail height that would safely contain and redirect small car vehicles. Simulations confirmed that taller guardrail heights (i.e., 37 in.) would likely result in small car underride. In addition, simulation results indicated that passenger vehicle models were successfully contained by the 34- and 36-in.-tall MGS installed on approach slopes as steep as 6:1.Conclusions: A mounting height of 914 mm (36 in.) was determined to be the maximum guardrail height that would safely contain and redirect 1100C vehicles and not allow underride or excessive vehicle snag on support posts. Recommendations were also provided regarding the safety performance of the MGS with increased height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain ecosystems are subject to various factors of disturbance, therefore different ecological restoration processes should be developed for achieving their structural and functional recovery. In this study, we analyzed the functional attributes of eight plant species used in ecological restoration research areas in Bogotá. Leaf area (AF), leaf area of dry matter (CFMS), wood density (dB), maximum height (Hmax) and growth habit of Ageratina aristei, Abatia parviflora, Baccharis latifolia, Myrcianthes leucoxyla, Solanum oblongifolium, Vallea stipularis, Viburnum triphyllum and Xylosma spiculifera were quantified. Three plant functional groups were found with exclusive characteristics of acquisitive or acquisitive– conservative species, suggesting different mechanisms and strategies of adaptation for the recovery of disturbed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments conducted to study the effects of varying ambient stratification strengths, characterized by the buoyancy frequency N, on the dynamics of a buoyant plume propagating in a linearly stratified environment. The buoyancy frequency was varied between N = 0.37-1.17 s-1, while the source velocity was constant at W0 = 26 cms-1, giving a source bulk Richardson number of Rib = (π/4)0.25 √g'dj/W0² = 0.09-0.31. Bulk parameters such as maximum height, Zm, spreading height, Zs, and radial propagation of the plume, Rf, were measured to characterize the plume and understand the flow dynamics. Experimentally, it was observed that the maximum height and spreading height of a plume decreases with increasing N, a trend attributed to the reduction in the momentum and buoyancy flux due to the vigorous entrainment between the plume and ambient fluid. The radial propagation of the plume, Rf was insensitive to the variations in N and Rf ∝ t0.75 for all values of N. An empirical parameterization involving Rib and N was developed that gives the characteristic time for a plume to reach a steady-state spreading and maximum height. Further, the transient density profiles show that the mixing-layer thickness decreases with increasing N, thereby rendering the entrainment to occur in a shallow layer of fluid. Using empirical relations, it is shown that the entrainment coefficient is larger for higher values of N, thus becoming a function of the Richardson number. The results are expected to be useful in understanding the mixing and convective process in various environmental flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large grounded ice features can be found in all regions of the world where there is moving ice. This paper compiles over 230 reported ice pile-ups from several international locations including the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Caspian Sea, Lake Simcoe, Stonehaven Harbour (New Brunswick), west Newfoundland, Alaskan and Canadian Beaufort Sea, Norton Sound, Bering Sea, Somerset Island and offshore Sakhalin. The NRC Particle-in-Cell numerical model is used to augment the data. A plot of the rubble sail height as a function of the ice block thickness shows considerable scatter but a general increase in sail height with increasing ice thickness. The scatter in the data is real and is attributed to the fact that the conditions for producing the maximum sail height are not met in most situations. An upper bound of the data can be represented by H s ,max = 19 h B 0.33 where H s ,max is the maximum pile-up height (in m), and h B is the block ice thickness (in m). This equation covers the data range up to 2 m in ice thickness. The data also clearly show that high pile-ups (on the order of 10 to 12 m high) can be generated from thin ice less than 0.5 m thick. Further, sail heights up to 30 m are possible for thicker sea ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The source region of the catastrophic Tohoku tsunami of 11 March 2011 was near the Russian Far East, thus a warning was issued for threatened coasts of the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. The tsunami was clearly recorded by a number of coastal tide gauges and by bottom pressure stations (including the Russian DART 21401). The recordings by these instruments were used to estimate the major characteristics of the tsunami waves, including arrival times, maximum heights, duration of signals and main wavelength periods. Further analysis indicated significant differences in the spectral characteristics of the waves propagating eastward toward North America from those directed in a northwest direction, towards the Russian Far East. The main peaks of the eastward propagating tsunami waves were of relatively high frequency, while those propagating in a northwest direction, were mainly of low frequency. At far-field stations, the resonant periods associated with local topographic effects were predominant in the spectra.

High-velocity actions are central to clinical and athletic performance, with jumping used to assess outcomes in sports medicine. Ground reaction force (GRF)-based methods are the standard for computing jump characteristics, but require mass estimation and GRF integration, potentially resulting in mass errors which influence outcomes. This study investigated how simulated mass errors influenced the centre of mass (CoM) trajectory during a countermovement jump. The mass was estimated from the static GRF, and simulated errors were added or subtracted to the mass. The CoM trajectory with simulated mass errors was computed using the GRF-based method to investigate mass mis-estimation's influence on jump height. A regression model indicated that, for a 1 kg mass change, there was a 7.7 cm jump height change, and the jump height differed by 11.5 ± 0.4 cm from the maximum to minimum error. A 2-way ANOVA identified significant height differences between the starting position, and landing, or final position with mass errors of ± 0.2 or ± 0.4 kg. These results reveal that small mass errors may produce inaccurate conclusions regarding performance changes, and that errors may propagate throughout the jump trajectory. Caution may be necessary when using GRF-based methods to compute jump height as a power proxy.

Determining how the relative strength of community assembly processes varies along resource gradients is critical for understanding community responses to environmental change. A key challenge for addressing this issue at regional scales is that environmental gradients typically encompass multiple coupled resource gradients ( e.g. water, light, soils), which can complicate hypotheses about the drivers of community variation. We used data on functional traits and phylogenetic relatedness to infer assembly processes of tree communities across regional environmental gradients in Puerto Rico. We censused trees in 24, 0.25-ha mature plots located along a precipitation gradient and on soils derived from two parent materials (limestone and volcanic). In each plot, we quantified abiotic conditions in terms of mean annual precipitation, canopy openness, and soil nutrients. We used three functional traits with relevance for drought tolerance and resource acquisition strategies (wood density [WD], leaf mass per area [LMA], and maximum height [ H max ]), and a molecular phylogeny, to characterize tree community composition in terms of (i) community-weighted mean trait values (i.e., plot average trait values, weighted by relative basal area), (ii) functional diversity, and (iii) phylogenetic diversity. Mean annual precipitation was negatively correlated with understory light availability (for plots on both soil types), and soil fertility (among plots on limestone soils). Soil fertility varied substantially between plots on each parent material, and was generally higher among plots on limestone-derived soils. Among the limestone soil plots, which occur on the drier half of the precipitation gradient, increasing mean annual precipitation was associated with lower community-weighted mean WD and LMA, and taller H max . Additionally, functional diversity (of WD and H max ) and phylogenetic diversity increased with precipitation among limestone soil plots, suggesting an important role for abiotic filtering in driving functional and phylogenetic convergence in arid conditions. In contrast, we did not find significant relationships between environmental conditions and community-weighted mean traits or diversity metrics among plots on volcanic-derived soils, which occur along the wetter half of the precipitation gradient. Together, our results suggest that drought tolerance is the dominant assembly mechanism controlling tree composition in dry forests. In wetter forests, functional diversity appears to be maintained by a combination of hierarchical competition for light and niche partitioning. Overall, our results exhibit geographic variation in the mechanisms governing composition of tropical forests across regional environmental gradients, and highlight the importance of considering complex environmental gradients at large spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim A major challenge in ecology is to understand how multiple causal factors, which may interact, drive success of non-native plants in new ranges. In this study we addressed the role of introduction history, climatic suitability, native range size, species traits and their interactions in the establishment of Chinese woody species in Europe. Location China (native range), Europe (new range). Methods We tested whether establishment of 449 Chinese woody species in Europe was associated with residence time (time since earliest planting), planting frequency, climatic suitability, native range size and species traits. We also considered possible nonlinear effects and interactions among these variables. For the 38 species that have established in Europe, we further tested whether these variables and interactions explained their establishment in multiple European countries. Results Establishment of the 449 species in Europe was positively associated with residence time, planting frequency and climatic suitability. Except residence time, these factors were also positively associated with establishment of the 38 species in multiple countries. None of the traits tested had statistically significant main effects on establishment in Europe, but, for the established species, longer flowering period and having compound leaves were positively associated with establishment in multiple countries. The positive association between establishment in Europe and residence time was stronger for evergreen than for deciduous species. In addition, evergreens, unlike deciduous species, showed a positive association between establishment in Europe and fruiting duration. Moreover, establishment in multiple countries was positively associated with planting frequency for species with compound leaves but not for species with simple leaves, and the association between the establishment and fruiting duration changed from negative to moderately positive as climatic suitability increased. Main conclusions Introduction history and climatic suitability explain most of the variation in establishment, and modulate the role of species traits, such as leaf retention, leaf type and fruiting duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the electromechanics of the spherical metal particles in AC gasinsulated lines (GIL) with a pragmatic test rig comprising coaxial cylindrical electrodes. Analysis on fluid resistance during the particle moving process is presented based on fluid mechanics as well as the kinetic parameters of the SF6/N2 mixture. The interactive impacts between the particle and the conductor or the shell are also proposed based on collision theory of elastic mechanics considering random effects caused by the metal surface roughness. With the above aspects being included, a dynamic motion model for the spherical metal particles within AC GIL is established accordingly, and experimental studies are carried out to validate effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model. Meanwhile, simulations are done regarding a real 220 kV AC GIL for further governance and verifications. The research observations indicate that, the applied voltage exerts an incremental effect on the maximum height of the moving particle, but won't affect the spread angle of the particle motion. Both the height and the spread angle of the particle?s motion show inflection points with increased particle radius. On the contrary, the maximum height of the moving particle decreases with the increase of SF6 ratio and the gas pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plant's growth rate is seen as a central element of its ecological strategy, and as determined by its traits. Yet the literature is inconsistent about the empirical correlation between functional traits and growth, casting doubt on the capacity of some prominent traits to influence growth rate., We propose that traits should influence growth in a way that depends on the size of individual plants. We outline mechanisms and hypotheses based on new theoretical work and test these predictions in tree species using a meta-analysis of 103 studies (> 500 correlations) for five traits (specific leaf area, wood density, maximum height, seed mass and maximum assimilation rate). We also recorded data for 14 other traits commonly used in the trait literature. To capture the effects of plant size, we tested for a shift in the direction of correlation between growth rates and each trait across three ontogenetic stages: seedling, sapling and adult., Results were consistent with predictions, although there were some limitations arising from unequal numbers of observation across ontogenetic stages. Specific leaf area was correlated with relative growth rate in seedlings but not in adult plants. Correlations of growth with wood density were not affected by ontogenetic stage. Seed mass, assimilation rate and maximum height were correlated with relative growth rate only in one ontogenetic stage category: seedlings, seedlings and adults, respectively., Although we were able to confirm several of our theoretical predictions, major knowledge gaps still exist in the trait literature. For example, for one-third of the traits considered, the majority (> 75%) of reported correlations with growth came from the same ontogenetic stage., Synthesis. We show for some traits, how trait-growth correlations change in a predictable way with plant size. Our understanding of plant strategies should shift away from describing species as having a fixed growth strategy throughout their life (on a continuous axis from slow to fast growth), in favour of a size-dependent growth trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental goal in ecology is to link variation in species function to performance, but functional trait-performance investigations have had mixed success. This indicates that less commonly measured functional traits may more clearly elucidate trait-performance relationships. Despite the potential importance of leaf vein traits, which are expected to be related to resource delivery rates and photosynthetic capacity, there are few studies, which examine associations between these traits and demographic performance in communities. Here, we examined the associations between species traits including leaf venation traits and demographic rates (Relative Growth Rate, RGR and mortality) as well as the spatial distributions of traits along soil environment for 54 co-occurring species in a subtropical forest. Size-related changes in demographic rates were estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. Next, Kendall's rank correlations were quantified between traits and estimated demographic rates at a given size and between traits and species-average soil environment. Species with denser venation, smaller areoles, less succulent, or thinner leaves showed higher RGR for a wide range of size classes. Species with leaves of denser veins, larger area, cheaper construction costs or thinner, or low-density wood were associated with high mortality rates only in small size classes. Lastly, contrary to our expectations, acquisitive traits were not related to resource-rich edaphic conditions. This study shows that leaf vein traits are weakly, but significantly related to tree demographic performance together with other species traits. Because leaf traits associated with an acquisitive strategy such as denser venation, less succulence, and thinner leaves showed higher growth rate, but similar leaf traits were not associated with mortality, different pathways may shape species growth and survival. This study suggests that we are still not measuring some of key traits related to resource-use strategies, which dictate the demography and distributions of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion that relationships between community-weighted mean (CWM) traits (i.e. plot-level trait values weighted by species abundances) and environmental conditions reflect selection towards locally optimal phenotypes is challenged by the large amount of interspecific trait variation typically found within ecological communities. Reconciling these contrasting patterns is a key to advancing predictive theories of functional community ecology. We combined data on geographical distributions and three traits (wood density, leaf mass per area and maximum height) of 173 tree species in Puerto Rico. We tested the hypothesis that species are more likely to occur where their trait values are more similar to the local CWM trait values (the 'CWM-optimality' hypothesis) by comparing species occurrence patterns (as a proxy for fitness) with the functional composition of forest plots across a precipitation gradient. While 70% of the species supported CWM-optimality for at least one trait, nearly 25% significantly opposed it for at least one trait, thereby contributing to local functional diversity. The majority (85%) of species that opposed CWM-optimality did so only for one trait and few species opposed CWM-optimality in multivariate trait space. Our study suggests that constraints to local functional variation act more strongly on multivariate phenotypes than on univariate traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the resilience of moist tropical forests to treefall disturbance events is important for understanding the mechanisms that underlie species coexistence and for predicting the future composition of these ecosystems. Here, we test whether variation in the functional composition of Amazonian forests determines their resilience to disturbance., We studied the legacy of natural treefall disturbance events in four forests across Amazonia that differ substantially in functional composition. We compared the composition and diversity of all free-standing woody stems 2-10 cm diameter in previously disturbed and undisturbed 20 × 20 m subplots within 55, one-hectare, long-term forest inventory plots., Overall, stem number increased following disturbance, and species and functional composition shifted to favour light-wooded, small-seeded taxa. Alpha-diversity increased, but beta-diversity was unaffected by disturbance, in all four forests., Changes in response to disturbance in both functional composition and alpha-diversity were, however, small (2 - 4% depending on the parameter) and similar among forests., Synthesis. This study demonstrates that variation in the functional composition of Amazonian forests does not lead to large differences in the response of these forests to treefall disturbances, and overall, these events have a minor role in maintaining the diversity of these ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question Understanding how the relative importance of different community assembly processes changes during secondary succession of diverse systems remains elusive. Functional and phylogenetic approaches that place species along continuous axes of niche differentiation and evolutionary relatedness, however, are deepening our understanding of the mechanisms that drive successional dynamics. We ask whether successional shifts in the functional and phylogenetic composition of post-agricultural tropical forests provide evidence for niche partitioning or competitive dominance hierarchies as drivers of successional change. Location Subtropical wet forests, Puerto Rico. Methods We combined data on four functional traits [leaf dry mass per area ( LMA), wood density ( WD), maximum height ( Hmax), seed dry mass] and a well-resolved molecular phylogeny to characterize taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic composition of sapling and adult tree communities along a regionally replicated chronosequence. We used a null model approach to assess how functional and phylogenetic diversity change with forest age. Results Corresponding increases of community-weighted mean LMA, Hmax and seed mass with forest age reflected a shift in dominance of species with acquisitive resource-use strategies and small seeds towards species with more conservative resource use and larger seeds. A negative relationship between forest age and local diversity of Hmax and seed mass suggested increased importance of competitive hierarchies for light capture and shade-tolerant regeneration in older forests. In contrast, the colonization of palms in older forest plots led to a positive relationship between forest age and local phylogenetic diversity, suggesting functional convergence of distantly related lineages on traits that confer competitive dominance under low resource conditions. Conclusions We linked both functional and phylogenetic dimensions of community diversity with successional trajectories of post-agricultural tropical forests. Contrasting patterns of these dimensions of diversity shed light on the underlying community assembly processes. We argue that integrating traits and phylogeny with specific hypotheses about physiological and historical mechanisms is essential for advancing our understanding of the drivers of community change during succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plant's reproductive allocation (RA) schedule describes the fraction of surplus energy allocated to reproduction as it increases in size. While theorists use RA schedules as the connection between life history and energy allocation, little is known about RA schedules in real vegetation. Here we review what is known about RA schedules for perennial plants using studies either directly quantifying RA or that collected data from which the shape of an RA schedule can be inferred. We also briefly review theoretical models describing factors by which variation in RA may arise. We identified 34 studies from which aspects of an RA schedule could be inferred. Within those, RA schedules varied considerably across species: some species abruptly shift all resources from growth to reproduction; most others gradually shift resources into reproduction, but under a variety of graded schedules. Available data indicate the maximum fraction of energy allocated to production ranges from 0.1 to 1 and that shorter lived species tend to have higher initial RA and increase their RA more quickly than do longer-lived species. Overall, our findings indicate, little data exist about RA schedules in perennial plants. Available data suggest a wide range of schedules across species. Collection of more data on RA schedules would enable a tighter integration between observation and a variety of models predicting optimal energy allocation, plant growth rates, and biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results of laboratory experiments conducted to study the evolution, growth, and spreading rate of a dispersed particle-laden plume produced by a constant inflow into a density varying environment. Particles having mean size, $$d_p=100\ \upmu $$ m, density $$\rho _p=2500 \ {\text{ kg/m}}^3$$ , volume fraction, $$\phi _v =$$ 0-0.7 % , were injected along with the lighter buoyant fluid into a linearly stratified medium. It was observed that a particle-laden plume intruding at the neutral density layer is characterized by four spreading regimes: (i) radial momentum flux balanced by the inertia force; (ii) inertia buoyancy regime; (iii) fluid-particle inertia regime, and (iv) viscous buoyancy regime. Regimes (i), (ii), and (iv) are similar to that of a single-phase plume, for which $$\phi _v = 0\,\%$$ . The maximum height, $$Z_m$$ , for $$\phi _v > 0\,\%$$ was observed to be consistently lower than the single-phase case. An empirical parameterization was developed for the maximum height for particle-laden case, and was found to be in very good agreement with the experimental data. In the inertia buoyancy regime, the radial spread of the plume, $$R_f$$ , for $$\phi _v > 0\,\%$$ , advanced in time as $$R_f \propto t^{0.68 \pm 0.02}$$ which is slower compared to the single-phase plume that propagates at $$R_f \propto t^{0.74 \pm 0.02}$$ . Due to the presence of particles, 'particle fall out' effect occurs, which along with the formation of a secondary umbrella region inhibits the spreading rate and results in slower propagation of the particle-laden plume. The effect of particles on spreading height of plume, $$Z_s$$ , and thickness of the plume, $$h_p$$ , were also studied, and these results were compared with the single-phase case. Overall from these experiments, it was found that the evolution, growth, and spread of dispersed particle-laden plume is very different from that of the single-phase plume, and presence of low concentration of particles ( $$ \phi _v < 1\,\%$$ ) could have significant effects on the plume dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of relative density difference on the dilution and height of vertical negative buoyant jets were investigated experimentally. These effects, which are related to fluid density, occurred in addition to the buoyancy effects commonly parameterized by the densimetric Froude number. The density effects have generally been ignored in previous investigations and in practice on the basis of Boussinesq's approximation. The density effects could, however, be relevant in connection to hypersaline discharges from desalination plants and dense discharges from oil and potash mining industries. A series of seven upward fountain experiments were performed in the laboratory to carry out this investigation. The flow was turbulent, the relative density difference varied from 0.0014 to 0.064, and the densimetric Froude number varied from 2.13 to 15.7. The results showed that an increase in the relative density difference reduced both the minimum return dilution and maximum height of the fountains. The observed maximum reduction in dilution was 48%, and the maximum reduction of height was 19%. The results also demonstrated that upward fountains are dynamically similar to downward fountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of measuring forest biophysical properties for ecosystem health monitoring and forest management encourages researchers to find precise, yet low-cost methods especially in mountainous and large areas. In the present study, geoscience laser altimeter system (GLAS) on board Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) was used to estimate three biophysical characteristics of forests located in the north of Iran: 1) maximum canopy height (\text H{\max}); 2) Lorey’s height (${{\text H}_{\text{Lorey}}}); and 3) forest volume (V). A large number of multiple linear regressions (MLR) and also random forest (RF) regressions were developed using different sets of variables including waveform metrics, principal components (PCs) produced from principal component analysis (PCA) and wavelet coefficients (WCs) generated from wavelet transformation (WT). To validate and compare models, statistical criteria were calculated based on a fivefold cross validation. Best model concerning the maximum height was an MLR (\text RMSE = 5.0\;\text m) which combined two metrics extracted from waveforms (waveform extent “ \text W\text{ext}” and height at 50% of waveform energy “ ${{\text H}_{{50}}}$”), and one from digital elevation model (terrain index, TI). The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of maximum height estimates was 16.4%. For Lorey’s height, a simple MLR (including ${{\text W}_{\text{ext}}} and TI) represented the highest performance (\text RMSE = 5.1\;\text m, \text MAPE = 24.0\% ). Generally, MLR models had a better performance when compared to the RF models. In addition, the accuracy of height estimations using waveform metrics was greater than those based on PCs or WCs. Concerning forest volume, regression models estimating volume directly from GLAS data led to a better result (\text RMSE = 128.8\;\text m^3/\text ha) rather than volume– ${{\text H}_{\text{Lorey}}}$ relationship ({\text {RMSE}} = {167.8}\;{{\text m}^{3}}/\text {ha}). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim Do plant trait databases represent a biased sample of species, and if so, can that bias be corrected? Ecologists are increasingly collecting and analysing data on plant functional traits, and contributing them to large plant trait databases. Many applications of such databases involve merging trait measurements with other data such as species distributions in vegetation plots; a process that invariably produces matrices with incomplete trait and species data. Typically, missing data are simply ignored and it is assumed that the missing species are missing at random. Methods Here, we argue that this assumption is unlikely to be valid and propose an approach for estimating the strength of the bias regarding which species are represented in trait databases. The method leverages the fact that, within a given database, some species have many measurements of a trait and others have few (high vs low measurement intensity). In the absence of bias, there should be no relationship between measurement intensity and trait values. We demonstrate the method using five traits that are part of the TRY database, a global archive of plant traits. Our method also leads naturally to a correction for this bias, which we validate and apply to two examples. Results Specific leaf area and seed mass were strongly positively biased (frequently measured species had higher trait values than rarely measured species), leaf nitrogen per unit mass and maximum height were moderately negatively biased, and maximum photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area was weakly negatively biased. The bias-correction method yielded greatly improved estimates in the validation tests for the two most biased traits. Further, in our two applications, ecological interpretations were shown to be sensitive to uncorrected bias in the data. Conclusions Species inclusion in trait databases appears to be strongly biased in some cases, and failure to correct this can lead to incorrect conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central goal of functional ecology is to determine how independent functional traits are selectively filtered by environmental conditions to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of community assembly. Soil fertility clearly influences community composition, but it is unclear which plant functional traits are most strongly associated with gradients of increasing nutrient limitation., We hypothesized that leaf economic traits and stem tissue density would be strongly associated with soil fertility given their direct relationship to soil resource acquisition and use. In contrast, we hypothesized that functional traits that are commonly associated with competition for light (maximum height), shade tolerance (seed mass) and resistance to disturbance (bark thickness) would be unrelated to soil fertility., We measured 13 functional traits from 30 tree species occurring in 40 plots across a soil fertility gradient in a mature warm temperate rain forest in Northland, New Zealand. Principal component analysis was used to assess the dimensionality and independence of the functional traits and the soil properties, and regression was used to determine the relationships between community-weighted mean traits and the soil fertility gradient., We observed a coordinated response of multiple independent traits to soil fertility. Consistent with our hypothesis, species associated with low-fertility soils had comparatively 'slower' leaves (i.e. low SLA and leaf N and P, and high LDMC and thickness) and higher stem tissue density than species associated with high-fertility soils., Unexpectedly, we observed that species associated with low-fertility soils had larger maximum heights, thicker bark and lower seed mass. Tall trees can persist on poor soils. Thick bark may be a defensive strategy for trees growing in resource-limited sites and large-seeded shade-tolerant species can persist in fertile soils where light is more limiting., Synthesis. Species sorting can occur over short distances in ecosystems where topographically driven variation in soil fertility leads to complete compositional turnover. Inferences about species distributions based on single-trait spectrums can be misleading when environmental gradients sort species by filtering multiple independent traits simultaneously. Identifying the multidimensional trait combinations that promote fitness will advance both theory development and ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High levels of urbanization decreased the abundance of tree species with the strategy of resource conservation. • Urbanization facilitated fast growing shrub species with long dispersal. • More attention should be given to controlling the further urban expansion surrounding remnant forests to protect postsuccessional species. Urban remnant forests are biodiversity hotspots in cities, and a better understanding of the plant response in remnant forests to urbanization can promote biodiversity conservation. To explore the relationships between plant ecological strategies in remnant forests and urbanization, we used Guiyang, China, as the study case location and measured the seed mass, maximum height and specific leaf area of woody plant species in 72 survey plots in nine remnant forest patches. We positioned the woody plant species in the eight quadrants of a three-dimensional plot based on the three functional traits presented above and explored their ecological strategies. The abundance of each trait group was calculated in the edge and interior habitats under different levels of urbanization (the percentage of impervious surfaces <20 %, 20 %–50 %, >50 %), and differences were examined. We found that high levels of urbanization decreased tree species with the ecological strategies of slow growth, high resource conservation, strong survivability and high competitiveness but increased the abundance of shrub species with the traits of long-distance dispersal, widespread distribution and competitiveness. These results suggest that the high intensity of human interference threatens the preservation of postsuccessional plant species with resource conservation traits. Urbanization drove the shifts in plant strategies to adapt to disturbances and habitat fragmentation. We recommend that further urban expansion surrounding remnant forest patches should be controlled to protect postsuccessional species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]