TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Biodiversity Science
• Plant Biology

Background:

• Plant traits are fundamental to understanding plant responses to the environment, interactions with other trophic levels, and ecosystem functions.
• The TRY plant trait database, established in 2007, is a primary global resource for plant trait data, supporting diverse research areas.
• The database has expanded significantly, offering open access and facilitating new trait-based research, including identifying and addressing data gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent and patterns of data coverage and representativeness within the TRY plant trait database.
• To identify areas where data gaps and biases exist, particularly for continuous plant traits.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the existing data within the TRY database.
• Assessment of species coverage for different types of plant traits (categorical vs. continuous).
• Evaluation of trait representativeness in relation to ecological and vegetation modeling needs.

Main Results:

• Categorical traits, such as 'plant growth form', show nearly complete species coverage.
• Continuous traits, essential for ecological and vegetation modeling, exhibit significant gaps in completeness and representativeness.
• Despite extensive data, the database lacks comprehensive coverage for traits requiring in-situ measurement on individual plants.

Conclusions:

• Reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database is a critical challenge for advancing trait-based plant research.
• A coordinated approach involving data mobilization and standardized trait measurements is necessary.
• Collaboration with other research initiatives is essential to achieve comprehensive and representative plant trait data.