Integrated research of plant functional traits is important for the understanding of ecosystem processes

Interactions between changing precipitation regimes and other aspects of global change are likely to affect natural and managed terrestrial ecosystems. Relatively little research has focused on understanding how ecosystems respond to changes in precipitation regimes, which are expected to have significant impacts for ecosystem functioning, species distribution, species richness and biodiversity especially in arid ecosystems. There is a need for integrated studies to understand the functional ecology of different species in order to predict their success under changing environmental conditions. One example for such an integrated assessment is a study by Xu and Li (this issue) on water-use strategies of desert shrubs. By combining investigations of morphological traits, such as root architecture, with ecophysiological measurements Xu and Li were able to elucidate the differing adaptive strategies of three desert shrubs in their arid environment. The plant physiological response of the plants was closely related to their water-use strategy and was coupled with the functional type of the root system. Integrated research such as this will lead to a more complete understanding of the water and carbon economy of plant species and ecosystems and will allow a more accurate prediction of plant responses to changing environmental conditions.