Plant Traits of the LEDA Traitbase



Trait category Number Trait name in Data Standards Trait name in Traitbase Abbreviation Category number Category or unit(s) of measurement
Whole plant traits 1 Plant growth form Plant growth form PGF 1 phanerophyte
2 chamaephyte
3 hemicryptophyte
4 cryptophyte
4.1 geophyte
4.2 helophyte
4.2.1 halophyte
4.3 hydrophyte
5 therophyte
6 liana
7 hemi-epiphyte
8 epiphyte
9 vascular semi-parasite
10 vascular parasite
11 mesophyte
2 Canopy height Canopy height CH m
3 Plant life span Plant life span PLS 1 summer annuals
2 winter annuals
3 strict monocarpic biennials and poly-annuals
4 short-lived perennials (< 5 years)
5 medium- lived perennials (5-50 years)
6 long-lived perennials (>50 years)
7 perennials without any further detailed information
4 Age of first flowering Age of first flowering AOF 1 < 1 year
2 1 and 5 years
3 > 5 years
Leaf traits 5 Leaf mass Leaf mass LM mg
6 Specific leaf area (SLA) Specific leaf area SLA mm2 mg-1
7 Leaf size Leaf size LS mm2
8 Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) Leaf dry matter content LDC mg g-1
Stem traits 9 Woodiness & Stem specific density Woodiness SSD 1 woody
1.1 hard wood
1.2 soft wood
2 semi-woody
3 herbaceous (non-woody)
g cm-3
11 Shoot growth form Shoot growth form SF 1 lianas, climbers and scramblers
2 stem erect
3 stem ascending to prostrate
4 stem prostrate
5 free-floating plants
6 emergent, attached to the substrate
7  floating leaves, attached to the substrate
8 submerged, attached to the substrate
12 Branching Branching BRA 1 Yes
2 No
3 Unknown
13 Leaf distribution along the stem Leaf distribution along the stem LD 1 rosette / tufted plant
2 semi-rosette
3 leaves distributed regularly along the stem
4 shoot scarcely foliated
5  tufts and crowns, leaves concentrated as a rosette at the top of taller shoot or stem
6 other
14 Layers vertical bud bank Bud bank - vertical distribution BBV 1 no buds per clonal fragment
1.2 1-10 buds per clonal fragment, below soil surface, <-10 cm
1.1 1-10 buds per clonal fragment,below soil surface, 0< x <-10 cm
2 1-10 buds per clonal fragment, at soil surface
3.1 1-10 buds per clonal fragment, above soil surface, 0> x >10 cm
3.2 1-10 buds per clonal fragment, above soil surface, >10 cm
4.2 >10 buds per clonal fragment, below soil surface, <-10 cm
4.1 >10 buds per clonal fragment,below soil surface, 0< x <-10 cm
5 >10 buds per clonal fragment, at soil surface
6.1 >10 buds per clonal fragment, above soil surface, 0> x >10 cm
6.2 >10 buds per clonal fragment, above soil surface, >10 cm
15 Bud bank - seasonality Bud bank - seasonality BBS 1 seasonal
2 perennial
3 seasonal & potential
4 perennial & potential
16 Layers bud bank - seasonality Bud bank - seasonality BBS 1 above-ground
2 below-ground
17 Clonal growth organs Clonal growth organs CGO 17 17 categories hierarchical classified according to their placement (above, at or below soil surface) and again subdivided to their origin (stem, root or leaf origin) (see Data Standards)
18 Life span of a shoot SLS 1 monocyclic (1 year)
2 dicyclic or polycyclic (> 1year)
19 Persistence of connection between parent and offspring shoots Persistent mother-daughter connection PER 1 <1 year
2 1-2 years
3 >2 years
20 Number of offspring shoots per parent shoot per year OFF 1 <1 shoot/parent shoot/year
2 1 shoot/parent shoot/year
3 2-10 shoots/parent shoot/year
4 >10 shoots/parent shoot/year
21 Lateral spread categories Lateral spread LAT 1 <0.01 m/year
2 0.01-0.25 m/year
3 0.25 m/year
4  ispersable diaspores
Seed traits 22 Seed number per ramet Seed number per shoot SNP number of seeds
23 Seed crop frequency Seed crop frequency SCF 1 more than once a year
2 once a year
3 once in 2 years
4 once in > 2 years
5 not applicable
6 unknown
24 Seed shedding Period of seed shedding PSS month of the year (1-12)
25 Seed weight Seed mass SM mg
26 Seed size Seed shape SS length, width and height (mm) 
27 Seed shape Seed shape SS variance of seed length, width and height (unitless)
Seed longevity traits 28 Soil seed bank type Soil seed bank SSB transient - short-term persistent - long-term persistent
29 Seedbank Longevity index Soil seed bank SSB short-lived (0) ? long-lived (1)
30 Soil seed bank density Soil seed bank SSB per m2
Dispersal traits 31 Diaspore type categories Morphology of Dispersal Unit DIA 1 vegetative dispersule
2 generative dispersule
2.1 one-seeded
2.2 multi-seeded
3 germinule  
4 unknown
32 Seed structure categories Morphology of Dispersal Unit MDU 1 nutrient containing structures
2 elaiosome
3 aril
4 pulp
5 balloon structures
6 open structures
7 closed structures
8 flat appendages
9 small appendages
10 large appendages
11 elongated appendages
12 one short appendage
13 two or more short appendages
14 one long appendage
15 two or more long appendages
16 additional: hooked structures
17 no appendages
18 coarse surface
19 smooth surface
20 other specialisations
21 unknown
33 Seed releasing height Releasing height RH m
34 Terminal velocity seeds Terminal velocity TV m s-1
35 Buoyancy Buoyancy BYC number or % of floating seeds
36 Epizoochory External animal dispersal EPI number or % of attached seeds
37 Endozoochory Internal animal dispersal END number or % seeds that survived ingestion
38 Dispersal data obtained from literature Dispersal (from literature) DIS 14 dispersal type categories (see Data Standards)
32 dispersal vector categories (see Data Standards)
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