Plant ecological strategies shift across the cretaceous-paleogene boundary

dc.contributor.authorBlonder, Benjamin
dc.contributor.authorRoyer, Dana L.
dc.contributor.authorJohnson, Kirk R.
dc.contributor.authorMiller, Ian
dc.contributor.authorEnquist, Brian J.
dc.date.accessioned2015-04-20T15:15:19Z
dc.date.available2015-04-20T15:15:19Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractThe Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards "fast" growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.
dc.format.extent1–7
dc.identifier1544-9173
dc.identifier.citationBlonder, Benjamin, Royer, Dana L., Johnson, Kirk R., Miller, Ian, and Enquist, Brian J. 2014. "<a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001949&representation=PDF">Plant ecological strategies shift across the cretaceous-paleogene boundary</a>." <em>PLoS biology</em>, 12, (9) 1–7. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949</a>.
dc.identifier.issn1544-9173
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10088/25193
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.plosbiology.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001949&representation=PDF
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science
dc.relation.ispartofPLoS biology 12 (9)
dc.titlePlant ecological strategies shift across the cretaceous-paleogene boundary
dc.typearticle
sro.description.unitNMNH
sro.description.unitNH-Paleobiology
sro.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949
sro.identifier.itemID127967
sro.identifier.refworksID28602
sro.identifier.urlhttp://www.plosbiology.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001949&representation=PDF
sro.publicationPlaceSan Francisco

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