Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.

Resprouting is one of the main regeneration strategies in woody plants that allows post-fire vegetation recovery. However, the stress produced by fires promotes the biosynthesis of compounds which could affect the post-fire resprouting, and this approach has been poorly evaluated in fire ecology. In this study, we evaluate the changes in the concentration of chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and tannins as a result of experimental burns (EB). We asked whether this biochemical response to fire could influence the resprouting responses. For that, we conducted three EB in three successive years in three different experimental units. Specifically, we selected six woody species from the Chaco region, and we analyzed their biochemical responses to EB. We used spectrophotometric methods to quantify the metabolites, and morphological variables to estimate the resprouting responses. Applying a multivariate analysis, we built an index to estimate the biochemical response to fire to EB per each species. Our results demonstrate that photosynthetic pigment concentration did not vary significantly in burnt plants that resprout in response to EB, whereas concentrations of secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds and tannins) increased up to two years after EB. Our main results showed that phenolic compounds could play a significant role in the resprouting responses, while photosynthetic pigments seem to have a minor but significant role. Such results were reaffirmed by the significant correlation between the biochemical response to fire and both resprouting capacity and resprouting growth. However, we observed that the biochemical response effect on resprouting was lower in tree species than in shrubby species. Our study contributes to the understanding of the biochemical responses that are involved in the post-fire vegetation recovery.

This study aimed to evaluate the synergy between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and foliar biostimulant applications (phytoextracts) on an important Argentinian forest native species (Prosopis alba) during the nursery stage. We tested biochemical parameters (MDA, malondialdehyde, an oxidative stress biomarker, and photosynthetic pigments) on P. alba seedlings sprayed with three different phytoextracts and inoculated with mycorrhizal strains of different local origins. Considering that the statistical model was not significant at the preliminary level, we did not observe synergism between the different forms of bioinsumes evaluated by analysing biochemical characteristics. However, regardless of AMF inoculation, plants with foliar applications of Larrea divaricata at 3% w/v showed a lower accumulation of the oxidative stress biomarker, MDA and a lower total carotenoid content (p > 0.1). Although there were no significant differences, trends indicate positive relationships between neck diameter and mycorrhizal response in plants treated with M1 with foliar applications of Larrea divaricata at 3% w/v. However, height does not consistently respond to mycorrhizae interacting with biostimulants. Consequently, deeper analysis is needed to understand the effect of the interaction between AMF with biostimulants for improving the plant’s physiological status. Deepening research in this regard will result in significant benefits for restoration activities.

This study assessed how the interactions between chemical fertilization levels and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus species (AMF) affect the seedling’s morphology and biochemical traits in Prosopis alba. Subsequently, the seedlings were inoculated or not with a mixture of native AMF from two origins of contrasting sites in the Chaco Region. Preliminarily, we observed a positive mycorrhizal response to the AMF in interaction with chemical fertilization (at 60% fertilizer concentration). These results were reflected mainly over some morphological parameters than over biochemical parameters. The lack of a clear answer is probably since the benefits of the symbiosis on the host plant could be observed in the establishment phase in the field.

The aim of this work was to explore the potential of four phytoextracts derived from species with recognized antioxidant activity and/or rich in polysaccharides as plant biostimulants of seedlings of Prosopis alba. Malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress biomarker, was measured at 21 days after the acclimation phase beginning as preliminary results showed a significant accumulation of MDA in rustified seedlings compared with control seedlings at this time. As main results, rustified seedlings sprayed with I. paraguariensis and L. divaricata extracts showed lower MDA concentration than rustified seedlings without any phytoextract application. Both extracts were characterized by their antioxidant activity. These results suggest that natural extracts of I. paraguariensis and L. divaricata could be considered plant biostimulants, reducing oxidative stress biomarkers in P. alba.