TABLE 2.
Trait measurements (mean ± standard error) of ecotypes (WET, MESIC, or DRY) of each dominant grass species ( Andropogon gerardi or Sorghastrum nutans ).
| Functional trait | Andropogon gerardi (n = 10 per ecotype) | Sorghastrum nutans (n = 10 per ecotype) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WET | MESIC | DRY | WET | MESIC | DRY | |
| Height (cm) | 286.7 ± 2.8 a | 217.4 ± 3.23 b | 201.3 ± 4.47 c | 257.0 ± 7.23 a | 206.9 ± 5.57 b | 208.5 ± 4.02 b |
| Leaf area (cm2) | 37.1 ± 1.28 a | 27.9 ± 1.38 b | 35.7 ± 2.49 a | 30.3 ± 2.17 a | 28.8 ± 2.24 a | 28.8 ± 2.27 a |
| Seed mass (mg) | 3.1 ± 0.06 a | 2.7 ± 0.11 b | 2.8 ± 0.06 b | 2.0 ± 0.05 b | 2.4 ± 0.04 a | 1.9 ± 0.03 b |
| Specific leaf area (cm2 g−1) | 170.0 ± 6.62 a | 149.2 ± 20.43 a | 210.1 ± 21.95 a | 142.7 ± 12.61 a | 149.2 ± 21.13 a | 137.6 ± 6.92 a |
| Leaf N content (mg g−1) | 11.2 ± 0.56 a | 10.6 ± 0.78 a | 11.7 ± 0.78 a | 11.4 ± 0.54 a | 10.4 ± 0.56 a | 7.2 ± 0.53 b |
Note: Sample sizes (n) refer to the number of individual plants from which traits were measured. (mean ± standard error) followed by identical letters were not significantly different from each other (experiment‐wide α = 0.05, Tukey adjusted).