Functional ecology of three fern species in the alpine region of Slovenia

Abstract

This paper discusses the variation of two foliar functional traits: Specific Leaf Area (SLA) and Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC) within three different fern species: Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens, Asplenium scolopendrium and Polypodium vulgare in mountainous and hilly locations placed in the alpine region of Slovenia. The differences observed within species were highly significant and suggest that ecological features, especially habit and niche breadth, influence SLA and LDMC. Furthermore, although there were some slightly significant differences within mountainous and hilly locations, low statistical power makes it difficult to draw conclusions. Thus, we suggest increasing the number of species of each habit, as well as increasing the sample size of mountainous and hilly locations, in order to elucidate how these foliar functional traits vary as an adaptation to different environmental conditions.