Functional correlations between specific leaf area and specific root length along a regional environmental gradient in Inner Mongolia grasslands

摘要

1. Among above-and below-ground traits, specific leaf area (SLA, cm(2) g(-1)) and specific root length (SRL, m g(-1)) are the two key traits reflecting species resource acquisition strategies. However, patterns of variation in SLA and SRL have rarely been examined simultaneously across evolutionary history and environmental gradients, and the SLA-SRL relationship is still controversial on several grounds.