TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Abstract

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. 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. In this article, we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in the TRY database and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. image