Trait convergence and trait divergence in herbaceous plant communities: Mechanisms and consequences

In landscapes subject to intensive agriculture, both soil fertility and vegetation disturbance are capable of impacting strongly, evenly and simultaneously on the herbaceous plant cover and each tends to impose uniformity on the traits of constituent species. In more natural and ancient grasslands greater spatial and temporal variation in both productivity and disturbance occurs and both factors have been implicated in the maintenance of species‐richness in herbaceous communities. However, empirical data suggest that disturbance is the more potent driver of trait differentiation and species co‐existence at a local scale. This may arise from the great diversity in opportunities for establishment, growth or…