1Research Scholar, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand, India
2Professor, School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun-248001, Uttarakhand, India
3Principal Scientist, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, India
*Corresponding author Email Id: kusumdoon@gmail.com
Online published on 4 April, 2015.
Plant functional traits are the morphological, physiological, phenological characteristics of plants that represent ecological strategies and determine plant's response to environmental factors and their effect and influence on ecosystem services and processes that are crucial for environmental sustainability. Plant functional traits control various ecosystem processes, such as carbon sequestration which includes plant carbon, soil carbon and soil microbial carbon, which are the important components of the global carbon cycle. This review paper attempts to identify linkages of plant functional traits with that of carbon inputs and outputs in order to frame strategies for focused research and development and ecosystem restoration of degraded forests.
Forest, Functional traits, Carbon, Climate change, Biomass
