Environmental heterogeneity has received wide attention in clonal plant research over the
last decade. Most studies have focussed on the effects of spatial variation in environmental …

Plant ecologists have spent considerable effort investigating the physiological mechanisms
and ecological consequences of clonal growth in plants. One line of research is concerned …

In nature, essential resources for organisms, such as food for animals and light, water and
nutrients for plants, are usually heterogeneously distributed, even at very small scale. As a …

Clonal plants are widespread throughout the plant kingdom and dominate in diverse
habitats. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of environment is pervasive at multiple scales, even …

Background Clonal plants spread laterally by spacers between their ramets (shoot–root
units); these spacers can transport and store resources. While much is known about how …

The rate of lateral spread of clonal plants is considered a plastic trait that responds directly to
environmental conditions. However, this response is likely constrained by evolutionary …

Foraging behavior, one of the adaptive strategies of clonal plants, has stimulated a
tremendous amount of research. However, it is a matter of debate whether there is any …

Background and Aims In clonal plants, internode connections allow translocation of
photosynthates, water, nutrients and other substances among ramets. Clonal plants form …

1 Studies of morphological plasticity in clonal plants have analysed responses to habitat
quality in terms of spacer (stolon or rhizome internode) length and branching intensity. The …

Plants with clonal growth can produce multiple potentially independent units, termed ramets.
Clonal growth can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, such as by …