Simulation of herbicide impacts on a plant community: comparing model predictions of the plant community model IBC-grass to empirical data

Environmental Sciences Europe

Table 3 Classification of species into plant functional types (PFT) according to the classification rules [21] and current adaptations

Species	Plant size	Growth form	Resource response	Grazing response	Root/shoot allocation
B. erectus	Large	Semi-rosette	Stress-tolerator	Tolerator	Alloc_root/shoot = 1
C. cristatus	Large	Semi-rosette	Intermediate	Avoider	Alloc_root/shoot = 1
G. mollugo	Medium	Erect	Competitor	Intermediate	Alloc_root/shoot = 1
L. hispidus	Medium^a	Rosette	Intermediate	Tolerator	Alloc_root/shoot = 1
S. nutans	Medium	Semi-rosette	Intermediate	Intermediate	Alloc_shoot = 1 Alloc_root = 0.5
T. pratense	Medium^a	Semi-rosette	Competitor	Tolerator	Alloc_shoot = 0.2 Alloc_root = 1

During the calibration process (i.e., fitting simulated shoot growth against empirical shoot growth in monoculture controls) a root/shoot allocation trait was integrated in the model. The trait characteristics are based on trait data (‘root/shoot ratio’) and expert knowledge
^aAccording to classification rules the species would be classified as small. However, experimental data reach or exceed the maximal plant size even within 6 weeks of growth. Therefore, we classified these species in the next higher category