From Data to Discovery: Characterizing the Scope and Limitations of Seedling Trait Studies in the U.S. With the EPiC Database
Nia M. Johnson, Leah J. Lenzo, Amelia G. Renner, Sofia M. A. Al‐Shayeb, Julie E. Larson, Magda Garbowski, Mandy L. Slate, Agneray C. Alison, Sarah C. Barga, Tayah C. Carlisle, Andrew Currens, McKenzie Dorrell, Caroline A. Havrilla, Marina L. LaForgia, Amanda Paradis, Moira M. Newman, Samantha Rosa, · 2026
Read From Data to Discovery: Characterizing the Scope and Limitations of Seedling Trait Studies in the U.S. With the EPiC Database by Nia M. Johnson, Leah J. Lenzo, Amelia G. Renner, Sofia M. A. Al‐Shayeb, Julie E. Larson, Magda Garbowski, Mandy L. Slate, Agneray C. Alison, Sarah C. Barga, Tayah C. Carlisle, Andrew Currens, McKenzie Dorrell, Caroline A. Havrilla, Marina L. LaForgia, Amanda Paradis, Moira M. Newman, Samantha Rosa, (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13575507.txt.
Description
A seedling's first weeks shape a plant's whole life, yet science studies that stage in scattered ways. Nia Johnson and co-authors take stock of the field in a 2026 review built on a new trait database of United States studies.
The reviewers examined 181 published studies of native grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs. Most measured plants younger than ninety days, and only a quarter followed seedlings past that window. Shape and size traits led the list, ahead of growth, body chemistry, and timing traits, with above-ground weight the single most measured feature. The authors map these gaps and biases so future work can cover more species, ages, and conditions, and so restoration planting can lean on firmer ground.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Nia M. Johnson, Leah J. Lenzo, Amelia G. Renner, Sofia M. A. Al‐Shayeb, Julie E. Larson, Magda Garbowski, Mandy L. Slate, Agneray C. Alison, Sarah C. Barga, Tayah C. Carlisle, Andrew Currens, McKenzie Dorrell, Caroline A. Havrilla, Marina L. LaForgia, Amanda Paradis, Moira M. Newman, Samantha Rosa, |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 49 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |