Trait plasticity in response to soil silica content goes beyond leaf silicon concentration in annuals

Abstract Background and aims Silica content in the soil has been shown to affect plant’s traits and performance. Trait plasticity and performance responses to soil silica content, however, have so far been addressed in a few traits and single species. Multi-species studies considering various traits and performance parameters are thus necessary to increase our understanding on ecological consequences of varying soil silica content. Methods We investigated plasticity in leaf silicon concentration