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A longstanding research divide exists in plant ecology: either focusing on plant clonality, with no ambition to address nonclonal plants, or focusing on all plants, ignoring that many ecological processes can be affected by the fact that some plants are clonal while others are not. This gap cascades into a lack of distinction and knowledge about the similarities and differences between clonal and nonclonal plants. Here we aim to bridge this gap by identifying areas that would benefit from the incorporation of clonal growth into one integrated research platform: namely, response to productivity and disturbance, biotic interactions, and population dynamics. We are convinced that this will provide a roadmap to gain valuable insights into the ecoevolutionary dynamics relevant to all plants. Clonal plants can represent a substantial proportion of species in floras and plant communities. Because they share several functions that are not present in nonclonal plants, the differences in their proportions are likely to scale up as community and ecosystem differences. Clonal reproduction is provided by specialized organs that directly or indirectly affect other plant traits. Clonal growth organs usually serve for the storage of carbohydrates and the buildup of the bud bank, both necessary for resprouting in recurrently disturbed habitats. These storage organs affect global carbon cycling. Clonal growth leads to increased plant size in the horizontal dimension and to different degrees of ramet aggregation that influence the exploration of soil resources, pollination, and biotic interactions. Clonal growth serves as a reproductive insurance mechanism that further affects plant demography and possible evolutionary rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional biogeography has advanced the field of functional ecology into a more spatially predictive science. However, freshwater plants are still underrepresented in these trait based advancements. Here, we argue that there is a need for developing a functional biogeographical framework for freshwater plants and initiate global mapping efforts focusing on the form and function of freshwater plants. Specific attention should be given to (1) the placement of freshwater plants in the global plant trait space and show how this placement links to global trait environment relationships; (2) the theoretical framework for major structural trait trait correlations based on the physical constraints in aquatic ecosystems; (3) the evolutionary and environmental drivers underlying the global distribution of inter and intra specific variation in different life forms; and (4) the level of equilibrium between spatial and temporal trait environment relationships in freshwater plants. By putting freshwater plants in the context of these spatial aspects, we could advance our understanding of freshwater plant adaptations and responses to environmental gradients, and thereby facilitate predicting the consequences of global changes for freshwater ecosystem functions and services. [Display omitted] • Freshwater plants have been underexamined in the context of functional biogeography. • Global mapping efforts focusing on their form and function are needed. • This will help advance our understanding of freshwater plant unique adaptations. • Such an exercise will be accomplished by the MAP Project (www.lifeinmud.com/map). • We are recruiting collaborators from around the world, starting in late 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]