Appendix S4. Plot data.

Appendix S4-1 Plant density, mean plant height and mean basal diameter across the N 1-m2 plots

where the growth form occurred.

N Density Height (cm) Basal diameter

(cm)

Mean ± one SD

Basal rosettes 34 6.4 ± 7.9 9.2 ± 6.0 1.2 ± 1.4

Caulirosettes 51 12.4 ± 15.5 38.9 ± 25.6 4.6 ± 2.4

Cushions 41 12.0 ± 12.8 4.8 ± 2.2 0.4 ± 0.2

Herbs 46 13.1 ± 14.9 11.5 ± 6.3 0.2 ± 0.2

Sedges/grasses (non-tussock) 41 19.5 ± 18. 16.4 ± 9.1 0.4 ± 0.2

Shrubs 60 12.2 ± 10.1 21.4 ± 21.5 0.6 ± 0.3

Tussocks 59 29.6 ± 18.4 41.6 ± 17.4 1.9 ± 1.0

Appendix S4-2 Number of plants recorded in all plots combined and in the allometric set for those

genera that occurred with 50 plants or more in all plots combined.

Growth form Genera In plots In allometric set

Basal rosettes Hypochaeris 106 6

Hieracium 56 5

Tussocks Calamagrostis 613 48

Festuca 736 45

Poa 124 30

Poaceae sp. 65 3

Caulirosettes Blechnum 509 51

Espeletia 121 12

Non-tussock sedges/grasses Agrostis 131 0

Carex 526 45

Paspalum 229 18

Cushions Azorella 204 6

Oreobolus 208 15

Herbs Chaptalia 69 21

Geranium 70 3

Jamesonia 324 21

Nertera 87 6

Shrubs Disterigma 147 37

Gaultheria 66 0

Hypericum 66 16

Lupinus 63 0

Myrteola 55 24

Pernettya 50 7

Vaccinium 99 2

Appendix S4-3 Quantification of the number of plants in plots with plant height or basal diameter values outside the range observed in the allometric set.

Table S4-3-1 Total number of plants in plots with heights outside the observational range of the allometric set, and total number of plots where these plants

were found.

Totals Above maximum in allometric

set

Below minimum in allometric

set

Plant

s

Plots Plants Plots Plants Plots

Basal rosettes 217 34 28 (13%) 15 (44%) 3 (1%) 1 (3%)

Caulirosettes 630 51 59 (9%) 21 (41%) 213 (34%) 30 (59%)

Cushions 492 41 46 (9%) 12 (29%) 71 (14%) 14 (34%)

Herbs 603 46 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 71 (12%) 17 (37%)

Sedges/grasses (non-

tussock)

801 41 10 (1%) 6 (15%) 128 (16%) 16 (39%)

Shrubs 733 60 30 (4%) 14 (23%) 3 (0%) 2 (3%)

Tussocks 1745 59 49 (3%) 19 (32%) 22 (1%) 10 (17%)

All growth forms 5521 61 222 (4%) 51 (84%) 511 (9%) 48 (79%)

Table S4-3-2 Quantification of the number of plants in plots with basal diameter outside the observational range of the allometric set, and total number of

plots where these plants were found.

Totals Above maximum in allometric

set

Below minimum in allometric set

Plants Plots Plants Plots Plants Plots

Basal rosettes 217 34 19 (9%) 8 (24%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Caulirosettes 630 51 144 (23%) 35 (69%) 11 (2%) 7 (14%)

Cushions 492 41 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 184 (37%) 34 (83%)

Herbs 603 46 12 (2%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Sedges/grasses (non-

tussock)

801 41 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 358 (45%) 32 (78%)

Shrubs 733 60 53 (7%) 21 (35%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Tussocks 1745 59 423 (24%) 47 (80%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

All growth forms 5521 61 651 (12%) 60 (98%) 553 (10%) 46 (75%)

Table S4-3-3 Number of plants in plots with plant height or basal diameter values higher or lower than observed in the allometric set.

Plant height Basal diameter

Higher Lower Higher Lower

Mean ± SD

Basal rosettes 0.8 ± 1.2 0.1 ± 0.5 0.1 ± 0.5 0.0 ± 0.0

Caulirosettes 1.2 ± 1.9 4.2 ± 10.7 4.2 ± 10.7 0.1 ± 0.2

Cushions 1.1 ± 2.7 1.7 ± 3.6 1.7 ± 3.6 0.8 ± 4.5

Herbs 0.0 ± 0.0 1.3 ± 2.3 1.3 ± 2.3 0.0 ± 0.0

Sedges/grasses (non-

tussock)

0.2 ± 0.7 3.1 ± 6.7 3.1 ± 6.7 0.8 ± 8.7

Shrubs 0.5 ± 1.2 0.1 ± 0.3 0.1 ± 0.3 0.0 ± 0.0

Tussocks 0.8 ± 1.8 0.4 ± 0.9 0.4 ± 0.9 0.0 ± 0.0

All growth forms 3.6 ± 4.3 8.4 ± 13.5 10.7 ± 11.7 9.1 ± 12.0

Appendix S4-4 Distribution of plant height and basal diameter values in all plots combined, compared

with the observational range in the allometric set (indicated by the dashed lines, see also Table 1).

Appendix S4-5 Prediction intervals for individuals plants according to Sokal & Rohlf (1995)

For individual plants not belonging to the allometric set the 95% upper and lower prediction

intervals was estimated as follows (based on Sokal & Rohlf 1995):

First, an estimate is obtained of the standard error of the predicted plant biomass (Bfit):

seBfit = √RSE2.(1+ 1N

+(xi−meanx)2

sumx2 )

in which N was the number of plants in the allometric set, xi the predictor value of the plant, meanx

the average predictor values of the plants in the allometric set, and sumx2 the sum of squares of the

predictor values of these plants. Then the 95% prediction limits of the Bfit values are calculated:

Llowerfit = Bfit - t .05[N−2] . seBfit

Lupperfit = Bfit + t .05[N−2] . seBfit

and finally these limits are back transformed into arithmetic units (Baskerville 1972), as follows:

Llowerfinal = exp (Llowerfit) . CF

Lupperfinal = exp (Lupperfit) . CF

in which CF is the correction factor as indicated in the text.

Applying the standard errors of the predicted mean biomass for a newly measured individual

plant in a plot as calculated according to Sokal & Rohlf (1995), the relative width of the 95% upper

intervals around the aboveground, belowground or total biomass prediction varied between 300 to

1600%, depending on the growth form (Table S4-5-1). The relative width of the lower interval was

about 80 to 100%.

Table S4-5-1 Relative width (%) of 95% upper and lower prediction intervals of biomass predictions of single plants observed in the plots (Sokal & Rohlf

1995). Shown are mean ± one SD of N predictions.

N Aboveground biomass Belowground biomass Total biomass

Upper Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower

Basal rosettes 217 1,190 ± 195 92 ± 0.9 690 ± 93 87 ± 1.2 590 ± 76 85 ± 1.3

Caulirosettes 630 450 ± 33 82 ± 1.0 900 ± 84 90 ± 0.7 330 ± 16 77 ± 0.8

Cushions 492 390 ± 27 79 ± 1.1 590 ± 47 85 ± 0.9 380 ± 27 79 ± 1.1

Herbs 603 610 ± 40 86 ± 0.7 1,010 ± 77 91 ± 0.5 370 ± 17 79 ± 0.7

Sedges/grasses

(non-tussock)

801 450 ± 30 82 ± 0.9 510 ± 47 83 ± 1.2 290 ± 17 75 ± 1.1

Shrubs 733 670 ± 21 87 ± 0.3 1,610 ± 72 94 ± 0.2 590 ± 18 86 ± 0.3

Tussocks 1745 320 ± 7 76 ± 0.4 610 ± 17 86 ± 0.3 340 ± 8 77 ± 0.4

Appendix S4-6 Scatter plots of the relative width of the bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of the

plot biomass against the number of extrapolated plant biomass estimates.

Appendix S4-7 Scatter plots of the relative width of the bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of the

plot biomass against the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity between the allometric set and the growth form or

genus composition of the plots.