Sprouting ability across diverse disturbances and vegetation types worldwide

Summary1 A widely used classification of plant response to fire divides species into two groups, sprouters and non‐sprouters. In contrast, regeneration responses to catastrophic wind throw and small gap disturbance are more often considered a continuum. 2 We determined general patterns in the distribution of sprouting ability across species with respect to disturbance type and intensity, vegetation type and phylogeny and assessed the adequacy of a dichotomy for describing species’ sprouting responses. These are important steps if sprouting is to be adopted widely and consistently as a functional trait. 3 Quantitative data were compiled from the literature and differences in species’ sprouting proportions between disturbance classes were assessed using simple sprouting categorizations, visually using histograms and with mixture models. 4 The sprouter/non‐sprouter dichotomy effectively characterized intense disturbances, such as fires resulting in stem‐kill (peaks at 13%, 79% probability of sprouting). But there was a continuum of responses following less intense disturbances. Where substantial above‐ground tissue was retained, as for wind throw, localized gap disturbances and low intensity fires, there were fewer non‐sprouters and more intermediate sprouters. 5 Comparisons across diverse vegetation types and disturbances require quantitative records of sprouting, although the simple sprouter/non‐sprouter dichotomy was sufficient for comparisons within fire. Patterns appeared consistent across broad vegetation types. Sprouting ability showed little phylogenetic conservatism.