# Global patterns of plant functional traits and their relationships to climate

*PRI Rank #17 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Species Distribution and Climate Change Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/species-distribution-and-climate-change/2026/rank-17*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #17 |
| 18m citations | 44 |
| Journal | Communications Biology |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s42003-024-06777-3 |
| Corresponding authors | Jiaze Li |
| Institution | Imperial College London, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Species Distribution and Climate Change Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/species-distribution-and-climate-change/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s42003-024-06777-3](https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06777-3)

## Topics

plant functional traits · leaf economics spectrum · plant height · seed mass · leaf mass per area · leaf nitrogen per area · trait-climate relationships · woody deciduous plants · woody evergreen plants · non-woody plants · generalized additive model · trait covariation · global trait variation · iNaturalist citizen-science data · trait-based ecosystem modelling · multivariate analysis · leaf size · Climate change adaptation

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Species Distribution and Climate Change Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/species-distribution-and-climate-change/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```