Several plant metrics were measured using both plant richness (R) and mean ecological trait values of species weighted by their abundance (CWM).
Plant Area Index (PAI) of the three most abundant shrubs species (Porlieria chilensis, Adesmia bedwellii and Proustia cuneifolia) in Bosque Fray Jorge National Park, north-central Chile was measured using a Plant Canopy Analyzer.
An agronomic trait is measured using different plant characters or parameters following a defined protocol and in a given environment.
The fast chlorophyll a fluorescence induction curve was measured using a Plant Efficiency Analyzer (Pocket-PEA; Hansatech, Norfolk, UK) [ 17].
The photochemical efficiency of PSII was deduced from chlorophyll fluorescence parameters measured using a portable plant efficiency analyzer (Hansatech Instruments, Morfolk, England).
The chlorophyll a fluorescence (OJIP) transient was measured using a Handy Plant Efficiency Analyser (Hansatech Instruments, Norfolk, UK).
Maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) was measured using a Handy Plant Efficiency Analyser chlorophyll fluorometer (Hansatech Instruments, Norfolk, UK).
The OJIP test can be conducted in the lab or the field, and either leaf discs or whole leaves may be measured using the Handy Plant Efficiency Analyzer (volume: 175 × 80 × 40 mm; Weight: 0.65 Kg).
Plant heights were measured using the two tallest tillers for each plant and their averages were used in statistical analysis.
Genetic distances between adjacent markers are measured using the number of recombinant plants (one recombinant plant = 0.0012 cM).
