Abstract
In the context of climate change, grasslands will need to be populated with forage species that tolerate drought conditions. Planting forage mixtures is a possible solution, but questions remain regarding the specific varieties to use. Recently, different experiments have shown that both intra- and interspecific diversity could have a positive effect on grassland production under climate change and, more specifically, during droughts. However, to choose which species and genotypes to include, it is necessary to define the rules of assembly. These rules could be based on the choice of certain functional traits. For instance, research suggests that differences in growth-related traits among plants within the community, namely temporal differences in growth periods, have a positive effect. Defining the traits of greatest interest and their relative importance in grassland communities is a major consideration when selecting the plant varieties to include in forage mixtures.