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Fichaux M, Béchade B, Donald J, Weyna A, Delabie JHC, Murienne J, Baraloto C, Orivel J. Habitats shape taxonomic and functional composition of Neotropical ant assemblages. Oecologia 2019; 189:501-513. [PMID: 30701386 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Determining assembly rules of co-occurring species persists as a fundamental goal in community ecology. At local scales, the relative importance of environmental filtering vs. competitive exclusion remains a subject of debate. In this study, we assessed the relative importance of habitat filtering and competition in structuring understory ant communities in tropical forests of French Guiana. Leaf-litter ants were collected using pitfall and Winkler traps across swamp, slope and plateau forests near Saül, French Guiana. We used a combination of univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate trait response of ants to habitat characteristics. Null model analyses were used to investigate the effects of habitat filtering and competitive interactions on community assembly at the scale of assemblages and sampling points, respectively. Swamp forests presented a much lower taxonomic and functional richness compared to slope and plateau forests. Furthermore, marked differences in taxonomic and functional composition were observed between swamp forests and slope or plateau forests. We found weak evidence for competitive exclusion based on null models. Nevertheless, the contrasting trait composition observed between habitats revealed differences in the ecological attributes of the species in the different forest habitats. Our analyses suggest that competitive interactions may not play an important role in structuring leaf-litter ant assemblages locally. Rather, habitats are responsible for driving both taxonomic and functional composition of ant communities.
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Esquivel‐Muelbert A, Baker TR, Dexter KG, Lewis SL, Brienen RJW, Feldpausch TR, Lloyd J, Monteagudo‐Mendoza A, Arroyo L, Álvarez-Dávila E, Higuchi N, Marimon BS, Marimon-Junior BH, Silveira M, Vilanova E, Gloor E, Malhi Y, Chave J, Barlow J, Bonal D, Davila Cardozo N, Erwin T, Fauset S, Hérault B, Laurance S, Poorter L, Qie L, Stahl C, Sullivan MJP, ter Steege H, Vos VA, Zuidema PA, Almeida E, Almeida de Oliveira E, Andrade A, Vieira SA, Aragão L, Araujo‐Murakami A, Arets E, Aymard C GA, Baraloto C, Camargo PB, Barroso JG, Bongers F, Boot R, Camargo JL, Castro W, Chama Moscoso V, Comiskey J, Cornejo Valverde F, Lola da Costa AC, del Aguila Pasquel J, Di Fiore A, Fernanda Duque L, Elias F, Engel J, Flores Llampazo G, Galbraith D, Herrera Fernández R, Honorio Coronado E, Hubau W, Jimenez‐Rojas E, Lima AJN, Umetsu RK, Laurance W, Lopez‐Gonzalez G, Lovejoy T, Aurelio Melo Cruz O, Morandi PS, Neill D, Núñez Vargas P, Pallqui Camacho NC, Parada Gutierrez A, Pardo G, Peacock J, Peña‐Claros M, Peñuela‐Mora MC, Petronelli P, Pickavance GC, Pitman N, Prieto A, Quesada C, Ramírez‐Angulo H, Réjou‐Méchain M, Restrepo Correa Z, Roopsind A, Rudas A, Salomão R, Silva N, Silva Espejo J, Singh J, Stropp J, Terborgh J, Thomas R, Toledo M, Torres‐Lezama A, Valenzuela Gamarra L, van de Meer PJ, van der Heijden G, van der Hout P, Vasquez Martinez R, Vela C, Vieira ICG, Phillips OL. Compositional response of Amazon forests to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:39-56. [PMID: 30406962 PMCID: PMC6334637 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate-induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long-term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water-deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have become increasingly dominated by large-statured taxa, but to date there has been no detectable change in mean wood density or water deficit affiliation at the community level, despite most forest plots having experienced an intensification of the dry season. However, among newly recruited trees, dry-affiliated genera have become more abundant, while the mortality of wet-affiliated genera has increased in those plots where the dry season has intensified most. Thus, a slow shift to a more dry-affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics (recruits and mortality) consistent with climate-change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole-community composition. The Amazon observational record suggests that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is driving a shift within tree communities to large-statured species and that climate changes to date will impact forest composition, but long generation times of tropical trees mean that biodiversity change is lagging behind climate change.
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Hogan JA, Hérault B, Bachelot B, Gorel A, Jounieaux M, Baraloto C. Understanding the recruitment response of juvenile Neotropical trees to logging intensity using functional traits. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1998-2010. [PMID: 29999560 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging remains a widespread practice in tropical forests, yet the long-term effects of timber harvest on juvenile tree (i.e., sapling) recruitment across the hundreds of species occurring in most tropical forests remain difficult to predict. This uncertainty could potentially exacerbate threats to some of the thousands of timber-valuable tree species in the Amazon. Our objective was to determine to what extent long-term responses of tree species regeneration in logged forests can be explained by their functional traits. We integrate functional trait data for 13 leaf, stem, and seed traits from 25 canopy tree species with a range of life histories, such as the pioneer Goupia glabra and the shade-tolerant Iryanthera hostmannii, together with over 30 yr of sapling monitoring in permanent plots spanning a gradient of harvest intensity at the Paracou Forest Disturbance Experiment (PFDE), French Guiana. We anticipated that more intensive logging would increase recruitment of pioneer species with higher specific leaf area, lower wood densities, and smaller seeds, due to the removal of canopy trees. We define a recruitment response metric to compare sapling regeneration to timber harvest intensity across species. Although not statistically significant, sapling recruitment decreased with logging intensity for eight of 23 species and these species tended to have large seeds and dense wood. A generalized linear mixed model fit using specific leaf area, seed mass, and twig density data explained about 45% of the variability in sapling dynamics. Effects of specific leaf area outweighed those of seed mass and wood density in explaining recruitment dynamics of the sapling community in response to increasing logging intensity. The most intense treatment at the PFDE, which includes stand thinning of non-timber-valuable adult trees and poison-girdling for competitive release, showed evidence of shifting community composition in sapling regeneration at the 30-yr mark, toward species with less dense wood, lighter seeds, and higher specific leaf area. Our results indicate that high-intensity logging can have lasting effects on stand regeneration dynamics and that functional traits can help simplify general trends of sapling recruitment for highly diverse logged tropical forests.
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Perez TM, Valverde-Barrantes O, Bravo C, Taylor TC, Fadrique B, Hogan JA, Pardo CJ, Stroud JT, Baraloto C, Feeley KJ. Botanic gardens are an untapped resource for studying the functional ecology of tropical plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 374:rstb.2017.0390. [PMID: 30455208 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are increasingly used to understand the ecology of plants and to predict their responses to global changes. Unfortunately, trait data are unavailable for the majority of plant species. The lack of trait data is especially prevalent for hard-to-measure traits and for tropical plant species, potentially owing to the many inherent difficulties of working with species in remote, hyperdiverse rainforest systems. The living collections of botanic gardens provide convenient access to large numbers of tropical plant species and can potentially be used to quickly augment trait databases and advance our understanding of species' responses to climate change. In this review, we quantitatively assess the availability of trait data for tropical versus temperate species, the diversity of species available for sampling in several exemplar tropical botanic gardens and the validity of garden-based leaf and root trait measurements. Our analyses support the contention that the living collections of botanic gardens are a valuable scientific resource that can contribute significantly to research on plant functional ecology and conservation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
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Vleminckx J, Salazar D, Fortunel C, Mesones I, Dávila N, Lokvam J, Beckley K, Baraloto C, Fine PVA. Divergent Secondary Metabolites and Habitat Filtering Both Contribute to Tree Species Coexistence in the Peruvian Amazon. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:836. [PMID: 29971085 PMCID: PMC6018647 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the mechanisms promoting or limiting the coexistence of functionally divergent species in hyperdiverse tropical tree genera. Density-dependent enemy attacks have been proposed to be a major driver for the local coexistence of chemically divergent congeneric species. At the same time, we expect local soil conditions to favor the coexistence of species sharing similar functional traits related to resource use strategies, while environmental heterogeneity would promote the diversity of these traits at both local and large spatial scales. To test how these traits mediate species coexistence, we used functional trait data for 29 species from the tree genus Protium (Burseraceae), collected in 19 plots (2 ha each) in the Peruvian Amazon. We characterized the presence-absence of 189 plant secondary metabolites (SM) for 27 of these species, and 14 functional traits associated with resource use strategies (RUT) for 16 species. Based on these data, we found that SM were significantly more dissimilar than null expectations for species co-occurring within plots, whereas RUT were significantly more similar. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that density-dependent enemy attacks contribute to the local coexistence of congeneric species displaying divergent chemical defenses, whereas local habitat conditions filter species with similar RUT. Using measurements of nine soil properties in each plot, we also found a significant turnover of RUT traits with increasing dissimilarity of soil texture and nutrient availabilities, providing support for the hypothesis that soil heterogeneity maintains functional diversity at larger spatial scales (from 500 m up to ca. 200 km) in Protium communities. Our study provides new evidence suggesting that density-dependent enemy attacks and soil heterogeneity both contribute to maintaining high species richness in diverse tropical forests.
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Santiago LS, De Guzman ME, Baraloto C, Vogenberg JE, Brodie M, Hérault B, Fortunel C, Bonal D. Coordination and trade-offs among hydraulic safety, efficiency and drought avoidance traits in Amazonian rainforest canopy tree species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 218:1015-1024. [PMID: 29457226 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Predicting responses of tropical forests to climate change-type drought is challenging because of high species diversity. Detailed characterization of tropical tree hydraulic physiology is necessary to evaluate community drought vulnerability and improve model parameterization. Here, we measured xylem hydraulic conductivity (hydraulic efficiency), xylem vulnerability curves (hydraulic safety), sapwood pressure-volume curves (drought avoidance) and wood density on emergent branches of 14 common species of Eastern Amazonian canopy trees in Paracou, French Guiana across species with the densest and lightest wood in the plot. Our objectives were to evaluate relationships among hydraulic traits to identify strategies and test the ability of easy-to-measure traits as proxies for hard-to-measure hydraulic traits. Xylem efficiency was related to capacitance, sapwood water content and turgor loss point, and other drought avoidance traits, but not to xylem safety (P50 ). Wood density was correlated (r = -0.57 to -0.97) with sapwood pressure-volume traits, forming an axis of hydraulic strategy variation. In contrast to drier sites where hydraulic safety plays a greater role, tropical trees in this humid tropical site varied along an axis with low wood density, high xylem efficiency and high capacitance at one end of the spectrum, and high wood density and low turgor loss point at the other.
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Coelho de Souza F, Dexter KG, Phillips OL, Brienen RJW, Chave J, Galbraith DR, Lopez Gonzalez G, Monteagudo Mendoza A, Pennington RT, Poorter L, Alexiades M, Álvarez-Dávila E, Andrade A, Aragão LEOC, Araujo-Murakami A, Arets EJMM, Aymard C GA, Baraloto C, Barroso JG, Bonal D, Boot RGA, Camargo JLC, Comiskey JA, Valverde FC, de Camargo PB, Di Fiore A, Elias F, Erwin TL, Feldpausch TR, Ferreira L, Fyllas NM, Gloor E, Herault B, Herrera R, Higuchi N, Honorio Coronado EN, Killeen TJ, Laurance WF, Laurance S, Lloyd J, Lovejoy TE, Malhi Y, Maracahipes L, Marimon BS, Marimon-Junior BH, Mendoza C, Morandi P, Neill DA, Vargas PN, Oliveira EA, Lenza E, Palacios WA, Peñuela-Mora MC, Pipoly JJ, Pitman NCA, Prieto A, Quesada CA, Ramirez-Angulo H, Rudas A, Ruokolainen K, Salomão RP, Silveira M, Stropp J, Ter Steege H, Thomas-Caesar R, van der Hout P, van der Heijden GMF, van der Meer PJ, Vasquez RV, Vieira SA, Vilanova E, Vos VA, Wang O, Young KR, Zagt RJ, Baker TR. Evolutionary heritage influences Amazon tree ecology. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1587. [PMID: 27974517 PMCID: PMC5204144 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change.
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Fukami T, Nakajima M, Fortunel C, Fine PVA, Baraloto C, Russo SE, Peay KG. Geographical Variation in Community Divergence: Insights from Tropical Forest Monodominance by Ectomycorrhizal Trees. Am Nat 2017; 190:S105-S122. [DOI: 10.1086/692439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Grau O, Peñuelas J, Ferry B, Freycon V, Blanc L, Desprez M, Baraloto C, Chave J, Descroix L, Dourdain A, Guitet S, Janssens IA, Sardans J, Hérault B. Nutrient-cycling mechanisms other than the direct absorption from soil may control forest structure and dynamics in poor Amazonian soils. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45017. [PMID: 28332608 PMCID: PMC5362906 DOI: 10.1038/srep45017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests store large amounts of biomass despite they generally grow in nutrient-poor soils, suggesting that the role of soil characteristics in the structure and dynamics of tropical forests is complex. We used data for >34 000 trees from several permanent plots in French Guiana to investigate if soil characteristics could predict the structure (tree diameter, density and aboveground biomass), and dynamics (growth, mortality, aboveground wood productivity) of nutrient-poor tropical forests. Most variables did not covary with site-level changes in soil nutrient content, indicating that nutrient-cycling mechanisms other than the direct absorption from soil (e.g. the nutrient uptake from litter, the resorption, or the storage of nutrients in the biomass), may strongly control forest structure and dynamics. Ecosystem-level adaptations to low soil nutrient availability and long-term low levels of disturbance may help to account for the lower productivity and higher accumulation of biomass in nutrient-poor forests compared to nutrient-richer forests.
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Levis C, Costa FRC, Bongers F, Peña-Claros M, Clement CR, Junqueira AB, Neves EG, Tamanaha EK, Figueiredo FOG, Salomão RP, Castilho CV, Magnusson WE, Phillips OL, Guevara JE, Sabatier D, Molino JF, López DC, Mendoza AM, Pitman NCA, Duque A, Vargas PN, Zartman CE, Vasquez R, Andrade A, Camargo JL, Feldpausch TR, Laurance SGW, Laurance WF, Killeen TJ, Nascimento HEM, Montero JC, Mostacedo B, Amaral IL, Guimarães Vieira IC, Brienen R, Castellanos H, Terborgh J, Carim MDJV, Guimarães JRDS, Coelho LDS, Matos FDDA, Wittmann F, Mogollón HF, Damasco G, Dávila N, García-Villacorta R, Coronado ENH, Emilio T, Filho DDAL, Schietti J, Souza P, Targhetta N, Comiskey JA, Marimon BS, Marimon BH, Neill D, Alonso A, Arroyo L, Carvalho FA, de Souza FC, Dallmeier F, Pansonato MP, Duivenvoorden JF, Fine PVA, Stevenson PR, Araujo-Murakami A, Aymard C. GA, Baraloto C, do Amaral DD, Engel J, Henkel TW, Maas P, Petronelli P, Revilla JDC, Stropp J, Daly D, Gribel R, Paredes MR, Silveira M, Thomas-Caesar R, Baker TR, da Silva NF, Ferreira LV, Peres CA, Silman MR, Cerón C, Valverde FC, Di Fiore A, Jimenez EM, Mora MCP, Toledo M, Barbosa EM, Bonates LCDM, Arboleda NC, Farias EDS, Fuentes A, Guillaumet JL, Jørgensen PM, Malhi Y, de Andrade Miranda IP, Phillips JF, Prieto A, Rudas A, Ruschel AR, Silva N, von Hildebrand P, Vos VA, Zent EL, Zent S, Cintra BBL, Nascimento MT, Oliveira AA, Ramirez-Angulo H, Ramos JF, Rivas G, Schöngart J, Sierra R, Tirado M, van der Heijden G, Torre EV, Wang O, Young KR, Baider C, Cano A, Farfan-Rios W, Ferreira C, Hoffman B, Mendoza C, Mesones I, Torres-Lezama A, Medina MNU, van Andel TR, Villarroel D, Zagt R, Alexiades MN, Balslev H, Garcia-Cabrera K, Gonzales T, Hernandez L, Huamantupa-Chuquimaco I, Manzatto AG, Milliken W, Cuenca WP, Pansini S, Pauletto D, Arevalo FR, Reis NFC, Sampaio AF, Giraldo LEU, Sandoval EHV, Gamarra LV, Vela CIA, ter Steege H. Persistent effects of pre-Columbian plant domestication on Amazonian forest composition. Science 2017; 355:925-931. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aal0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Bastias CC, Fortunel C, Valladares F, Baraloto C, Benavides R, Cornwell W, Markesteijn L, de Oliveira AA, Sansevero JBB, Vaz MC, Kraft NJB. Intraspecific leaf trait variability along a boreal-to-tropical community diversity gradient. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172495. [PMID: 28241033 PMCID: PMC5328268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Disentangling the mechanisms that shape community assembly across diversity gradients is a central matter in ecology. While many studies have explored community assembly through species average trait values, there is a growing understanding that intraspecific trait variation (ITV) can also play a critical role in species coexistence. Classic biodiversity theory hypothesizes that higher diversity at species-rich sites can arise from narrower niches relative to species-poor sites, which would be reflected in reduced ITV as species richness increases. To explore how ITV in woody plant communities changes with species richness, we compiled leaf trait data (leaf size and specific leaf area) in a total of 521 woody plant species from 21 forest communities that differed dramatically in species richness, ranging from boreal to tropical rainforests. At each forest, we assessed ITV as an estimate of species niche breadth and we quantified the degree of trait overlap among co-occurring species as a measure of species functional similarity. We found ITV was relatively invariant across the species richness gradient. In addition, we found that species functional similarity increased with diversity. Contrary to the expectation from classic biodiversity theory, our results rather suggest that neutral processes or equalizing mechanisms can be acting as potential drivers shaping community assembly in hyperdiverse forests.
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Baker TR, Pennington RT, Dexter KG, Fine PVA, Fortune-Hopkins H, Honorio EN, Huamantupa-Chuquimaco I, Klitgård BB, Lewis GP, de Lima HC, Ashton P, Baraloto C, Davies S, Donoghue MJ, Kaye M, Kress WJ, Lehmann CER, Monteagudo A, Phillips OL, Vasquez R. Maximising Synergy among Tropical Plant Systematists, Ecologists, and Evolutionary Biologists. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:258-267. [PMID: 28214038 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Closer collaboration among ecologists, systematists, and evolutionary biologists working in tropical forests, centred on studies within long-term permanent plots, would be highly beneficial for their respective fields. With a key unifying theme of the importance of vouchered collection and precise identification of species, especially rare ones, we identify four priority areas where improving links between these communities could achieve significant progress in biodiversity and conservation science: (i) increasing the pace of species discovery; (ii) documenting species turnover across space and time; (iii) improving models of ecosystem change; and (iv) understanding the evolutionary assembly of communities and biomes.
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Leitão RP, Zuanon J, Villéger S, Williams SE, Baraloto C, Fortunel C, Mendonça FP, Mouillot D. Rare species contribute disproportionately to the functional structure of species assemblages. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.0084. [PMID: 27053754 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is broad consensus that the diversity of functional traits within species assemblages drives several ecological processes. It is also widely recognized that rare species are the first to become extinct following human-induced disturbances. Surprisingly, however, the functional importance of rare species is still poorly understood, particularly in tropical species-rich assemblages where the majority of species are rare, and the rate of species extinction can be high. Here, we investigated the consequences of local and regional extinctions on the functional structure of species assemblages. We used three extensive datasets (stream fish from the Brazilian Amazon, rainforest trees from French Guiana, and birds from the Australian Wet Tropics) and built an integrative measure of species rarity versus commonness, combining local abundance, geographical range, and habitat breadth. Using different scenarios of species loss, we found a disproportionate impact of rare species extinction for the three groups, with significant reductions in levels of functional richness, specialization, and originality of assemblages, which may severely undermine the integrity of ecological processes. The whole breadth of functional abilities within species assemblages, which is disproportionately supported by rare species, is certainly critical in maintaining ecosystems particularly under the ongoing rapid environmental transitions.
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Piponiot C, Sist P, Mazzei L, Peña-Claros M, Putz FE, Rutishauser E, Shenkin A, Ascarrunz N, de Azevedo CP, Baraloto C, França M, Guedes M, Honorio Coronado EN, d'Oliveira MVN, Ruschel AR, da Silva KE, Doff Sotta E, de Souza CR, Vidal E, West TAP, Hérault B. Carbon recovery dynamics following disturbance by selective logging in Amazonian forests. eLife 2016; 5:e21394. [PMID: 27993185 PMCID: PMC5217754 DOI: 10.7554/elife.21394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
When 2 Mha of Amazonian forests are disturbed by selective logging each year, more than 90 Tg of carbon (C) is emitted to the atmosphere. Emissions are then counterbalanced by forest regrowth. With an original modelling approach, calibrated on a network of 133 permanent forest plots (175 ha total) across Amazonia, we link regional differences in climate, soil and initial biomass with survivors' and recruits' C fluxes to provide Amazon-wide predictions of post-logging C recovery. We show that net aboveground C recovery over 10 years is higher in the Guiana Shield and in the west (21 ±3 Mg C ha-1) than in the south (12 ±3 Mg C ha-1) where environmental stress is high (low rainfall, high seasonality). We highlight the key role of survivors in the forest regrowth and elaborate a comprehensive map of post-disturbance C recovery potential in Amazonia.
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Johnson MO, Galbraith D, Gloor M, De Deurwaerder H, Guimberteau M, Rammig A, Thonicke K, Verbeeck H, von Randow C, Monteagudo A, Phillips OL, Brienen RJW, Feldpausch TR, Lopez Gonzalez G, Fauset S, Quesada CA, Christoffersen B, Ciais P, Sampaio G, Kruijt B, Meir P, Moorcroft P, Zhang K, Alvarez‐Davila E, Alves de Oliveira A, Amaral I, Andrade A, Aragao LEOC, Araujo‐Murakami A, Arets EJMM, Arroyo L, Aymard GA, Baraloto C, Barroso J, Bonal D, Boot R, Camargo J, Chave J, Cogollo A, Cornejo Valverde F, Lola da Costa AC, Di Fiore A, Ferreira L, Higuchi N, Honorio EN, Killeen TJ, Laurance SG, Laurance WF, Licona J, Lovejoy T, Malhi Y, Marimon B, Marimon BH, Matos DCL, Mendoza C, Neill DA, Pardo G, Peña‐Claros M, Pitman NCA, Poorter L, Prieto A, Ramirez‐Angulo H, Roopsind A, Rudas A, Salomao RP, Silveira M, Stropp J, ter Steege H, Terborgh J, Thomas R, Toledo M, Torres‐Lezama A, van der Heijden GMF, Vasquez R, Guimarães Vieira IC, Vilanova E, Vos VA, Baker TR. Variation in stem mortality rates determines patterns of above-ground biomass in Amazonian forests: implications for dynamic global vegetation models. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:3996-4013. [PMID: 27082541 PMCID: PMC6849555 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the processes that determine above-ground biomass (AGB) in Amazonian forests is important for predicting the sensitivity of these ecosystems to environmental change and for designing and evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). AGB is determined by inputs from woody productivity [woody net primary productivity (NPP)] and the rate at which carbon is lost through tree mortality. Here, we test whether two direct metrics of tree mortality (the absolute rate of woody biomass loss and the rate of stem mortality) and/or woody NPP, control variation in AGB among 167 plots in intact forest across Amazonia. We then compare these relationships and the observed variation in AGB and woody NPP with the predictions of four DGVMs. The observations show that stem mortality rates, rather than absolute rates of woody biomass loss, are the most important predictor of AGB, which is consistent with the importance of stand size structure for determining spatial variation in AGB. The relationship between stem mortality rates and AGB varies among different regions of Amazonia, indicating that variation in wood density and height/diameter relationships also influences AGB. In contrast to previous findings, we find that woody NPP is not correlated with stem mortality rates and is weakly positively correlated with AGB. Across the four models, basin-wide average AGB is similar to the mean of the observations. However, the models consistently overestimate woody NPP and poorly represent the spatial patterns of both AGB and woody NPP estimated using plot data. In marked contrast to the observations, DGVMs typically show strong positive relationships between woody NPP and AGB. Resolving these differences will require incorporating forest size structure, mechanistic models of stem mortality and variation in functional composition in DGVMs.
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Johnson MO, Galbraith D, Gloor M, De Deurwaerder H, Guimberteau M, Rammig A, Thonicke K, Verbeeck H, von Randow C, Monteagudo A, Phillips OL, Brienen RJW, Feldpausch TR, Lopez Gonzalez G, Fauset S, Quesada CA, Christoffersen B, Ciais P, Sampaio G, Kruijt B, Meir P, Moorcroft P, Zhang K, Alvarez-Davila E, Alves de Oliveira A, Amaral I, Andrade A, Aragao LEOC, Araujo-Murakami A, Arets EJMM, Arroyo L, Aymard GA, Baraloto C, Barroso J, Bonal D, Boot R, Camargo J, Chave J, Cogollo A, Cornejo Valverde F, Lola da Costa AC, Di Fiore A, Ferreira L, Higuchi N, Honorio EN, Killeen TJ, Laurance SG, Laurance WF, Licona J, Lovejoy T, Malhi Y, Marimon B, Marimon BH, Matos DCL, Mendoza C, Neill DA, Pardo G, Peña-Claros M, Pitman NCA, Poorter L, Prieto A, Ramirez-Angulo H, Roopsind A, Rudas A, Salomao RP, Silveira M, Stropp J, Ter Steege H, Terborgh J, Thomas R, Toledo M, Torres-Lezama A, van der Heijden GMF, Vasquez R, Guimarães Vieira IC, Vilanova E, Vos VA, Baker TR. Variation in stem mortality rates determines patterns of above-ground biomass in Amazonian forests: implications for dynamic global vegetation models. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016. [PMID: 27082541 DOI: 10.5521/forestplots.net/2016_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the processes that determine above-ground biomass (AGB) in Amazonian forests is important for predicting the sensitivity of these ecosystems to environmental change and for designing and evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). AGB is determined by inputs from woody productivity [woody net primary productivity (NPP)] and the rate at which carbon is lost through tree mortality. Here, we test whether two direct metrics of tree mortality (the absolute rate of woody biomass loss and the rate of stem mortality) and/or woody NPP, control variation in AGB among 167 plots in intact forest across Amazonia. We then compare these relationships and the observed variation in AGB and woody NPP with the predictions of four DGVMs. The observations show that stem mortality rates, rather than absolute rates of woody biomass loss, are the most important predictor of AGB, which is consistent with the importance of stand size structure for determining spatial variation in AGB. The relationship between stem mortality rates and AGB varies among different regions of Amazonia, indicating that variation in wood density and height/diameter relationships also influences AGB. In contrast to previous findings, we find that woody NPP is not correlated with stem mortality rates and is weakly positively correlated with AGB. Across the four models, basin-wide average AGB is similar to the mean of the observations. However, the models consistently overestimate woody NPP and poorly represent the spatial patterns of both AGB and woody NPP estimated using plot data. In marked contrast to the observations, DGVMs typically show strong positive relationships between woody NPP and AGB. Resolving these differences will require incorporating forest size structure, mechanistic models of stem mortality and variation in functional composition in DGVMs.
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Liang J, Crowther TW, Picard N, Wiser S, Zhou M, Alberti G, Schulze ED, McGuire AD, Bozzato F, Pretzsch H, de-Miguel S, Paquette A, Herault B, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Barrett CB, Glick HB, Hengeveld GM, Nabuurs GJ, Pfautsch S, Viana H, Vibrans AC, Ammer C, Schall P, Verbyla D, Tchebakova N, Fischer M, Watson JV, Chen HYH, Lei X, Schelhaas MJ, Lu H, Gianelle D, Parfenova EI, Salas C, Lee E, Lee B, Kim HS, Bruelheide H, Coomes DA, Piotto D, Sunderland T, Schmid B, Gourlet-Fleury S, Sonke B, Tavani R, Zhu J, Brandl S, Vayreda J, Kitahara F, Searle EB, Neldner VJ, Ngugi MR, Baraloto C, Frizzera L, Ba azy R, Oleksyn J, Zawi a-Nied wiecki T, Bouriaud O, Bussotti F, Finer L, Jaroszewicz B, Jucker T, Valladares F, Jagodzinski AM, Peri PL, Gonmadje C, Marthy W, OBrien T, Martin EH, Marshall AR, Rovero F, Bitariho R, Niklaus PA, Alvarez-Loayza P, Chamuya N, Valencia R, Mortier F, Wortel V, Engone-Obiang NL, Ferreira LV, Odeke DE, Vasquez RM, Lewis SL, Reich PB. Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests. Science 2016; 354:354/6309/aaf8957. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf8957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 659] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Fortunel C, Paine CET, Fine PVA, Mesones I, Goret J, Burban B, Cazal J, Baraloto C. There's no place like home: seedling mortality contributes to the habitat specialisation of tree species across Amazonia. Ecol Lett 2016; 19:1256-66. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Engel J, Brousseau L, Baraloto C. GuiaTreeKey, a multi-access electronic key to identify tree genera in French Guiana. PHYTOKEYS 2016; 68:27-44. [PMID: 27698572 PMCID: PMC5029128 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.68.8707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The tropical rainforest of Amazonia is one of the most species-rich ecosystems on earth, with an estimated 16000 tree species. Due to this high diversity, botanical identification of trees in the Amazon is difficult, even to genus, often requiring the assistance of parataxonomists or taxonomic specialists. Advances in informatics tools offer a promising opportunity to develop user-friendly electronic keys to improve Amazonian tree identification. Here, we introduce an original multi-access electronic key for the identification of 389 tree genera occurring in French Guiana terra-firme forests, based on a set of 79 morphological characters related to vegetative, floral and fruit characters. Its purpose is to help Amazonian tree identification and to support the dissemination of botanical knowledge to non-specialists, including forest workers, students and researchers from other scientific disciplines. The electronic key is accessible with the free access software Xper², and the database is publicly available on figshare: https://figshare.com/s/75d890b7d707e0ffc9bf (doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.2682550).
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Courtois EA, Dexter KG, Paine CET, Stien D, Engel J, Baraloto C, Chave J. Evolutionary patterns of volatile terpene emissions across 202 tropical tree species. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:2854-64. [PMID: 27069586 PMCID: PMC4803801 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant responses to natural enemies include formation of secondary metabolites acting as direct or indirect defenses. Volatile terpenes represent one of the most diverse groups of secondary metabolites. We aimed to explore evolutionary patterns of volatile terpene emission. We measured the composition of damage‐induced volatile terpenes from 202 Amazonian tree species, spanning the angiosperm phylogeny. Volatile terpenes were extracted with solid‐phase micro extraction and desorbed in a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for compound identification. The chemical diversity of the terpene blend showed a strong phylogenetic signal as closely related species emitted a similar number of compounds. Closely related species also tended to have compositionally similar blends, although this relationship was weak. Meanwhile, the ability to emit a given compound showed no significant phylogenetic signal for 200 of 286 compounds, indicating a high rate of diversification in terpene synthesis and/or great variability in their expression. Three lineages (Magnoliales, Laurales, and Sapindales) showed exceptionally high rates of terpene diversification. Of the 70 compounds found in >10% of their species, 69 displayed significant correlated evolution with at least one other compound. These results provide insights into the complex evolutionary history of volatile terpenes in angiosperms, while highlighting the need for further research into this important class of compounds.
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Verheyen K, Vanhellemont M, Auge H, Baeten L, Baraloto C, Barsoum N, Bilodeau-Gauthier S, Bruelheide H, Castagneyrol B, Godbold D, Haase J, Hector A, Jactel H, Koricheva J, Loreau M, Mereu S, Messier C, Muys B, Nolet P, Paquette A, Parker J, Perring M, Ponette Q, Potvin C, Reich P, Smith A, Weih M, Scherer-Lorenzen M. Contributions of a global network of tree diversity experiments to sustainable forest plantations. AMBIO 2016; 45:29-41. [PMID: 26264716 PMCID: PMC4709352 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-015-0685-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The area of forest plantations is increasing worldwide helping to meet timber demand and protect natural forests. However, with global change, monospecific plantations are increasingly vulnerable to abiotic and biotic disturbances. As an adaption measure we need to move to plantations that are more diverse in genotypes, species, and structure, with a design underpinned by science. TreeDivNet, a global network of tree diversity experiments, responds to this need by assessing the advantages and disadvantages of mixed species plantations. The network currently consists of 18 experiments, distributed over 36 sites and five ecoregions. With plantations 1-15 years old, TreeDivNet can already provide relevant data for forest policy and management. In this paper, we highlight some early results on the carbon sequestration and pest resistance potential of more diverse plantations. Finally, suggestions are made for new, innovative experiments in understudied regions to complement the existing network.
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Guevara JE, Damasco G, Baraloto C, Fine PVA, Peñuela MC, Castilho C, Vincentini A, Cárdenas D, Wittmann F, Targhetta N, Phillips O, Stropp J, Amaral I, Maas P, Monteagudo A, Jimenez EM, Thomas R, Brienen R, Duque Á, Magnusson W, Ferreira C, Honorio E, Almeida Matos F, Arevalo FR, Engel J, Petronelli P, Vasquez R, Steege H. Low Phylogenetic Beta Diversity and Geographic Neo‐endemism in Amazonian White‐sand Forests. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Lamarre GP, Amoretti DS, Baraloto C, Bénéluz F, Mesones I, Fine PV. Phylogenetic Overdispersion in Lepidoptera Communities of Amazonian White‐sand Forests. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Fine PVA, Baraloto C. Habitat Endemism in White‐sand Forests: Insights into the Mechanisms of Lineage Diversification and Community Assembly of the Neotropical Flora. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Díaz S, Kattge J, Cornelissen JHC, Wright IJ, Lavorel S, Dray S, Reu B, Kleyer M, Wirth C, Prentice IC, Garnier E, Bönisch G, Westoby M, Poorter H, Reich PB, Moles AT, Dickie J, Gillison AN, Zanne AE, Chave J, Wright SJ, Sheremet'ev SN, Jactel H, Baraloto C, Cerabolini B, Pierce S, Shipley B, Kirkup D, Casanoves F, Joswig JS, Günther A, Falczuk V, Rüger N, Mahecha MD, Gorné LD. The global spectrum of plant form and function. Nature 2015; 529:167-71. [PMID: 26700811 DOI: 10.1038/nature16489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1029] [Impact Index Per Article: 114.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Earth is home to a remarkable diversity of plant forms and life histories, yet comparatively few essential trait combinations have proved evolutionarily viable in today's terrestrial biosphere. By analysing worldwide variation in six major traits critical to growth, survival and reproduction within the largest sample of vascular plant species ever compiled, we found that occupancy of six-dimensional trait space is strongly concentrated, indicating coordination and trade-offs. Three-quarters of trait variation is captured in a two-dimensional global spectrum of plant form and function. One major dimension within this plane reflects the size of whole plants and their parts; the other represents the leaf economics spectrum, which balances leaf construction costs against growth potential. The global plant trait spectrum provides a backdrop for elucidating constraints on evolution, for functionally qualifying species and ecosystems, and for improving models that predict future vegetation based on continuous variation in plant form and function.
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