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Burton JI, Perakis SS, Brooks JR, Puettmann KJ. Trait integration and functional differentiation among co-existing plant species. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:628-638. [PMID: 32236958 PMCID: PMC8108537 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Determining which traits characterize strategies of coexisting species is important to developing trait-based models of plant communities. First, global dimensions may not exist locally. Second, the degree to which traits and trait spectra constitute independent dimensions of functional variation at various scales continues to be refined. Finally, traits may be associated with existing categorical groupings. METHODS We assessed trait integration and differentiation across 57 forest understory plant species in Douglas-fir forests of western Oregon, United States. We combined measurements for a range of traits with literature-based estimates of seed mass and species groupings. We used network analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination (NMS) to determine the degree of integration. RESULTS We observed a strong leaf economics spectrum (LES) integrated with stem but not root traits. However, stem traits and intrinsic water-use efficiency integrated LES and root traits. Network analyses indicated a modest grouping of a priori trait dimensions. NMS indicated that multivariate differences among species were related primarily to (1) rooting depth and plant height vs. specific root length, (2) the LES, and (3) leaf size vs. seed mass. These differences were related to species groupings associated with growth and life form, leaf lifespan and seed dispersal mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS The strategies of coexisting understory plant species could not be reduced to a single dimension. Yet, species can be characterized efficiently and effectively for trait-based studies of plant communities by measuring four common traits: plant height, specific leaf area, leaf size, and seed mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia I. Burton
- State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Department of Sustainable Resources Management, 320 Bray Hall, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Steven S. Perakis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - J. Renée Brooks
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Klaus J. Puettmann
- Oregon State University, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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52
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Legay N, Grassein F, Arnoldi C, Segura R, Laîné P, Lavorel S, Clément J. Studies of NH
4
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and NO
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uptake ability of subalpine plants and resource‐use strategy identified by their functional traits. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Legay
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53 FR‐38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 France
- INSA Centre Val de Loire, Univ. de Tours, CNRS, UMR 7324 CITERES Tours France
| | - Fabrice Grassein
- Univ. de Caen Basse‐Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
- INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
| | - Cindy Arnoldi
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53 FR‐38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 France
| | - Raphael Segura
- Univ. de Caen Basse‐Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
- INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
| | - Philippe Laîné
- Univ. de Caen Basse‐Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
- INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S Caen France
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53 FR‐38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 France
| | - Jean‐Christophe Clément
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53 FR‐38041 Grenoble Cedex 09 France
- CARRTEL, UMR 0042 INRA‐Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc Le Bourget du Lac France
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53
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Lin D, Yang S, Dou P, Wang H, Wang F, Qian S, Yang G, Zhao L, Yang Y, Fanin N. A plant economics spectrum of litter decomposition among coexisting fern species in a sub-tropical forest. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:145-155. [PMID: 31633171 PMCID: PMC7080221 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The plant economics spectrum theory provides a useful framework to examine plant strategies by integrating the co-ordination of plant functional traits along a resource acquisition-conservation trade-off axis. Empirical evidence for this theory has been widely observed for seed plants (Spermatophyta). However, whether this theory can be applied to ferns (Pteridophyta), a ubiquitous and ancient group of vascular plants, has rarely been evaluated so far. METHODS We measured 11 pairs of plant functional traits on leaves and fine roots (diameter <2 mm) on 12 coexisting fern species in a sub-tropical forest. Litterbags of leaves and roots were placed in situ and exposed for 586 d to measure decomposition rates. The variation of traits across species and the co-ordination among traits within and between plant organs were analysed. Finally, the influence of the traits on decomposition rates were explored. KEY RESULTS Most leaf and root traits displayed high cross-species variation, and were aligned along a major resource acquisition-conservation trade-off axis. Many fern traits co-varied between leaves and fine roots, suggesting co-ordinated responses between above- and below-ground organs. Decomposition rates of leaves were significantly higher than those of fine roots, but they were significantly and positively correlated. Finally, our results highlight that the decomposition of both leaves and roots was relatively well predicted by the leaf and root economics spectra. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the existence of an acquisition-conservation trade-off axis within ferns and indicate that traits have important 'afterlife' effects on fern litter decomposition. We conclude that the plant economics spectrum theory that is commonly observed across seed plants can be applied to ferns species, thereby extending the generality of this theory to this ancient plant lineage in our study site. Our study further suggests that the evolutionary and ecological basis for the relationships among key economics traits appears to be similar between ferns and seed plants. Future studies involving larger data sets will be required to confirm these findings across different biomes at larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunmei Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shufang Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Pengpeng Dou
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjuan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Center, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shenhua Qian
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guangrong Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongchuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nicolas Fanin
- Interaction Soil Plant Atmosphere (ISPA), UMR 1391, INRA-Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, 33882 Villenave-d’Ornon cedex, France
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54
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Lang B, Ahlborn J, Oyunbileg M, Geiger A, von Wehrden H, Wesche K, Oyuntsetseg B, Römermann C. Grazing effects on intraspecific trait variability vary with changing precipitation patterns in Mongolian rangelands. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:678-691. [PMID: 32015835 PMCID: PMC6988561 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are proxies for plant physiology and performance, which do not only differ between species but also within species. In this work, we hypothesized that (a) with increasing precipitation, the percentage of focal species which significantly respond to changes in grazing intensity increases, while under dry conditions, climate-induced stress is so high that plant species hardly respond to any changes in grazing intensity and that (b) the magnitude with which species change their trait values in response to grazing, reflected by coefficients of variation (CVs), increases with increasing precipitation. Chosen plant traits were canopy height, plant width, specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll fluorescence, performance index, stomatal pore area index (SPI), and individual aboveground biomass of 15 species along a precipitation gradient with different grazing intensities in Mongolian rangelands. We used linear models for each trait to assess whether the percentage of species that respond to grazing changes along the precipitation gradient. To test the second hypothesis, we assessed the magnitude of intraspecific trait variability (ITV) response to grazing, per species, trait, and precipitation level by calculating CVs across the different grazing intensities. ITV was most prominent for SLA and SPI under highest precipitation, confirming our first hypothesis. Accordingly, CVs of canopy height, SPI, and SLA increased with increasing precipitation, partly confirming our second hypothesis. CVs of the species over all traits increased with increasing precipitation only for three species. This study shows that it remains challenging to predict how plant performance will shift under changing environmental conditions based on their traits alone. In this context, the implications for the use of community-weighted mean trait values are discussed, as not only species abundances change in response to changing environmental conditions, but also values of traits considerably change. Including this aspect in further studies will improve our understanding of processes acting within and among communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Lang
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
| | - Julian Ahlborn
- Faculty of SustainabilityInstitute of EcologyLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany
| | - Munkhzuul Oyunbileg
- Botany DepartmentSchool of Biology and BiotechnologyNational University of MongoliaUlaanbaatarMongolia
| | - Anna Geiger
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
| | - Henrik von Wehrden
- Faculty of SustainabilityInstitute of EcologyLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany
| | - Karsten Wesche
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural HistoryGörlitzGermany
- International Institute ZittauTechnische Universität DresdenZittauGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
| | - Batlai Oyuntsetseg
- Botany DepartmentSchool of Biology and BiotechnologyNational University of MongoliaUlaanbaatarMongolia
| | - Christine Römermann
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionFriedrich Schiller UniversityJenaGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
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“Diminishing Returns” in the Scaling between Leaf Area and Twig Size in Three Forest Communities Along an Elevation Gradient of Wuyi Mountain, China. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10121138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and aims: The “diminishing returns” hypothesis postulates that the scaling exponent governing the lamina area versus lamina mass scaling relationships has, on average, a numerical value less than one. Theoretically, a similar scaling relationship may exist at the twig level. However, this possibility has not been explored empirically. Methods: We tested both hypotheses by measuring the lamina area and mass, petiole mass of individual leaves, and the total foliage area and stem mass of individual current-year shoots (twigs) of 64 woody species growing in three characteristic forest community types: (1) Evergreen broad-leaved, (2) mixed coniferous and broad-leaved, and (3) deciduous. Key results: The results demonstrate that lamina area vs. mass and lamina area vs. petiole mass differ significantly among the three forest types at both the individual leaf and twig levels. Nevertheless, the scaling exponents of lamina area vs. mass were <1.0 in each of the three community types, as were the corresponding exponents for lamina area vs. petiole mass, both within and across the three community types. Similar trends were observed at the individual twig level. The numerical values of the scaling exponent for lamina area vs. petiole mass and total foliage area vs. stem mass per twig decreased with increased elevation. Conclusions: These data support the “diminishing returns” hypothesis at both the individual leaf level and at the individual twig level, phenomena that can inform future inquiries into the mechanistic basis of biomass allocation patterns to physiological (leaf) and mechanical (stem) plant organs.
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Chai Y, Dang H, Yue M, Xu J, Zhang L, Quan J, Guo Y, Li T, Wang L, Wang M, Liu X. The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yongfu Chai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
- School of Life Sciences Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Han Dang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
- School of Life Sciences Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
- School of Life Sciences Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Jinshi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Jiaxin Quan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Yaoxin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
| | - Mao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
- College of Grassland and Environment Sciences Xinjiang Agricultural University Urumqi China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China Ministry of Education Northwest University Xi'an China
- School of Life Sciences Northwest University Xi'an China
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Shen Y, Gilbert GS, Li W, Fang M, Lu H, Yu S. Linking Aboveground Traits to Root Traits and Local Environment: Implications of the Plant Economics Spectrum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1412. [PMID: 31737024 PMCID: PMC6831723 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The plant economics spectrum proposes that ecological traits are functionally coordinated and adapt along environmental gradients. However, empirical evidence is mixed about whether aboveground and root traits are consistently linked and which environmental factors drive functional responses. Here we measure the strength of relationships between aboveground and root traits, and examine whether community-weighted mean trait values are adapted along gradients of light and soil fertility, based on the seedling censuses of 57 species in a subtropical forest. We found that aboveground traits were good predictors of root traits; specific leaf area, dry matter, nitrogen and phosphorus content were strongly correlated with root tissue density and specific root length. Traits showed patterns of adaptation along the gradients of soil fertility and light; species with fast resource-acquisitive strategies were more strongly associated with high soil phosphorus, potassium, openness, and with low nitrogen, organic matter conditions. This demonstrates the potential to estimate belowground traits from known aboveground traits in seedling communities, and suggests that soil fertility is one of the main factors driving functional responses. Our results extend our understanding of how ecological strategies shape potential responses of plant communities to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Shen
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gregory S. Gilbert
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
| | - Wenbin Li
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miao Fang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huanping Lu
- Guangdong Ecological Meteorology Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shixiao Yu
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Du L, Liu H, Guan W, Li J, Li J. Drought affects the coordination of belowground and aboveground resource-related traits in Solidago canadensis in China. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9948-9960. [PMID: 31534706 PMCID: PMC6745655 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying patterns of variation and coordination of plant functional traits can help to understand the mechanisms underlying both invasiveness and adaptation of plants. Little is known about the coordinated variations of performance and functional traits of different organs in invasive plants, especially in response to their adaptation to environmental stressors. To identify the responses of the invasive species Solidago canadensis to drought, 180 individuals were randomly collected from 15 populations and 212 ramets were replanted in a greenhouse to investigate both the response and coordination between root and leaf functional traits. Drought significantly decreased plant growth and most of the root and leaf functional traits, that is, root length, surface area, volume and leaf size, number, and mass fraction, except for the root length ratio and root mass fraction. Phenotypic plasticity was higher in root traits than in leaf traits in response to drought, and populations did not differ significantly. The plasticity of most root functional traits, that is, root length (RL), root surface area (RSA), root volume (RV), and root mass fraction (RMF), were significantly positively correlated with biomass between control and drought. However, the opposite was found for leaf functional traits, that is, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area ratio (LAR), and leaf mass fraction (LMF). Drought enhanced the relationship between root and leaf, that is, 26 pairwise root-leaf traits were significantly correlated under drought, while only 15 pairwise root-leaf traits were significantly correlated under control conditions. Significant correlations were found between biomass and all measured functional traits except for leaf size. RV, root length ratio, RMF, total area of leaves, and LMF responded differently to water availability. These responses enable S. canadensis to cope with drought conditions and may help to explain the reason of the vast ecological amplitude of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leshan Du
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Processes and Functions AssessmentChinese Research Academy of Environmental SciencesBeijingChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and ConservationTaizhou UniversityTaizhouChina
- Beijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Haiyan Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Processes and Functions AssessmentChinese Research Academy of Environmental SciencesBeijingChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and ConservationTaizhou UniversityTaizhouChina
| | | | - Junmin Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and ConservationTaizhou UniversityTaizhouChina
| | - Junsheng Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Ecological Processes and Functions AssessmentChinese Research Academy of Environmental SciencesBeijingChina
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Wang Z, Yu K, Lv S, Niklas KJ, Mipam TD, Crowther TW, Umaña MN, Zhao Q, Huang H, Reich PB. The scaling of fine root nitrogen versus phosphorus in terrestrial plants: A global synthesis. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Wang
- Institute for Advanced Study Chengdu University Chengdu China
| | - Kailiang Yu
- Institute of Integrative Biology ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Shiqi Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro‐Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Tserang Donko Mipam
- Institute of Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau Southwest Minzu University Chengdu China
- Key Laboratory for Bio‐Resources and Eco‐Environment, College of Life Sciences Sichuan University Chengdu China
| | | | - María N. Umaña
- Department of Plant Biology Michigan University East Lansing MI USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Institute for Advanced Study Chengdu University Chengdu China
| | - Heng Huang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St Paul MN USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Sydney NSW Australia
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Hu Y, Pan X, Yang X, Liu G, Liu X, Song Y, Zhang M, Cui L, Dong M. Is there coordination of leaf and fine root traits at local scales? A test in temperate forest swamps. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8714-8723. [PMID: 31410274 PMCID: PMC6686282 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Examining the coordination of leaf and fine root traits not only aids a better understanding of plant ecological strategies from a whole-plant perspective, but also helps improve the prediction of belowground properties from aboveground traits. The relationships between leaf and fine root traits have been extensively explored at global and regional scales, but remain unclear at local scales. Here, we measured six pairs of analogous leaf and fine root traits related to resource economy and organ size for coexisting dominant and subordinate vascular plants at three successional stages of temperate forest swamps in Lingfeng National Nature Reserve in the Greater Hinggan Mountains, NE China. Leaf and fine root traits related to resource acquisition (e.g., specific leaf area [SLA], leaf N, leaf P, root water content, and root P) decreased with succession. Overall, we found strong linear relationships between leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and root water content, and between leaf and root C, N, and P concentrations, but only weak correlations were observed between leaf area and root diameter, and between SLA and specific root length (SRL). The strong relationships between LDMC and root water content and between leaf and root C, N, and P held at the early and late stages, but disappeared at the middle stage. Besides, C and P of leaves were significantly correlated with those of roots for woody plants, while strong linkages existed between LDMC and root water content and between leaf N and root N for herbaceous species. These results provided evidence for the existence of strong coordination between leaf and root traits at the local scale. Meanwhile, the leaf-root trait relationships could be modulated by successional stage and growth form, indicating the complexity of coordination of aboveground and belowground traits at the local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Kun Hu
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xu Pan
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xue‐Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guo‐Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xu‐Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yao‐Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Man‐Yin Zhang
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Li‐Juan Cui
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
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Kumordzi BB, Aubin I, Cardou F, Shipley B, Violle C, Johnstone J, Anand M, Arsenault A, Bell FW, Bergeron Y, Boulangeat I, Brousseau M, De Grandpré L, Delagrange S, Fenton NJ, Gravel D, Macdonald SE, Hamel B, Higelin M, Hébert F, Isabel N, Mallik A, McIntosh AC, McLaren JR, Messier C, Morris D, Thiffault N, Tremblay J, Munson AD. Geographic scale and disturbance influence intraspecific trait variability in leaves and roots of North American understorey plants. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bright B. Kumordzi
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubin
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Françoise Cardou
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Bill Shipley
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, UMR 5175 CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Jill Johnstone
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Madhur Anand
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - André Arsenault
- Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service and School of Science and the Environment Memorial University of Newfoundland Corner Brook NL Canada
| | - F. Wayne Bell
- Ontario Forest Research Institute Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Yves Bergeron
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | | | - Maxime Brousseau
- Département de biologie and Centre d'étude de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Louis De Grandpré
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Sylvain Delagrange
- Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée Université du Québec en Outaouais Ripon QC Canada
| | - Nicole J. Fenton
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - S. Ellen Macdonald
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Benoit Hamel
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Morgane Higelin
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - François Hébert
- Direction de la recherche forestière Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Nathalie Isabel
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Azim Mallik
- Department of Biology Lakehead University Thunder Bay ON Canada
| | | | - Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX USA
| | - Christian Messier
- Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée Université du Québec en Outaouais Ripon QC Canada
- Centre d'Étude de la Forêt Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Dave Morris
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Thunder Bay ON Canada
| | - Nelson Thiffault
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
- Canadian Wood Fibre Centre Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Jean‐Pierre Tremblay
- Département de biologie and Centre d'étude de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Alison D. Munson
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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62
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Dong LJ, He WM. The relative contributions of climate, soil, diversity and interactions to leaf trait variation and spectrum of invasive Solidago canadensis. BMC Ecol 2019; 19:24. [PMID: 31202262 PMCID: PMC6570854 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0240-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive plants commonly occupy diverse habitats and thus must adapt to changing environmental pressures through altering their traits and economics spectra, and addressing these patterns and their drivers has an importantly ecological and/or evolutionary significance. However, few studies have considered the role of multiple biotic and abiotic factors in shaping trait variation and spectra. In this study, we determined seven leaf traits of 66 Solidago canadensis populations, and quantified the relative contributions of climate, soil properties, native plant diversity, and S. canadensis–community interactions (in total 16 factors) to leaf trait variation and spectrum with multimodel inference. Results Overall, the seven leaf traits had high phenotypic variation, and this variation was highest for leaf dry matter content and lowest for leaf carbon concentration. The per capita contribution of climate to the mean leaf trait variation was highest (7.5%), followed by soil properties (6.2%), S. canadensis–community interactions (6.1%), and native plant diversity (5.4%); the dominant factors underlying trait variation varied with leaf traits. Leaf production potential was negatively associated with leaf stress-tolerance potential, and the relative contributions to this trade-off followed in order: native plant diversity (7.7%), climate (6.9%), S. canadensis–community interactions (6.2%), and soil properties (5.6%). Climate, diversity, soil, and interactions had positive, neutral or negative effects. Conclusions Climate, soil, diversity, and interactions contribute differentially to the leaf trait variation and economics spectrum of S. canadensis, and their relative importance and directions depend on plant functional traits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12898-019-0240-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jia Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China. .,College of Life Science, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang, 312000, China.
| | - Wei-Ming He
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China. .,College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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63
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Umaña MN, Swenson NG. Does trait variation within broadly distributed species mirror patterns across species? A case study in Puerto Rico. Ecology 2019; 100:e02745. [PMID: 31032887 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although populations are phenotypically diverse, the majority of trait-based studies have focused on examining differences among species. The justification for this broadly applied approach is based on the assumption that differences among species are always greater than within species. This is likely true for local communities, but species are often broadly distributed across a wide range of environments and patterns of intraspecific variation might surpass differences among species. Therefore, an appropriate interpretation of the functional diversity requires an assessment of patterns of trait variation across different ecological scales. In this study, we examine and characterize patterns of leaf trait variation for species that are broadly distributed along an elevational gradient. We focus on seven leaf traits that represent a main axis of functional differentiation in plants reflecting the balance between photosynthetic efficiency, display, and stomatal conductance. We evaluated patterns of trait variance across ecological scales (elevation, species, populations, and individuals) and examined trait covariance at both within species and across species levels, along the elevation gradient. Our results show three key patterns: (1) intraspecific leaf trait variation for broadly distributed species is comparable to the interspecific trait variation, (2) the trait variance structure is highly variable across species, and (3) trait coordination between pairs of leaf traits is evident across species along the gradient, but not always within species. Combined, our results show that trait coordination and covariance are highly idiosyncratic across broadly distributed and co-occurring species, indicating that species may achieve similar functional roles even when exhibiting different phenotypes. This result challenges the traditional paradigm of functional ecology that assumes single trait values as optimal solutions for environments. In conclusion, patterns of trait variation both across and within species should be considered in future studies that assess trade-offs among traits over environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- María N Umaña
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48019, USA
| | - Nathan G Swenson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA
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64
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Xiaoting W, Mengying Z, Yuehua L, Ruixin W, Xinqing S. Covariation in root traits of Leymus chinensis in response to grazing in steppe rangeland. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/rj18099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Root traits are closely related to nutrient absorption and resource competition and can even influence plant recovery and community succession. Grazing can influence root traits directly through trampling and foraging, or indirectly by changing soil characteristics. In the present study, a grazing experiment that involved combinations of grazing season (from June to September) and intensity (rest, moderate and heavy) was conducted in steppe rangeland, Inner Mongolia, China to investigate how the root traits of Leymus chinensis respond to different grazing regimes in the case of aboveground miniaturisation after long-term overgrazing. Root traits such as root length, root surface area, specific root length, root tissue density, root links (unbranched parts of a root connecting either a tip and a branching point or two branching points) and root topological structure were scanned and analysed using Win-RHIZO image analysis software. The results showed that the size of L. chinensis plants was reduced in response to overgrazing, typically by a smaller plant height, total root length, root surface area, root volume, number of tips and number of links. However, root diameter and link length, branching angle and topological structure (herringbone or dichotomous) were unaffected by grazing. Most root traits showed strong correlations under moderate grazing intensity, but not under heavy grazing, indicating that grazing changed the relationships among root traits. Relationships between plant height and root traits (total root length and number of links) shifted from positive to negative as grazing intensity increased, and the trade-off between aboveground and belowground traits was an important adaptive strategy of L. chinensis under heavy grazing. Decreasing grazing intensity in the late grazing season could benefit plant recovery, and a rest in the early grazing season would mitigate root and shoot damage.
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65
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Sofi PA, Djanaguiraman M, Siddique KHM, Prasad PVV. Reproductive fitness in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under drought stress is associated with root length and volume. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40502-018-0429-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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66
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Gvozdevaite A, Oliveras I, Domingues TF, Peprah T, Boakye M, Afriyie L, da Silva Peixoto K, de Farias J, Almeida de Oliveira E, Almeida Farias CC, Dos Santos Prestes NCC, Neyret M, Moore S, Schwantes Marimon B, Marimon Junior BH, Adu-Bredu S, Malhi Y. Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity dynamics in relation to soil and foliar nutrients along forest-savanna boundaries in Ghana and Brazil. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 38:1912-1925. [PMID: 30388271 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpy117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Forest-savanna boundaries extend across large parts of the tropics but the variability of photosynthetic capacity in relation to soil and foliar nutrients across these transition zones is poorly understood. For this reason, we compared photosynthetic capacity (maximum rate of carboxylation of Rubisco at 25 C° (Vcmax25), leaf mass, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) per unit leaf area (LMA, Narea, Parea and Karea, respectively), in relation to respective soil nutrients from 89 species at seven sites along forest-savanna ecotones in Ghana and Brazil. Contrary to our expectations, edaphic conditions were not reflected in foliar nutrient concentrations but LMA was slightly higher in lower fertility soils. Overall, each vegetation type within the ecotones demonstrated idiosyncratic and generally weak relationships between Vcmax25 and Narea, Parea and Karea. Species varied significantly in their Vcmax25 ↔ Narea relationship due to reduced investment of total Narea in photosynthetic machinery with increasing LMA. We suggest that studied species in the forest-savanna ecotones do not maximize Vcmax25 per given total Narea due to adaptation to intermittent water availability. Our findings have implications for global modeling of Vcmax25 and forest-savanna ecotone productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agne Gvozdevaite
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Imma Oliveras
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tomas Ferreira Domingues
- Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Theresa Peprah
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, KNUST, Ghana
| | - Mickey Boakye
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, KNUST, Ghana
| | - Lydia Afriyie
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, KNUST, Ghana
| | - Karine da Silva Peixoto
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Nova Xavantina, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Josenilton de Farias
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Nova Xavantina, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Edmar Almeida de Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Nova Xavantina, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | | | | | - Margot Neyret
- Centre IRD France Nord - iEES Paris, 32, av. Henri Varagnat BONDY cedex, France
| | - Sam Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Beatriz Schwantes Marimon
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Nova Xavantina, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Ben Hur Marimon Junior
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Nova Xavantina, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Stephen Adu-Bredu
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, KNUST, Ghana
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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67
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Gil-Martínez M, López-García Á, Domínguez MT, Navarro-Fernández CM, Kjøller R, Tibbett M, Marañón T. Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Communities and Their Functional Traits Mediate Plant-Soil Interactions in Trace Element Contaminated Soils. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1682. [PMID: 30515182 PMCID: PMC6255936 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing consensus that microbial communities have an important role in mediating ecosystem processes. Trait-based ecology predicts that the impact of the microbial communities on ecosystem functions will be mediated by the expression of their traits at community level. The link between the response of microbial community traits to environmental conditions and its effect on plant functioning is a gap in most current microbial ecology studies. In this study, we analyzed functional traits of ectomycorrhizal fungal species in order to understand the importance of their community assembly for the soil-plant relationships in holm oak trees (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) growing in a gradient of exposure to anthropogenic trace element (TE) contamination after a metalliferous tailings spill. Particularly, we addressed how the ectomycorrhizal composition and morphological traits at community level mediate plant response to TE contamination and its capacity for phytoremediation. Ectomycorrhizal fungal taxonomy and functional diversity explained a high proportion of variance of tree functional traits, both in roots and leaves. Trees where ectomycorrhizal fungal communities were dominated by the abundant taxa Hebeloma cavipes and Thelephora terrestris showed a conservative root economics spectrum, while trees colonized by rare taxa presented a resource acquisition strategy. Conservative roots presented ectomycorrhizal functional traits characterized by high rhizomorphs formation and low melanization which may be driven by resource limitation. Soil-to-root transfer of TEs was explained substantially by the ectomycorrhizal fungal species composition, with the highest transfer found in trees whose roots were colonized by Hebeloma cavipes. Leaf phosphorus was related to ectomycorrhizal species composition, specifically higher leaf phosphorus was related to the root colonization by Thelephora terrestris. These findings support that ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition and their functional traits mediate plant performance in metal-contaminated soils, and have a high influence on plant capacity for phytoremediation of contaminants. The study also corroborates the overall effects of ectomycorrhizal fungi on ecosystem functioning through their mediation over the plant economics spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gil-Martínez
- Department for Protection of the Soil, Plant and Water System, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville, Spanish National Research Council, Seville, Spain
| | | | - María T. Domínguez
- Área de Edafología y Química Agricola, Departamento de Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Carmen M. Navarro-Fernández
- Department for Protection of the Soil, Plant and Water System, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville, Spanish National Research Council, Seville, Spain
| | - Rasmus Kjøller
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mark Tibbett
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research and Soil Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Teodoro Marañón
- Department for Protection of the Soil, Plant and Water System, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville, Spanish National Research Council, Seville, Spain
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68
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Luo W, Zuo X, Ma W, Xu C, Li A, Yu Q, Knapp AK, Tognetti R, Dijkstra FA, Li MH, Han G, Wang Z, Han X. Differential responses of canopy nutrients to experimental drought along a natural aridity gradient. Ecology 2018; 99:2230-2239. [PMID: 30157292 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The allocation and stoichiometry of plant nutrients in leaves reflect fundamental ecosystem processes, biotic interactions, and environmental drivers such as water availability. Climate change will lead to increases in drought severity and frequency, but how canopy nutrients will respond to drought, and how these responses may vary with community composition along aridity gradients is poorly understood. We experimentally addressed this issue by reducing precipitation amounts by 66% during two consecutive growing seasons at three sites located along a natural aridity gradient. This allowed us to assess drought effects on canopy nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in arid and semiarid grasslands of northern China. Along the aridity gradient, canopy nutrient concentrations were positively related to aridity, with this pattern was driven primarily by species turnover (i.e., an increase in the relative biomass of N- and P-rich species with increasing aridity). In contrast, drought imposed experimentally increased N but decreased P concentrations in plant canopies. These changes were driven by the combined effects of species turnover and intraspecific variation in leaf nutrient concentrations. In addition, the sensitivity of canopy N and P concentrations to drought varied across the three sites. Canopy nutrient concentrations were less affected by drought at drier than wetter sites, because of the opposing effects of species turnover and intraspecific variation, as well as greater drought tolerance for nutrient-rich species. These contrasting effects of long-term aridity vs. short-term drought on canopy nutrient concentrations, as well as differing sensitivities among sites in the same grassland biome, highlight the challenge of predicting ecosystem responses to future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Luo
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Wang Ma
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China
| | - Chong Xu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10008, China
| | - Ang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10008, China
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Roberto Tognetti
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università del Molise, Campobasso, 86090, Italy.,European Forest Institute (EFI) Project Centre on Mountain Forests (MOUNTFOR), San Michele all'Adige, 38010, Italy
| | - Feike A Dijkstra
- Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Mai-He Li
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China.,Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - Guodong Han
- College of Ecology and Environmental Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China
| | - Zhengwen Wang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China
| | - Xingguo Han
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China.,State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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69
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Yan P, Xu L, He N. Variation in the calorific values of different plants organs in China. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199762. [PMID: 29953550 PMCID: PMC6023129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The calorific value (CAL, KJ g-1) of different plant organs are important plant traits. Variation in CAL among different plant organs reflects the energy utilization and distribution strategy of plant. Here, we explored how the CAL of different plant organs varies at the species and regional level in relation to vegetation type (3697 forests samples, 430 grasslands samples, and 146 deserts samples). The results showed that, in the forests and grasslands, CAL significantly differed among the different organs and functional types of plants. The CAL of different organs in forests was ordered as: leaf (19.71 ± 1.82 KJ g-1) > branch (19.33 ± 1.32 KJ g-1) > trunk (19.09 ± 1.44 KJ g-1) > root (19.02 ± 1.11 KJ g-1). For forests, the CAL of plant organs, except for the leaves of trees and shrubs, increased with increasing latitude (P < 0.01). In comparison, the CAL in the roots of shrubs and herbs decreased with increasing longitude (P < 0.01). Through delineating systematic references of CAL among different plant organs, our findings provide key parameters to improve estimates of biomass energy at regional and global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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70
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Ni M, Liu Y, Chu C, Xu H, Fang S. Fast seedling root growth leads to competitive superiority of invasive plants. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1664-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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71
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Zhang B, Gui D, Gao X, Shareef M, Li L, Zeng F. Controlling Soil Factor in Plant Growth and Salt Tolerance of Leguminous Plant Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. in Saline Deserts, Northwest China. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s199542551801002x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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72
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Roucou A, Violle C, Fort F, Roumet P, Ecarnot M, Vile D. Shifts in plant functional strategies over the course of wheat domestication. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Roucou
- CEFE; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
- LEPSE; Univ Montpellier; INRA; SupAgro Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
| | - Florian Fort
- CEFE; Montpellier SupAgro; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
| | - Pierre Roumet
- AGAP; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
| | - Martin Ecarnot
- AGAP; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
| | - Denis Vile
- LEPSE; Univ Montpellier; INRA; SupAgro Montpellier; Montpellier France
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73
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Bergmann J, Ryo M, Prati D, Hempel S, Rillig MC. Root traits are more than analogues of leaf traits: the case for diaspore mass. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 216:1130-1139. [PMID: 28895147 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Root traits are often thought to be analogues of leaf traits along the plant economics spectrum. But evolutionary pressures have most likely shaped above- and belowground patterns differentially. Here, we aimed to identify the most important aboveground traits for explaining root traits without an a priori focus on known concepts. We measured morphological root traits in a glasshouse experiment on 141 common Central European grassland species. Using random forest algorithms, we built predictive models of six root traits from 97 aboveground morphological, ecological and life history traits. Root tissue density was best predicted by leaf dry matter content, whereas traits related to root fineness were best predicted by diaspore mass: the heavier the diaspore, the coarser the root system. Specific leaf area (SLA) was not an important predictor for any of the root traits. This study confirms the hypothesis that root traits are more than analogues of leaf traits within a plant economics spectrum. The results reveal a novel ecological pattern and highlight the power of root data to close important knowledge gaps in trait-based ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Bergmann
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Science (DCPS), Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Masahiro Ryo
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Science (DCPS), Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Hempel
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Science (DCPS), Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Science (DCPS), Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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74
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Medina S, Gupta SK, Vadez V. Transpiration Response and Growth in Pearl Millet Parental Lines and Hybrids Bred for Contrasting Rainfall Environments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1846. [PMID: 29163578 PMCID: PMC5671031 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Under conditions of high vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil drying, restricting transpiration is an important avenue to gain efficiency in water use. The question we raise in this article is whether breeding for agro-ecological environments that differ for the rainfall have selected for traits that control plant water use. These are measured in pearl millet materials bred for zones varying in rainfall (8 combinations of parent and F1-hybrids, 18 F1-hybrids and then 40 F1-hybrids). In all cases, we found an agro-ecological variation in the slope of the transpiration response to increasing VPD, and parental line variation in the transpiration response to soil drying within hybrids/parent combinations. The hybrids adapted to lower rainfall had higher transpiration response curves than those from the highest rainfall zones, but showed no variation in how transpiration responded to soil drying. The genotypes bred for lower rainfall zones showed lower leaf area, dry matter, thicker leaves, root development, and exudation, than the ones bred for high rainfall zone when grown in the low VPD environment of the greenhouse, but there was no difference in their root length neither on the root/shoot index in these genotypes. By contrast, when grown under high VPD conditions outdoors, the lower rainfall hybrids had the highest leaf, tiller, and biomass development. Finally, under soil drying the genotypes from the lower rainfall accumulated less biomass than the ones from higher rainfall zone, and so did the parental lines compared to the hybrids. These differences in the transpiration response and growth clearly showed that breeding for different agro-ecological zones also bred for different genotype strategies in relation to traits related to plant water use. Highlights: • Variation in transpiration response reflected breeding for agro-ecological zones • Different growth strategies depended on the environmental conditions • Different ideotypes reflected rainfall levels in specific agro-ecological zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Medina
- Crop Physiology Laboratory, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India
- Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - S. K. Gupta
- Crop Improvement Theme Asia Program, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India
| | - Vincent Vadez
- Crop Physiology Laboratory, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India
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Guo Y, Yang X, Schöb C, Jiang Y, Tang Z. Legume Shrubs Are More Nitrogen-Homeostatic than Non-legume Shrubs. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1662. [PMID: 29018468 PMCID: PMC5622988 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Legumes are characterized as keeping stable nutrient supply under nutrient-limited conditions. However, few studies examined the legumes' stoichiometric advantages over other plants across various taxa in natural ecosystems. We explored differences in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry of different tissue types (leaf, stem, and root) between N2-fixing legume shrubs and non-N2-fixing shrubs from 299 broadleaved deciduous shrubland sites in northern China. After excluding effects of taxonomy and environmental variables, these two functional groups differed considerably in nutrient regulation. N concentrations and N:P ratios were higher in legume shrubs than in non-N2-fixing shrubs. N concentrations were positively correlated between the plants and soil for non-N2-fixing shrubs, but not for legume shrubs, indicating a stronger stoichiometric homeostasis in legume shrubs than in non-N2-fixing shrubs. N concentrations were positively correlated among three tissue types for non-N2-fixing shrubs, but not between leaves and non-leaf tissues for legume shrubs, demonstrating that N concentrations were more dependent among tissues for non-N2-fixing shrubs than for legume shrubs. N and P concentrations were correlated within all tissues for both functional groups, but the regression slopes were flatter for legume shrubs than non-N2-fixing shrubs, implying that legume shrubs were more P limited than non-N2-fixing shrubs. These results address significant differences in stoichiometry between legume shrubs and non-N2-fixing shrubs, and indicate the influence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) on plant stoichiometry. Overall, N2-fixing legume shrubs are higher and more stoichiometrically homeostatic in N concentrations. However, due to excess uptake of N, legumes may suffer from potential P limitation. With their N advantage, legume shrubs could be good nurse plants in restoration sites with degraded soil, but their P supply should be taken care of during management according to our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanpei Guo
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xian Yang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Christian Schöb
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Youxu Jiang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Forest Ecological Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
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76
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Zhao G, Shi P, Wu J, Xiong D, Zong N, Zhang X. Foliar nutrient resorption patterns of four functional plants along a precipitation gradient on the Tibetan Changtang Plateau. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7201-7212. [PMID: 28944011 PMCID: PMC5606856 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient resorption from senesced leaves as a nutrient conservation strategy is important for plants to adapt to nutrient deficiency, particularly in alpine and arid environment. However, the leaf nutrient resorption patterns of different functional plants across environmental gradient remain unclear. In this study, we conducted a transect survey of 12 communities to address foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption strategies of four functional groups along an eastward increasing precipitation gradient in northern Tibetan Changtang Plateau. Soil nutrient availability, leaf nutrient concentration, and N:P ratio in green leaves ([N:P]g) were linearly correlated with precipitation. Nitrogen resorption efficiency decreased, whereas phosphorus resorption efficiency except for sedge increased with increasing precipitation, indicating a greater nutrient conservation in nutrient-poor environment. The surveyed alpine plants except for legume had obviously higher N and P resorption efficiencies than the world mean levels. Legumes had higher N concentrations in green and senesced leaves, but lowest resorption efficiency than nonlegumes. Sedge species had much lower P concentration in senesced leaves but highest P resorption efficiency, suggesting highly competitive P conservation. Leaf nutrient resorption efficiencies of N and P were largely controlled by soil and plant nutrient, and indirectly regulated by precipitation. Nutrient resorption efficiencies were more determined by soil nutrient availability, while resorption proficiencies were more controlled by leaf nutrient and N:P of green leaves. Overall, our results suggest strong internal nutrient cycling through foliar nutrient resorption in the alpine nutrient-poor ecosystems on the Plateau. The patterns of soil nutrient availability and resorption also imply a transit from more N limitation in the west to a more P limitation in the east Changtang. Our findings offer insights into understanding nutrient conservation strategy in the precipitation and its derived soil nutrient availability gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshuai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- China National Forestry Economics and Development Research CenterBeijingChina
| | - Peili Shi
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- College of Resource and EnvironmentUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jianshuang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Functional BiodiversityDahlem Center of Plant ScienceFree University of BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Dingpeng Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ning Zong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xianzhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and ModellingInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- College of Resource and EnvironmentUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Isaac ME, Martin AR, de Melo Virginio Filho E, Rapidel B, Roupsard O, Van den Meersche K. Intraspecific Trait Variation and Coordination: Root and Leaf Economics Spectra in Coffee across Environmental Gradients. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1196. [PMID: 28747919 PMCID: PMC5506091 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Hypotheses on the existence of a universal "Root Economics Spectrum" (RES) have received arguably the least attention of all trait spectra, despite the key role root trait variation plays in resource acquisition potential. There is growing interest in quantifying intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in plants, but there are few studies evaluating (i) the existence of an intraspecific RES within a plant species, or (ii) how a RES may be coordinated with other trait spectra within species, such as a leaf economics spectrum (LES). Using Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) as a model species, we measured seven morphological and chemical traits of intact lateral roots, which were paired with information on four key LES traits. Field collections were completed across four nested levels of biological organization. The intraspecific trait coefficient of variation (cv) ranged from 25 to 87% with root diameter and specific root tip density showing the lowest and highest cv, respectively. Between 27 and 68% of root ITV was explained by site identity alone for five of the seven traits measured. A single principal component explained 56.2% of root trait covariation, with plants falling along a RES from resource acquiring to conserving traits. Multiple factor analysis revealed significant orthogonal relationships between root and leaf spectra. RES traits were strongly orthogonal with respect to LES traits, suggesting these traits vary independently from one another in response to environmental cues. This study provides among the first evidence that plants from the same species differentiate from one another along an intraspecific RES. We find that in one of the world's most widely cultivated crops, an intraspecific RES is orthogonal to an intraspecific LES, indicating that above and belowground responses of plants to managed (or natural) environmental gradients are likely to occur independently from one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, TorontoON, Canada
| | - Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
| | | | - Bruno Rapidel
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR SYSTEMMontpellier, France
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
| | - Karel Van den Meersche
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
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78
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Li L, Gao X, Gui D, Liu B, Zhang B, Li X. Stoichiometry in aboveground and fine roots of Seriphidium korovinii in desert grassland in response to artificial nitrogen addition. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2017; 130:689-697. [PMID: 28364378 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-017-0930-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) input by atmospheric deposition and human activity enhances the availability of N in various ecosystems, which may further affect N and phosphorus (P) cycling and use by plants. However, the internal use of N, P, and N:P stoichiometry by plants in response to N supply, particularly for grass species in a desert steppe ecosystem, remains unclear. In this work, a field experiment was conducted at an infertile area in a desert steppe to investigate the effects of N fertilizer addition rates on the stoichiometry of N and P in a dominant grass species, Seriphidium korovinii. Results showed that for both aboveground and fine roots of S. korovinii, N inputs exponentially increased the N concentration and N:P ratios while P concentrations decreased. Meanwhile, the relationships between N and P concentrations for both aboveground and fine roots were significantly negative. Furthermore, while the N concentrations in the plants were relatively low, P concentrations were higher than the global means, resulting in a relatively low N:P ratio. These results suggest that the stoichiometric characteristics of N were different from that of P for this desert plant species. Results also show that the intraspecific variations in the main element traits (N, P, and N:P ratios) were consistent at the whole-plant level. Our results also suggest that N should be part of any short-term fertilization plan that is part of a management strategy designed to restore degraded desert grassland. These findings highlight that nutrient addition by atmospheric N deposition and human activity can have significant effects on the internal use of N and P by plants. Therefore, establishing a nutrient-conservation strategy for desert grasslands is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS 818 South Beijing Rd., Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem in Xinjiang, Cele, 848300, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Zone, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Xiaopeng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS 818 South Beijing Rd., Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem in Xinjiang, Cele, 848300, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Zone, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
- Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Dongwei Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS 818 South Beijing Rd., Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem in Xinjiang, Cele, 848300, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Zone, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Bo Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi, 276005, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS 818 South Beijing Rd., Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem in Xinjiang, Cele, 848300, Xinjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Zone, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Xiangyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS 818 South Beijing Rd., Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China.
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem in Xinjiang, Cele, 848300, Xinjiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Zone, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
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Iversen CM, McCormack ML, Powell AS, Blackwood CB, Freschet GT, Kattge J, Roumet C, Stover DB, Soudzilovskaia NA, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, van Bodegom PM, Violle C. A global Fine-Root Ecology Database to address below-ground challenges in plant ecology. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:15-26. [PMID: 28245064 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Variation and tradeoffs within and among plant traits are increasingly being harnessed by empiricists and modelers to understand and predict ecosystem processes under changing environmental conditions. While fine roots play an important role in ecosystem functioning, fine-root traits are underrepresented in global trait databases. This has hindered efforts to analyze fine-root trait variation and link it with plant function and environmental conditions at a global scale. This Viewpoint addresses the need for a centralized fine-root trait database, and introduces the Fine-Root Ecology Database (FRED, http://roots.ornl.gov) which so far includes > 70 000 observations encompassing a broad range of root traits and also includes associated environmental data. FRED represents a critical step toward improving our understanding of below-ground plant ecology. For example, FRED facilitates the quantification of variation in fine-root traits across root orders, species, biomes, and environmental gradients while also providing a platform for assessments of covariation among root, leaf, and wood traits, the role of fine roots in ecosystem functioning, and the representation of fine roots in terrestrial biosphere models. Continued input of observations into FRED to fill gaps in trait coverage will improve our understanding of changes in fine-root traits across space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Iversen
- Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - M Luke McCormack
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - A Shafer Powell
- Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | | | - Grégoire T Freschet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE), Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, 07701, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Catherine Roumet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE), Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Daniel B Stover
- Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science, US Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 20585, USA
| | - Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia
- Conservation Biology Department, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, RA 2300, the Netherlands
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
- International Center of Tropical Botany (ICTB), Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33181, USA
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Conservation Biology Department, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, RA 2300, the Netherlands
| | - Cyrille Violle
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE), Montpellier, 34293, France
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80
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Gómez-Aparicio L, Domínguez-Begines J, Kardol P, Ávila JM, Ibáñez B, García LV. Plant-soil feedbacks in declining forests: implications for species coexistence. Ecology 2017; 98:1908-1921. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Gómez-Aparicio
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS); CSIC; PO Box 1052 Sevilla 41080 Spain
| | - Jara Domínguez-Begines
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS); CSIC; PO Box 1052 Sevilla 41080 Spain
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - José M. Ávila
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS); CSIC; PO Box 1052 Sevilla 41080 Spain
| | - Beatriz Ibáñez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS); CSIC; PO Box 1052 Sevilla 41080 Spain
| | - Luis V. García
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS); CSIC; PO Box 1052 Sevilla 41080 Spain
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81
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire T. Freschet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 (CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE) 1919 route de Mende Montpellier34293 France
| | - Catherine Roumet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 (CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE) 1919 route de Mende Montpellier34293 France
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82
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Wang R, Wang Q, Zhao N, Yu G, He N. Complex trait relationships between leaves and absorptive roots: Coordination in tissue N concentration but divergence in morphology. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2697-2705. [PMID: 28428860 PMCID: PMC5395436 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leaves and absorptive roots (i.e., first‐order root) are above‐ and belowground plant organs related to resource acquisition; however, it is controversy over whether these two sets of functional traits vary in a coordinated manner. Here, we examined the relationships between analogous above‐ and belowground traits, including chemical (tissue C and N concentrations) and morphological traits (thickness and diameter, specific leaf area and root length, and tissue density) of 154 species sampling from eight subtropical and temperate forests. Our results showed that N concentrations of leaves and absorptive roots were positively correlated independent of phylogeny and plant growth forms, whereas morphological traits between above‐ and belowground organs varied independently. These results indicate that, different from plant economics spectrum theory, there is a complex integration of diverse adaptive strategies of plant species to above‐ and belowground environments, with convergent adaptation in nutrient traits but divergence in morphological traits across plant organs. Our results offer a new perspective for understanding the resource capture strategies of plants in adaptation to heterogeneous environments, and stress the importance of phylogenetic consideration in the discussion of cross‐species trait relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruili Wang
- College of Forestry Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi China
| | - Qiufeng Wang
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Ning Zhao
- Laboratory of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Science Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou Gansu China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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83
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Wang M, Wan P, Guo J, Xu J, Chai Y, Yue M. Relationships among Leaf, Stem and Root Traits of the Dominant Shrubs from Four Vegetation Zones in Shaanxi Province, China. Isr J Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/22244662-06301005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Leaves, stems and roots as the main plant organs have specific functions and together modulate survival, growth and reproduction. The relationships between these organs are high research priority, and there have been many hypotheses about the trade-offs between them. However, the results of these hypotheses are inconsistent and confusing. In this study, we examined 15 core traits of leaves, stems and woody roots of 27 dominant shrub species and further tested the hypotheses about the relationships between these organs. Measurements were made for shrubs across 9 sites including desert, steppe, temperate forest and subtropical forest in Shaanxi Province of China. Many significant correlations of different organ traits were found, e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus content showed a significant positive correlation, either within or across organs. Also, representatives of structural traits (carbon content and dry matter content) and mineral nutrient traits (nitrogen and phosphorus content) showed significant positive correlations among the leaves, stems and roots. The results of this study supported the hypotheses that there were significant correlations between leaf and root and between stem and root. Similarly, we found that trade-off between leaf and stem-plus-root showed a significant correlation. Thus, root traits, which are difficult to measure, are coordinated with those of the leaf and stem. We conclude that the leaf component of shrubs is a good proxy for the whole-plant in studying trade-offs and it could provide a convenient way to understand the whole-plant economic spectrum by focusing on the leaf economic spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao Wang
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
- b College of Grassland and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumchi, China
| | - Pengcheng Wan
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jiangchao Guo
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jinshi Xu
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yongfu Chai
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Ming Yue
- a School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
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84
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Matheny AM, Mirfenderesgi G, Bohrer G. Trait-based representation of hydrological functional properties of plants in weather and ecosystem models. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:1-12. [PMID: 30159486 PMCID: PMC6112282 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Land surface models and dynamic global vegetation models typically represent vegetation through coarse plant functional type groupings based on leaf form, phenology, and bioclimatic limits. Although these groupings were both feasible and functional for early model generations, in light of the pace at which our knowledge of functional ecology, ecosystem demographics, and vegetation-climate feedbacks has advanced and the ever growing demand for enhanced model performance, these groupings have become antiquated and are identified as a key source of model uncertainty. The newest wave of model development is centered on shifting the vegetation paradigm away from plant functional types (PFTs) and towards flexible trait-based representations. These models seek to improve errors in ecosystem fluxes that result from information loss due to over-aggregation of dissimilar species into the same functional class. We advocate the importance of the inclusion of plant hydraulic trait representation within the new paradigm through a framework of the whole-plant hydraulic strategy. Plant hydraulic strategy is known to play a critical role in the regulation of stomatal conductance and thus transpiration and latent heat flux. It is typical that coexisting plants employ opposing hydraulic strategies, and therefore have disparate patterns of water acquisition and use. Hydraulic traits are deterministic of drought resilience, response to disturbance, and other demographic processes. The addition of plant hydraulic properties in models may not only improve the simulation of carbon and water fluxes but also vegetation population distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Matheny
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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85
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Zhao YT, Ali A, Yan ER. The plant economics spectrum is structured by leaf habits and growth forms across subtropical species. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:173-185. [PMID: 28399260 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The plant economics spectrum that integrates the combination of leaf and wood syndromes provides a useful framework for the examination of species strategies at the whole-plant level. However, it remains unclear how species that differ in leaf habits and growth forms are integrated within the plant economics spectrum in subtropical forests. We measured five leaf and six wood traits across 58 subtropical plant species, which represented two leaf habits (evergreen vs deciduous) and two growth forms (tree vs shrub) in eastern China. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed separately to construct the leaf (LES), wood (WES) and whole-plant (WPES) economics spectra. Leaf and wood traits are highly intra- and intercorrelated, thus defining not only the LES and WES, but also a WPES. Multi-trait variations in PCAs revealed that the traits which were representative of the acquisitive strategy, i.e., cheap tissue investment and rapid returns on that investment, were clustered at one end, while traits that represented the conservative strategy, i.e., expensive tissue investment and slower returns, were clustered at other end in each of the axes of the leaf and wood syndromes (PC1-axis) and the plant height strategy (PC2-axis). The local WPES, LES and WES were tightly correlated with each other. Evergreens shaped the conservative side, while deciduous species structured the acquisitive side of the WPES and LES. With respect to plant height strategies, trees formulated the acquisitive side and shrub species made up the conservative side of the WPES, LES and WES. In conclusion, our results suggested that the LES and WES were coordinated to a WPES for subtropical species. The finding of this local spectrum of plant form and function would be beneficial for modeling nutrient fluxes and species compositions in the changing climate, but also for understanding species strategies in an evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Tao Zhao
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, 200241 Shanghai, China
- Forest Ecosystem Research and Observation Station in Putuo Island, 18 Longxing Road, Putuo District, 316100 Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
- Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Tiantong Forestry Centre in Dongwu Town, Yinzhou District, 315114 Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Arshad Ali
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, 200241 Shanghai, China
- Forest Ecosystem Research and Observation Station in Putuo Island, 18 Longxing Road, Putuo District, 316100 Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
- Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Tiantong Forestry Centre in Dongwu Town, Yinzhou District, 315114 Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - En-Rong Yan
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, 200241 Shanghai, China
- Forest Ecosystem Research and Observation Station in Putuo Island, 18 Longxing Road, Putuo District, 316100 Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China
- Tiantong National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Tiantong Forestry Centre in Dongwu Town, Yinzhou District, 315114 Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
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86
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Guo C, Ma L, Yuan S, Wang R. Morphological, physiological and anatomical traits of plant functional types in temperate grasslands along a large-scale aridity gradient in northeastern China. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40900. [PMID: 28106080 PMCID: PMC5247725 DOI: 10.1038/srep40900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
At the species level, plants can respond to climate changes by changing their leaf traits; however, there is scant information regarding the responses of morphological, physiological and anatomical traits of plant functional types (PFTs) to aridity. Herein, the leaf traits of five PFTs representing 17 plant species in temperate grasslands were examined along a large-scale aridity gradient in northeastern China. The results show that leaf thickness in shrubs, perennial grasses and forbs increased with heightened aridity. Trees increased soluble sugar content, but shrubs, perennials and annual grasses enhanced proline accumulation due to increasing aridity. Moreover, vessel diameter and stomatal index in shrubs and perennial grasses decreased with increasing aridity, but stomatal density and vascular diameter of five PFTs were not correlated with water availability. In conclusion, divergences in adaptive strategies to aridity among these PFTs in temperate grasslands were likely caused by differences in their utilization of water resources, which have different temporal and spatial distribution patterns. Leaf traits of shrubs and perennial grasses had the largest responses to variability of aridity through regulation of morphological, physiological and anatomical traits, which was followed by perennial forbs. Trees and annual grasses endured aridity only by adjusting leaf physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Linna Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Shan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Renzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
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87
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Weemstra M, Mommer L, Visser EJW, van Ruijven J, Kuyper TW, Mohren GMJ, Sterck FJ. Towards a multidimensional root trait framework: a tree root review. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:1159-69. [PMID: 27174359 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Contents 1159 I. 1159 II. 1161 III. 1164 IV. 1166 1167 References 1167 SUMMARY: The search for a root economics spectrum (RES) has been sparked by recent interest in trait-based plant ecology. By analogy with the one-dimensional leaf economics spectrum (LES), fine-root traits are hypothesised to match leaf traits which are coordinated along one axis from resource acquisitive to conservative traits. However, our literature review and meta-level analysis reveal no consistent evidence of an RES mirroring an LES. Instead the RES appears to be multidimensional. We discuss three fundamental differences contributing to the discrepancy between these spectra. First, root traits are simultaneously constrained by various environmental drivers not necessarily related to resource uptake. Second, above- and belowground traits cannot be considered analogues, because they function differently and might not be related to resource uptake in a similar manner. Third, mycorrhizal interactions may offset selection for an RES. Understanding and explaining the belowground mechanisms and trade-offs that drive variation in root traits, resource acquisition and plant performance across species, thus requires a fundamentally different approach than applied aboveground. We therefore call for studies that can functionally incorporate the root traits involved in resource uptake, the complex soil environment and the various soil resource uptake mechanisms - particularly the mycorrhizal pathway - in a multidimensional root trait framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Weemstra
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Eric J W Visser
- Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper van Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas W Kuyper
- Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Godefridus M J Mohren
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Frank J Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management group, Wageningen University, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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88
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Zhao N, Yu G, He N, Xia F, Wang Q, Wang R, Xu Z, Jia Y. Invariant allometric scaling of nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves, stems, and fine roots of woody plants along an altitudinal gradient. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2016; 129:647-657. [PMID: 26943163 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-016-0805-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) allocation in plant organs is of particular interest, as both elements are important to regulate plant growth. We analyzed the scaling relationship of N and P in leaves, stems and fine roots of 224 plant species along an altitudinal transect (500-2,300 m) on the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, China. We tested whether the scaling relationships of N and P were conserved in response to environmental variations. We found that the N and P concentrations of the leaves, stems and fine roots decreased, whereas the N:P ratios increased with increasing altitude. Allometric scaling relationships of N and P were found in the leaves, stems and fine roots, with allometric exponents of 0.78, 0.71 and 0.87, respectively. An invariant allometric scaling of N and P in the leaves, stems and fine roots was detected for woody plants along the altitudinal gradient. These results may advance our understanding of plant responses to climate change, and provide a basis for practical implication of various ecological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing of Gansu Province, Heihe Remote Sensing Experimental Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Nianpeng He
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Fucai Xia
- Foresty College of Beihua University, Jilin, 132013, China
| | - Qiufeng Wang
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ruili Wang
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhiwei Xu
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanlong Jia
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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89
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Larson JE, Funk JL. Seedling root responses to soil moisture and the identification of a belowground trait spectrum across three growth forms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:827-38. [PMID: 26765506 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Root trait variation and plasticity could be key factors differentiating plant performance under drought. However, water manipulation and root measurements are rarely coupled empirically across growth forms to identify whether belowground strategies are generalizable across species. We measured seedling root traits across three moisture levels in 18 Mediterranean forbs, grasses, and woody species. Drought increased the root mass fraction (RMF) and decreased the relative proportion of thin roots (indicated by increased root diameters and decreased specific root length (SRL)), rates of root elongation and growth, plant nitrogen uptake, and plant growth. Although responses varied across species, plasticity was not associated with growth form. Woody species differed from forbs and grasses in many traits, but herbaceous groups were similar. Across water treatments, trait correlations suggested a single spectrum of belowground trade-offs related to resource acquisition and plant growth. While effects of SRL and RMF on plant growth shifted with drought, root elongation rate consistently represented this spectrum. We demonstrate that general patterns of root morphology and plasticity are identifiable across diverse species. Root trait measurements should enhance our understanding of belowground strategy and performance across growth forms, but it will be critical to incorporate plasticity and additional aspects of root function into these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Larson
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Dr., Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Jennifer L Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Dr., Orange, CA, 92866, USA
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90
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Funk JL, Larson JE, Ames GM, Butterfield BJ, Cavender‐Bares J, Firn J, Laughlin DC, Sutton‐Grier AE, Williams L, Wright J. Revisiting the
H
oly
G
rail: using plant functional traits to understand ecological processes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1156-1173. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University 1 University Drive Orange CA 92866 USA
| | - Julie E. Larson
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University 1 University Drive Orange CA 92866 USA
| | - Gregory M. Ames
- Department of Biology Duke University Box 90338 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Bradley J. Butterfield
- Merriam‐Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Box 5640 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
| | - Jeannine Cavender‐Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota 1475 Gortner Avenue St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Jennifer Firn
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Brisbane Queensland 4000 Australia
| | - Daniel C. Laughlin
- Environmental Research Institute and School of Science University of Waikato Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3240 New Zealand
| | - Ariana E. Sutton‐Grier
- National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1305 East‐West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland 5825 University Research Ct #4001 College Park MD 20740 USA
| | - Laura Williams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota 1475 Gortner Avenue St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Justin Wright
- Department of Biology Duke University Box 90338 Durham NC 27708 USA
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91
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Bowsher AW, Mason CM, Goolsby EW, Donovan LA. Fine root tradeoffs between nitrogen concentration and xylem vessel traits preclude unified whole-plant resource strategies in Helianthus. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1016-31. [PMID: 26941942 PMCID: PMC4761775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work suggests variation in plant growth strategies is governed by a tradeoff in resource acquisition and use, ranging from a rapid resource acquisition strategy to a resource-conservative strategy. While evidence for this tradeoff has been found in leaves, knowledge of root trait strategies, and whether they reflect adaptive differentiation across environments, is limited. In the greenhouse, we investigated variation in fine root morphology (specific root length and tissue density), chemistry (nitrogen concentration and carbon:nitrogen), and anatomy (root cross-sectional traits) in populations of 26 Helianthus species and sister Phoebanthus tenuifolius. We also compared root trait variation in this study with leaf trait variation previously reported in a parallel study of these populations. Root traits varied widely and exhibited little phylogenetic signal, suggesting high evolutionary lability. Specific root length and root tissue density were weakly negatively correlated, but neither was associated with root nitrogen, providing little support for a single axis of root trait covariation. Correlations between traits measured in the greenhouse and native site characteristics were generally weak, suggesting a variety of equally viable root trait combinations exist within and across environments. However, high root nitrogen was associated with lower xylem vessel number and cross-sectional area, suggesting a tradeoff between nutrient investment and water transport capacity. This led to correlations between root and leaf traits that were not always consistent with an acquisition-conservation tradeoff at the whole-plant level. Given that roots must balance acquisition of water and nutrients with functions like anchorage, exudation, and microbial symbioses, the varied evidence for root trait covariation likely reflects the complexity of interacting selection pressures belowground. Similarly, the lack of evidence for a single acquisition-conservation tradeoff at the whole-plant level likely reflects the vastly different selection pressures shaping roots and leaves, and the resources they are optimized to obtain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan W. Bowsher
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia2502 Miller Plant SciencesAthensGeorgia30602
| | - Chase M. Mason
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia2502 Miller Plant SciencesAthensGeorgia30602
| | - Eric W. Goolsby
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology ProgramUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Lisa A. Donovan
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology ProgramUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
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92
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Maseda PH, Fernández RJ. Growth potential limits drought morphological plasticity in seedlings from six Eucalyptus provenances. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 36:243-51. [PMID: 26786540 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpv137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Water stress modifies plant above- vs belowground biomass allocation, i.e., morphological plasticity. It is known that all species and genotypes reduce their growth rate in response to stress, but in the case of water stress it is unclear whether the magnitude of such reduction is linked to the genotype's growth potential, and whether the reduction can be largely attributed to morphological adjustments such as plant allocation and leaf and root anatomy. We subjected seedlings of six seed sources, three from each of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (potentially fast growing) and E. globulus (inherently slow growing), to three experimental water regimes. Biomass, leaf area and root length were measured in a 6-month glasshouse experiment. We then performed functional growth analysis of relative growth rate (RGR), and aboveground (leaf area ratio (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf mass ratio (LMR)) and belowground (root length ratio (RLR), specific root length (SRL) and root mass ratio (RMR)) morphological components. Total biomass, root biomass and leaf area were reduced for all Eucalyptus provenances according to drought intensity. All populations exhibited drought plasticity, while those of greater growth potential (RGRmax) had a larger reduction in growth (discounting the effect of size). A positive correlation was observed between drought sensitivity and RGRmax. Aboveground, drought reduced LAR and LMR; under severe drought a negative correlation was found between LMR and RGRmax. Belowground, drought reduced SRL but increased RMR, resulting in no change in RLR. Under severe drought, a negative correlation was found between RLR, SRL and RGRmax. Our evidence strongly supports the classic ecophysiological trade-off between growth potential and drought tolerance for woody seedlings. It also suggests that slow growers would have a low capacity to adjust their morphology. For shoots, this constraint on plasticity was best observed in partition (i.e., LMR) whereas for roots it was clearest in morphology/anatomy (i.e., SRL). Thus, a low RGRmax would limit plastic response to drought not only at the whole plant level but also at the organ and even the tissue level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo H Maseda
- IFEVA-CONICET and Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires C1417DSQ, Argentina
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93
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He M, Song X, Tian F, Zhang K, Zhang Z, Chen N, Li X. Divergent variations in concentrations of chemical elements among shrub organs in a temperate desert. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20124. [PMID: 26818575 PMCID: PMC4730183 DOI: 10.1038/srep20124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Desert shrubs, a dominant component of desert ecosystems, need to maintain sufficient levels of nutrients in their different organs to ensure operation of various physiological functions for the purpose of survival and reproduction. In the present study, we analyzed 10 elements in leaves, stems, and roots of 24 dominant shrub species from 52 sites across a temperate desert ecosystem in northwestern China. We found that concentrations of all 10 elements were higher in leaves than in stems and roots, that non-legumes had higher levels of leaf Na and Mg than did legumes, and that Na was more concentrated in C4 leaves than in C3 leaves. Scaling relationships of elements between the photosynthetic organ (leaf) and non-photosynthetic organs (stem and root) were allometric. Results of principal components analysis (PCA) highlighted the important role of the elements responsible for osmoregulation (K and Na) in water utilization of desert shrubs. Soil properties and taxonomy explained most variation of element concentrations in desert shrubs. Desert shrubs may not be particularly susceptible to future change in climate factors, because most elements (including N, P, K, Ca, Mn, Zn, and Cu) associated with photosynthesis, osmoregulation, enzyme activity, and water use efficiency primarily depend on soil conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu He
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xin Song
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
| | - Fuping Tian
- The Lanzhou Scientific Observation and Experiment Field Station of Ministry of Agriculture for Ecological System in the Loess Plateau Area, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zhishan Zhang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Ning Chen
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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94
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Ma C, Xiong Y, Li L, Guo D. Root and leaf decomposition become decoupled over time: implications for below‐ and above‐ground relationships. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chengen Ma
- Center of Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Station Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Yanmei Xiong
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry Chinese Academy of Forestry Guangzhou 510520 China
| | - Le Li
- Center of Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Station Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100049 China
| | - Dali Guo
- Center of Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Station Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 China
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95
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Verheijen LM, Aerts R, Bönisch G, Kattge J, Van Bodegom PM. Variation in trait trade-offs allows differentiation among predefined plant functional types: implications for predictive ecology. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:563-575. [PMID: 26352461 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional types (PFTs) aggregate the variety of plant species into a small number of functionally different classes. We examined to what extent plant traits, which reflect species' functional adaptations, can capture functional differences between predefined PFTs and which traits optimally describe these differences. We applied Gaussian kernel density estimation to determine probability density functions for individual PFTs in an n-dimensional trait space and compared predicted PFTs with observed PFTs. All possible combinations of 1-6 traits from a database with 18 different traits (total of 18 287 species) were tested. A variety of trait sets had approximately similar performance, and 4-5 traits were sufficient to classify up to 85% of the species into PFTs correctly, whereas this was 80% for a bioclimatically defined tree PFT classification. Well-performing trait sets included combinations of correlated traits that are considered functionally redundant within a single plant strategy. This analysis quantitatively demonstrates how structural differences between PFTs are reflected in functional differences described by particular traits. Differentiation between PFTs is possible despite large overlap in plant strategies and traits, showing that PFTs are differently positioned in multidimensional trait space. This study therefore provides the foundation for important applications for predictive ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieneke M Verheijen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rien Aerts
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gerhard Bönisch
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knoell Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knoell Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter M Van Bodegom
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, the Netherlands
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96
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Li FL, Bao WK. New insights into leaf and fine-root trait relationships: implications of resource acquisition among 23 xerophytic woody species. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5344-5351. [PMID: 30151136 PMCID: PMC6102526 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 09/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional traits of leaves and fine root vary broadly among different species, but little is known about how these interspecific variations are coordinated between the two organs. This study aims to determine the interspecific relationships between corresponding leaf and fine-root traits to better understand plant strategies of resource acquisition. SLA (Specific leaf area), SRL (specific root length), mass-based N (nitrogen) and P (phosphorus) concentrations of leaves and fine roots, root system, and plant sizes were measured in 23 woody species grown together in a common garden setting. SLA and SRL exhibited a strong negative relationship. There were no significant relationships between corresponding leaf and fine-root nutrient concentrations. The interspecific variations in plant height and biomass were tightly correlated with root system size characteristics, including root depth and total root length. These results demonstrate a coordinated plant size-dependent variation between shoots and roots, but for efficiency, plant resource acquisition appears to be uncoupled between the leaves and fine roots. The different patterns of leaf and fine-root traits suggest different strategies for resource acquisition between the two organs. This provides insights into the linkage between above- and belowground subsystems in carbon and nutrient economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Lan Li
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource UtilizationChengdu Institute of BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Wei Kai Bao
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource UtilizationChengdu Institute of BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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97
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Cheng J, Chu P, Chen D, Bai Y. Functional correlations between specific leaf area and specific root length along a regional environmental gradient in Inner Mongolia grasslands. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences 20 Nanxincun Xiangshan Beijing 100093 China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences No.19A Yuquan Road Beijing 100049 China
| | - Pengfei Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences 20 Nanxincun Xiangshan Beijing 100093 China
| | - Dima Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences 20 Nanxincun Xiangshan Beijing 100093 China
| | - Yongfei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences 20 Nanxincun Xiangshan Beijing 100093 China
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98
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Partitioning between primary and secondary metabolism of carbon allocated to roots in four maize genotypes under water deficit and its effects on productivity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cj.2015.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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99
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Latitudinal variation of leaf stomatal traits from species to community level in forests: linkage with ecosystem productivity. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14454. [PMID: 26403303 PMCID: PMC4585881 DOI: 10.1038/srep14454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the latitudinal variation of stomatal traits from species to community level and their linkage with net primary productivity (NPP), we investigated leaf stomatal density (SDL) and stomatal length (SLL) across 760 species from nine forest ecosystems in eastern China, and calculated the community-level SD (SDC) and SL (SLC) through species-specific leaf area index (LAI). Our results showed that latitudinal variation in species-level SDL and SLL was minimal, but community-level SDC and SLC decreased clearly with increasing latitude. The relationship between SD and SL was negative across species and different plant functional types (PFTs), but positive at the community level. Furthermore, community-level SDC correlated positively with forest NPP, and explained 51% of the variation in NPP. These findings indicate that the trade-off by regulating SDL and SLL may be an important strategy for plant individuals to adapt to environmental changes, and temperature acts as the main factor influencing community-level stomatal traits through alteration of species composition. Importantly, our findings provide new insight into the relationship between plant traits and ecosystem function.
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100
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Pan X, Song YB, Liu GF, Hu YK, Ye XH, Cornwell WK, Prinzing A, Dong M, Cornelissen JH. Functional traits drive the contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition among multiple arid-zone species. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13217. [PMID: 26282711 PMCID: PMC4539537 DOI: 10.1038/srep13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In arid zones, strong solar radiation has important consequences for ecosystem processes. To better understand carbon and nutrient dynamics, it is important to know the contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition of different arid-zone species. Here we investigated: (1) whether such contribution varies among plant species at given irradiance regime, (2) whether interspecific variation in such contribution correlates with interspecific variation in the decomposition rate under shade; and (3) whether this correlation can be explained by leaf traits. We conducted a factorial experiment to determine the effects of solar radiation and environmental moisture for the mass loss and the decomposition constant k-values of 13 species litters collected in Northern China. The contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition varied significantly among species. Solar radiation accelerated decomposition in particular in the species that already decompose quickly under shade. Functional traits, notably specific leaf area, might predict the interspecific variation in that contribution. Our results provide the first empirical evidence for how the effect of solar radiation on decomposition varies among multiple species. Thus, the effect of solar radiation on the carbon flux between biosphere and atmosphere may depend on the species composition of the vegetation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Pan
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao-Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Kun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Hua Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - William K. Cornwell
- Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andreas Prinzing
- Université de Rennes 1, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Rennes, France
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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