101
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Freschet GT, Swart EM, Cornelissen JHC. Integrated plant phenotypic responses to contrasting above- and below-ground resources: key roles of specific leaf area and root mass fraction. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 206:1247-60. [PMID: 25783781 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plants adapt phenotypically to different conditions of light and nutrient supply, supposedly in order to achieve colimitation of these resources. Their key variable of adjustment is the ratio of leaf area to root length, which relies on plant biomass allocation and organ morphology. We recorded phenotypic differences in leaf and root mass fractions (LMF, RMF), specific leaf area (SLA) and specific root length (SRL) of 12 herbaceous species grown in factorial combinations of high/low irradiance and fertilization treatments. Leaf area and root length ratios, and their components, were influenced by nonadditive effects between light and nutrient supply, and differences in the strength of plant responses were partly explained by Ellenberg's species values representing ecological optima. Changes in allocation were critical in plant responses to nutrient availability, as the RMF contribution to changes in root length was 2.5× that of the SRL. Contrastingly, morphological adjustments (SLA rather than LMF) made up the bulk of plant response to light availability. Our results suggest largely predictable differences in responses of species and groups of species to environmental change. Nevertheless, they stress the critical need to account for adjustments in below-ground mass allocation to understand the assembly and responses of communities in changing environments.
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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, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Elferra M Swart
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands
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102
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Hobbie SE. Plant species effects on nutrient cycling: revisiting litter feedbacks. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:357-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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103
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Hu YK, Pan X, Liu GF, Li WB, Dai WH, Tang SL, Zhang YL, Xiao T, Chen LY, Xiong W, Zhou MY, Song YB, Dong M. Novel evidence for within-species leaf economics spectrum at multiple spatial scales. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:901. [PMID: 26579151 PMCID: PMC4620397 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Leaf economics spectrum (LES), characterizing covariation among a suite of leaf traits relevant to carbon and nutrient economics, has been examined largely among species but hardly within species. In addition, very little attempt has been made to examine whether the existence of LES depends on spatial scales. To address these questions, we quantified the variation and covariation of four leaf economic traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents) in a cosmopolitan wetland species (Phragmites australis) at three spatial (inter-regional, regional, and site) scales across most of the species range in China. The species expressed large intraspecific variation in the leaf economic traits at all of the three spatial scales. It also showed strong covariation among the four leaf economic traits across the species range. The coordination among leaf economic traits resulted in LES at all three scales and the environmental variables determining variation in leaf economic traits were different among the spatial scales. Our results provide novel evidence for within-species LES at multiple spatial scales, indicating that resource trade-off could also constrain intraspecific trait variation mainly driven by climatic and/or edaphic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Kun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Xu Pan
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of ForestryBeijing, China
| | - Guo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Wen-Bing Li
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Hong Dai
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Shuang-Li Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Ya-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Tao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Yao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yao-Bin Song, ; Ming Dong,
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yao-Bin Song, ; Ming Dong,
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104
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Grassein F, Lemauviel-Lavenant S, Lavorel S, Bahn M, Bardgett RD, Desclos-Theveniau M, Laîné P. Relationships between functional traits and inorganic nitrogen acquisition among eight contrasting European grass species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2015; 115:107-15. [PMID: 25471096 PMCID: PMC4284118 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS Leaf functional traits have been used as a basis to categoize plants across a range of resource-use specialization, from those that conserve available resources to those that exploit them. However, the extent to which the leaf functional traits used to define the resource-use strategies are related to root traits and are good indicators of the ability of the roots to take up nitrogen (N) are poorly known. This is an important question because interspecific differences in N uptake have been proposed as one mechanism by which species' coexistence may be determined. This study therefore investigated the relationships between functional traits and N uptake ability for grass species across a range of conservative to exploitative resource-use strategies. METHODS Root uptake of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and leaf and root functional traits were measured for eight grass species sampled at three grassland sites across Europe, in France, Austria and the UK. Species were grown in hydroponics to determine functional traits and kinetic uptake parameters (Imax and Km) under standardized conditions. KEY RESULTS Species with high specific leaf area (SLA) and shoot N content, and low leaf and root dry matter content (LDMC and RDMC, respectively), which are traits associated with the exploitative syndrome, had higher uptake and affinity for both N forms. No trade-off was observed in uptake between the two forms of N, and all species expressed a higher preference for [Formula: see text]. CONCLUSIONS The results support the use of leaf traits, and especially SLA and LDMC, as indicators of the N uptake ability across a broad range of grass species. The difficulties associated with assessing root properties are also highlighted, as root traits were only weakly correlated with leaf traits, and only RDMC and, to a lesser extent, root N content were related to leaf traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Grassein
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Servane Lemauviel-Lavenant
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Michael Bahn
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Richard D Bardgett
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marie Desclos-Theveniau
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Philippe Laîné
- Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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105
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Wang N, Gao J, Zhang SQ, Wang GX. Variations in leaf and root stoichiometry of Nitraria tangutorum along aridity gradients in the Hexi Corridor, northwest China. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425514030123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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106
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Yang X, Tang Z, Ji C, Liu H, Ma W, Mohhamot A, Shi Z, Sun W, Wang T, Wang X, Wu X, Yu S, Yue M, Zheng C. Scaling of nitrogen and phosphorus across plant organs in shrubland biomes across Northern China. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5448. [PMID: 24965183 PMCID: PMC4071319 DOI: 10.1038/srep05448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Allocation of limiting resources, such as nutrients, is an important adaptation strategy for plants. Plants may allocate different nutrients within a specific organ or the same nutrient among different organs. In this study, we investigated the allocation strategies of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in leaves, stems and roots of 126 shrub species from 172 shrubland communities in Northern China using scaling analyses. Results showed that N and P have different scaling relationships among plant organs. The scaling relationships of N concentration across different plant organs tended to be allometric between leaves and non-leaf organs, and isometric between non-leaf organs. Whilst the scaling relationships of P concentration tended to be allometric between roots and non-root organs, and isometric between non-root organs. In arid environments, plant tend to have higher nutrient concentration in leaves at given root or stem nutrient concentration. Evolutionary history affected the scaling relationships of N concentration slightly, but not affected those of P concentration. Despite fairly consistent nutrients allocation strategies existed in independently evolving lineages, evolutionary history and environments still led to variations on these strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Yang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chengjun Ji
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenhong Ma
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Anwar Mohhamot
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Zhaoyong Shi
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Wei Sun
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangping Wang
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xian Wu
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shunli Yu
- Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Yue
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chengyang Zheng
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
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107
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Adamidis GC, Kazakou E, Fyllas NM, Dimitrakopoulos PG. Species adaptive strategies and leaf economic relationships across serpentine and non-serpentine habitats on Lesbos, eastern Mediterranean. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96034. [PMID: 24800835 PMCID: PMC4011732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Shifts in species' traits across contrasting environments have the potential to influence ecosystem functioning. Plant communities on unusually harsh soils may have unique responses to environmental change, through the mediating role of functional plant traits. We conducted a field study comparing eight functional leaf traits of seventeen common species located on both serpentine and non-serpentine environments on Lesbos Island, in the eastern Mediterranean. We focused on species' adaptive strategies across the two contrasting environments and investigated the effect of trait variation on the robustness of core 'leaf economic' relationships across local environmental variability. Our results showed that the same species followed a conservative strategy on serpentine substrates and an exploitative strategy on non-serpentine ones, consistent with the leaf economic spectrum predictions. Although considerable species-specific trait variability emerged, the single-trait responses across contrasting environments were generally consistent. However, multivariate-trait responses were diverse. Finally, we found that the strength of relationships between core 'leaf economic' traits altered across local environmental variability. Our results highlight the divergent trait evolution on serpentine and non-serpentine communities and reinforce other findings presenting species-specific responses to environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- George C. Adamidis
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Elena Kazakou
- Montpellier SupAgro, UMR Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
| | - Nikolaos M. Fyllas
- Department of Ecology & Systematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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108
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Geng Y, Wang L, Jin D, Liu H, He JS. Alpine climate alters the relationships between leaf and root morphological traits but not chemical traits. Oecologia 2014; 175:445-55. [PMID: 24633995 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2919-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leaves and fine roots are among the most important and dynamic components of terrestrial ecosystems. To what extent plants synchronize their resource capture strategies above- and belowground remains uncertain. Existing results of trait relationships between leaf and root showed great inconsistency, which may be partly due to the differences in abiotic environmental conditions such as climate and soil. Moreover, there is currently little evidence on whether and how the stringent environments of high-altitude alpine ecosystems alter the coordination between above- and belowground. Here we measured six sets of analogous traits for both leaves and fine roots of 139 species collected from Tibetan alpine grassland and Mongolian temperate grassland. N, P and N:P ratio of leaves and fine roots were positively correlated, independent of biogeographic regions, phylogenetic affiliation or climate. In contrast, leaves and fine roots seem to regulate morphological traits more independently. The specific leaf area (SLA)-specific root length (SRL) correlation shifted from negative at sites under low temperature to positive at warmer sites. The cold climate of alpine regions may impose different constraints on shoots and roots, selecting simultaneously for high SLA leaves for rapid C assimilation during the short growing season, but low SRL roots with high physical robustness to withstand soil freezing. In addition, there might be more community heterogeneity in cold soils, resulting in multidirectional strategies of root in resource acquisition. Thus our results demonstrated that alpine climate alters the relationships between leaf and root morphological but not chemical traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Geng
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing, 100871, China
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109
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Zhang C, Li C, Luo G, Chen X. Modeling plant structure and its impacts on carbon and water cycles of the Central Asian arid ecosystem in the context of climate change. Ecol Modell 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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110
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Fu H, Yuan G, Zhong J, Cao T, Ni L, Xie P. Environmental and ontogenetic effects on intraspecific trait variation of a macrophyte species across five ecological scales. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62794. [PMID: 23626856 PMCID: PMC3633840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although functional trait variability is increasingly used in community ecology, the scale- and size-dependent aspects of trait variation are usually disregarded. Here we quantified the spatial structure of shoot height, branch length, root/shoot ratio and leaf number in a macrophyte species Potamogeton maackianus, and then disentangled the environmental and ontogenetic effects on these traits. Using a hierarchical nested design, we measured the four traits from 681 individuals across five ecological scales: lake, transect, depth stratus, quadrat and individual. A notable high trait variation (coefficient variation: 48–112%) was observed within species. These traits differed in the spatial structure, depending on environmental factors of different scales. Shoot height and branch length were most responsive to lake, transect and depth stratus scales, while root/shoot ratio and leaf number to quadrat and individual scales. The trait variations caused by environment are nearly three times higher than that caused by ontogeny, with ontogenetic variance ranging from 21% (leaf number) to 33% (branch length) of total variance. Remarkably, these traits showed non-negligible ontogenetic variation (0–60%) in each ecological scale, and significant shifts in allometric trajectories at lake and depth stratus scales. Our results highlight that environmental filtering processes can sort individuals within species with traits values adaptive to environmental changes and ontogenetic variation of functional traits was non-negligible across the five ecological scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Fu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Jiangxi Institute of Water Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Guixiang Yuan
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayou Zhong
- Jiangxi Institute of Water Sciences, Nanchang, China
| | - Te Cao
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Leyi Ni
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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111
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Freschet GT, Bellingham PJ, Lyver PO, Bonner KI, Wardle DA. Plasticity in above- and belowground resource acquisition traits in response to single and multiple environmental factors in three tree species. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:1065-78. [PMID: 23610644 PMCID: PMC3631414 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait plasticity is a major component of plant adjustment to environmental stresses. Here, we explore how multiple local environmental gradients in resources required by plants (light, water, and nutrients) and soil disturbance together influence the direction and amplitude of intraspecific changes in leaf and fine root traits that facilitate capture of these resources. We measured population-level analogous above- and belowground traits related to resource acquisition, i.e. "specific leaf area"-"specific root length" (SLA-SRL), and leaf and root N, P, and dry matter content (DMC), on three dominant understory tree species with contrasting carbon and nutrient economics across 15 plots in a temperate forest influenced by burrowing seabirds. We observed similar responses of the three species to the same single environmental influences, but partially species-specific responses to combinations of influences. The strength of intraspecific above- and belowground trait responses appeared unrelated to species resource acquisition strategy. Finally, most analogous leaf and root traits (SLA vs. SRL, and leaf versus root P and DMC) were controlled by contrasting environmental influences. The decoupled responses of above- and belowground traits to these multiple environmental factors together with partially species-specific adjustments suggest complex responses of plant communities to environmental changes, and potentially contrasting feedbacks of plant traits with ecosystem properties. We demonstrate that despite the growing evidence for broadly consistent resource-acquisition strategies at the whole plant level among species, plants also show partially decoupled, finely tuned strategies between above- and belowground parts at the intraspecific level in response to their environment. This decoupling within species suggests a need for many species-centred ecological theories on how plants respond to their environments (e.g. competitive/stress-tolerant/ruderal and response-effect trait frameworks) to be adapted to account for distinct plant-environment interactions among distinct individuals of the same species and parts of the same individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire T Freschet
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå, 901 83, Sweden
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112
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Wright JP, Sutton-Grier A. Does the leaf economic spectrum hold within local species pools across varying environmental conditions? Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin P. Wright
- Department of Biology; Duke University; Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Ariana Sutton-Grier
- Nicholas School of the Enivronment; Duke University; Durham North Carolina USA
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113
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Xie J, Tang L, Wang Z, Xu G, Li Y. Distinguishing the biomass allocation variance resulting from ontogenetic drift or acclimation to soil texture. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41502. [PMID: 22911802 PMCID: PMC3404046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In resource-poor environments, adjustment in plant biomass allocation implies a complex interplay between environmental signals and plant development rather than a delay in plant development alone. To understand how environmental factors influence biomass allocation or the developing phenotype, it is necessary to distinguish the biomass allocations resulting from environmental gradients or ontogenetic drift. Here, we compared the development trajectories of cotton plants (Gossypium herbaceum L.), which were grown in two contrasting soil textures during a 60-d period. Those results distinguished the biomass allocation pattern resulting from ontogenetic drift and the response to soil texture. The soil texture significantly changed the biomass allocation to leaves and roots, but not to stems. Soil texture also significantly changed the development trajectories of leaf and root traits, but did not change the scaling relationship between basal stem diameter and plant height. Results of nested ANOVAs of consecutive plant-size categories in both soil textures showed that soil gradients explained an average of 63.64-70.49% of the variation of biomass allocation to leaves and roots. Ontogenetic drift explained 77.47% of the variation in biomass allocation to stems. The results suggested that the environmental factors governed the biomass allocation to roots and leaves, and ontogenetic drift governed the biomass allocation to stems. The results demonstrated that biomass allocation to metabolically active organs (e.g., roots and leaves) was mainly governed by environmental factors, and that biomass allocation to metabolically non-active organs (e.g., stems) was mainly governed by ontogenetic drift. We concluded that differentiating the causes of development trajectories of plant traits was important to the understanding of plant response to environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangbo Xie
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lisong Tang
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhongyuan Wang
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guiqing Xu
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Lab of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China
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114
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Fortunel C, Fine PVA, Baraloto C. Leaf, stem and root tissue strategies across 758 Neotropical tree species. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.02020.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Fortunel
- INRA; UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane; BP 709; 97387; Kourou Cedex; France
| | - Paul V. A. Fine
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley; California; 94720; USA
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115
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Birouste M, Kazakou E, Blanchard A, Roumet C. Plant traits and decomposition: are the relationships for roots comparable to those for leaves? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2012; 109:463-72. [PMID: 22143881 PMCID: PMC3268542 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 10/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fine root decomposition is an important determinant of nutrient and carbon cycling in grasslands; however, little is known about the factors controlling root decomposition among species. Our aim was to investigate whether interspecific variation in the potential decomposition rate of fine roots could be accounted for by root chemical and morphological traits, life history and taxonomic affiliation. We also investigated the co-ordinated variation in root and leaf traits and potential decomposition rates. METHODS We analysed potential decomposition rates and the chemical and morphological traits of fine roots on 18 Mediterranean herbaceous species grown in controlled conditions. The results were compared with those obtained for leaves in a previous study conducted on similar species. KEY RESULTS Differences in the potential decomposition rates of fine roots between species were accounted for by root chemical composition, but not by morphological traits. The root potential decomposition rate varied with taxonomy, but not with life history. Poaceae, with high cellulose concentration and low concentrations of soluble compounds and phosphorus, decomposed more slowly than Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Patterns of root traits, including decomposition rate, mirrored those of leaf traits, resulting in a similar species clustering. CONCLUSIONS The highly co-ordinated variation of roots and leaves in terms of traits and potential decomposition rate suggests that changes in the functional composition of communities in response to anthropogenic changes will strongly affect biogeochemical cycles at the ecosystem level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Birouste
- CNRS, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR, Montpellier, France.
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116
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