151
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Mousing EA, Ribeiro S, Chisholm C, Kuijpers A, Moros M, Ellegaard M. Size differences of Arctic marine protists between two climate periods-using the paleoecological record to assess the importance of within-species trait variation. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3-13. [PMID: 28070270 PMCID: PMC5216622 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mean body size decreases with increasing temperature in a variety of organisms. This size-temperature relationship has generally been tested through space but rarely through time. We analyzed the sedimentary archive of dinoflagellate cysts in a sediment record taken from the West Greenland shelf and show that mean cell size decreased at both intra- and interspecific scales in a period of relatively warm temperatures, compared with a period of relatively cold temperatures. We further show that intraspecific changes accounted for more than 70% of the change in community mean size, whereas shifts in species composition only accounted for about 30% of the observed change. Literature values on size ranges and midpoints for individual taxa were in several cases not representative for the measured sizes, although changes in community mean size, calculated from literature values, did capture the direction of change. While the results show that intraspecific variation is necessary to accurately estimate the magnitude of change in protist community mean size, it may be possible to investigate general patterns, that is relative size differences, using interspecific-level estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A. Mousing
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Sofia Ribeiro
- Department of Glaciology and ClimateGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Chelsea Chisholm
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and ClimateNatural History Museum of DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Antoon Kuijpers
- Department of Glaciology and ClimateGeological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Matthias Moros
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)WarnemündeGermany
| | - Marianne Ellegaard
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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152
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Mitchell RM, Wright JP, Ames GM. Intraspecific variability improves environmental matching, but does not increase ecological breadth along a wet-to-dry ecotone. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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153
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Pozolotina VN, Antonova EV. Temporal variability of the quality of Taraxacum officinale seed progeny from the East-Ural radioactive trace: is there an interaction between low level radiation and weather conditions? Int J Radiat Biol 2016; 93:330-339. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2016.1254835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera N. Pozolotina
- Laboratory of Population Radiobiology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Elena V. Antonova
- Laboratory of Population Radiobiology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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154
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Luo Y, Liu J, Tan S, Cadotte MW, Xu K, Gao L, Li D. Trait variation and functional diversity maintenance of understory herbaceous species coexisting along an elevational gradient in Yulong Mountain, Southwest China. PLANT DIVERSITY 2016; 38:303-311. [PMID: 30159482 PMCID: PMC6112257 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing trait variation across different ecological scales in plant communities has been viewed as a way to gain insights into the mechanisms driving species coexistence. However, little is known about how changes in intraspecific and interspecific traits across sites influence species richness and community assembly, especially in understory herbaceous communities. Here we partitioned the variance of four functional traits (maximum height, leaf thickness, leaf area and specific leaf area) across four nested biological scales: individual, species, plot, and elevation to quantify the scale-dependent distributions of understory herbaceous trait variance. We also integrated the comparison of the trait variance ratios to null models to investigate the effects of different ecological processes on community assembly and functional diversity along a 1200-m elevational gradient in Yulong Mountain. We found interspecific trait variation was the main trait variation component for leaf traits, although intraspecific trait variation ranged from 10% to 28% of total variation. In particular, maximum height exhibited high plasticity, and intraspecific variation accounted for 44% of the total variation. Despite the fact that species composition varied across elevation and species richness decreased dramatically along the elevational gradient, there was little variance at our largest (elevation) scale in leaf traits and functional diversity remained constant along the elevational gradient, indicating that traits responded to smaller scale influences. External filtering was only observed at high elevations. However, strong internal filtering was detected along the entire elevational gradient in understory herbaceous communities, possibly due to competition. Our results provide evidence that species coexistence in understory herbaceous communities might be structured by differential niche-assembled processes. This approach -- integrating different biological scales of trait variation -- may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the structure of communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahuang Luo
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Shaolin Tan
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough & Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada
| | - Kun Xu
- Lijiang Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang 674100, China
| | - Lianming Gao
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Corresponding author. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. Fax: +86 0871 68123227.
| | - Dezhu Li
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- Corresponding author. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China. Fax: +86 0871 65223503.
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155
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Alofs KM. The influence of variability in species trait data on community-level ecological prediction and inference. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6345-53. [PMID: 27648248 PMCID: PMC5016654 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Species trait data have been used to predict and infer ecological processes and the responses of biological communities to environmental changes. It has also been suggested that, in lieu of trait, data niche differences can be inferred from phylogenetic distance. It remains unclear how variation in trait data may influence the strength and character of ecological inference. Using species-level trait data in community ecology assumes intraspecific variation is small in comparison with interspecific variation. Intraspecific variation across species ranges or within populations may lead to variability in trait data derived from different scales (i.e., local or regional) and methods (i.e., mean or maximum values). Variation in trait data across species can affect community-level relationships. I examined variability in body size, a key trait often measured across taxa. I collected 12 metrics of fish species length (including common and maximum values) for 40 species from literature, online databases, museum collections, and field data. I then tested whether different metrics of fish length could consistently predict observed species range boundary shifts and the impacts of an introduced predator on inland lake fish communities across Ontario, Canada. I also investigated whether phylogenetic signal, an indicator of niche-conservativism, changed among measures. I found strong correlations between length metrics and limited variation across metrics. Accordingly, length was a consistently significant predictor of the response of fish communities to environmental change. Additionally, I found significant evidence of phylogenetic signal in fish length across metrics. Limited variation in length across metrics (within species), in comparison with variation within metrics (across species), made fish species length a reliable predictor at a community-level. When considering species-level trait data from different sources, researchers should examine the potential influence of intraspecific trait variation on data derived by different metrics and at different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Alofs
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
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156
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The Labile Limits of Forbidden Interactions. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:700-710. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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157
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Contin DR, Munné-Bosch S. Interspecific variation in vitamin E levels and the extent of lipid peroxidation in pioneer and non-pioneer species used in tropical forest restoration. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 36:1151-1161. [PMID: 27052435 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Reforestation projects have gained interest over recent years due to the loss of biodiversity in tropical regions as a result of large deforestation by anthropogenic actions. However, better knowledge on the tolerance of plant species to environmental stresses is needed for reforestation success. Here, we evaluated the photoprotective and antioxidant capacity, in terms of vitamin E accumulation, of five pioneer (Platypodium elegans Vogel, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Lafoensia pacari A. St.-Hil, Cecropia pachystachya Trécul. and Aegiphila sellowiana Cham.) and five non-pioneer (Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Cedrela fissilis Vell., Genipa americana L., Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. and Hymenaea courbaril L.) species, in relation to the extent of lipid peroxidation in leaves. Furthermore, we examined differences between sun and shade leaves on vitamin E accumulation and the extent of lipid peroxidation. Pioneer plants showed on average 33% higher malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, than non-pioneer species, but no significant differences in vitamin E contents. In contrast, a marked interspecific variation was observed in the levels of α-tocopherol and its precursor, γ-tocopherol. Natural variation revealed interesting relationships between vitamin E levels and the extent of lipid peroxidation in leaves. The pioneer species, P. elegans, did not accumulate α-tocopherol and displayed the highest levels of malondialdehyde. Sun and shade leaves accumulated vitamin E levels to a similar extent, except for the pioneer L. pacari and the non-pioneer C. langsdorffii, the former accumulating more α-tocopherol in sun leaves and the latter in shade leaves. We conclude that interspecific variation is higher than both leaf type and successional-group variation in terms of vitamin E accumulation and the extent of lipid peroxidation, and that vitamin E levels, particularly those of α-tocopherol, negatively correlate with the extent of lipid peroxidation, thus supporting a photoprotective and antioxidant function for vitamin E in plants growing in tropical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele R Contin
- Departament de Biologia Vegetal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Munné-Bosch
- Departament de Biologia Vegetal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
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158
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Luo W, Callaway RM, Atwater DZ. Intraspecific diversity buffers the inhibitory effects of soil biota. Ecology 2016; 97:1913-1918. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Luo
- School of Environment/Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration of National Environmental Protection; Northeast Normal University; Changchun 130117 China
- Division of Biological Sciences; The University of Montana; Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences; The University of Montana; Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Daniel Z. Atwater
- Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
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159
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Clark JS. Why species tell more about traits than traits about species: predictive analysis. Ecology 2016; 97:1979-1993. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James S. Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University Durham North Carolina 27709 USA
- Department of Statistical Science Duke University Durham North Carolina 27709 USA
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160
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Reynolds LK, DuBois K, Abbott JM, Williams SL, Stachowicz JJ. Response of a Habitat-Forming Marine Plant to a Simulated Warming Event Is Delayed, Genotype Specific, and Varies with Phenology. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154532. [PMID: 27258011 PMCID: PMC4892549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence shows that increasing global temperature causes population declines and latitudinal shifts in geographical distribution for plants living near their thermal limits. Yet, even populations living well within established thermal limits of a species may suffer as the frequency and intensity of warming events increase with climate change. Adaptive response to this stress at the population level depends on the presence of genetic variation in thermal tolerance in the populations in question, yet few data exist to evaluate this. In this study, we examined the immediate effects of a moderate warming event of 4.5°C lasting 5 weeks and the legacy effects after a 5 week recovery on different genotypes of the marine plant Zostera marina (eelgrass). We conducted the experiment in Bodega Bay, CA USA, where average summer water temperatures are 14–15°C, but extended warming periods of 17–18°C occur episodically. Experimental warming increased shoot production by 14% compared to controls held at ambient temperature. However, after returning temperature to ambient levels, we found strongly negative, delayed effects of warming on production: shoot production declined by 27% and total biomass decreased by 50% relative to individuals that had not been warmed. While all genotypes’ production decreased in the recovery phase, genotypes that grew the most rapidly under benign thermal conditions (control) were the most susceptible to the detrimental effects of warming. This suggests a potential tradeoff in relative performance at normal vs. elevated temperatures. Modest short-term increases in water temperature have potentially prolonged negative effects within the species’ thermal envelope, but genetic variation within these populations may allow for population persistence and adaptation. Further, intraspecific variation in phenology can result in maintenance of population diversity and lead to enhanced production in diverse stands given sufficient frequency of warming or other stress events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K. Reynolds
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Katherine DuBois
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
- Bodega Marine Lab, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Abbott
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Susan L. Williams
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
- Bodega Marine Lab, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, United States of America
| | - John J. Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America
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161
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Kuppler J, Höfers MK, Wiesmann L, Junker RR. Time-invariant differences between plant individuals in interactions with arthropods correlate with intraspecific variation in plant phenology, morphology and floral scent. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 210:1357-68. [PMID: 26840542 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The basic units of ecological and evolutionary processes are individuals. Network studies aiming to infer mechanisms from complex systems, however, usually focus on interactions between species, not individuals. Accordingly, the structure and underlying mechanisms of individual-based interaction networks remain largely unknown. In a common garden, we recorded all interactions on flowers and leaves of 97 Sinapis arvensis individuals from seedling stage to fruit set and related interindividual differences in interactions to the plant individuals' phenotypes. The plant individuals significantly differed in their quantitative and qualitative interactions with arthropods on flowers and leaves. These differences remained stable over the entire season and thus were time-invariant. Variation in interacting arthropod communities could be explained by a pronounced intraspecific variability in flowering phenology, morphology and flower scent, and translated into variation in reproductive success. Interestingly, plant individuals with a similar composition of flower visitors were also visited by a similar assemblage of interaction partners at leaves. Our results show that the nonuniformity of plant species has pronounced effects in community ecology, potentially with implications for the persistence of communities and populations, and their ability to withstand environmental fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kuppler
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätstrasse 1, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Maren K Höfers
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätstrasse 1, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Lisa Wiesmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
| | - Robert R Junker
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg, 5020, Austria
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162
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Klauschies T, Vasseur DA, Gaedke U. Trait adaptation promotes species coexistence in diverse predator and prey communities. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:4141-59. [PMID: 27516870 PMCID: PMC4972238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Species can adjust their traits in response to selection which may strongly influence species coexistence. Nevertheless, current theory mainly assumes distinct and time-invariant trait values. We examined the combined effects of the range and the speed of trait adaptation on species coexistence using an innovative multispecies predator-prey model. It allows for temporal trait changes of all predator and prey species and thus simultaneous coadaptation within and among trophic levels. We show that very small or slow trait adaptation did not facilitate coexistence because the stabilizing niche differences were not sufficient to offset the fitness differences. In contrast, sufficiently large and fast trait adaptation jointly promoted stable or neutrally stable species coexistence. Continuous trait adjustments in response to selection enabled a temporally variable convergence and divergence of species traits; that is, species became temporally more similar (neutral theory) or dissimilar (niche theory) depending on the selection pressure, resulting over time in a balance between niche differences stabilizing coexistence and fitness differences promoting competitive exclusion. Furthermore, coadaptation allowed prey and predator species to cluster into different functional groups. This equalized the fitness of similar species while maintaining sufficient niche differences among functionally different species delaying or preventing competitive exclusion. In contrast to previous studies, the emergent feedback between biomass and trait dynamics enabled supersaturated coexistence for a broad range of potential trait adaptation and parameters. We conclude that accounting for trait adaptation may explain stable and supersaturated species coexistence for a broad range of environmental conditions in natural systems when the absence of such adaptive changes would preclude it. Small trait changes, coincident with those that may occur within many natural populations, greatly enlarged the number of coexisting species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Klauschies
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Institute for Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 D-14469 Potsdam Germany
| | - David A Vasseur
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Ursula Gaedke
- Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Institute for Biochemistry and Biology University of Potsdam Am Neuen Palais 10 D-14469 Potsdam Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) D-14195 Berlin Germany
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163
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Luo YH, Liu J, Tan SL, Cadotte MW, Wang YH, Xu K, Li DZ, Gao LM. Trait-Based Community Assembly along an Elevational Gradient in Subalpine Forests: Quantifying the Roles of Environmental Factors in Inter- and Intraspecific Variability. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155749. [PMID: 27191402 PMCID: PMC4871540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how communities respond to environmental variation is a central goal in ecology. Plant communities respond to environmental gradients via intraspecific and/or interspecific variation in plant functional traits. However, the relative contribution of these two responses to environmental factors remains poorly tested. We measured six functional traits (height, leaf thickness, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon concentration (LCC), leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC)) for 55 tree species occurring at five elevations across a 1200 m elevational gradient of subalpine forests in Yulong Mountain, Southwest China. We examined the relative contribution of interspecific and intraspecific traits variability based on community weighted mean trait values and functional diversity, and tested how different components of trait variation respond to different environmental axes (climate and soil variables). Species turnover explained the largest amount of variation in leaf morphological traits (leaf thickness and SLA) across the elevational gradient. However, intraspecific variability explained a large amount of variation (49.3%-76.3%) in three other traits (height, LNC and LPC) despite high levels of species turnover. The detection of limiting similarity in community assembly was improved when accounting for both intraspecific and interspecific variability. Different components of trait variation respond to different environmental axes, especially soil water content and climatic variables. Our results indicate that intraspecific variation is critical for understanding community assembly and evaluating community response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Huang Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shao-Lin Tan
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Marc William Cadotte
- Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough & Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong, Higher Education Institutes, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue-Hua Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Kun Xu
- Lijiang Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Kunming Instituted of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species in Southwest China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lian-Ming Gao
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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164
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Malerba ME, Heimann K, Connolly SR. Nutrient utilization traits vary systematically with intraspecific cell size plasticity. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martino E. Malerba
- AIMS@JCU James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Kirsten Heimann
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
| | - Sean R. Connolly
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD 4811 Australia
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165
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Ainley LB, Vergés A, Bishop MJ. Congruence of intraspecific variability in leaf traits for two co-occurring estuarine angiosperms. Oecologia 2016; 181:1041-53. [PMID: 27098661 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3634-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies seeking to identify sources of variability and trade-offs in leaf traits have done so by assembling large databases of traits, across species and time points. It is unclear to what extent interspecific patterns derived in such a manner apply to intraspecific variation, particularly at regional scales, and the extent to which interspecific patterns vary temporally. We tested the hypothesis that the leaf traits of two foundation species, the mangrove Avicennia marina and the eelgrass Zostera muelleri, would display similar patterns of intraspecific variability across gradients of latitude and estuarine condition, that match previously reported interspecific patterns, and that persist through time. We found intraspecific patterns of decreasing carbon to nitrogen ratio and mechanical elasticity, and increasing nitrogen content with latitude that were consistent between the two plant species, and with previously reported interspecific patterns for other groups of species. Specific leaf area, leaf toughness and total phenolics, by contrast, displayed species-specific patterns that varied markedly through time. Relationships between estuarine condition and leaf traits were highly variable temporally, and also displayed markedly different patterns of intraspecific variability between the two species. Our study highlights the considerable within-species variation in leaf traits that should be accounted for in regional to biome scale analyses. Although some intraspecific patterns mirrored those found across species, at global scales, the considerable variability in other leaf traits between species and through time highlights the need to better understand the drivers and constraints of this intraspecific variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara B Ainley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Department of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Melanie J Bishop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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166
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Bengtsson F, Granath G, Rydin H. Photosynthesis, growth, and decay traits in Sphagnum - a multispecies comparison. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3325-41. [PMID: 27103989 PMCID: PMC4833502 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Peat mosses (Sphagnum) largely govern carbon sequestration in Northern Hemisphere peatlands. We investigated functional traits related to growth and decomposition in Sphagnum species. We tested the importance of environment and phylogeny in driving species traits and investigated trade‐offs among them. We selected 15 globally important Sphagnum species, representing four sections (subgenera) and a range of peatland habitats. We measured rates of photosynthesis and decomposition in standard laboratory conditions as measures of innate growth and decay potential, and related this to realized growth, production, and decomposition in their natural habitats. In general, we found support for a trade‐off between measures of growth and decomposition. However, the relationships are not strong, with r ranging between 0.24 and 0.45 for different measures of growth versus decomposition. Using photosynthetic rate to predict decomposition in standard conditions yielded R2 = 0.20. Habitat and section (phylogeny) affected the traits and the trade‐offs. In a wet year, species from sections Cuspidata and Sphagnum had the highest production, but in a dry year, differences among species, sections, and habitats evened out. Cuspidata species in general produced easily decomposable litter, but their decay in the field was hampered, probably due to near‐surface anoxia in their wet habitats. In a principal components analysis, PCA, photosynthetic capacity, production, and laboratory decomposition acted in the same direction. The species were imperfectly clustered according to vegetation type and phylogeny, so that some species clustered with others in the same section, whereas others clustered more clearly with others from similar vegetation types. Our study includes a wider range of species and habitats than previous trait analyses in Sphagnum and shows that while the previously described growth–decay trade‐off exists, it is far from perfect. We therefore suggest that our species‐specific trait measures offer opportunities for improvements of peatland ecosystem models. Innate qualities measured in laboratory conditions translate differently to field responses. Most dramatically, fast‐growing species could only realize their potential in a wet year. The same species decompose fast in laboratory, but their decomposition was more retarded in the field than that of other species. These relationships are crucial for understanding the long‐term dynamics of peatland communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fia Bengtsson
- Department of Plant Ecology and EvolutionEvolutionary Biology CentreUppsala UniversityNorbyvägen 18DSE‐752 36UppsalaSweden
| | - Gustaf Granath
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesBox 7044SE‐750 07UppsalaSweden
| | - Håkan Rydin
- Department of Plant Ecology and EvolutionEvolutionary Biology CentreUppsala UniversityNorbyvägen 18DSE‐752 36UppsalaSweden
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167
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Moreira X, Abdala-Roberts L, Rasmann S, Castagneyrol B, Mooney KA. Plant diversity effects on insect herbivores and their natural enemies: current thinking, recent findings, and future directions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2016; 14:1-7. [PMID: 27436639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A rich body of theory has been developed to predict the effects of plant diversity on communities at higher trophic levels and the mechanisms underpinning such effects. However, there are currently a number of key gaps in knowledge that have hindered the development of a predictive framework of plant diversity effects on consumers. For instance, we still know very little about how the magnitude of plant trait variation (e.g. intra-specific vs. inter-specific), as well as the identity and combined effects of plant, herbivore and natural enemy traits, mediate plant diversity effects on consumers. Moreover, the fine-scale mechanisms (e.g. changes in consumer behaviour or recruitment responses) underlying such diversity effects in many cases remain elusive or have been overlooked. In addition, most studies of plant diversity effects on associated consumers have been developed under a static, unidirectional (bottom-up) framework of effects on herbivores and predators without taking into account the potential for dynamic feedbacks across trophic levels. Here we seek to address these key gaps in knowledge as well as to capitalize on recent advances and emerging frameworks in plant biodiversity research. In doing so, we provide new insights as well as recommendations which will stimulate new research and advance this field of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Biological Mission of Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Department of Tropical Ecology, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Apartado Postal 4-116, Itzimna, 97000 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Functional Ecology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Bastien Castagneyrol
- INRA, BIOGECO, UMR1202, 69 Route d'Arcachon, F-33610 Cestas, France; Univ. Bordeaux, BIOGECO, UMR 1202, F-33615 Pessac, France
| | - Kailen A Mooney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 92697 Irvine, CA, USA
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168
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Moreira X, Sampedro L, Zas R, Pearse IS. Defensive Traits in Young Pine Trees Cluster into Two Divergent Syndromes Related to Early Growth Rate. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152537. [PMID: 27028433 PMCID: PMC4814073 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of defensive traits leads to the evolution of 'plant defense syndromes' which should provide better protection against herbivores than individual traits on their own. Defense syndromes can be generally driven by plant phylogeny and/or biotic and abiotic factors. However, we lack a solid understanding of (i) the relative importance of shared evolution vs. convergence due to similar ecological conditions and (ii) the role of induced defense strategies in shaping defense syndromes. We investigate the relative roles of evolutionary and ecological factors shaping the deployment of pine defense syndromes including multiple constitutive and induced chemical defense traits. We performed a greenhouse experiment with seedlings of eighteen species of Pinaceae family, and measured plant growth rate, constitutive chemical defenses and their inducibility. Plant growth rate, but not phylogenetic relatedness, determined the deployment of two divergent syndromes. Slow-growing pine species living in harsh environments where tissue replacement is costly allocated more to constitutive defenses (energetically more costly to produce than induced). In contrast, fast-growing species living in resource-rich habitats had greater inducibility of their defenses, consistent with the theory of constitutive-induced defense trade-offs. This study contributes to a better understanding of evolutionary and ecological factors driving the deployment of defense syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - Luis Sampedro
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - Rafael Zas
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
| | - Ian S. Pearse
- Illinois Natural History Survey, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, Illinois, 61820, United States of America
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169
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Griffiths HM, Louzada J, Bardgett RD, Barlow J. Assessing the Importance of Intraspecific Variability in Dung Beetle Functional Traits. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145598. [PMID: 26939121 PMCID: PMC4777568 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional diversity indices are used to facilitate a mechanistic understanding of many theoretical and applied questions in current ecological research. The use of mean trait values in functional indices assumes that traits are robust, in that greater variability exists between than within species. While the assertion of robust traits has been explored in plants, there exists little information on the source and extent of variability in the functional traits of higher trophic level organisms. Here we investigated variability in two functionally relevant dung beetle traits, measured from individuals collected from three primary forest sites containing distinct beetle communities: body mass and back leg length. In doing so we too addressed the following questions: (i) what is the contribution of intra vs. interspecific differences in trait values; (ii) what sample size is needed to provide representative species mean trait values; and (iii) what impact does omission of intraspecific trait information have on the calculation of functional diversity (FD) indices from naturally assembled communities? At the population level, interspecific differences explained the majority of variability in measured traits (between 94% and 96%). In accordance with this, the error associated with calculating FD without inclusion of intraspecific variability was low, less than 20% in all cases. This suggests that complete sampling to capture intraspecific variance in traits is not necessary even when investigating the FD of small and/or naturally formed communities. To gain an accurate estimation of species mean trait values we encourage the measurement of 30-60 individuals and, where possible, these should be taken from specimens collected from the site of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Griffiths
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200–000, Brazil
- School of Environmental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, L69 3GP, United Kingdom
| | - Julio Louzada
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200–000, Brazil
| | - Richard D. Bardgett
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, 37200–000, Brazil
- Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Av. Magalhães Barata, 376, Belém-Pará, Brazil
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170
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Anderegg LDL, HilleRisLambers J. Drought stress limits the geographic ranges of two tree species via different physiological mechanisms. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:1029-45. [PMID: 26663665 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Range shifts are among the most ubiquitous ecological responses to anthropogenic climate change and have large consequences for ecosystems. Unfortunately, the ecophysiological forces that constrain range boundaries are poorly understood, making it difficult to mechanistically project range shifts. To explore the physiological mechanisms by which drought stress controls dry range boundaries in trees, we quantified elevational variation in drought tolerance and in drought avoidance-related functional traits of a widespread gymnosperm (ponderosa pine - Pinus ponderosa) and angiosperm (trembling aspen - Populus tremuloides) tree species in the southwestern USA. Specifically, we quantified tree-to-tree variation in growth, water stress (predawn and midday xylem tension), drought avoidance traits (branch conductivity, leaf/needle size, tree height, leaf area-to-sapwood area ratio), and drought tolerance traits (xylem resistance to embolism, hydraulic safety margin, wood density) at the range margins and range center of each species. Although water stress increased and growth declined strongly at lower range margins of both species, ponderosa pine and aspen showed contrasting patterns of clinal trait variation. Trembling aspen increased its drought tolerance at its dry range edge by growing stronger but more carbon dense branch and leaf tissues, implying an increased cost of growth at its range boundary. By contrast, ponderosa pine showed little elevational variation in drought-related traits but avoided drought stress at low elevations by limiting transpiration through stomatal closure, such that its dry range boundary is associated with limited carbon assimilation even in average climatic conditions. Thus, the same climatic factor (drought) may drive range boundaries through different physiological mechanisms - a result that has important implications for process-based modeling approaches to tree biogeography. Further, we show that comparing intraspecific patterns of trait variation across ranges, something rarely done in a range-limit context, helps elucidate a mechanistic understanding of range constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander D L Anderegg
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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171
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Volf M, Redmond C, Albert ÁJ, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y, Biella P, Götzenberger L, Hrázský Z, Janeček Š, Klimešová J, Lepš J, Šebelíková L, Vlasatá T, de Bello F. Effects of long- and short-term management on the functional structure of meadows through species turnover and intraspecific trait variability. Oecologia 2016; 180:941-50. [PMID: 26837384 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3548-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The functional structures of communities respond to environmental changes by both species replacement (turnover) and within-species variation (intraspecific trait variability; ITV). Evidence is lacking on the relative importance of these two components, particularly in response to both short- and long-term environmental disturbance. We hypothesized that such short- and long-term perturbations would induce changes in community functional structure primarily via ITV and turnover, respectively. To test this we applied an experimental design across long-term mown and abandoned meadows, with each plot containing a further level of short-term management treatments: mowing, grazing and abandonment. Within each plot, species composition and trait values [height, shoot biomass, and specific leaf area (SLA)] were recorded on up to five individuals per species. Positive covariations between the contribution of species turnover and ITV occurred for height and shoot biomass in response to both short- and long-term management, indicating that species turnover and intraspecific adjustments selected for similar trait values. Positive covariations also occurred for SLA, but only in response to long-term management. The contributions of turnover and ITV changed depending on both the trait and management trajectory. As expected, communities responded to short-term disturbances mostly through changes in intraspecific trait variability, particularly for height and biomass. Interestingly, for SLA they responded to long-term disturbances by both species turnover and intraspecific adjustments. These findings highlight the importance of both ITV and species turnover in adjusting grassland functional trait response to environmental perturbation, and show that the response is trait specific and affected by disturbance regime history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Volf
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Entomology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Conor Redmond
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ágnes J Albert
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Biella
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lars Götzenberger
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Záboj Hrázský
- DAPHNE-Institute of Applied Ecology, z.s., Žumberk 71, 53836, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Lidická 25/27, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 12844, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Klimešová
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Lepš
- Institute of Entomology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Šebelíková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Vlasatá
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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172
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Siefert A, Ritchie ME. Intraspecific trait variation drives functional responses of old-field plant communities to nutrient enrichment. Oecologia 2016; 181:245-55. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3563-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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173
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Reinforcing loose foundation stones in trait-based plant ecology. Oecologia 2016; 180:923-31. [PMID: 26796410 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3549-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The promise of "trait-based" plant ecology is one of generalized prediction across organizational and spatial scales, independent of taxonomy. This promise is a major reason for the increased popularity of this approach. Here, we argue that some important foundational assumptions of trait-based ecology have not received sufficient empirical evaluation. We identify three such assumptions and, where possible, suggest methods of improvement: (i) traits are functional to the degree that they determine individual fitness, (ii) intraspecific variation in functional traits can be largely ignored, and (iii) functional traits show general predictive relationships to measurable environmental gradients.
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174
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Pappas C, Fatichi S, Burlando P. Modeling terrestrial carbon and water dynamics across climatic gradients: does plant trait diversity matter? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:137-51. [PMID: 26389742 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant trait diversity in many vegetation models is crudely represented using a discrete classification of a handful of 'plant types' (named plant functional types; PFTs). The parameterization of PFTs reflects mean properties of observed plant traits over broad categories ignoring most of the inter- and intraspecific plant trait variability. Taking advantage of a multivariate leaf-trait distribution (leaf economics spectrum), as well as documented plant drought strategies, we generate an ensemble of hypothetical species with coordinated attributes, rather than using few PFTs. The behavior of these proxy species is tested using a mechanistic ecohydrological model that translates plant traits into plant performance. Simulations are carried out for a range of climates representative of different elevations and wetness conditions in the European Alps. Using this framework we investigate the sensitivity of ecosystem response to plant trait diversity and compare it with the sensitivity to climate variability. Plant trait diversity leads to highly divergent vegetation carbon dynamics (fluxes and pools) and to a lesser extent water fluxes (transpiration). Abiotic variables, such as soil water content and evaporation, are only marginally affected. These results highlight the need for revising the representation of plant attributes in vegetation models. Probabilistic approaches, based on observed multivariate whole-plant trait distributions, provide a viable alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoforos Pappas
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Stefano Franscini-Platz 5, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Fatichi
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Stefano Franscini-Platz 5, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Burlando
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Stefano Franscini-Platz 5, Zurich, Switzerland
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175
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Malyshev AV, Arfin Khan MAS, Beierkuhnlein C, Steinbauer MJ, Henry HAL, Jentsch A, Dengler J, Willner E, Kreyling J. Plant responses to climatic extremes: within-species variation equals among-species variation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:449-464. [PMID: 26426898 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Within-species and among-species differences in growth responses to a changing climate have been well documented, yet the relative magnitude of within-species vs. among-species variation has remained largely unexplored. This missing comparison impedes our ability to make general predictions of biodiversity change and to project future species distributions using models. We present a direct comparison of among- versus within-species variation in response to three of the main stresses anticipated with climate change: drought, warming, and frost. Two earlier experiments had experimentally induced (i) summer drought and (ii) spring frost for four common European grass species and their ecotypes from across Europe. To supplement existing data, a third experiment was carried out, to compare variation among species from different functional groups to within-species variation. Here, we simulated (iii) winter warming plus frost for four grasses, two nonleguminous, and two leguminous forbs, in addition to eleven European ecotypes of the widespread grass Arrhenatherum elatius. For each experiment, we measured: (i) C/N ratio and biomass, (ii) chlorophyll content and biomass, and (iii) plant greenness, root (15) N uptake, and live and dead tissue mass. Using coefficients of variation (CVs) for each experiment and response parameter, a total of 156 within- vs. among-species comparisons were conducted, comparing within-species variation in each of four species with among-species variation for each seed origin (five countries). Of the six significant differences, within-species CVs were higher than among-species CVs in four cases. Partitioning of variance within each treatment in two of the three experiments showed that within-species variability (ecotypes) could explain an additional 9% of response variation after accounting for the among-species variation. Our observation that within-species variation was generally as high as among-species variation emphasizes the importance of including both within- and among-species variability in ecological theory (e.g., the insurance hypothesis) and for practical applications (e.g., biodiversity conservation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V Malyshev
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Soldmannstrasse 15, Greifswald, 17487, Germany
| | - Mohammed A S Arfin Khan
- Disturbance Ecology, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, 3114, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Hugh A L Henry
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Disturbance Ecology, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany
| | - Jürgen Dengler
- Plant Ecology, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95440, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Evelin Willner
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Genebank, Satellite Collections North, Malchow/Poel, 23999, Germany
| | - Juergen Kreyling
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Soldmannstrasse 15, Greifswald, 17487, Germany
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176
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Hortal J, de Bello F, Diniz-Filho JAF, Lewinsohn TM, Lobo JM, Ladle RJ. Seven Shortfalls that Beset Large-Scale Knowledge of Biodiversity. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-112414-054400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 544] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Hortal
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain; ,
- Department of Ecology, Instituto de Ciências Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970 Goiânia, Brazil;
- Center for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic;
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Thomas M. Lewinsohn
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-862 Campinas, Brazil;
| | - Jorge M. Lobo
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain; ,
| | - Richard J. Ladle
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (ICBS), Universidade Federal de Alagoas, 57072-900 Maceió, Brazil
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, OX1 3QY Oxford, United Kingdom;
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177
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Atwater DZ, Callaway RM. Testing the mechanisms of diversity-dependent overyielding in a grass species. Ecology 2015; 96:3332-42. [DOI: 10.1890/15-0889.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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178
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Chai Y, Yue M, Wang M, Xu J, Liu X, Zhang R, Wan P. Plant functional traits suggest a change in novel ecological strategies for dominant species in the stages of forest succession. Oecologia 2015; 180:771-83. [PMID: 26563469 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3483-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In forest succession, the ecological strategies of the dominant species that are based on functional traits are important in the determination of both the mechanisms and the potential directions of succession. Thirty-one plots were established in the Loess Plateau region of northern Shaanxi in China. Fifteen leaf traits were measured for the 31 dominant species that represented the six stages of succession, and the traits included four that were related to morphology, seven to stoichiometry and four to physiological ecology. The species from the different successional stages had different patterns of distribution of the traits, and different key traits predicted the turnover of the species during succession. The ash and the cellulose contents were key regulatory factors of species turnover in the early successional communities, and the trait niche forces in sugar and leaf dry mass content might become more important with the progression of succession. When only the three herb stages were considered, a progressive replacement of the ruderal by the competitive-ruderal species occurred in the intermediate stages of succession, which was followed by the stress-tolerant-competitive or the competitive-stress tolerant-ruderal strategists late in the succession. Thus, the different species that occurred in the different stages of succession shared different trait-based ecological strategies. Additionally, these differences occurred concomitantly with a shift toward competitive-stress tolerant-ruderal strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfu Chai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Mao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Jinshi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Xiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Ruichang Zhang
- Plant Ecology Department, University of Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 3, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Pengcheng Wan
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Northwest University, Taibai North Road 229, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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179
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Valladares F, Bastias CC, Godoy O, Granda E, Escudero A. Species coexistence in a changing world. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:866. [PMID: 26528323 PMCID: PMC4604266 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The consequences of global change for the maintenance of species diversity will depend on the sum of each species responses to the environment and on the interactions among them. A wide ecological literature supports that these species-specific responses can arise from factors related to life strategies, evolutionary history and intraspecific variation, and also from environmental variation in space and time. In the light of recent advances from coexistence theory combined with mechanistic explanations of diversity maintenance, we discuss how global change drivers can influence species coexistence. We revise the importance of both competition and facilitation for understanding coexistence in different ecosystems, address the influence of phylogenetic relatedness, functional traits, phenotypic plasticity and intraspecific variability, and discuss lessons learnt from invasion ecology. While most previous studies have focused their efforts on disentangling the mechanisms that maintain the biological diversity in species-rich ecosystems such as tropical forests, grasslands and coral reefs, we argue that much can be learnt from pauci-specific communities where functional variability within each species, together with demographic and stochastic processes becomes key to understand species interactions and eventually community responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Valladares
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina C. Bastias
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Godoy
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain
| | - Elena Granda
- Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique et Evolution, Université Paris Sud/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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180
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Zhang YJ, Harte J. Population dynamics and competitive outcome derive from resource allocation statistics: The governing influence of the distinguishability of individuals. Theor Popul Biol 2015; 105:53-63. [PMID: 26226230 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Model predictions for species competition outcomes highly depend on the assumed form of the population growth function. In this paper we apply an alternative inferential method based on statistical mechanics, maximizing Boltzmann entropy, to predict resource-constrained population dynamics and coexistence. Within this framework, population dynamics and competition outcome can be determined without assuming any particular form of the population growth function. The dynamics of each species is determined by two parameters: the mean resource requirement θ (related to the mean metabolic rate) and individual distinguishability Dr (related to intra- compared to interspecific functional variation). Our theory clarifies the condition for the energetic equivalence rule (EER) to hold, and provide a statistical explanation for the importance of species functional variation in determining population dynamics and coexistence patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu J Zhang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - John Harte
- Energy and Resource Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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181
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Theoretical consequences of trait-based environmental filtering for the breadth and shape of the niche: New testable hypotheses generated by the Traitspace model. Ecol Modell 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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182
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Apaza-Quevedo A, Lippok D, Hensen I, Schleuning M, Both S. Elevation, Topography, and Edge Effects Drive Functional Composition of Woody Plant Species in Tropical Montane Forests. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amira Apaza-Quevedo
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle Germany
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; Correo Central, Casilla 10077 La Paz Bolivia
| | - Denis Lippok
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle Germany
| | - Isabell Hensen
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e D-04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle Germany
- Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) and Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung; Senckenberganlage 25 D-60325 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Sabine Both
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Aberdeen; St Machar Drive 23 AB24 3UU Aberdeen U.K
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183
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de la Riva EG, Pérez-Ramos IM, Tosto A, Navarro-Fernández CM, Olmo M, Marañón T, Villar R. Disentangling the relative importance of species occurrence, abundance and intraspecific variability in community assembly: a trait-based approach at the whole-plant level in Mediterranean forests. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignacio M. Pérez-Ramos
- Inst. de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, IRNAS, CSIC; ES-41012 Seville Spain
| | - Ambra Tosto
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Córdoba; ES-14071 Córdoba Spain
| | | | - Manuel Olmo
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Córdoba; ES-14071 Córdoba Spain
| | - Teodoro Marañón
- Inst. de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, IRNAS, CSIC; ES-41012 Seville Spain
| | - Rafael Villar
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Córdoba; ES-14071 Córdoba Spain
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184
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Paine CET, Baraloto C, Díaz S. Optimal strategies for sampling functional traits in species‐rich forests. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. E. Timothy Paine
- Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA UK
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- INRA UMR “Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane” 97387 Kourou Cedex French GuianaFrance
- International Center for Tropical Botany Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV‐CONICET) and Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología FCEFyN Universidad Nacional de Córdoba CC 4955000 Córdoba Argentina
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185
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García-Cervigón AI, Linares JC, Aibar P, Olano JM. Facilitation promotes changes in leaf economics traits of a perennial forb. Oecologia 2015; 179:103-16. [PMID: 25903388 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3312-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana I García-Cervigón
- Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, EU de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Los Pajaritos s/n, 42004, Soria, Spain,
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186
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Ke PJ, Miki T, Ding TS. The soil microbial community predicts the importance of plant traits in plant-soil feedback. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 206:329-341. [PMID: 25521190 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Reciprocal interaction between plant and soil (plant-soil feedback, PSF) can determine plant community structure. Understanding which traits control interspecific variation of PSF strength is crucial for plant ecology. Studies have highlighted either plant-mediated nutrient cycling (litter-mediated PSF) or plant-microbe interaction (microbial-mediated PSF) as important PSF mechanisms, each attributing PSF variation to different traits. However, this separation neglects the complex indirect interactions between the two mechanisms. We developed a model coupling litter- and microbial-mediated PSFs to identify the relative importance of traits in controlling PSF strength, and its dependency on the composition of root-associated microbes (i.e. pathogens and/or mycorrhizal fungi). Results showed that although plant carbon: nitrogen (C : N) ratio and microbial nutrient acquisition traits were consistently important, the importance of litter decomposability varied. Litter decomposability was not a major PSF determinant when pathogens are present. However, its importance increased with the relative abundance of mycorrhizal fungi as nutrient released from the mycorrhizal-enhanced litter production to the nutrient-depleted soils result in synergistic increase of soil nutrient and mycorrhizal abundance. Data compiled from empirical studies also supported our predictions. We propose that the importance of litter decomposability depends on the composition of root-associated microbes. Our results provide new perspectives in plant invasion and trait-based ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Ju Ke
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, No.1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Takeshi Miki
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No.1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Road, Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Tzung-Su Ding
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, No.1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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187
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Pescador DS, de Bello F, Valladares F, Escudero A. Plant trait variation along an altitudinal gradient in mediterranean high mountain grasslands: controlling the species turnover effect. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118876. [PMID: 25774532 PMCID: PMC4361585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing changes in plant functional traits along gradients is useful for understanding the assembly of communities and their response to global and local environmental drivers. However, these changes may reflect the effects of species composition (i.e. composition turnover), species abundance (i.e. species interaction), and intra-specific trait variability (i.e. species plasticity). In order to determine the relevance of the latter, trait variation can be assessed under minimal effects of composition turnover. Nine sampling sites were established along an altitudinal gradient in a Mediterranean high mountain grassland community with low composition turnover (Madrid, Spain; 1940 m-2419 m). Nine functional traits were also measured for ten individuals of around ten plant species at each site, for a total of eleven species across all sites. The relative importance of different sources of variability (within/between site and intra-/inter-specific functional diversity) and trait variation at species and community level along the considered gradients were explored. We found a weak individual species response to altitude and other environmental variables although in some cases, individuals were smaller and leaves were thicker at higher elevations. This lack of species response was most likely due to greater within- than between-site species variation. At the community level, inter-specific functional diversity was generally greater than the intra-specific component except for traits linked to leaf element content (leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content, δ13C and δ15N). Inter-specific functional diversity decreased with lower altitude for four leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, δ13C and δ15N), suggesting trait convergence between species at lower elevations, where water shortage may have a stronger environmental filtering effect than colder temperatures at higher altitudes. Our results suggest that, within a vegetation type encompassing various environmental gradients, both, changes in species abundance and intra-specific trait variability adjust for the community functional response to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Pescador
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Trebon, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Fernando Valladares
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
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188
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Abdala‐Roberts L, Mooney KA, Quijano‐Medina T, Campos‐Navarrete MJ, González‐Moreno A, Parra‐Tabla V. Comparison of tree genotypic diversity and species diversity effects on different guilds of insect herbivores. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Abdala‐Roberts
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Univ. of California Irvine 321 Steinhaus Hall Irvine CA 92697‐2525 USA
- Depto de Ecología Tropical Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Univ. Autόnoma de Yucatán Apartado Postal 4‐116, Itzimná MX‐97000 Mérida, Yucatán México
| | - Kailen A. Mooney
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Univ. of California Irvine 321 Steinhaus Hall Irvine CA 92697‐2525 USA
| | | | - María José Campos‐Navarrete
- Depto de Ecología Tropical Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Univ. Autόnoma de Yucatán Apartado Postal 4‐116, Itzimná MX‐97000 Mérida, Yucatán México
| | | | - Víctor Parra‐Tabla
- Depto de Ecología Tropical Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Univ. Autόnoma de Yucatán Apartado Postal 4‐116, Itzimná MX‐97000 Mérida, Yucatán México
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189
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Carmona CP, Rota C, Azcárate FM, Peco B. More for less: sampling strategies of plant functional traits across local environmental gradients. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P. Carmona
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
- Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Cěské Budějovice 37005 Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Rota
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Francisco M. Azcárate
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
| | - Begoña Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group Department of Ecology Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid 28049 Spain
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190
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Mitchell RM, Bakker JD. Intraspecific trait variation driven by plasticity and ontogeny in Hypochaeris radicata. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109870. [PMID: 25333738 PMCID: PMC4204820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of intraspecific variation in plant functional traits for structuring communities and driving ecosystem processes is increasingly recognized, but mechanisms governing this variation are less studied. Variation could be due to adaptation to local conditions, plasticity in observed traits, or ontogeny. We investigated 1) whether abiotic stress caused individuals, maternal lines, and populations to exhibit trait convergence, 2) whether trait variation was primarily due to ecotypic differences or trait plasticity, and 3) whether traits varied with ontogeny. We sampled three populations of Hypochaeris radicata that differed significantly in rosette diameter and specific leaf area (SLA). We grew nine maternal lines from each population (27 lines total) under three greenhouse conditions: ambient conditions (control), 50% drought, or 80% shade. Plant diameter and relative chlorophyll content were measured throughout the experiment, and leaf shape, root:shoot ratio, and SLA were measured after five weeks. We used hierarchical mixed-models and variance component analysis to quantify differences in treatment effects and the contributions of population of origin and maternal line to observed variation. Observed variation in plant traits was driven primarily by plasticity. Shade significantly influenced all measured traits. Plant diameter was the only trait that had a sizable proportion of trait variation (30%) explained by population of origin. There were significant ontogenetic differences for both plant diameter and relative chlorophyll content. When subjected to abiotic stress in the form of light or water limitation, Hypochaeris radicata exhibited significant trait variability. This variation was due primarily to trait plasticity, rather than to adaptation to local conditions, and also differed with ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Mitchell
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, United States of America
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191
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Abstract
Understanding, modeling, and predicting the impact of global change on ecosystem functioning across biogeographical gradients can benefit from enhanced capacity to represent biota as a continuous distribution of traits. However, this is a challenge for the field of biogeography historically grounded on the species concept. Here we focus on the newly emergent field of functional biogeography: the study of the geographic distribution of trait diversity across organizational levels. We show how functional biogeography bridges species-based biogeography and earth science to provide ideas and tools to help explain gradients in multifaceted diversity (including species, functional, and phylogenetic diversities), predict ecosystem functioning and services worldwide, and infuse regional and global conservation programs with a functional basis. Although much recent progress has been made possible because of the rising of multiple data streams, new developments in ecoinformatics, and new methodological advances, future directions should provide a theoretical and comprehensive framework for the scaling of biotic interactions across trophic levels and its ecological implications.
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192
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Seasonal Variation in the Capacity for Plant Trait Measures to Predict Grassland Carbon and Water Fluxes. Ecosystems 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-014-9779-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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193
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Intraspecific variability in functional traits matters: case study of Scots pine. Oecologia 2014; 175:1337-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2967-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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194
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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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195
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Asplund J, Wardle DA. Within-species variability is the main driver of community-level responses of traits of epiphytes across a long-term chronosequence. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Asplund
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; NO-1432 Aas Norway
| | - David A. Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
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196
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Lasky JR, Yang J, Zhang G, Cao M, Tang Y, Keitt TH. The role of functional traits and individual variation in the co-occurrence ofFicusspecies. Ecology 2014; 95:978-90. [DOI: 10.1890/13-0437.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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197
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Molofsky J, Keller SR, Lavergne S, Kaproth MA, Eppinga MB. Human-aided admixture may fuel ecosystem transformation during biological invasions: theoretical and experimental evidence. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:899-910. [PMID: 24772269 PMCID: PMC3997308 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions can transform our understanding of how the interplay of historical isolation and contemporary (human-aided) dispersal affects the structure of intraspecific diversity in functional traits, and in turn, how changes in functional traits affect other scales of biological organization such as communities and ecosystems. Because biological invasions frequently involve the admixture of previously isolated lineages as a result of human-aided dispersal, studies of invasive populations can reveal how admixture results in novel genotypes and shifts in functional trait variation within populations. Further, because invasive species can be ecosystem engineers within invaded ecosystems, admixture-induced shifts in the functional traits of invaders can affect the composition of native biodiversity and alter the flow of resources through the system. Thus, invasions represent promising yet under-investigated examples of how the effects of short-term evolutionary changes can cascade across biological scales of diversity. Here, we propose a conceptual framework that admixture between divergent source populations during biological invasions can reorganize the genetic variation underlying key functional traits, leading to shifts in the mean and variance of functional traits within invasive populations. Changes in the mean or variance of key traits can initiate new ecological feedback mechanisms that result in a critical transition from a native ecosystem to a novel invasive ecosystem. We illustrate the application of this framework with reference to a well-studied plant model system in invasion biology and show how a combination of quantitative genetic experiments, functional trait studies, whole ecosystem field studies and modeling can be used to explore the dynamics predicted to trigger these critical transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Molofsky
- Department of Plant Biology, University of VermontBurlington, Vermont, 05405
| | - Stephen R Keller
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceFrostburg, Maryland, 21532
| | - Sébastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA) UMR 5553 CNRS - Université Joseph Fourier BP 53Grenoble Cedex 9, 38041, France
| | - Matthew A Kaproth
- Department of Plant Biology, University of VermontBurlington, Vermont, 05405
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of MinnesotaSaint Paul, Minnesota, 55108
| | - Maarten B Eppinga
- Department of Environmental Science, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, TC 3508, The Netherlands
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198
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Kumordzi BB, Nilsson MC, Gundale MJ, Wardle DA. Changes in local-scale intraspecific trait variability of dominant species across contrasting island ecosystems. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00339.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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199
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Taugourdeau S, Villerd J, Plantureux S, Huguenin-Elie O, Amiaud B. Filling the gap in functional trait databases: use of ecological hypotheses to replace missing data. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:944-58. [PMID: 24772273 PMCID: PMC3997312 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional trait databases are powerful tools in ecology, though most of them contain large amounts of missing values. The goal of this study was to test the effect of imputation methods on the evaluation of trait values at species level and on the subsequent calculation of functional diversity indices at community level using functional trait databases. Two simple imputation methods (average and median), two methods based on ecological hypotheses, and one multiple imputation method were tested using a large plant trait database, together with the influence of the percentage of missing data and differences between functional traits. At community level, the complete-case approach and three functional diversity indices calculated from grassland plant communities were included. At the species level, one of the methods based on ecological hypothesis was for all traits more accurate than imputation with average or median values, but the multiple imputation method was superior for most of the traits. The method based on functional proximity between species was the best method for traits with an unbalanced distribution, while the method based on the existence of relationships between traits was the best for traits with a balanced distribution. The ranking of the grassland communities for their functional diversity indices was not robust with the complete-case approach, even for low percentages of missing data. With the imputation methods based on ecological hypotheses, functional diversity indices could be computed with a maximum of 30% of missing data, without affecting the ranking between grassland communities. The multiple imputation method performed well, but not better than single imputation based on ecological hypothesis and adapted to the distribution of the trait values for the functional identity and range of the communities. Ecological studies using functional trait databases have to deal with missing data using imputation methods corresponding to their specific needs and making the most out of the information available in the databases. Within this framework, this study indicates the possibilities and limits of single imputation methods based on ecological hypothesis and concludes that they could be useful when studying the ranking of communities for their functional diversity indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Taugourdeau
- Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, Université de Lorraine Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France ; Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, INRA Colmar, F-6800, France ; Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean Villerd
- Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, Université de Lorraine Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France ; Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, INRA Colmar, F-6800, France
| | - Sylvain Plantureux
- Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, Université de Lorraine Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France ; Agronomie et Environnement, UMR 1121, INRA Colmar, F-6800, France
| | | | - Bernard Amiaud
- Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, UMR 1137, Université de Lorraine Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France ; Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, UMR 1137, INRA Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, F-54500, France
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200
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Lewis RJ, Marrs RH, Pakeman RJ. Inferring temporal shifts in landuse intensity from functional response traits and functional diversity patterns: a study of Scotland's machair grassland. OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00979.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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