1
|
Smith DD, Adams MA, Salvi AM, Krieg CP, Ané C, McCulloh KA, Givnish TJ. Ecophysiological adaptations shape distributions of closely related trees along a climatic moisture gradient. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7173. [PMID: 37935674 PMCID: PMC10630429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42352-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tradeoffs between the energetic benefits and costs of traits can shape species and trait distributions along environmental gradients. Here we test predictions based on such tradeoffs using survival, growth, and 50 photosynthetic, hydraulic, and allocational traits of ten Eucalyptus species grown in four common gardens along an 8-fold gradient in precipitation/pan evaporation (P/Ep) in Victoria, Australia. Phylogenetically structured tests show that most trait-environment relationships accord qualitatively with theory. Most traits appear adaptive across species within gardens (indicating fixed genetic differences) and within species across gardens (indicating plasticity). However, species from moister climates have lower stomatal conductance than others grown under the same conditions. Responses in stomatal conductance and five related traits appear to reflect greater mesophyll photosynthetic sensitivity of mesic species to lower leaf water potential. Our data support adaptive cross-over, with realized height growth of most species exceeding that of others in climates they dominate. Our findings show that pervasive physiological, hydraulic, and allocational adaptations shape the distributions of dominant Eucalyptus species along a subcontinental climatic moisture gradient, driven by rapid divergence in species P/Ep and associated adaptations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan D Smith
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Faculty of Science, Engineering, & Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia.
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Creswick, VIC, 3363, Australia.
| | - Mark A Adams
- Faculty of Science, Engineering, & Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia
| | - Amanda M Salvi
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Christopher P Krieg
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Cécile Ané
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | | | - Thomas J Givnish
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pearse IS, McIntyre P, Cacho NI, Strauss SY. Fitness homeostasis across an experimental water gradient predicts species' geographic range and climatic breadth. Ecology 2022; 103:e3827. [PMID: 35857374 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Species range sizes and realized niche breadths vary tremendously. Understanding the source of this variation has been a long-term aim in evolutionary ecology and is a major tool in efforts to ameliorate the impacts of changing climates on species distributions. Species ranges that span a large climatic envelope can be achieved by a collection of specialized genotypes locally adapted to a small range of conditions, by genotypes with stable fitness across variable environments, or a combination of these factors. We asked whether fitness expressed along a key niche axis, water availability, could explain a species' realized niche breadth--its geographic range and climate breadth-- in 11 species from a clade of jewelflowers whose range sizes vary by two orders of magnitude. Specifically, we explored whether the range size of a species was related to the ability of genotypes (maternal families) to maintain fitness across a range of experimental water availabilities based on 30-year historical field precipitation regimes. We operationally characterized fitness homeostasis through the coefficient of variation (CV) in fitness of a genotype (family) across the experimental water gradient. We found that species with genotypes that had high fitness homeostasis -- low variation in fitness over our treatments --had larger climatic niche breadth and geographic range in their field distributions. The result was robust to alternate measures of fitness homeostasis. Our results show that the fitness homeostasis of genotypes can be a major factor contributing to niche breadth and range size in this clade. Fitness homeostasis can buffer species from loss of genetic diversity and under changing climates, provides time for adaptation to future conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave #C, Ft Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Patrick McIntyre
- Nature Serve, Western Regional Office, 1680 38th St., Suite 120, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - N Ivalú Cacho
- Instituto de Biología, 3er Circuito de CU s/n, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Copilco Coyoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX 04510, Mexico
| | - Sharon Y Strauss
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Butterfield BJ, Palmquist EC, Hultine KR. Regional coordination between riparian dependence and atmospheric demand in willows (
Salix
L.) of western North America. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Butterfield
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Emily C. Palmquist
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS) Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Kevin R. Hultine
- Department of Research, Conservation, and Collections Desert Botanical Garden Phoenix AZ USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jerbi A, Brereton NJB, Sas E, Amiot S, Lachapelle-T X, Comeau Y, Pitre FE, Labrecque M. High biomass yield increases in a primary effluent wastewater phytofiltration are associated to altered leaf morphology and stomatal size in Salix miyabeana. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:139728. [PMID: 32534285 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment using willow 'phyto'-filtration has the potential for reduced environmental impact compared to conventional treatment practices. However, the physiological adaptations underpinning tolerance to high wastewater irrigation in willow are unknown. A one-hectare phytofiltration plantation established using the Salix miyabeana cultivar 'SX67' in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Quebec, Canada, tested the impact of unirrigated, potable water or two loads of primary effluent wastewater 19 and 30 ML ha-1 yr-1. A nitrogen load of 817 kg N ha-1 from wastewater did not increase soil pore water nitrogen concentrations beyond Quebec drinking water standards. The willow phytofiltration phenotype had increased leaf area (+106-142%) and leaf nitrogen (+94%) which were accompanied by significant increases in chlorophyll a + b content. Wastewater irrigated trees had higher stomatal sizes and a higher stomatal pore index, despite lower stomatal density, resulting in increased stomatal conductance (+42-78%). These developmental responses led to substantial increases in biomass yields of 56-207% and potable water controls revealed the nitrogen load to be necessary for the high productivity of 28-40 t ha-1 yr-1 in wastewater irrigated trees. Collectively, this study suggests phytofiltration plantations could treat primary effluent municipal wastewater at volumes of at least 19 million litres per hectare and benefit from increased yields of sustainable biomass over a two-year coppice cycle. Added-value cultivation practices, such as phytofiltration, have the potential to mitigate negative local and global environmental impact of wastewater treatment while providing valuable services and sustainable bioproducts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Jerbi
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - N J B Brereton
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada.
| | - E Sas
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - S Amiot
- Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - X Lachapelle-T
- Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada; Ramea Phytotechnologies, 517 Rang du Ruisseau des Anges Sud, Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Québec J0K 3H0, Canada
| | - Y Comeau
- Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - F E Pitre
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada; Montreal Botanical Garden, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - M Labrecque
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada; Montreal Botanical Garden, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ma X, Qiu D, Wang F, Jiang X, Sui H, Liu Z, Yu S, Ning Z, Gao F, Bai J, Cui B. Tolerance between non-resource stress and an invader determines competition intensity and importance in an invaded estuary. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 724:138225. [PMID: 32408452 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The competition-to-stress hypothesis suggests that some competitively disadvantaged species are excluded from higher inundation estuaries due to abiotic stress (high flooding level) and from lower inundation estuaries by competition. How abiotic and biotic stress interactions affect plant growth and whether competition intensity and importance are stable along environmental gradients is a controversial subject. We explored the influence of two factors, and we clarified that inundation stress and invasion competition are the main reasons leading to the traits exhibited by target plant Suaeda salsa and population presence changes. Our results indicated that when the flooding height exceeded 13.4 cm, the S. salsa mortality rate was 90%-100%. At the lower flooding heights (<13.4 cm), the S. salsa mortality rate when neighboring plants were present was 77.7%-100%, whereas, without neighbors it was 30.9%-83.7%. The invader Spartina alterniflora inhibited S. salsa plant height by 48%-77%, whereas the S. alterniflora inhibited S. salsa density by 11%-98% and reduced its biomass by 50.5%-90.1%. The changes in competition intensity and importance showed that the S. alterniflora had a distinct impact from the early germinant period to growing period (from May to July), finally stable no differences along the flooding height in the maturity period. At the same flooding level, the analysis of above and belowground competition by S. alterniflora showed that aboveground and belowground competition are the main causes of individual S. salsa inhibition. Our results confirm the competitive stress hypothesis, which is that competition shapes individual traits and population presence in the context of abiotic stress. This conclusion can guide the management and protection of native plants under biological invasion in a stressful environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Ma
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dongdong Qiu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fangfang Wang
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xingpei Jiang
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Haochen Sui
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zezheng Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shuling Yu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhonghua Ning
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Fang Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Junhong Bai
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Baoshan Cui
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing 100875, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Teshera-Levye J, Miles B, Terwilliger V, Lovelock CE, Cavender-Bares J. Drivers of habitat partitioning among three Quercus species along a hydrologic gradient. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:142-157. [PMID: 31860720 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpz112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A critical process that allows multiple, similar species to coexist in an ecological community is their ability to partition local habitat gradients. The mechanisms that underlie this separation at local scales may include niche differences associated with their biogeographic history, differences in ecological function associated with the degree of shared ancestry and trait-based performance differences, which may be related to spatial or temporal variation in habitat. In this study we measured traits related to water-use, growth and stress tolerance in mature trees and seedlings of three oak species (Quercus alba L., Quercus falcata Michx. and Quercus palustris Münchh). which co-occur in temperate forests across the eastern USA but tend to be found in contrasting hydrologic environments. The three species showed significant differences in their local distributions along a hydrologic gradient. We tested three possible mechanisms that influence their contrasting local environmental distributions and promote their long-term co-existence: (i) differences in their climatic distributions across a broad geographic range, (ii) differences in functional traits related to water use, drought tolerance and growth and (iii) contrasting responses to temporal variation in water availability. We identified key differences between the species in both their range-wide climatic distributions (especially aridity index and mean annual temperature) and physiological traits in mature trees and seedlings, including daily water loss, hydraulic conductance, stress responses, growth rate and biomass allocation. Taken together, these differences explain the habitat partitioning that allows three closely related species to co-occur locally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Teshera-Levye
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Brianna Miles
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
- Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Valery Terwilliger
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
- Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Catherine E Lovelock
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
- School of Biological Science University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Song Z, Liu Y, Su H, Hou J. N-P utilization of Acer mono leaves at different life history stages across altitudinal gradients. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:851-862. [PMID: 32015849 PMCID: PMC6988554 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between plants and the environment is a core area of research in ecology. Owing to differences in plant sensitivity to the environment at different life history stages, the adaptive strategies of plants are a cumulative result of both their life history and environment. Previous research on plant adaptation strategies has focused on adult plants, neglecting saplings or seedlings, which are more sensitive to the environment and largely affect the growth strategy of subsequent life stages. We compared leaf N and P stoichiometric traits of the seedlings, saplings, and adult trees of Acer mono Maxim and different altitudes and found significant linear trends for both life history stages and altitude. Leaf N and P content by unit mass were greatly affected by environmental change, and the leaf N and P content by unit area varied greatly by life history stage. Acer mono leaf N-P utilization showed a significant allometric growth trend in all life history stages and at low altitudes. The adult stage had higher N-use efficiency than the seedling stage and exhibited an isometric growth trend at high altitudes. The N-P utilization strategies of A. mono leaves are affected by changing environmental conditions, but their response is further dependent upon the life history stage of the plant. Thus, this study provides novel insights into the nutrient use strategies of A. mono and how they respond to the environmental temperature, soil moisture content along altitude and how these changes differ among different life history stages, which further provide the scientific basis for the study of plant nutrient utilization strategy on regional scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaopeng Song
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem ProcessesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yanhong Liu
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem ProcessesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongxin Su
- Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Environment Change and Resources Utilization of Ministry of EducationNanning Normal UniversityNanningChina
| | - Jihua Hou
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem ProcessesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Emery NC, La Rosa RJ. The Effects of Temporal Variation on Fitness, Functional Traits, and Species Distribution Patterns. Integr Comp Biol 2019; 59:503-516. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractTemporal variation is a powerful source of selection on life history strategies and functional traits in natural populations. Theory predicts that the rate and predictability of fluctuations should favor distinct strategies, ranging from phenotypic plasticity to bet-hedging, which are likely to have important consequences for species distribution patterns and their responses to environmental change. To date, we have few empirical studies that test those predictions in natural systems, and little is known about how genetic, environmental, and developmental factors interact to define the “fluctuation niche” of species in temporally variable environments. In this study, we evaluated the effects of hydrological variability on fitness and functional trait variation in three closely related plant species in the genus Lasthenia that occupy different microhabitats within vernal pool landscapes. Using a controlled greenhouse experiment, we manipulated the mean and variability in hydrological conditions by growing plants at different depths with respect to a shared water table and manipulating the magnitude of stochastic fluctuations in the water table over time. We found that all species had similarly high relative fitness above the water table, but differed in their sensitivities to water table fluctuations. Specifically, the two species from vernal pools basins, where soil moisture is controlled by a perched water table, were negatively affected by the stochasticity treatments. In contrast, a species from the upland habitat surrounding vernal pools, where stochastic precipitation events control soil moisture variation, was insensitive to experimental fluctuations in the water table. We found strong signatures of genetic, environmental (plastic), and developmental variation in four traits that can influence plant hydrological responses. Three of these traits varied across plant development and among experimental treatments in directions that aligned with constitutive differences among species, suggesting that multiple sources of variation align to facilitate phenotypic matching with the hydrological environment in Lasthenia. We found little evidence for predicted patterns of phenotypic plasticity and bet-hedging in species and traits from predictable and stochastic environments, respectively. We propose that selection for developmental shifts in the hydrological traits of Lasthenia species has reduced or modified selection for plasticity at any given stage of development. Collectively, these results suggest that variation in species’ sensitivities to hydrological stochasticity may explain why vernal pool Lasthenia species do not occur in upland habitat, and that all three species integrate genetic, environmental, and developmental information to manage the unique patterns of temporal hydrological variation in their respective microhabitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy C Emery
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| | - Raffica J La Rosa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0334, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Tittes SB, Walker JF, Torres-Martínez L, Emery NC. Grow Where You Thrive, or Where Only You Can Survive? An Analysis of Performance Curve Evolution in a Clade with Diverse Habitat Affinities. Am Nat 2019; 193:530-544. [PMID: 30912965 DOI: 10.1086/701827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Performance curves are valuable tools for quantifying the fundamental niches of organisms and testing hypotheses about evolution, life-history trade-offs, and the drivers of variation in species' distribution patterns. Here, we present a novel Bayesian method for characterizing performance curves that facilitates comparisons among species. We then use this model to quantify and compare the hydrological performance curves of 14 different taxa in the genus Lasthenia, an ecologically diverse clade of plants that collectively occupy a variety of habitats with unique hydrological features, including seasonally flooded wetlands called vernal pools. We conducted a growth chamber experiment to measure each taxon's fitness across five hydrological treatments that ranged from severe drought to extended flooding, and we identified differences in hydrological performance curves that explain their associations with vernal pool and terrestrial habitats. Our analysis revealed that the distribution of vernal pool taxa in the field does not reflect their optimal hydrological environments: all taxa, regardless of habitat affinity, have highest fitness under similar hydrological conditions of saturated soil without submergence. We also found that a taxon's relative position across flood gradients within vernal pools is best predicted by the height of its performance curve. These results demonstrate the utility of our approach for generating insights into when and how performance curves evolve among taxa as they diversify into distinct environments. To facilitate its use, the modeling framework has been developed into an R package.
Collapse
|
10
|
Erlandson S, Wei X, Savage J, Cavender-Bares J, Peay K. Soil abiotic variables are more important than Salicaceae phylogeny or habitat specialization in determining soil microbial community structure. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2007-2024. [PMID: 29603835 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the outcome of interspecific interactions is a central goal in ecology. The diverse soil microbes that interact with plants are shaped by different aspects of plant identity, such as phylogenetic history and functional group. Species interactions may also be strongly shaped by abiotic environment, but there is mixed evidence on the relative importance of environment, plant identity and their interactions in shaping soil microbial communities. Using a multifactor, split-plot field experiment, we tested how hydrologic context, and three facets of Salicaceae plant identity-habitat specialization, phylogenetic distance and species identity-influence soil microbial community structure. Analysis of microbial community sequencing data with generalized dissimilarity models showed that abiotic environment explained up to 25% of variation in community composition of soil bacteria, fungi and archaea, while Salicaceae identity influenced <1% of the variation in community composition of soil microbial taxa. Multivariate linear models indicated that the influence of Salicaceae identity was small, but did contribute to differentiation of soil microbes within treatments. Moreover, results from a microbial niche breadth analysis show that soil microbes in wetlands have more specialized host associations than soil microbes in drier environments-showing that abiotic environment changed how plant identity correlated with soil microbial communities. This study demonstrates the predominance of major abiotic factors in shaping soil microbial community structure; the significance of abiotic context to biotic influence on soil microbes; and the utility of field experiments to disentangling the abiotic and biotic factors that are thought to be most essential for soil microbial communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonya Erlandson
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiaojing Wei
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jessica Savage
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA
| | | | - Kabir Peay
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Cavender-Bares J, Kothari S, Meireles JE, Kaproth MA, Manos PS, Hipp AL. The role of diversification in community assembly of the oaks (Quercus L.) across the continental U.S. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:565-586. [PMID: 29689630 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Evolutionary and biogeographic history, including past environmental change and diversification processes, are likely to have influenced the expansion, migration, and extinction of populations, creating evolutionary legacy effects that influence regional species pools and the composition of communities. We consider the consequences of the diversification process in shaping trait evolution and assembly of oak-dominated communities throughout the continental United States (U.S.). METHODS Within the U.S. oaks, we tested for phylogenetic and functional trait patterns at different spatial scales, taking advantage of a dated phylogenomic analysis of American oaks and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). KEY RESULTS We find (1) phylogenetic overdispersion at small grain sizes throughout the U.S. across all spatial extents and (2) a shift from overdispersion to clustering with increasing grain sizes. Leaf traits have evolved in a convergent manner, and these traits are clustered in communities at all spatial scales, except in the far west, where species with contrasting leaf types co-occur. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the hypotheses that (1) interspecific interactions were important in parallel adaptive radiation of the genus into a range of habitats across the continent and (2) that the diversification process is a critical driver of community assembly. Functional convergence of complementary species from distinct clades adapted to the same local habitats is a likely mechanism that allows distantly related species to coexist. Our findings contribute to an explanation of the long-term maintenance of high oak diversity and the dominance of the oak genus in North America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Shan Kothari
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - José Eduardo Meireles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Matthew A Kaproth
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, 56001, USA
| | - Paul S Manos
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Andrew L Hipp
- The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL, 60532, USA
- The Field Museum, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| |
Collapse
|