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Mueller KE, Kray JA, Blumenthal DM. Coordination of leaf, root, and seed traits shows the importance of whole plant economics in two semiarid grasslands. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:2410-2422. [PMID: 38214451 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19529] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Uncertainty persists within trait-based ecology, partly because few studies assess multiple axes of functional variation and their effect on plant performance. For 55 species from two semiarid grasslands, we quantified: (1) covariation between economic traits of leaves and absorptive roots, (2) covariation among economic traits, plant height, leaf size, and seed mass, and (3) relationships between these traits and species' abundance. Pairs of analogous leaf and root traits were at least weakly positively correlated (e.g. specific leaf area (SLA) and specific root length (SRL)). Two pairs of such traits, N content and DMC of leaves and roots, were at least moderately correlated (r > 0.5) whether species were grouped by site, taxonomic group and growth form, or life history. Root diameter was positively correlated with seed mass for all groups of species except annuals and monocots. Species with higher leaf dry matter content (LDMC) tended to be more abundant (r = 0.63). Annuals with larger seeds were more abundant (r = 0.69). Compared with global-scale syntheses with many observations from mesic ecosystems, we observed stronger correlations between analogous leaf and root traits, weaker correlations between SLA and leaf N, and stronger correlations between SRL and root N. In dry grasslands, plant persistence may require coordination of above- and belowground traits, and dense tissues may facilitate dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E Mueller
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Julie A Kray
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Resources & Systems Research, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Dana M Blumenthal
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Resources & Systems Research, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
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Song HQ, Wang YQ, Yan CL, Zeng WH, Chen YJ, Zhang JL, Liu H, Zhang QM, Zhu SD. Can leaf drought tolerance predict species abundance and its changes in tropical-subtropical forests? TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 43:1319-1325. [PMID: 37154549 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has resulted in an increase in drought severity in the species-rich tropical and subtropical forests of southern China. Exploring the spatiotemporal relationship between drought-tolerance trait and tree abundance provides a means to elucidate the impact of droughts on community assembly and dynamics. In this study, we measured the leaf turgor loss point (πtlp) for 399 tree species from three tropical forest plots and three subtropical forest plots. The plot area was 1 ha and tree abundance was calculated as total basal area per hectare according to the nearest community census data. The first aim of this study was to explore πtlp abundance relationships in the six plots across a range of precipitation seasonality. Additionally, three of the six plots (two tropical forests and one subtropical forest) had consecutive community censuses data (12-22 years) and the mortality ratios and abundance year slope of tree species were analyzed. The second aim was to examine whether πtlp is a predictor of tree mortality and abundance changes. Our results showed that tree species with lower (more negative) πtlp were more abundant in the tropical forests with relative high seasonality. However, πtlp was not related to tree abundance in the subtropical forests with low seasonality. Moreover, πtlp was not a good predictor of tree mortality and abundance changes in both humid and dry forests. This study reveals the restricted role of πtlp in predicting the response of forests to increasing droughts under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Qing Song
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Yong-Qiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Chao-Long Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Wen-Hao Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Ya-Jun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiao-Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian-Mei Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, Guangdong, China
- Dinghushan Forest Ecosystem Research Station, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhaoqing 526070, Guangdong, China
| | - Shi-Dan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
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