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Towers IR, O'Reilly-Nugent A, Sabot MEB, Vesk PA, Falster DS. Optimising height-growth predicts trait responses to water availability and other environmental drivers. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 39101679 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Future changes in climate, together with rising atmosphericCO 2 ${\text{CO}}_{2}$ , may reorganise the functional composition of ecosystems. Without long-term historical data, predicting how traits will respond to environmental conditions-in particular, water availability-remains a challenge. While eco-evolutionary optimality theory (EEO) can provide insight into how plants adapt to their environment, EEO approaches to date have been formulated on the assumption that plants maximise carbon gain, which omits the important role of tissue construction and size in determining growth rates and fitness. Here, we show how an expanded optimisation framework, focussed on individual growth rate, enables us to explain shifts in four key traits: leaf mass per area, sapwood area to leaf area ratio (Huber value), wood density and sapwood-specific conductivity in response to soil moisture, atmospheric aridity,CO 2 ${\text{CO}}_{2}$ and light availability. In particular, we predict that as conditions become increasingly dry, height-growth optimising traits shift from resource-acquisitive strategies to resource-conservative strategies, consistent with empirical responses across current environmental gradients of rainfall. These findings can explain both the shift in traits and turnover of species along existing environmental gradients and changing future conditions and highlight the importance of both carbon assimilation and tissue construction in shaping the functional composition of vegetation across climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac R Towers
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Climate Friendly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Manon E B Sabot
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and Climate Change Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter A Vesk
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel S Falster
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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2
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van Breugel M, Bongers F, Norden N, Meave JA, Amissah L, Chanthorn W, Chazdon R, Craven D, Farrior C, Hall JS, Hérault B, Jakovac C, Lebrija-Trejos E, Martínez-Ramos M, Muñoz R, Poorter L, Rüger N, van der Sande M, Dent DH. Feedback loops drive ecological succession: towards a unified conceptual framework. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:928-949. [PMID: 38226776 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13051] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The core principle shared by most theories and models of succession is that, following a major disturbance, plant-environment feedback dynamics drive a directional change in the plant community. The most commonly studied feedback loops are those in which the regrowth of the plant community causes changes to the abiotic (e.g. soil nutrients) or biotic (e.g. dispersers) environment, which differentially affect species availability or performance. This, in turn, leads to shifts in the species composition of the plant community. However, there are many other PE feedback loops that potentially drive succession, each of which can be considered a model of succession. While plant-environment feedback loops in principle generate predictable successional trajectories, succession is generally observed to be highly variable. Factors contributing to this variability are the stochastic processes involved in feedback dynamics, such as individual mortality and seed dispersal, and extrinsic causes of succession, which are not affected by changes in the plant community but do affect species performance or availability. Both can lead to variation in the identity of dominant species within communities. This, in turn, leads to further contingencies if these species differ in their effect on their environment (priority effects). Predictability and variability are thus intrinsically linked features of ecological succession. We present a new conceptual framework of ecological succession that integrates the propositions discussed above. This framework defines seven general causes: landscape context, disturbance and land-use, biotic factors, abiotic factors, species availability, species performance, and the plant community. When involved in a feedback loop, these general causes drive succession and when not, they are extrinsic causes that create variability in successional trajectories and dynamics. The proposed framework provides a guide for linking these general causes into causal pathways that represent specific models of succession. Our framework represents a systematic approach to identifying the main feedback processes and causes of variation at different successional stages. It can be used for systematic comparisons among study sites and along environmental gradients, to conceptualise studies, and to guide the formulation of research questions and design of field studies. Mapping an extensive field study onto our conceptual framework revealed that the pathways representing the study's empirical outcomes and conceptual model had important differences, underlining the need to move beyond the conceptual models that currently dominate in specific fields and to find ways to examine the importance of and interactions among alternative causal pathways of succession. To further this aim, we argue for integrating long-term studies across environmental and anthropogenic gradients, combined with controlled experiments and dynamic modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel van Breugel
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Arts Link, #03-01 Block AS2, 117570, Singapore
- Yale-NUS College, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Frans Bongers
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Natalia Norden
- Centro de Estudios Socioecológicos y Cambio Global, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Avenida Circunvalar #16-20, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jorge A Meave
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, C.P. 04510, Mexico
| | - Lucy Amissah
- CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, UPO Box 63, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Wirong Chanthorn
- Department of Environmental Technology and Management, Faculty of Environment, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Road, Jatujak District, 10900, Thailand
| | - Robin Chazdon
- Forest Research Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Dylan Craven
- Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Piramide 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, 8580745, Chile
| | - Caroline Farrior
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Stop C0930, Austin, Texas, 78705, USA
| | - Jefferson S Hall
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, F-34398 Montpellier, France & Forêts et Sociétés, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Catarina Jakovac
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rod. Admar Gonzaga, 1346, 88034-000, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Edwin Lebrija-Trejos
- Department of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa-Oranim, Tivon, 36006, Israel
| | - Miguel Martínez-Ramos
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda de San José de la Huerta, CP 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Muñoz
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nadja Rüger
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Economics, Institute of Empirical Economic Research, University of Leipzig, Grimmaische Str. 12, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Masha van der Sande
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Daisy H Dent
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
- ETH Zürich, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Institute for Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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3
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Martin PR, Ghalambor CK. A Case for the "Competitive Exclusion-Tolerance Rule" as a General Cause of Species Turnover along Environmental Gradients. Am Nat 2023; 202:1-17. [PMID: 37384767 DOI: 10.1086/724683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
AbstractClosely related, ecologically similar species often segregate their distributions along environmental gradients of time, space, and resources, but previous research suggests diverse underlying causes. Here, we review reciprocal removal studies in nature that experimentally test the role of interactions among species in determining their turnover along environmental gradients. We find consistent evidence for asymmetric exclusion coupled with differences in environmental tolerance causing the segregation of species pairs, where a dominant species excludes a subordinate from benign regions of the gradient but is unable to tolerate challenging regions to which the subordinate species is adapted. Subordinate species were consistently smaller and performed better in regions of the gradient typically occupied by the dominant species compared with their native distribution. These results extend previous ideas contrasting competitive ability with adaptation to abiotic stress to include a broader diversity of species interactions (intraguild predation, reproductive interference) and environmental gradients, including gradients of biotic challenge. Collectively, these findings suggest that adaptation to environmental challenge compromises performance in antagonistic interactions with ecologically similar species. The consistency of this pattern across diverse organisms, environments, and biomes suggests generalizable processes structuring the segregation of ecologically similar species along disparate environmental gradients, a phenomenon that we propose should be named the competitive exclusion-tolerance rule.
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Fletcher LR, Scoffoni C, Farrell C, Buckley TN, Pellegrini M, Sack L. Testing the association of relative growth rate and adaptation to climate across natural ecotypes of Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:413-432. [PMID: 35811421 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ecophysiologists have reported a range of relationships, including intrinsic trade-offs across and within species between plant relative growth rate in high resource conditions (RGR) vs adaptation to tolerate cold or arid climates, arising from trait-based mechanisms. Few studies have considered ecotypes within a species, in which the lack of a trade-off would contribute to a wide species range and resilience to climate change. For 15 ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana in a common garden we tested for associations between RGR vs adaptation to cold or dry native climates and assessed hypotheses for its mediation by 15 functional traits. Ecotypes native to warmer, drier climates had higher leaf density, leaf mass per area, root mass fraction, nitrogen per leaf area and carbon isotope ratio, and lower osmotic potential at full turgor. Relative growth rate was statistically independent of the climate of the ecotype native range and of individual functional traits. The decoupling of RGR and cold or drought adaptation in Arabidopsis is consistent with multiple stress resistance and avoidance mechanisms for ecotypic climate adaptation and would contribute to the species' wide geographic range and resilience as the climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila R Fletcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Christine Scoffoni
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Colin Farrell
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Thomas N Buckley
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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5
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Sadeghzadeh Hallaj MH, Azadfar D, Mirzaei Nodoushan H, Eskandari S, Tiefenbacher JP. Shade moderates the drought stress on saplings of Beneh (Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. mutica) in semiarid areas of Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:55201-55212. [PMID: 35314941 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19635-8] [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: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Beneh) is an important woody species that has been facing significant challenges to its natural regeneration and reforestation in Iran. This study investigates the interaction of soil moisture and shade on growth, chemical contents, and morphological and physiological characteristics of Beneh saplings. One-year-old Beneh saplings were treated with varying amounts of soil moisture (20, 50, and 100% of field capacity) and shade (0, 30, and 50% of full sunlight) in a split-plot experiment of a randomized complete block design in semiarid conditions of the Alborz Research Station of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR) in Iran. The results indicate that soil moisture significantly affects the water content of the leaf, total chlorophyll, proline content, activity of catalase enzyme, leaf dry biomass, leaflet area, and dry stem biomass in the leaf. Shade significantly affected total chlorophyll, catalase enzyme activity, specific leaflet area, relative water content of the leaf, proline content, dry root biomass, and leaflet area. The interaction of shade and soil moisture significantly affected seedling height, catalase enzyme activity, specific leaflet area, and nitrogen and potassium content of the leaf. Shade moderates the stress of drought on Beneh saplings, but shading of Beneh saplings is not recommended in conditions where there is no concern about soil moisture. These conclusions can be used to improve the production of Beneh saplings in nurseries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hosein Sadeghzadeh Hallaj
- Forest Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
| | - Davoud Azadfar
- Department of Forest Sciences, Grogan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Hossein Mirzaei Nodoushan
- Department of Biotechnology Researches, Research Institute of Forest and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Eskandari
- Forest Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
| | - John P Tiefenbacher
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
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6
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Holdrege MC, Kulmatiski A, Beard KH, Palmquist KA. Precipitation Intensification Increases Shrub Dominance in Arid, Not Mesic, Ecosystems. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00778-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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Light Transmissivity of Tree Shelters Interacts with Site Environment and Species Ecophysiology to Determine Outplanting Performance in Mediterranean Climates. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10070753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plastic tree shelters are commonly used in plantations under Mediterranean climates to protect against herbivory and enhance outplanting performance. However, effects on outplanting performance cannot be generalized due to the complexity of plant responses to microenvironmental conditions within the tube wall. The interactions between the light transmissivity of the tubes and species-specific responses to light and site environment on two-year outplanting performance were studied in two species with contrasting shade tolerance planted inside tree shelters with four different light transmissivities and a non-tree shelter control at two Mediterranean sites with contrasting rainfall and temperature. In general, increasing light transmissivity enhanced biomass accumulation, suggesting that the use of clear tubes might be advisable. However, the shade-tolerant Q. ilex did not benefit from the greater light transmissivity in the most arid site, indicating that the positive effect of clear tubes depends on water stress experienced by seedlings, which ultimately is determined by drought resistance strategies and site conditions. The growth of both species and survival of P. halepensis were higher within clear tubes in the continental site than in unsheltered plants, which suggests that factors other than light, such as warmer daytime temperatures or the prevention of dust deposition, can explain this beneficial site-dependent effect of tree shelters. In conclusion, our results confirm the hypothesis that the effect of tree shelter and its light transmission on outplanting performance is site and species-specific, but further research is needed to identify the effect of other effects not related to light transmission.
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8
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Gallagher CA, Chudzinska M, Larsen-Gray A, Pollock CJ, Sells SN, White PJC, Berger U. From theory to practice in pattern-oriented modelling: identifying and using empirical patterns in predictive models. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1868-1888. [PMID: 33978325 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
To robustly predict the effects of disturbance and ecosystem changes on species, it is necessary to produce structurally realistic models with high predictive power and flexibility. To ensure that these models reflect the natural conditions necessary for reliable prediction, models must be informed and tested using relevant empirical observations. Pattern-oriented modelling (POM) offers a systematic framework for employing empirical patterns throughout the modelling process and has been coupled with complex systems modelling, such as in agent-based models (ABMs). However, while the production of ABMs has been rising rapidly, the explicit use of POM has not increased. Challenges with identifying patterns and an absence of specific guidelines on how to implement empirical observations may limit the accessibility of POM and lead to the production of models which lack a systematic consideration of reality. This review serves to provide guidance on how to identify and apply patterns following a POM approach in ABMs (POM-ABMs), specifically addressing: where in the ecological hierarchy can we find patterns; what kinds of patterns are useful; how should simulations and observations be compared; and when in the modelling cycle are patterns used? The guidance and examples provided herein are intended to encourage the application of POM and inspire efficient identification and implementation of patterns for both new and experienced modellers alike. Additionally, by generalising patterns found especially useful for POM-ABM development, these guidelines provide practical help for the identification of data gaps and guide the collection of observations useful for the development and verification of predictive models. Improving the accessibility and explicitness of POM could facilitate the production of robust and structurally realistic models in the ecological community, contributing to the advancement of predictive ecology at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara A Gallagher
- Department of Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology, University of Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 3, Potsdam, 14469, Germany.,Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, 4000
| | - Magda Chudzinska
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - Angela Larsen-Gray
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 250 N. Mills St., Madison, WI, 53706, U.S.A
| | | | - Sarah N Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, The University of Montana, 205 Natural Sciences, Missoula, MT, 59812, U.S.A
| | - Patrick J C White
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Ct., Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, U.K
| | - Uta Berger
- Institute of Forest Growth and Computer Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01062, Germany
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9
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Puglielli G, Laanisto L, Poorter H, Niinemets Ü. Global patterns of biomass allocation in woody species with different tolerances of shade and drought: evidence for multiple strategies. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:308-322. [PMID: 33411342 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The optimal partitioning theory predicts that plants of a given species acclimate to different environments by allocating a larger proportion of biomass to the organs acquiring the most limiting resource. Are similar patterns found across species adapted to environments with contrasting levels of abiotic stress? We tested the optimal partitioning theory by analysing how fractional biomass allocation to leaves, stems and roots differed between woody species with different tolerances of shade and drought in plants of different age and size (seedlings to mature trees) using a global dataset including 604 species. No overarching biomass allocation patterns at different tolerance values across species were found. Biomass allocation varied among functional types as a result of phenological (deciduous vs evergreen broad-leaved species) and broad phylogenetical (angiosperms vs gymnosperms) differences. Furthermore, the direction of biomass allocation responses between tolerant and intolerant species was often opposite to that predicted by the optimal partitioning theory. We conclude that plant functional type is the major determinant of biomass allocation in woody species. We propose that interactions between plant functional type, ontogeny and species-specific stress tolerance adaptations allow woody species with different shade and drought tolerances to display multiple biomass partitioning strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Puglielli
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
| | - Lauri Laanisto
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, D-52425, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tallinn, 10130, Estonia
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10
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Marshall LA, Falk DA. Demographic trends in community functional tolerance reflect tree responses to climate and altered fire regimes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02197. [PMID: 32524676 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Forests of the western United States are undergoing substantial stress from fire exclusion and increasing effects of climate change, altering ecosystem functions and processes. Changes in broad-scale drivers of forest community composition become apparent in their effect on survivorship and regeneration, driving demographic shifts. Here we take a community functional approach to forest demography, by investigating mean drought or shade functional tolerance in community assemblages. We created the Community Mean Tolerance Index (CMTI), a response metric utilizing drought/shade tolerance trade-offs to identify communities undergoing demographic change from a functional trait perspective. We applied the CMTI to Forest Inventory and Analysis data to investigate demographic trends in drought and shade tolerance across the southern Rocky Mountains. To find the major drivers of change in community tolerance within and across forest types, we compared index trends to climate and fire-exclusion-driven disturbance, and identified areas where demographic change was most pronounced. We predicted that greater shifts in drought tolerance would occur at lower forest type ecotones where climate stress is limiting and that shifts in shade tolerance would correspond to excursions from the historic fire regime leading to greater changes in forest types adapted to frequent, low-intensity fire. The CMTI was applied spatially to identify sites likely to transition to oak shrubfield, where disturbance history combined with a species-driven demographic shift toward drought tolerance. Within forest types, lower elevations are trending toward increased drought tolerance, while higher elevations are trending toward increased shade tolerance. Across forest types, CMTI difference peaked in mid-elevation ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests, where fire exclusion and autecology drive demographic changes. Peak CMTI difference was associated with fire exclusion in forest types adapted to frequent fire. At higher elevations, site-level stand dynamics appear to be influencing demographic tolerance trends more than broad climate drivers. Through a community demographic approach to functional traits, the CMTI highlights areas and forest types where ecosystem function is in the process of changing, before persistent vegetation type change occurs. Applied to regional plot networks, the CMTI provides an early warning of shifts in community functional processes as climate change pressures continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Marshall
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0045, USA
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0045, USA
| | - D A Falk
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0045, USA
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721-0045, USA
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11
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Hung TH, Gooda R, Rizzuto G, So T, Thammavong B, Tran HT, Jalonen R, Boshier DH, MacKay JJ. Physiological responses of rosewoods Dalbergia cochinchinensis and D. oliveri under drought and heat stresses. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:10872-10885. [PMID: 33072302 PMCID: PMC7548189 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dalbergia cochinchinensis and D. oliveri are classified as vulnerable and endangered, respectively, in the IUCN Red List and under continued threat from deforestation and illegal harvesting for rosewood. Despite emerging efforts to conserve and restore these species, little is known of their responses to drought and heat stress, which are expected to increase in the Greater Mekong Subregion where the species co‐occur and are endemic. In this study of isolated and combined drought and heat effects, we found that D. oliveri had an earlier stomatal closure and more constant midday water potential in response to increasing drought level, suggesting that D. oliveri is relatively isohydric while D. cochinchinensis is relatively anisohydric. Heat shock and drought had synergistic effects on stomatal closure. Our results indicate contrasting relationships in water relations, photosynthetic pigment levels, and total soluble sugars. An increase in chlorophyll a was observed in D. cochinchinensis during drought, and a concomitant increase in carotenoid content likely afforded protection against photo‐oxidation. These physiological changes correlated with higher total soluble sugars in D. cochinchinensis. By contrast, D. oliveri avoided drought by reducing chlorophyll content and compromising productivity. Anisohydry and drought tolerance in D. cochinchinensis are adaptations which fit well with its ecological niche as a pioneering species with faster growth in young trees. We believe this understanding of the stress responses of both species will be crucial to their effective regeneration and conservation in degraded habitats and in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tin Hang Hung
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Rosemary Gooda
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | | | - Thea So
- Institute of Forest and Wildlife Research and Development Phnom Penh Cambodia
| | - Bansa Thammavong
- National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute Forestry Research Center Vientiane Lao PDR
| | - Hoa Thi Tran
- Forest Genetics and Conservation Center for Biodiversity and Biosafety Institute of Agricultural Genetics Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences Hanoi Vietnam
| | - Riina Jalonen
- Bioversity International, Malaysia Office c/o TNCPI, University Putra Malaysia, off Lebuh Silikon Serdang Malaysia
| | | | - John J MacKay
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Oxford Oxford UK
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12
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System Performance Corresponding to Bacterial Community Succession after a Disturbance in an Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal Bioreactor. mSystems 2020; 5:5/4/e00398-20. [PMID: 32694126 PMCID: PMC7566277 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00398-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Performance of a bioreactor is affected by complex microbial consortia that regulate system functional processes. Studies so far, however, have mainly emphasized the selective pressures imposed by operational conditions (i.e., deterministic external physicochemical variables) on the microbial community as well as system performance, but have overlooked direct effects of the microbial community on system functioning. Here, using a bioreactor with ammonium as the sole substrate under controlled operational settings as a model system, we investigated succession of the bacterial community after a disturbance and its impact on nitrification and anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) processes with fine-resolution time series data. System performance was quantified as the ratio of the fed ammonium converted to anammox-derived nitrogen gas (N2) versus nitrification-derived nitrate (npNO3 -). After the disturbance, the N2/npNO3 - ratio first decreased, then recovered, and finally stabilized until the end. Importantly, the dynamics of N2/npNO3 - could not be fully explained by physicochemical variables of the system. In comparison, the proportion of variation that could be explained substantially increased (tripled) when the changes in bacterial composition were taken into account. Specifically, distinct bacterial taxa tended to dominate at different successional stages, and their relative abundances could explain up to 46% of the variation in nitrogen removal efficiency. These findings add baseline knowledge of microbial succession and emphasize the importance of monitoring the dynamics of microbial consortia for understanding the variability of system performance.IMPORTANCE Dynamics of microbial communities are believed to be associated with system functional processes in bioreactors. However, few studies have provided quantitative evidence. The difficulty of evaluating direct microbe-system relationships arises from the fact that system performance is affected by convolved effects of microbiota and bioreactor operational parameters (i.e., deterministic external physicochemical forcing). Here, using fine-resolution time series data (daily sampling for 2 months) under controlled operational settings, we performed an in-depth analysis of system performance as a function of the microbial community in the context of bioreactor physicochemical conditions. We obtained statistically evaluated results supporting the idea that monitoring microbial community dynamics could improve the ability to predict system functioning, beyond what could be explained by operational physicochemical variables. Moreover, our results suggested that considering the succession of multiple bacterial taxa would account for more system variation than focusing on any particular taxon, highlighting the need to integrate microbial community ecology for understanding system functioning.
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Gauzere P, Morin X, Violle C, Caspeta I, Ray C, Blonder B. Vacant yet invasible niches in forest community assembly. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Gauzere
- School of Life Science Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
- LECAUniversity of Grenoble AlpesUniversity of Savoie Mont BlancCNRS Grenoble France
| | - Xavier Morin
- UMR 5175 CEFE CNRSUniversité de MontpellierUniversité Paul‐Valéry MontpellierEPHEIRD Montpellier France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- UMR 5175 CEFE CNRSUniversité de MontpellierUniversité Paul‐Valéry MontpellierEPHEIRD Montpellier France
| | - Ivanna Caspeta
- School of Life Science Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
| | - Courtenay Ray
- School of Life Science Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Benjamin Blonder
- School of Life Science Arizona State University Tempe AZ USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley CA USA
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14
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Combined Effects of Drought and Shading on Growth and Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Pinus massoniana Lamb. Seedlings. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f11010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Carbon assimilation is reduced by stress. Under such conditions, the trade-off between growth and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) storage becomes crucial for plant survival and continued growth. However, growth and NSC responses to drought and shading in Pinus massoniana Lamb. remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of drought, shading, and combined drought and shading on leaf gas exchange parameters, stem basal diameter, plant height, biomass accumulation, and NSC concentration in 2-year old seedlings after a 2 month treatment. The results showed that (1) both drought and shading significantly reduced photosynthetic rate, increment of stem basal diameter and plant height, and biomass accumulation, while NSC concentration increased under drought but decreased under shading; (2) the combined drought-shading treatment had a stronger effect on photosynthetic rate and growth than either stress factor individually, whereas the concentration of NSC did not change significantly; and (3) drought, shading, and their combination had a lower effect on biomass than on NSC partitioning, in which case clear effects were observed. Drought increased NSC proportion in roots by 5.4%; conversely, shading increased NSC proportion in leaves by 3.7%, while the combined treatment increased NSC proportion in roots by 5.1% but decreased it in the leaves by 5.4%. These results suggest that the mechanism inhibiting P. massoniana growth is different under drought and shading conditions according to carbon partitioning. Furthermore, complex environmental stress may lead to different mechanisms of carbon partitioning compared with either dry or shaded environments. Our findings will be helpful in predicting the impact of climate change on P. massoniana growth.
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Kupers SJ, Wirth C, Engelbrecht BMJ, Hernández A, Condit R, Wright SJ, Rüger N. Performance of tropical forest seedlings under shade and drought: an interspecific trade-off in demographic responses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18784. [PMID: 31827158 PMCID: PMC6906455 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55256-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Seedlings in moist tropical forests must cope with deep shade and seasonal drought. However, the interspecific relationship between seedling performance in shade and drought remains unsettled. We quantified spatiotemporal variation in shade and drought in the seasonal moist tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, and estimated responses of naturally regenerating seedlings as the slope of the relationship between performance and shade or drought intensity. Our performance metrics were relative height growth and first-year survival. We investigated the relationship between shade and drought responses for up to 63 species. There was an interspecific trade-off in species responses to shade versus species responses to dry season intensity; species that performed worse in the shade did not suffer during severe dry seasons and vice versa. This trade-off emerged in part from the absence of species that performed particularly well or poorly in both drought and shade. If drought stress in tropical forests increases with climate change and as solar radiation is higher during droughts, the trade-off may reinforce a shift towards species that resist drought but perform poorly in the shade by releasing them from deep shade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan J Kupers
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Christian Wirth
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Bettina M J Engelbrecht
- Department of Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95447, Bayreuth, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Andrés Hernández
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Richard Condit
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
- Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60532-1293, USA
| | - S Joseph Wright
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Nadja Rüger
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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Rodgers VL, Smith NG, Hoeppner SS, Dukes JS. Warming increases the sensitivity of seedling growth capacity to rainfall in six temperate deciduous tree species. AOB PLANTS 2018; 10:ply003. [PMID: 29484151 PMCID: PMC5815139 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/ply003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the effects of climate change on tree species and communities is critical for understanding the future state of our forested ecosystems. We used a fully factorial precipitation (three levels; ambient, -50 % ambient, +50 % ambient) by warming (four levels; up to +4 °C) experiment in an old-field ecosystem in the northeastern USA to study the climatic sensitivity of seedlings of six native tree species. We measured whole plant-level responses: survival, total leaf area (TLA), seedling insect herbivory damage, as well as leaf-level responses: specific leaf area (SLA), leaf-level water content (LWC), foliar nitrogen (N) concentration, foliar carbon (C) concentration and C:N ratio of each of these deciduous species in each treatment across a single growing season. We found that canopy warming dramatically increased the sensitivity of plant growth (measured as TLA) to rainfall across all species. Warm, dry conditions consistently reduced TLA and also reduced leaf C:N in four species (Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, Prunus serotina, Ulmus americana), primarily as a result of reduced foliar C, not increased foliar N. Interestingly, these conditions also harmed the other two species in different ways, increasing either mortality (Populus grandidentata) or herbivory (Quercus rubra). Specific leaf area and LWC varied across species, but did not show strong treatment responses. Our results indicate that, in the northeastern USA, dry years in a future warmer environment could have damaging effects on the growth capacity of these early secondary successional forests, through species-specific effects on leaf production (total leaves and leaf C), herbivory and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikki L Rodgers
- Math and Science Division, Babson College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas G Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Susanne S Hoeppner
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Suite, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Dukes
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Climate Change Research Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Direct Seeding of Pinus halepensis Mill. for Recovery of Burned Semi-Arid Forests: Implications for Post-Fire Management for Improving Natural Regeneration. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8090353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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18
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Goldberg DE, Martina JP, Elgersma KJ, Currie WS. Plant Size and Competitive Dynamics along Nutrient Gradients. Am Nat 2017; 190:229-243. [DOI: 10.1086/692438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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19
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Buckley TN, Sack L, Farquhar GD. Optimal plant water economy. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2017; 40:881-896. [PMID: 27644069 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
It was shown over 40 years ago that plants maximize carbon gain for a given rate of water loss if stomatal conductance, gs , varies in response to external and internal conditions such that the marginal carbon revenue of water, ∂A/∂E, remains constant over time. This theory has long held promise for understanding the physiological ecology of water use and for informing models of plant-atmosphere interactions. Full realization of this potential hinges on three questions: (i) Are analytical approximations adequate for applying the theory at diurnal time scales? (ii) At what time scale is it realistic and appropriate to apply the theory? (iii) How should gs vary to maximize growth over long time scales? We review the current state of understanding for each of these questions and describe future research frontiers. In particular, we show that analytical solutions represent the theory quite poorly, especially when boundary layer or mesophyll resistances are significant; that diurnal variations in hydraulic conductance may help or hinder maintenance of ∂A/∂E, and the matter requires further study; and that optimal diurnal responses are distinct from optimal long-term variations in gs , which emerge from optimal shifts in carbon partitioning at the whole-plant scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas N Buckley
- Plant Breeding Institute, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Sydney, Narrabri, New South Wales, 2390, Australia
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
| | - Graham D Farquhar
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, 0200, Australia
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20
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Chauvet M, Kunstler G, Roy J, Morin X. Using a forest dynamics model to link community assembly processes and traits structure. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mickaël Chauvet
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE 1919 Route de Mende F‐34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Georges Kunstler
- Irstea UR EMGR Ecosystèmes Montagnards 2 rue de la Papeterie‐BP 76 F‐38402 St‐Martin‐d'Hères France
| | - Jacques Roy
- CNRS Ecotron UPS 3248 Campus Baillarguet Montferrier‐sur‐Lez France
| | - Xavier Morin
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE 1919 Route de Mende F‐34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
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21
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Gaviria J, Turner BL, Engelbrecht BMJ. Drivers of tree species distribution across a tropical rainfall gradient. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gaviria
- Department of Plant Ecology; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Benjamin L. Turner
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Panama
| | - Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht
- Department of Plant Ecology; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; 95447 Bayreuth Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Panama
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22
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Matías L, Gonzalez-Díaz P, Quero JL, Camarero JJ, Lloret F, Jump AS. Role of geographical provenance in the response of silver fir seedlings to experimental warming and drought. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 36:1236-1246. [PMID: 27273199 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Changes in climate can alter the distribution and population dynamics of tree species by altering their recruitment patterns, especially at range edges. However, geographical patterns of genetic diversity could buffer the negative consequences of changing climate at rear range edges where populations might also harbour individuals with drought-adapted genotypes. Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) reaches its south-western distribution limit in the Spanish Pyrenees, where recent climatic dieback events have disproportionately affected westernmost populations. We hypothesized that silver fir populations from the eastern Pyrenees are less vulnerable to the expected changing climate due to the inclusion of drought-resistant genotypes. We performed an experiment under strictly controlled conditions simulating projected warming and drought compared with current conditions and analysed physiology, growth and survival of silver fir seedlings collected from eastern and western Pyrenean populations. Genetic analyses separated eastern and western provenances in two different lineages. Climate treatments affected seedling morphology and survival of both lineages in an overall similar way: elevated drought diminished survival and induced a higher biomass allocation to roots. Increased temperature and drought provoked more negative stem water potentials and increased δ13C ratios in leaves. Warming reduced nitrogen concentration and increased soluble sugar content in leaves, whereas drought increased nitrogen concentration. Lineage affected these physiological parameters, with western seedlings being more sensitive to warming and drought increase in terms of δ13C, nitrogen and content of soluble sugars. Our results demonstrate that, in A. alba, differences in the physiological response of this species to drought are also associated with differences in biogeographical history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Matías
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- Present address: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC), PO Box 1052, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Díaz
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - José L Quero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Crta N-IV km 396, Córdoba 14071, Spain
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Francisco Lloret
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat d'Ecologia, Department of Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autónoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alistair S Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Zunzunegui M, Díaz-Barradas MC, Jáuregui J, Rodríguez H, Álvarez-Cansino L. Season-dependent and independent responses of Mediterranean scrub to light conditions. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2016; 102:80-91. [PMID: 26913795 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Semi-arid plant species cope with excess of solar radiation with morphological and physiological adaptations that assure their survival when other abiotic stressors interact. At the leaf level, sun and shade plants may differ in the set of traits that regulate environmental stressors. Here, we evaluated if leaf-level physiological seasonal response of Mediterranean scrub species (Myrtus communis, Halimium halimifolium, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Cistus salvifolius) depended on light availability conditions. We aimed to determine which of these responses prevailed independently of the marked seasonality of Mediterranean climate, to define a leaf-level strategy in the scrub community. Thirty six leaf response variables - involving gas exchange, water status, photosystem II photochemical efficiency, photosynthetic pigments and leaf structure - were seasonally measured in sun exposed and shaded plants under field conditions. Physiological responses showed a common pattern throughout the year, in spite of the marked seasonality of the Mediterranean climate and of species-specific differences in the response to light intensity. Variables related to light use, CO2 assimilation, leaf pigment content, and LMA (leaf mass area) presented differences that were consistent throughout the year, although autumn was the season with greater contrast between sun and shade plants. Our data suggest that in Mediterranean scrub shade plants the lutein pool could have an important role in the photoprotection of the photosynthetic tissues. There was a negative linear correlation between the ratio lutein/total chlorophylls and the majority of leaf level variables. The combined effect of abiotic stress factors (light and drought or light and cold) was variable-specific, in some cases enhancing differences between sun and shade plants, while in others leading to unified strategies in all scrub species.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Zunzunegui
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Mari Cruz Díaz-Barradas
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan Jáuregui
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Herminia Rodríguez
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad Sevilla y CSIC, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, Avenida de Americo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Leonor Álvarez-Cansino
- Department of Plant Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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Lou Y, Pan Y, Gao C, Jiang M, Lu X, Xu YJ. Response of Plant Height, Species Richness and Aboveground Biomass to Flooding Gradient along Vegetation Zones in Floodplain Wetlands, Northeast China. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153972. [PMID: 27097325 PMCID: PMC4838329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Flooding regime changes resulting from natural and human activity have been projected to affect wetland plant community structures and functions. It is therefore important to conduct investigations across a range of flooding gradients to assess the impact of flooding depth on wetland vegetation. We conducted this study to identify the pattern of plant height, species richness and aboveground biomass variation along the flooding gradient in floodplain wetlands located in Northeast China. We found that the response of dominant species height to the flooding gradient depends on specific species, i.e., a quadratic response for Carex lasiocarpa, a negative correlation for Calamagrostis angustifolia, and no response for Carex appendiculata. Species richness showed an intermediate effect along the vegetation zone from marsh to wet meadow while aboveground biomass increased. When the communities were analysed separately, only the water table depth had significant impact on species richness for two Carex communities and no variable for C. angustifolia community, while height of dominant species influenced aboveground biomass. When the three above-mentioned communities were grouped together, variations in species richness were mainly determined by community type, water table depth and community mean height, while variations in aboveground biomass were driven by community type and the height of dominant species. These findings indicate that if habitat drying of these herbaceous wetlands in this region continues, then two Carex marshes would be replaced gradually by C. angustifolia wet meadow in the near future. This will lead to a reduction in biodiversity and an increase in productivity and carbon budget. Meanwhile, functional traits must be considered, and should be a focus of attention in future studies on the species diversity and ecosystem function in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjing Lou
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
| | - Yanwen Pan
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P. R. China
| | - Chuanyu Gao
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P. R. China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P. R. China
| | - Xianguo Lu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, P. R. China
| | - Y. Jun Xu
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, United States of America
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25
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Feagin RA, Wu XB. An experimental approach for quantifying the spatial interactions of plants under different treatment conditions. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.2980/i1195-6860-12-1-44.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rusty A. Feagin
- Spatial Sciences Laboratory, Department of Forest Science, Texas A & M University, 2135 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA,
| | - X. Ben Wu
- Department of Rangeland Ecology & Management, Texas A & M University, 2126 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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26
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Urban D, Goslee S, Pierce K, Lookingbill T. Extending community ecology to landscapes. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2002.11682706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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27
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Relationship between the spatial distribution of coastal sand dune plants and edaphic factors in a coastal sand dune system in Korea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.5141/ecoenv.2016.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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28
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Liénard J, Strigul N. An individual-based forest model links canopy dynamics and shade tolerances along a soil moisture gradient. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150589. [PMID: 26998329 PMCID: PMC4785980 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how forested ecosystems respond to climatic changes is a challenging problem as forest self-organization occurs simultaneously across multiple scales. Here, we explore the hypothesis that soil water availability shapes above-ground competition and gap dynamics, and ultimately alters the dominance of shade tolerant and intolerant species along the moisture gradient. We adapt a spatially explicit individual-based model with simultaneous crown and root competitions. Simulations show that the transition from xeric to mesic soils is accompanied by an increase in shade-tolerant species similar to the patterns documented in the North American forests. This transition is accompanied by a change from water to sunlight competitions, and happens at three successive stages: (i) mostly water-limited parkland, (ii) simultaneously water- and sunlight-limited closed canopy forests featuring a very sparse understory, and (iii) mostly sunlight-limited forests with a populated understory. This pattern is caused by contrasting successional dynamics that favour either shade-tolerant or shade-intolerant species, depending on soil moisture and understory density. This work demonstrates that forest patterns along environmental gradients can emerge from spatial competition without physiological trade-offs between shade and growth tolerance. Mechanistic understanding of population processes involved in the forest-parkland-desert transition will improve our ability to explain species distributions and predict forest responses to climatic changes.
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Gaviria J, Engelbrecht BMJ. Effects of Drought, Pest Pressure and Light Availability on Seedling Establishment and Growth: Their Role for Distribution of Tree Species across a Tropical Rainfall Gradient. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143955. [PMID: 26619138 PMCID: PMC4664389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree species distributions associated with rainfall are among the most prominent patterns in tropical forests. Understanding the mechanisms shaping these patterns is important to project impacts of global climate change on tree distributions and diversity in the tropics. Beside direct effects of water availability, additional factors co-varying with rainfall have been hypothesized to play an important role, including pest pressure and light availability. While low water availability is expected to exclude drought-intolerant wet forest species from drier forests (physiological tolerance hypothesis), high pest pressure or low light availability are hypothesized to exclude dry forest species from wetter forests (pest pressure gradient and light availability hypothesis, respectively). To test these hypotheses at the seed-to-seedling transition, the potentially most critical stage for species discrimination, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment combined with a pest exclosure treatment at a wet and a dry forest site in Panama with seeds of 26 species with contrasting origin. Establishment success after one year did not reflect species distribution patterns. However, in the wet forest, wet origin species had a home advantage over dry forest species through higher growth rates. At the same time, drought limited survival of wet origin species in the dry forest, supporting the physiological tolerance hypothesis. Together these processes sort species over longer time frames, and exclude species outside their respective home range. Although we found pronounced effects of pests and some effects of light availability on the seedlings, they did not corroborate the pest pressure nor light availability hypotheses at the seed-to-seedling transition. Our results underline that changes in water availability due to climate change will have direct consequences on tree regeneration and distributions along tropical rainfall gradients, while indirect effects of light and pests are less important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gaviria
- Department of Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht
- Department of Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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Carvajal DE, Loayza AP, Squeo FA. Contrasting responses to water-deficit among Encelia canescens populations distributed along an aridity gradient. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:1552-1557. [PMID: 26373975 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Drought is the most limiting factor for plant growth and recruitment in arid environments. For widespread species, however, plant responses to drought can vary across populations because environmental conditions can vary along the range of the species. Here, we assessed whether plants of Encelia canescens from different populations along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert respond differently to water-deficit conditions. METHODS We conducted a common-garden experiment using plants grown from seeds from three populations distributed along an aridity gradient to test for differences in relative growth rate (RGR), biomass, root to shoot ratios, and photosynthesis between watered and water-deficit plants. Additionally, we examined the relationship between root to shoot ratios with RGR and total plant biomass along the gradient. KEY RESULTS Water deficit affected root to shoot ratios, biomass, and RGR, but not photosynthesis. Populations varied in RGR and biomass; plants from the most arid population had higher RGRs, but lower biomass than those from the least arid population. In watered conditions, root to shoot ratios did not vary with RGR or biomass. Conversely, with the water deficit, root to shoot ratios were negatively and positively related to biomass and RGR, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Response to water deficit differed among E. canescens populations; plants from the lowest rainfall environment adjusted root to shoot ratios, which may have allowed for equal biomass production across treatments. In contrast, plants from the wettest population did not adjust root to shoot ratios, but were reduced in biomass. These morphological and physiological changes to water availability showed that populations can use different strategies to cope with water deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny E Carvajal
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, Raúl Bitrán #1305, Colina El Pino, La Serena 1720170, Chile Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Andrea P Loayza
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, Raúl Bitrán #1305, Colina El Pino, La Serena 1720170, Chile Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco A Squeo
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, Raúl Bitrán #1305, Colina El Pino, La Serena 1720170, Chile Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
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Laanisto L, Niinemets Ü. Polytolerance to abiotic stresses: how universal is the shade-drought tolerance trade-off in woody species? GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY : A JOURNAL OF MACROECOLOGY 2015; 24:571-580. [PMID: 29367836 PMCID: PMC5777592 DOI: 10.1111/geb.12288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
AIMS According to traditional ecophysiological theories stress tolerance of plants is predominately determined by universal physiochemical constraints. Plant acclimation to environmental stress therefore compromises plant performance under a different stress, hindering successful toleration of several abiotic stress factors simultaneously. Yet, recent studies have shown that these trade-offs are less exclusive than postulated so far, leaving more wiggle room for gaining polytolerance through adaptations We tested whether the polytolerance to shade and drought depends on cold and waterlogging tolerances - hypothesizing that polytolerance patterns in different species groups (angiosperms vs. gymnosperms; deciduous vs. evergreen; species originating from North America, Europe and East Asia) depend on the length of the vegetation period and species's dormancy through limiting the duration of favourable growing season. LOCATION Northern hemisphere. METHODS Our study analyzed four main abiotic stress factors - shade, drought, cold and waterlogging stress - for 806 Northern hemisphere woody species using cross-calibrated tolerance rankings. The importance of trade-offs among species ecological potentials was evaluated using the species-specific estimates of polytolerance to chosen factors. RESULTS We found that both cold and waterlogging tolerance are negatively related to species' capabilities of simultaneously tolerating low light and water conditions. While this pattern was different in angiosperms and gymnosperms, species region of origin and leaf type had no effect on this relationship. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that adaptation to different abiotic stress factors in woody plants is highly complex. Vegetation period length and dormancy are the key factors explaining why woody plants are less capable of tolerating both shade and drought in habitats where vegetation period is relatively short and water table high. While dormancy enables angiosperms to more successfully face additional stress factors besides shade and drought, gymnosperms have lower polytolerance, but are better tolerators of shade and drought when other environmental factors are favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Laanisto
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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Amissah L, Mohren GMJ, Kyereh B, Poorter L. The effects of drought and shade on the performance, morphology and physiology of Ghanaian tree species. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121004. [PMID: 25836337 PMCID: PMC4383566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In tropical forests light and water availability are the most important factors for seedling growth and survival but an increasing frequency of drought may affect tree regeneration. One central question is whether drought and shade have interactive effects on seedling growth and survival. Here, we present results of a greenhouse experiment, in which seedlings of 10 Ghanaian tree species were exposed to combinations of strong seasonal drought (continuous watering versus withholding water for nine weeks) and shade (5% irradiance versus 20% irradiance). We evaluated the effects of drought and shade on seedling survival and growth and plasticity of 11 underlying traits related to biomass allocation, morphology and physiology. Seedling survival under dry conditions was higher in shade than in high light, thus providing support for the "facilitation hypothesis" that shade enhances plant performance through improved microclimatic conditions, and rejecting the trade-off hypothesis that drought should have stronger impact in shade because of reduced root investment. Shaded plants had low biomass fraction in roots, in line with the trade-off hypothesis, but they compensated for this with a higher specific root length (i.e., root length per unit root mass), resulting in a similar root length per plant mass and, hence, similar water uptake capacity as high-light plants. The majority (60%) of traits studied responded independently to drought and shade, indicating that within species shade- and drought tolerances are not in trade-off, but largely uncoupled. When individual species responses were analysed, then for most of the traits only one to three species showed significant interactive effects between drought and shade. The uncoupled response of most species to drought and shade should provide ample opportunity for niche differentiation and species coexistence under a range of water and light conditions. Overall our greenhouse results suggest that, in the absence of root competition shaded tropical forest tree seedlings may be able to survive prolonged drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Amissah
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Godefridus M. J. Mohren
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Boateng Kyereh
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Chen GF, Schemske DW. Ecological differentiation and local adaptation in two sister species of NeotropicalCostus(Costaceae). Ecology 2015; 96:440-9. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0428.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Brown CE, Mickelbart MV, Jacobs DF. Leaf physiology and biomass allocation of backcross hybrid American chestnut (Castanea dentata) seedlings in response to light and water availability. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 34:1362-1375. [PMID: 25428828 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpu094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Partial canopy cover promotes regeneration of many temperate forest trees, but the consequences of shading on seedling drought resistance are unclear. Reintroduction of blight-resistant American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) into eastern North American forests will often occur on water-limited sites and under partial canopy cover. We measured leaf pre-dawn water potential (Ψpd), leaf gas exchange, and growth and biomass allocation of backcross hybrid American chestnut seedlings from three orchard sources grown under different light intensities (76, 26 and 8% full photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)) and subjected to well-watered or mid-season water-stressed conditions. Seedlings in the water-stress treatment were returned to well-watered conditions after wilting to examine recovery. Seedlings growing under medium- and high-light conditions wilted at lower leaf Ψpd than low-light seedlings. Recovery of net photosynthesis (Anet) and stomatal conductance (gs) was greater in low and medium light than in high light. Seed source did not affect the response to water stress or light level in most cases. Between 26 and 8% full PAR, light became limiting to the extent that the effects of water stress had no impact on some growth and morphological traits. We conclude that positive and negative aspects of shading on seedling drought tolerance and recovery are not mutually exclusive. Partial shade may help American chestnut tolerate drought during early establishment through effects on physiological conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb E Brown
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061, USA
| | - Michael V Mickelbart
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061, USA
| | - Douglass F Jacobs
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2061, USA
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Morales LV, Coopman RE, Rojas R, Escandón AB, Flexas J, Galmés J, García-Plazaola JI, Gago J, Cabrera HM, Corcuera LJ. Acclimation of leaf cohorts expanded under light and water stresses: an adaptive mechanism of Eucryphia cordifolia to face changes in climatic conditions? TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 34:1305-1320. [PMID: 25398632 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpu085] [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] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. is a long-lived evergreen tree species, commonly found as a canopy emergent tree in the Chilean temperate rain forest. This species displays successive leaf cohorts throughout the entire growing season. Thus, full leaf expansion occurs under different environmental conditions during growing such as air temperature, vapor pressure deficit and the progress of moderate water stress (WS). These climate variations can be reflected as differences in anatomical and physiological characteristics among leaf cohorts. Thus, we investigated the potential adaptive role of different co-existing leaf cohorts in seedlings grown under shade, drought stress or a combination of the two. Photosynthetic and anatomical traits were measured in the first displayed leaf cohort and in a subsequent leaf cohort generated during the mid-season. Although most anatomical and photosynthetic pigments did not vary between cohorts, photosynthetic acclimation did occur in the leaf cohort and was mainly driven by biochemical processes such as leaf nitrogen content, Rubisco carboxylation capacity and maximal Photosystem II electron transport rather than CO2 diffusion conductance. Cohort acclimation could be relevant in the context of climate change, as this temperate rainforest will likely face some degree of summer WS even under low light conditions. We suggest that the acclimation of the photosynthetic capacity among current leaf cohorts represents a well-tuned mechanism helping E. cordifolia seedlings to face a single stress like shade or drought stress, but is insufficient to cope with simultaneous stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto V Morales
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología para la Conservación de Bosques, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Rafael E Coopman
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología para la Conservación de Bosques, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Roke Rojas
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología para la Conservación de Bosques, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Antonio B Escandón
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Jaume Flexas
- Grup de Recerca en Biologia de les Plantes en Condicions Mediterrànies, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Jeroni Galmés
- Grup de Recerca en Biologia de les Plantes en Condicions Mediterrànies, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - José I García-Plazaola
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Apdo 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Jorge Gago
- Grup de Recerca en Biologia de les Plantes en Condicions Mediterrànies, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain
| | - Hernán M Cabrera
- Centro de Ecología Aplicada Ltda Av. Príncipe de Gales 6465, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis J Corcuera
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
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Carvajal DE, Loayza AP, López RP, Toro PJ, Squeo FA. Growth and early seedling survival of four Atacama Desert shrub species under experimental light and water availability regimes. REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1186/s40693-014-0028-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Paz Esquivias M, Zunzunegui M, Díaz Barradas MC, Álvarez-Cansino L. Competitive effect of a native-invasive species on a threatened shrub in a Mediterranean dune system. Oecologia 2014; 177:133-46. [PMID: 25348574 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3106-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The canopy shade of the Retama species has been widely reported to ameliorate the environmental conditions in the understory, thus facilitating other species' establishment. The shading effect of the native-invasive leguminous shrub Retama monosperma (L.) Boiss on the endangered Thymus carnosus Boiss was analysed to determine a positive or negative net effect. Data was taken in all four seasons, representing contrasting light and water availability in a Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem (SW Spain). The morphological and physiological status of sun-exposed T. carnosus plants growing in open areas versus shaded plants growing under R. monosperma were measured seasonally. Leaf mass area, leaf area index and pigment content showed typical sun-shade responses. In contrast, sun-exposed T. carnosus displayed higher stem water potential, transpiration rate and water use efficiency, both intrinsic and integrated, denoting low tolerance to the presence of R. monosperma. Five years after the measurements, canopy cover had decreased and mortality was higher in shaded plants, thus confirming the competitive effect of R. monosperma on T. carnosus. R. monosperma arises as a competitor for endangered T. carnosus communities, consequently reinforcing its invasive behaviour. This species-specific shrub study demonstrates that eventual beneficial effects of Retama canopy may be overridden by competition in the understory, particularly in the case of species well-adapted to high light and low water levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Paz Esquivias
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, PO Box 1095, 41080, Sevilla, Spain,
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Sterck F, Markesteijn L, Toledo M, Schieving F, Poorter L. Sapling performance along resource gradients drives tree species distributions within and across tropical forests. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/13-2377.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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Matías L, Jump AS. Impacts of predicted climate change on recruitment at the geographical limits of Scots pine. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2014; 65:299-310. [PMID: 24220655 PMCID: PMC3883299 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing changes in global climate are having a significant impact on the distribution of plant species, with effects particularly evident at range limits. We assessed the capacity of Pinus sylvestris L. populations at northernmost and southernmost limits of the distribution to cope with projected changes in climate. We investigated responses including seed germination and early seedling growth and survival, using seeds from northernmost (Kevo, Finland) and southernmost (Granada, Spain) populations. Seeds were grown under current climate conditions in each area and under temperatures increased by 5 °C, with changes in precipitation of +30% or -30% with reference to current values at northern and southern limits, respectively, in a fully factorial controlled-conditions experimental design. Increased temperatures reduced germination time and enhanced biomass gain at both range edges but reduced survival at the southern range edge. Higher precipitation also increased survival and biomass but only under a southern climate. Seeds from the southern origin emerged faster, produced bigger seedlings, allocated higher biomass to roots, and survived better than northern ones. These results indicate that recruitment will be reduced at the southernmost range of the species, whereas it will be enhanced at the northern limit, and that the southern seed sources are better adapted to survive under drier conditions. However, future climate will impose a trade-off between seedling growth and survival probabilities. At the southern range edge, higher growth may render individuals more susceptible to mortality where greater aboveground biomass results in greater water loss through evapotranspiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Matías
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Alistair S. Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Diversity-Productivity Relationship in the Northeastern Tamaulipan Thornscrub Forest of Mexico. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1155/2014/196073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This research examines the diversity-productivity relationship in a semiarid scrubland, initially under late successional conditions and subsequently under early successional conditions created by experimental clearing, to explore the roles that productivity and stochastic mortality play in species exclusion in this environment. A total of fifteen plots were studied by measuring environmental conditions and biomass components of shrubs and seedlings. These stands were distributed along a productivity gradient across five different landforms. A hypothesis about the stochastic self-thinning mortality model along the gradient was evaluated with the diversity-productivity-environment data. The diversity-productivity relationship was linear and reversed between the early and late succession stages. The hypothesis of stochastic mortality of species exclusion was rejected in the early stages of succession and partially accepted in the mature stage of succession. Species exclusion was negatively related to productivity gradients, suggesting that strong interspecific competition occurs in high productivity plots and that a larger number of species can survive in higher abiotic stress landscapes. Further research is needed to understand the temporal and spatial variations of the ecological interactions that shape this plant community.
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Large-Scale Regeneration Patterns of Pinus nigra Subsp. salzmannii: Poor Evidence of Increasing Facilitation Across a Drought Gradient. FORESTS 2013. [DOI: 10.3390/f5010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Chen G, Yang Y, Robinson D. Allocation of gross primary production in forest ecosystems: allometric constraints and environmental responses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 200:1176-1186. [PMID: 23902539 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the allocation of gross primary production (GPP) and its response to climate is essential for improving terrestrial carbon (C) modelling. Here, we synthesize data on component GPP fluxes from a worldwide forest database to determine the allocation patterns of GPP across global gradients in climate and nitrogen deposition (Ndep ). Our results reveal that allocation of GPP is governed in an integrated way by allometric constraints and by three trade-offs among GPP components: wood production (NPPwood ) vs fine-root production (NPPfroot ), NPPwood vs foliage production (NPPfoliage ), and autotrophic respiration (Ra ) vs all biomass production components. Component fluxes were explained more by allometry, while partitioning to components was related more closely to the trade-offs. Elevated temperature and Ndep benefit long-term woody biomass C sequestration by stimulating allometric partitioning to wood. Ndep can also enhance forest C use efficiency by its effects on the Ra vs biomass production trade-off. Greater precipitation affects C allocation by driving the NPPwood vs NPPfoliage trade-off toward the latter component. These results advance our understanding about the global constraints on GPP allocation in forest ecosystems and its climatic responses, and are therefore valuable for simulations and projections of ecosystem C sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshui Chen
- Key Laboratory for Subtropical Mountain Ecology (Ministry of Science and Technology and Fujian Province Funded), School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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Droz M, Pękalski A. Model of annual plants dynamics with facilitation and competition. J Theor Biol 2013; 335:1-12. [PMID: 23791851 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Revised: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
An individual-based model describing the dynamics of one type of annual plants is presented. We use Monte Carlo simulations where each plant has its own history and the interactions among plants are between nearest neighbours. The character of the interaction (positive or negative) depends on local conditions. The plants compete for two external resources-water and light. The amount of water and/or light a plant receives depends on the external factor but also on local arrangement. Survival, growth and seed production of plants are determined by how well their demands for the resources are met. The survival and seeds production tests have a probabilistic character, which makes the dynamics more realistic than by using a deterministic approach. There is a non-linear coupling between the external supplies. Water evaporates from the soil at a rate depending on constant evaporation rate, local conditions and the amount of light. We examine the dynamics of the plant population along two environmental gradients, allowing also for surplus of water and/or light. We show that the largest number of plants is when the demands for both resources are equal to the supplies. We estimate also the role of evaporation and we find that it depends on the situation. It could be negative, but sometimes it has a positive character. We show that the link between the type of interaction (positive or negative) and external conditions has a complex character. In general in favourable environment plants have a stronger tendency for competitive interactions, leading to mostly isolated plants. When the conditions are getting more difficult, cooperation becomes the dominant type of interactions and the plants grow in clusters. The type of plants-sun-loving or shade tolerating, plays also an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Droz
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
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Stahl U, Kattge J, Reu B, Voigt W, Ogle K, Dickie J, Wirth C. Whole-plant trait spectra of North American woody plant species reflect fundamental ecological strategies. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00143.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Munson SM. Plant responses, climate pivot points, and trade-offs in water-limited ecosystems. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00132.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Meng F, Cao R, Yang D, Niklas KJ, Sun S. Trade-offs between light interception and leaf water shedding: a comparison of shade- and sun-adapted species in a subtropical rainforest. Oecologia 2013; 174:13-22. [PMID: 23942949 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2746-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Species in high-rainfall regions have two major alternative approaches to quickly drain off water, i.e., increasing leaf inclination angles relative to the horizontal plane, or developing long leaf drip tips. We hypothesized that shade-adapted species will have more pronounced leaf drip tips but not greater inclination angles (which can reduce the ability to intercept light) compared to sun-adapted species and that length of leaf drip tips will be negatively correlated with photosynthetic capacity [characterized by light-saturated net photosynthetic rates (Amax), associated light compensation points (LCP), and light saturation points (LSP)]. We tested this hypothesis by measuring morphological and physiological traits that are associated with light-interception and water shedding for seven shade-adapted shrub species, ten sun-adapted understory shrub species, and 15 sun-adapted tree species in a subtropical Chinese rainforest, where mean annual precipitation is around 1,600 mm. Shade-adapted understory species had lower LMA, Amax, LSP, and LCP compared to understory or canopy sun-adapted species; their leaf and twig inclination angles were significantly smaller and leaf drip tips were significantly longer than those in sun-adapted species. This suggests that shade-adapted understory species tend to develop pronounced leaf drip tips but not large leaf inclination angles to shed water. The length of leaf drip tips was negatively correlated with leaf inclination angles and photosynthetic capacity. These relationships were consistent between ordinary regression and phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses. Our study illustrates the trade-offs between light interception and leaf water shedding and indicates that length of leaf drip tips can be used as an indicator of adaptation to shady conditions and overall photosynthetic performance of shrub species in subtropical rainforests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqun Meng
- Department of Biology, Nanjing University, 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing, 210093, China
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Dickinson MB, Whigham DF. Competition Among Surface Roots in a Selectively-Logged, Semi-Deciduous Forest in Southeastern Mexico — Effects on Seedlings of Two Species of Contrasting Shade Tolerance. CARIBB J SCI 2013. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v47i3.a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Du N, Wang R, Liu J, Zhang X, Tan X, Wang W, Chen H, Guo W. Morphological response of Vitex negundo var. heterophylla and Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa to the combined impact of drought and shade. AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS 2013; 87:403-416. [DOI: 10.1007/s10457-012-9562-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
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Brenes‐Arguedas T, Roddy AB, Kursar TA. Plant traits in relation to the performance and distribution of woody species in wet and dry tropical forest types in Panama. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tania Brenes‐Arguedas
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute PO Box 0843‐03092 Balboa Ancon Republic of Panama
| | - Adam B. Roddy
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Thomas A. Kursar
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute PO Box 0843‐03092 Balboa Ancon Republic of Panama
- Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah 84112 USA
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