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Wu LY, Huang SQ, Tong ZY. Elevational and temporal patterns of pollination success in distylous and homostylous buckwheats ( Fagopyrum) in the Hengduan Mountains. PLANT DIVERSITY 2024; 46:661-670. [PMID: 39290890 PMCID: PMC11403118 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Reproductive strategies of sexually dimorphic plants vary in response to the environment. Here, we ask whether the sexual systems of Fagopyrum species (i.e., selfing homostylous and out-crossing distylous) represent distinct adaptive strategies to increase reproductive success in changing alpine environments. To answer this question, we determined how spatial and temporal factors (e.g., elevation and peak flowering time) affect reproductive success (i.e., stigmatic pollen load) in nine wild Fagopyrum species (seven distylous and two homostylous) among 28 populations along an elevation gradient of 1299-3315 m in the Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. We also observed pollinators and conducted hundreds of hand pollinations to investigate inter/intra-morph compatibility, self-compatibility and pollen limitation in four Fagopyrum species (two distylous and two homostylous). We found that Fagopyrum species at higher elevation generally had bigger flowers and more stigmatic pollen loads; late-flowering individuals had smaller flowers and lower pollen deposition. Stigmatic pollen deposition was more variable in distylous species than in homostylous species. Although seed set was not pollen-limited in all species, we found that fruit set was much lower in distylous species, which rely on frequent pollinator visits, than in homostylous species capable of autonomous self-pollination. Our findings that pollination success increases at high elevations and decreases during the flowering season suggest that distylous and homostylous species have spatially and temporally distinct reproductive strategies related to environment-dependent pollinator activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yun Wu
- Faculty of Resources and Environmental Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shuang-Quan Huang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ze-Yu Tong
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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Daco L, Colling G, Matthies D. Clinal variation in quantitative traits but not in evolutionary potential along elevational and latitudinal gradients in the widespread Anthyllis vulneraria. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16360. [PMID: 38888183 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16360] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Strong elevational and latitudinal gradients allow the study of genetic differentiation in response to similar environmental changes. However, it is uncertain whether the environmental changes along the two types of gradients result in similar genetically based changes in quantitative traits. Peripheral arctic and alpine populations are thought to have less evolutionary potential than more central populations do. METHODS We studied quantitative traits of the widespread Anthyllis vulneraria in a common garden. Plants originated from 20 populations along a 2000-m elevational gradient from the lowlands to the elevational limit of the species in the Alps, and from 20 populations along a 2400-km latitudinal gradient from the center of the distribution of the species in Central Europe to its northern distributional margin. RESULTS Most traits showed similar clinal variations with elevation and latitude of origin, and the magnitude of all measured traits in relation to mean annual temperature was similar. Higher QST values than FST values in several traits indicated diversifying selection, but for others QST was smaller than FST. Genetic diversity of quantitative traits and neutral molecular markers was not correlated. Plasticity in response to favorable conditions declined with elevation and less strongly with latitude of origin, but the evolvability of traits did not. CONCLUSIONS The clinal variation suggests adaptive differentiation of quantitative traits along the two gradients. The evolutionary potential of peripheral populations is not necessarily reduced, but lower plasticity may threaten their survival under rapidly changing climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Daco
- Musée national d'histoire naturelle, 25 rue Münster, Luxembourg, L-2160, Luxembourg
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
- Fondation faune-flore, 24 rue Münster, Luxembourg, L-2160, Luxembourg
| | - Guy Colling
- Musée national d'histoire naturelle, 25 rue Münster, Luxembourg, L-2160, Luxembourg
| | - Diethart Matthies
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, Marburg, D-35043, Germany
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Song B, Chen J, Lev-Yadun S, Niu Y, Gao Y, Ma R, Armbruster WS, Sun H. Multifunctionality of angiosperm floral bracts: a review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1100-1120. [PMID: 38291834 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13060] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Floral bracts (bracteoles, cataphylls) are leaf-like organs that subtend flowers or inflorescences but are of non-floral origin; they occur in a wide diversity of species, representing multiple independent origins, and exhibit great variation in form and function. Although much attention has been paid to bracts over the past 150 years, our understanding of their adaptive significance remains remarkably incomplete. This is because most studies of bract function and evolution focus on only one or a few selective factors. It is widely recognised that bracts experience selection mediated by pollinators, particularly for enhancing pollinator attraction through strong visual, olfactory, or echo-acoustic contrast with the background and through signalling the presence of pollinator rewards, either honestly (providing rewards for pollinators), or deceptively (attraction without reward or even trapping pollinators). However, studies in recent decades have demonstrated that bract evolution is also affected by agents other than pollinators. Bracts can protect flowers, fruits, or seeds from herbivores by displaying warning signals, camouflaging conspicuous reproductive organs, or by providing physical barriers or toxic chemicals. Reviews of published studies show that bracts can also promote seed dispersal and ameliorate the effects of abiotic stressors, such as low temperature, strong ultraviolet radiation, heavy rain, drought, and/or mechanical abrasion, on reproductive organs or for the plants' pollinators. In addition, green bracts and greening of colourful bracts after pollination promote photosynthetic activity, providing substantial carbon (photosynthates) for fruit or seed development, especially late in a plant's life cycle or season, when leaves have started to senesce. A further layer of complexity derives from the fact that the agents of selection driving the evolution of bracts vary between species and even between different developmental stages within a species, and selection by one agent can be reinforced or opposed by other agents. In summary, our survey of the literature reveals that bracts are multifunctional and subject to multiple agents of selection. To understand fully the functional and evolutionary significance of bracts, it is necessary to consider multiple selection agents throughout the life of the plant, using integrative approaches to data collection and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Song
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Jiaqi Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Huannan Road, East of University Town, Chenggong New Area, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Simcha Lev-Yadun
- Department of Biology and Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa at Oranim, Kiryat Tiv'on, 36006, Israel
| | - Yang Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yongqian Gao
- Yunnan Forestry Technological College, 1 Jindian, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Rong Ma
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - W Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201, China
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Cun S, Zhang C, Chen J, Qian L, Sun H, Song B. Effects of UV-B radiation on pollen germination and tube growth: A global meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170097. [PMID: 38224898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170097] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Despite widespread recognition of pollen's potential sensitivity to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation (280-315 nm), there remains ongoing debate surrounding the extent and mechanisms of this effect. In this study, using published data on pollen germination and tube growth including 377 pair-wise comparisons from 77 species in 30 families, we present the first global quantification of the effects of UV-B radiation on pollen germination and tube growth, along with its underlying mechanisms. Our results showed a substantial reduction in both pollen germination and tube growth in response to UV-B radiation, affecting 90.9 % and 84.2 % of species, respectively. Notably, these reductions exhibited phylogenetic constraints, highlighting the role of evolutionary history in shaping the sensitivity of pollen germination and tube growth to UV-B radiation. A negative correlation between elevation and the sensitivity of pollen tube growth was detected, suggesting that pollens from plants at higher elevations exhibit greater resistance to UV-B radiation. Our investigation also revealed that the effects of UV-B radiation on pollen germination and tube growth were influenced by a range of abiotic and biotic factors. Nevertheless, the intensity and duration of UV-B radiation exposure exhibited the highest explanatory power for the effects on both pollen germination and tube growth. This suggests that the responses of pollens to UV-B radiation are profoundly influenced by its dose, a critical consideration within the context of global change. In conclusion, our study provides valuable insights into the diverse responses of pollen germination and tube growth to UV-B radiation, highlighting the environment and species-dependent nature of pollen's susceptibility to UV-B radiation, with substantial implications for our understanding of the ecological and agricultural consequences of ongoing changes in UV-B radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Cun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Jiaqi Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
| | - Bo Song
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
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Ma R, Xu Q, Gao Y, Peng D, Sun H, Song B. Patterns and drivers of plant sexual systems in the dry-hot valley region of southwestern China. PLANT DIVERSITY 2024; 46:158-168. [PMID: 38807913 PMCID: PMC11128841 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2023.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Sexual systems play important roles in angiosperm evolution and exhibit substantial variations among different floras. Thus, studying their evolution in a whole flora is crucial for understanding the formation and maintenance of plant biodiversity and predicting its responses to environmental change. In this study, we determined the patterns of plant sexual systems and their associations with geographic elements and various life-history traits in dry-hot valley region of southwestern China, an extremely vulnerable ecosystem. Of the 3166 angiosperm species recorded in this area, 74.5% were hermaphroditic, 13.5% were monoecious and 12% were dioecious, showing a high incidence of diclinous species. Diclinous species were strongly associated with tropical elements, whereas hermaphroditic species were strongly associated with temperate and cosmopolitan elements. We also found that hermaphroditism was strongly associated with showy floral displays, specialist entomophily, dry fruits and herbaceous plants. Dioecy was strongly associated with inconspicuous, pale-colored flowers, generalist entomophily, fleshy fruits, and woody plants, whereas monoecy was strongly associated with inconspicuous, pale-colored flowers, anemophily, dry fruits, and herbaceous plants. In addition, hermaphroditic species with generalist entomophily tended to flower in the dry season, whereas diclinous species with specialist entomophily tended to flower in the rainy season. However, independent of sexual systems, plants that produce dry fruits tended to flower in the rainy season and set fruits in the dry season, but the opposite pattern was found for fleshy fruit-producing plants. Our results suggest that in the dry-hot valleys, plant sexual systems are associated with geographic elements as well as various life-history traits that are sensitive to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
| | - Qi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Yongqian Gao
- Yunnan Forestry Technological College, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Deli Peng
- School of Life Science/Key Laboratory of Yunnan for Biomass Energy and Biotechnology of Environment, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Hang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Bo Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops/Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
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