1
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Ni G, Zhao P, Hou Y, Bai X, Zhang L, Yuan J, Ouyang L, Liu F, Zhu L, Zhao X. Coordination of water use strategies and leaf economic traits in coexisting exotic and native woody species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:173936. [PMID: 38885703 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes the covariation of traits relevant for carbon and nutrient economy in different plant species. However, much less is known about the correlation of LES with leaf water economy, not only because some woody species do not follow the rules, but also because they are rarely tested on the widespread, non-native, fast-growing trees. We hypothesized that fast-growing exotic species that spread on the fast side of the LES coordinate their water-use strategies (WUS) to maintain rapid growth, and that the pattern of coordination differs between evergreen and deciduous forests. Using 4 exotic and 4 native species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests in China, we measured 17 traits of LES and WUS and analyzed their functional roles in different species groups. Our results suggest that LES plays a more important role in the coexistence of species within a community, while WUS contributes more to the distribution of species across different regions. The multidimensional coordination of LES and WUS could better explain the growth and distribution of different plant species and shed light on the coexistence of species from different forest types, especially fast-growing woody exotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyan Ni
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Ping Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuping Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Xinfu Bai
- School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Luohan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Jingjing Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Ouyang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fangyuan Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Liwei Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiuhua Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
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2
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Marcellus M, Goud EM, Swartz N, Brown E, Soper FM. Evolutionary history and root trait coordination predict nutrient strategy in tropical legume trees. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:1711-1723. [PMID: 39005157 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19962] [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: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Plants express diverse nutrient use and acquisition traits, but it is unclear how trait combinations at the species level are constrained by phylogeny, trait coordination, or trade-offs in resource investment. One trait - nitrogen (N) fixation - is assumed to correlate with other traits and used to define plant functional groups, despite potential confounding effects of phylogeny. We quantified growth, carbon metabolism, fixation rate, root phosphatase activity (RPA), mycorrhizal colonization, and leaf and root morphology/chemistry across 22 species of fixing and nonfixing tropical Fabaceae trees under common conditions. Belowground trait variation was high even among closely related species, and most traits displayed a phylogenetic signal, including N-fixation rate and nodule biomass. Across species, we observed strong positive correlations between physiological traits such as RPA and root respiration. RPA increased ~ fourfold per unit increase in fixation, supporting the debated hypothesis that N-fixers 'trade' N for phosphatases to enhance phosphorus acquisition. Specific root length and root N differed between functional groups, though for other traits, apparent differences became nonsignificant after accounting for phylogenetic nonindependence. We conclude that evolutionary history, trait coordination, and fixation ability contribute to nutrient trait expression at the species level, and recommend explicitly considering phylogeny in analyses of functional groupings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Marcellus
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Ellie M Goud
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada
| | - Natalie Swartz
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Emily Brown
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Fiona M Soper
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
- Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
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3
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Lam WN, Huang J, Tay AHT, Sim HJ, Chan PJ, Lim KE, Lei M, Aritsara ANA, Chong R, Ting YY, Rahman NEB, Sloey TM, Van Breugel M, Cao KF, Wee AKS, Chong KY. Leaf and twig traits predict habitat adaptation and demographic strategies in tropical freshwater swamp forest trees. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:881-893. [PMID: 38840520 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19876] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Differences in demographic and environmental niches facilitate plant species coexistence in tropical forests. However, the adaptations that enable species to achieve higher demographic rates (e.g. growth or survival) or occupy unique environmental niches (e.g. waterlogged conditions) remain poorly understood. Anatomical traits may better predict plant environmental and demographic strategies because they are direct measurements of structures involved in these adaptations. We collected 18 leaf and twig traits from 29 tree species in a tropical freshwater swamp forest in Singapore. We estimated demographic parameters of the 29 species from growth and survival models, and degree of association toward swamp habitats. We examined pairwise trait-trait, trait-demography and trait-environment links while controlling for phylogeny. Leaf and twig anatomical traits were better predictors of all demographic parameters than other commonly measured leaf and wood traits. Plants with wider vessels had faster growth rates but lower survival rates. Leaf and spongy mesophyll thickness predicted swamp association. These findings demonstrate the utility of anatomical traits as indicators of plant hydraulic strategies and their links to growth-mortality trade-offs and waterlogging stress tolerance that underlie species coexistence mechanisms in tropical forest trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weng Ngai Lam
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore City, 639798, Singapore
| | - Jie Huang
- College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
- Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin, D2, Ireland
| | - Amanda Hui Ting Tay
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
| | - Hong Jhun Sim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
| | - Pin Jia Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
- School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kiah Eng Lim
- Yale-NUS College, 16 College Ave West, Singapore City, 138527, Singapore
| | - Mingfeng Lei
- College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Amy Ny Aina Aritsara
- College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - Rie Chong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ying Ying Ting
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
| | - Nur Estya Binte Rahman
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, Singapore City, 639798, Singapore
| | - Taylor M Sloey
- Yale-NUS College, 16 College Ave West, Singapore City, 138527, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, 5115 Hampton Blvd, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - Michiel Van Breugel
- Yale-NUS College, 16 College Ave West, Singapore City, 138527, Singapore
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts Link, #03-01 Block AS2, Singapore City, 117570, Singapore
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building - 401, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Alison Kim Shan Wee
- College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Daxuedonglu 100, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, China
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, 43500, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kwek Yan Chong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Dr. 4, Singapore City, 117543, Singapore
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore City, 259569, Singapore
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Sakata T, Matsuyama S, Kawai K, Yasumoto K, Sekikawa S, Ishida A. Interspecific variation in Rubisco CO 2/O 2 specificity along the leaf economic spectrum across 23 woody angiosperm plants in the Pacific islands. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:951-965. [PMID: 38752314 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19820] [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: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The coordinated interspecific variation in leaf traits and leaf lifespan is known as the leaf economic spectrum (LES). The limitation of CO2 diffusion to chloroplasts within the lamina is significant in C3 photosynthesis, resulting in a shortage of CO2 for Rubisco. Although Rubisco CO2/O2 specificity (SC/O) should be adaptively adjusted in response to the interspecific variation in CO2 concentrations [CO2] associated with Rubisco, SC/O variations across species along the LES remain unknown. We investigated the coordination among leaf traits, including SC/O, CO2 conductance, leaf protein content, and leaf mass area, across 23 woody C3 species coexisting on an oceanic island through phylogenetic correlation analyses. A high SC/O indicates a high CO2 specificity of Rubisco. SC/O was negatively correlated with [CO2] at Rubisco and total CO2 conductance within lamina, while it was positively correlated with leaf protein across species, regardless of phylogenetic constraint. A simulation analysis shows that the optimal SC/O for maximizing photosynthesis depends on both [CO2] at Rubisco sites and leaf protein per unit leaf area. SC/O is a key parameter along the LES axis and is crucial for maximizing photosynthesis across species and the adaptation of woody plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Sakata
- Biological Laboratory, Center for Natural Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Shin Matsuyama
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
| | - Kiyosada Kawai
- Forestry Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Ohwashi 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8686, Japan
| | - Ko Yasumoto
- Kitasato University School of Marine Biosciences, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Seikoh Sekikawa
- College of Agriculture, Tamagawa University, Machida, 194-8610, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ishida
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
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5
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Pichon B, Gounand I, Donnet S, Kéfi S. The interplay of facilitation and competition drives the emergence of multistability in dryland plant communities. Ecology 2024; 105:e4369. [PMID: 38955486 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Within communities, species are wrapped in a set of feedbacks with each other and with their environment. When such feedbacks are strong enough they can generate alternative stable states. So far, research on alternative stable states has mostly focused on systems with a small number of species and a limited diversity of interaction types. Here, we analyze a spatial model of plant community dynamics in stressed ecosystems such as drylands, where each species is characterized by a strategy, and the different species interact through facilitation and competition for space and resources, such as water. We identify three different types of multistability emerging from the interplay of competition and facilitation. Under low-stress levels, plant communities organize in small groups of coexisting species, maintained by space, competition and facilitation ("cliques"). Under higher stress levels, positive feedback from facilitation lead to the dominance of a single facilitating species ("mutual exclusion states"). At the highest stress levels, the single facilitating species left in the system coexists with the desert state. By linking community ecology and alternative stable states theory using a spatial plant community model for stressed ecosystems, our study contributes to highlight the importance of positive feedback loops for the stability of ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Pichon
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Gounand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UPEC, IRD, INRA, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement, iEES, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Donnet
- UMR MIA-Paris, AgroParisTech, INRA, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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6
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Li X, Gao X, Tang N, Wang L, Xing W. Functional traits of exotic submerged macrophytes mediate diversity-invasibility relationship in freshwater communities under eutrophication. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:175060. [PMID: 39067607 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Plant diversity may respond differently in terms of whether it can drive plant invasions in freshwater ecosystem. Linkages and interactions between diversity and invasibility have not been clearly resolved, and it is unclear how nutrient enrichment (e.g., eutrophication) will affect this relationship. As a key predictor of plant growth, the ability of functional traits to mediate trade-offs in the diversity-invasibility relationship is unknown. Here, we conducted a series of experiments to determine the role of exotic plant functional traits in the diversity-invasibility relationship of submerged macrophyte communities under eutrophication. We selected common native and exotic submerged macrophytes in the subtropics to construct different diverse submerged macrophyte communities to simulate invasion. Meanwhile, to test the adaptability and importance of functional traits, we experimentally verified the differences in functional traits between exotic and native species. Our results showed a positive correlation between native plant diversity and community invasibility. Moreover, the invader's performance was predominantly determined by functional traits of exotic species, such as plant biomass and tissue nutrients, which were significantly altered by species diversity. Furthermore, our results suggested that functional traits contribute significantly more to the invasiveness of exotic submerged macrophytes than the other factors to which they are subjected. Plant functional traits can mediate the diversity-invasibility relationship because of the higher intrinsic dominance of exotic submerged macrophyte species. In summary, our study revealed diversity-invasibility relationship in submerged macrophyte communities and highlighted functional traits as key drivers of invasion of high-risk exotic submerged macrophyte species. Although previous studies have elucidated the importance of functional trait studies for plant invasions, our study provides the only current evidence demonstrating the important role of invaders' functional traits in mediating the diversity-invasibility relationship. This novel perspective offers valuable insights into the management and control of invasive aquatic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
| | - Xueyuan Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
| | - Na Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Wei Xing
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
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7
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Davrinche A, Haider S. Soil conditions modify species diversity effects on tree functional trait expression. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17114. [PMID: 39048644 PMCID: PMC11269567 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67512-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Examples of positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions have kept accumulating in the last two decades, and functional traits are considered suitable tools to explain their underlying mechanisms. However, traits are rarely studied at the scale where these mechanisms (e.g., complementarity) are likely to originate, that is, between two interacting individuals. In an 18-month greenhouse experiment, we investigated how species diversity (i.e., monospecific or heterospecific tree pairs) affects within-individual leaf traits expression and variation and how this effect is modified by soil conditions. While resource addition through phosphorus fertilization partly strengthened the diversity effects, inoculation of soil microbiota (potentially leading to increased resource accessibility) resulted in counter effects. Hence, in contrast to our expectations, we did not find synergistic effects of the two soil treatments, but we found distinct effects on species following an acquisitive or conservative growth strategy. Overall, our study showed that the effect of species diversity on young trees' adaptability and resource-use strategy needs to be considered alongside soil biotic and abiotic aspects. The influence of soil conditions on species diversity effects is essential to understand mechanisms behind complementarity at the individual level, which ultimately translate to the community scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Davrinche
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108, Halle, Germany.
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Research Centre for Ecological Change (REC), Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Sylvia Haider
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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8
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Ma LL, Seibold S, Cadotte MW, Zou JY, Song J, Mo ZQ, Tan SL, Ye LJ, Zheng W, Burgess KS, Chen ZF, Liu DT, Yang XL, Shi XC, Zhao W, Liu J, Li DZ, Gao LM, Luo YH. Niche convergence and biogeographic history shape elevational tree community assembly in a subtropical mountain forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173343. [PMID: 38777069 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Niche convergence or conservatism have been proposed as essential mechanisms underlying elevational plant community assembly in tropical mountain ecosystems. Subtropical mountains, compared to tropical mountains, are likely to be shaped by a mixing of different geographic affinities of species and remain somehow unclear. Here, we used 31 0.1-ha permanent plots distributed in subtropical forests on the eastern and western aspects of the Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China between 1498 m and 3204 m a.sl. to evaluate how niche-based and biogeographic processes shape tree community assembly along elevational gradients. We analyzed the elevational patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, as well as of individual traits, and assessed the relative importance of environmental effects on these diversity measures. We then classified tree species as being either tropical affiliated or temperate affiliated and estimated their contribution to the composition of biogeographic affinities. Species richness decreased with elevation, and species composition showed apparent turnover across the aspects and elevations. Most traits exhibited convergent patterns across the entire elevational gradient. Phylogenetic and functional diversity showed opposing patterns, with phylogenetic diversity increasing and functional diversity decreasing with elevation. Soil nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, appeared to be the main abiotic variables driving the elevational diversity patterns. Communities at lower elevations were occupied by tropical genera, while highlands contained species of tropical and temperate biogeographic affinities. Moreover, the high phylogenetic diversity at high elevations were likely due to differences in evolutionary history between temperate and tropical species. Our results highlight the importance of niche convergence of tropical species and the legacy of biogeographic history on the composition and structure of subtropical mountain forests. Furthermore, limited soil phosphorus caused traits divergence and the partitioning for different forms of phosphorus may explain the high biodiversity found in phosphorus-limited subtropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Liang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sebastian Seibold
- TUD Dresden University of Technology, Forest Zoology, Tharandt, Germany
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jia-Yun Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; TUD Dresden University of Technology, Forest Zoology, Tharandt, Germany; Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Research Group, Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Jie Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Qiong Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shao-Lin Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lin-Jiang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Kevin S Burgess
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus, GA, USA
| | - Zhi-Fa Chen
- Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - De-Tuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xing-Liang Yang
- Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve Baoshan Bureau, Baoshan, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Shi
- Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve Baoshan Bureau, Baoshan, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve Baoshan Bureau, Baoshan, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, China
| | - Lian-Ming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, China.
| | - Ya-Huang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China; Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang, China.
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9
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Komatsu KJ, Avolio ML, Padullés Cubino J, Schrodt F, Auge H, Cavender-Bares J, Clark AT, Flores-Moreno H, Grman E, Harpole WS, Kattge J, Kimmel K, Koerner SE, Korell L, Langley JA, Münkemüller T, Ohlert T, Onstein RE, Roscher C, Soudzilovskaia NA, Taylor BN, Tedersoo L, Terry RS, Wilcox K. CoRRE Trait Data: A dataset of 17 categorical and continuous traits for 4079 grassland species worldwide. Sci Data 2024; 11:795. [PMID: 39025901 PMCID: PMC11258227 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03637-x] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In our changing world, understanding plant community responses to global change drivers is critical for predicting future ecosystem composition and function. Plant functional traits promise to be a key predictive tool for many ecosystems, including grasslands; however, their use requires both complete plant community and functional trait data. Yet, representation of these data in global databases is sparse, particularly beyond a handful of most used traits and common species. Here we present the CoRRE Trait Data, spanning 17 traits (9 categorical, 8 continuous) anticipated to predict species' responses to global change for 4,079 vascular plant species across 173 plant families present in 390 grassland experiments from around the world. The dataset contains complete categorical trait records for all 4,079 plant species obtained from a comprehensive literature search, as well as nearly complete coverage (99.97%) of imputed continuous trait values for a subset of 2,927 plant species. These data will shed light on mechanisms underlying population, community, and ecosystem responses to global change in grasslands worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J Komatsu
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | | | - Harald Auge
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Adam T Clark
- University of Graz, Institute of Biology, Holteigasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Emily Grman
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - W Stanley Harpole
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jens Kattge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Lotte Korell
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - J Adam Langley
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
| | - Tamara Münkemüller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Timothy Ohlert
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Renske E Onstein
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Benton N Taylor
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Leho Tedersoo
- Mycology and Microbiology Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Rosalie S Terry
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Kevin Wilcox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
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10
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Zhang P, Ding J, Wang Q, McDowell NG, Kong D, Tong Y, Yin H. Contrasting coordination of non-structural carbohydrates with leaf and root economic strategies of alpine coniferous forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:580-590. [PMID: 38488228 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19678] [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: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), as the labile fraction and dominant carbon currency, are essential mediators of plant adaptation to environments. However, whether and how NSC coordinates with plant economic strategy frameworks, particularly the well-recognized leaf economics spectrums (LES) and root economics space (RES), remains unclear. We examined the relationships between NSC and key plant economics traits in leaves and fine roots across 90 alpine coniferous populations on the Tibetan Plateau, China. We observed contrasting coordination of NSC with economics traits in leaves and roots. Leaf total NSC and soluble sugar aligned with the leaf economic spectrum, conveying a trade-off between growth and storage in leaves. However, NSC in roots was independent of the root economic spectrum, but highly coordinated with root foraging, with more starch and less sugar in forage-efficient, thinner roots. Further, NSC-trait coordination in leaves and roots was, respectively, driven by local temperature and precipitation. These findings highlight distinct roles of NSC in shaping the above- and belowground multidimensional economics trait space, and NSC-based carbon economics provides a mechanistic understanding of how plants adapt to heterogeneous habitats and respond to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Junxiang Ding
- College of Ecology and Environment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Qitong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Nate G McDowell
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Lab, PO Box 999, Richland, WA, 99352, USA
| | - Deliang Kong
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China
| | - Huajun Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
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11
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Simpson EG, Fraser I, Woolf H, Pearse WD. Variation in near-surface soil temperature drives plant assemblage differentiation across aspect. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11656. [PMID: 39055775 PMCID: PMC11269051 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Quantifying assemblage variation across environmental gradients provides insight into the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that differentiate assemblages locally within a larger climate regime. We assessed how vascular plant functional composition and diversity varied across microenvironment to identify ecological differences in assemblages in a mountainous fieldsite in northeastern Utah, USA. Then, we looked at how life-history strategies and information about phylogenetic differences affect the relationship between functional metrics and environment. We found less functionally dispersed assemblages that were shorter and more resource-conservative on south-facing slopes where intra-annual soil temperature was hotter and more variable. In contrast, we found more functionally dispersed assemblages, that were taller and more resource-acquisitive on north-facing slopes where intra-annual temperature was cooler and less variable. Herbaceous and woody perennials drove these trends. Additionally, including information about phylogenetic differences in a dispersion metric indicated that phylogeny accounts for traits we did not measure. At this fieldsite, soil temperature acts as an environmental filter across aspect. If soil temperature increases and becomes more variable, intra-annually, the function of north- versus south-facing assemblages may be at risk for contrasting reasons. On south-facing slopes, assemblages may not have the variance in functional diversity needed to respond to more intense, stressful conditions. Conversely, assemblages on north-facing slopes may not have the resource-conservative strategies needed to persist if temperatures become hotter and more variable intra-annually. Given these results, we advocate for the inclusion of aspect differentiation in studies seeking to understand species and assemblage shifts in response to changing climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G. Simpson
- Department of Biology & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
- Avian Science Center, Wildlife Biology ProgramW.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of MontanaMissoulaMontanaUSA
| | - Ian Fraser
- Department of Biology & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Hillary Woolf
- Department of Biology & Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
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12
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Paź‐Dyderska S, Jagodziński AM. Potential of reproductive traits in functional ecology: A quantitative comparison of variability in floral, fruit, and leaf traits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11690. [PMID: 39026952 PMCID: PMC11255459 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite their claimed low intraspecific variability, plant reproductive traits are less frequently used in functional ecology. Here we focused on underrepresented plant organs, i.e. flowers and fruits, by comparing their traits with well-established leaf traits. We evaluated 16 functional traits (six floral, six fruit, and four leaf traits) in a randomly selected group of woody species under comparable environmental conditions. We aimed to assess interspecific and intraspecimen variability and explore the potential of the proposed flower and fruit traits for ecological research. Traits related to the dry mass of flowers and fruits exhibited the highest interspecific variability, while carbon content traits in flowers and leaves had the lowest. At a specimen level, specific leaf area revealed the highest variation. Carbon content traits for all organs demonstrated the least intraspecimen variability, with flower carbon content being the least variable. Our study revealed connections between the newly proposed traits and widely recognized functional traits, uncovering intriguing links between the established traits and the floral and fruit traits upon which we focused. This complements the already well-recognized variability in plant form and function with additional insights into reproductive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrzej M. Jagodziński
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of SciencesKórnikPoland
- Poznań University of Life SciencesFaculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Game Management and Forest ProtectionPoznańPoland
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13
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Ma JG, Wang XB, Hou FJ. A general pattern of plant traits and their relationships with environmental factors and microbial life-history strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172670. [PMID: 38679109 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172670] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The trait-based unidimensional plant economics spectrum provides a valuable framework for understanding plant adaptation strategies to the environment. However, it is still uncertain whether there is a general multidimensionality of how variation of both leaf and fine root traits are influenced by environmental factors, and how these relate to microbial resource strategies. Here, we examined the coordination patterns of four pairs of similar leaf and fine root traits of herbaceous plants in an alpine meadow at the community-level, and their environmental driving patterns. We then assessed their correlation with microbial life-history strategies, as these exhibit analogous resource strategies with plants in terms of growth and resource utilization efficiency. Results exhibited an analogous multidimensionality of the economics spectrum for leaf and fine root traits: the first dimension, collaboration gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between lifespan and resource foraging efficiency; the second dimension, conservation gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between conservation and acquisition in resource uptake. Climate variables had a stronger impact on both dimensions for leaf and fine root traits than soil variables did; whereas, the primary drivers were more complex for fine root traits than for leaf traits. The collaboration gradient of leaf and fine root traits exhibited consistent relationships with soil microbial life-history strategies, both showed negative and positive correlation with bacterial and fungal strategies, respectively. Our findings suggest that both leaves and fine roots have general multidimensional strategies for adapting to new environments and provide a solid basis for further understanding the relationships between the adaptive strategies of plants and microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Guo Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
| | - Xiao-Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
| | - Fu-Jiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, and College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
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14
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Anderegg WRL, Martinez-Vilalta J, Mencuccini M, Poyatos R. Community assembly influences plant trait economic spectra and functional trade-offs at ecosystem scales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404034121. [PMID: 38905242 PMCID: PMC11214073 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404034121] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant functional traits hold the potential to greatly improve the understanding and prediction of climate impacts on ecosystems and carbon cycle feedback to climate change. Traits are commonly used to place species along a global conservative-acquisitive trade-off, yet how and if functional traits and conservative-acquisitive trade-offs scale up to mediate community and ecosystem fluxes is largely unknown. Here, we combine functional trait datasets and multibiome datasets of forest water and carbon fluxes at the species, community, and ecosystem-levels to quantify the scaling of the tradeoff between maximum flux and sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit. We find a strong conservative-acquisitive trade-off at the species scale, which weakens modestly at the community scale and largely disappears at the ecosystem scale. Functional traits, particularly plant water transport (hydraulic) traits, are strongly associated with the key dimensions of the conservative-acquisitive trade-off at community and ecosystem scales, highlighting that trait composition appears to influence community and ecosystem flux dynamics. Our findings provide a foundation for improving carbon cycle models by revealing i) that plant hydraulic traits are most strongly associated with community- and ecosystem scale flux dynamics and ii) community assembly dynamics likely need to be considered explicitly, as they give rise to ecosystem-level flux dynamics that differ substantially from trade-offs identified at the species-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R. L. Anderegg
- Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84103
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84103
| | - Jordi Martinez-Vilalta
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre (CREAF), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), CataloniaE08193, Spain
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), CataloniaE08193, Spain
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre (CREAF), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), CataloniaE08193, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, CataloniaE08010, Spain
| | - Rafael Poyatos
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre (CREAF), Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), CataloniaE08193, Spain
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), CataloniaE08193, Spain
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15
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Tian D, Yan Z, Schmid B, Kattge J, Fang J, Stocker BD. Environmental versus phylogenetic controls on leaf nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in vascular plants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5346. [PMID: 38914561 PMCID: PMC11196693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49665-4] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Global patterns of leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry have been interpreted as reflecting phenotypic plasticity in response to the environment, or as an overriding effect of the distribution of species growing in their biogeochemical niches. Here, we balance these contrasting views. We compile a global dataset of 36,413 paired observations of leaf N and P concentrations, taxonomy and 45 environmental covariates, covering 7,549 sites and 3,700 species, to investigate how species identity and environmental variables control variations in mass-based leaf N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio. We find within-species variation contributes around half of the total variation, with 29%, 31%, and 22% of leaf N, P, and N:P variation, respectively, explained by environmental variables. Within-species plasticity along environmental gradients varies across species and is highest for leaf N:P and lowest for leaf N. We identified effects of environmental variables on within-species variation using random forest models, whereas effects were largely missed by widely used linear mixed-effect models. Our analysis demonstrates a substantial influence of the environment in driving plastic responses of leaf N, P, and N:P within species, which challenges reports of a fixed biogeochemical niche and the overriding importance of species distributions in shaping global patterns of leaf N and P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Zhengbing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Geography, Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zürich, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll Street 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- iDiv - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Benjamin D Stocker
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Falkenplatz 16, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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16
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Huang J, Wang Q, Sanchez-Martinez P, El-Kassaby YA, Jia Q, Xie Y, Guan W, Zang R. Phylogenetic conservatism and coordination in traits of Chinese woody endemic flora. iScience 2024; 27:109885. [PMID: 38799551 PMCID: PMC11126960 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Range-limited endemic species, often labeled as endangered due to their low adaptability to climate change, exhibit unclear evolutionary mechanisms influencing their distribution. This study explores the relationship between leaf length, maximum height, and seed diameter and their linkage to phylogeny and climate in the macroecology of 1,370 woody endemics. Using Bayesian analytical method that allows partitioning phylogenetic and environmental variances and covariance, we revealed moderate to high phylogenetic signals in these traits, indicating evolutionary constraints potentially impacting climate change adaptability. The study uncovered a phylogenetically conserved coordination between height and leaf length which showed to be independent of macroecological patterns of temperature and precipitation. These findings emphasize the role of phylogenetic ancestry in shaping the distribution of woody endemics, highlighting the need for prioritized in-situ conservation and providing insights for ex situ conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Huang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China
| | - Qing Wang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China
- Ecological Technical Research Institute (Beijing) CO., Ltd., CIECC, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Pablo Sanchez-Martinez
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autòonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yousry A. El-Kassaby
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Qiang Jia
- Ecological Technical Research Institute (Beijing) CO., Ltd., CIECC, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Yifei Xie
- Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Nanling Plant Resources Protection and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China
| | - Wenbin Guan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China
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17
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Dimitrova A, Balzano A, Tsedensodnom E, Byambadorj SO, Nyam-Osor B, Scippa GS, Merela M, Chiatante D, Montagnoli A. The adaptability of Ulmus pumila and the sensitivity of Populus sibirica to semi-arid steppe is reflected in the stem and root vascular cambium and anatomical wood traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1393245. [PMID: 38933456 PMCID: PMC11202817 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1393245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Afforestation success is measured by the tree establishment and growth capacity which contribute to a range of ecosystem services. In the Mongolian steppe, Populus sibirica and Ulmus pumila have been tested as candidate species for large afforestation programs, by analyzing their response to a combination of irrigation and fertilization treatments. While in temperate and Mediterranean forest ecosystems, xylogenetic studies provide insight into the trees' plasticity and adaptability, this type of knowledge is non-existent in semi-arid regions, whose climatic features are expected to become a global issue. Furthermore, in general, a comparison between the stem and root response is scarce or absent. In the present study, we show that the anatomical traits of the vascular cambium and the xylem, from stem and root microcores, reflect the previously noted dependence of P. sibirica from irrigation - as they proportionally increase and the higher adaptability of U. pumila to drought - due to the reduced impact across all five characteristics. As the first wood anatomy study of these species in semiarid areas, future research is urgently needed, as it could be a tool for quicker understanding of species' suitability under expected to be exacerbated semi-arid conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastazija Dimitrova
- Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
- Department of Seed Science and Forest Stands, Hans Em Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - Angela Balzano
- Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Enkhchimeg Tsedensodnom
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Ecophysiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Ser-Oddamba Byambadorj
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Ecophysiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Laboratory of Silviculture, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Batkhuu Nyam-Osor
- Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Ecophysiology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | | | - Maks Merela
- Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Donato Chiatante
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Antonio Montagnoli
- Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Botany, Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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18
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Laughlin DC. Unifying functional and population ecology to test the adaptive value of traits. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38855941 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Plant strategies are phenotypes shaped by natural selection that enable populations to persist in a given environment. Plant strategy theory is essential for understanding the assembly of plant communities, predicting plant responses to climate change, and enhancing the restoration of our degrading biosphere. However, models of plant strategies vary widely and have tended to emphasize either functional traits or life-history traits at the expense of integrating both into a general framework to improve our ecological and evolutionary understanding of plant form and function. Advancing our understanding of plant strategies will require investment in two complementary research agendas that together will unify functional ecology and population ecology. First, we must determine what is phenotypically possible by quantifying the dimensionality of plant traits. This step requires dense taxonomic sampling of traits on species representing the broad diversity of phylogenetic clades, environmental gradients, and geographical regions found across Earth. It is important that we continue to sample traits locally and share data globally to fill biased gaps in trait databases. Second, we must test the power of traits for explaining species distributions, demographic rates, and population growth rates across gradients of resource limitation, disturbance regimes, temperature, vegetation density, and frequencies of other strategies. This step requires thoughtful, theory-driven empiricism. Reciprocal transplant experiments beyond the native range and synthetic demographic modelling are the most powerful methods to determine how trait-by-environment interactions influence fitness. Moving beyond easy-to-measure traits and evaluating the traits that are under the strongest ecological selection within different environmental contexts will improve our understanding of plant adaptations. Plant strategy theory is poised to (i) unpack the multiple dimensions of productivity and disturbance gradients and differentiate adaptations to climate and resource limitation from adaptations to disturbance, (ii) distinguish between the fundamental and realized niches of phenotypes, and (iii) articulate the distinctions and relationships between functional traits and life-history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Laughlin
- Botany Department, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071, USA
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19
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Meng F, Felton AJ, Mao J, Cong N, Smith WK, Körner C, Hu Z, Hong S, Knott J, Yan Y, Guo B, Deng Y, Leisz S, Dorji T, Wang S, Chen A. Consistent time allocation fraction to vegetation green-up versus senescence across northern ecosystems despite recent climate change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn2487. [PMID: 38848369 PMCID: PMC11160464 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn2487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Extended growing season lengths under climatic warming suggest increased time for plant growth. However, research has focused on climatic impacts to the timing or duration of distinct phenological events. Comparatively little is known about impacts to the relative time allocation to distinct phenological events, for example, the proportion of time dedicated to leaf growth versus senescence. We use multiple satellite and ground-based observations to show that, despite recent climate change during 2001 to 2020, the ratio of time allocated to vegetation green-up over senescence has remained stable [1.27 (± 0.92)] across more than 83% of northern ecosystems. This stability is independent of changes in growing season lengths and is caused by widespread positive relationships among vegetation phenological events; longer vegetation green-up results in longer vegetation senescence. These empirical observations were also partly reproduced by 13 dynamic global vegetation models. Our work demonstrates an intrinsic biotic control to vegetation phenology that could explain the timing of vegetation senescence under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fandong Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Andrew J. Felton
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Jiafu Mao
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Nan Cong
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - William K. Smith
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Christian Körner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhongmin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, Hainan 570228, China
| | - Songbai Hong
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jonathan Knott
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Yanzi Yan
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Bixi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ying Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Stephen Leisz
- Department of Anthropology and Geography, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- College of Arts and Sciences, Vin University, Gia Lam, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Tsechoe Dorji
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shiping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Anping Chen
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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20
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Asefa A, Reuber VM, Miehe G, Wraase L, Wube T, Farwig N, Schabo DG. Giant root-rat engineering and livestock grazing activities regulate plant functional trait diversity of an Afroalpine vegetation community in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Oecologia 2024; 205:281-293. [PMID: 38822898 PMCID: PMC11281956 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05563-6] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Disturbances from rodent engineering and human activities profoundly impact ecosystem structure and functioning. Whilst we know that disturbances modulate plant communities, comprehending the mechanisms through which rodent and human disturbances influence the functional trait diversity and trait composition of plant communities is important to allow projecting future changes and to enable informed decisions in response to changing intensity of the disturbances. Here, we evaluated the changes in functional trait diversity and composition of Afroalpine plant communities in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia along gradients of engineering disturbances of a subterranean endemic rodent, the giant root-rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus Rüppell 1842) and human activities (settlement establishment and livestock grazing). We conducted RLQ (co-inertia analysis) and fourth-corner analyses to test for trait-disturbance (rodent engineering/human activities) covariation. Overall, our results show an increase in plant functional trait diversity with increasing root-rat engineering and increasing human activities. We found disturbance specific association with traits. Specifically, we found strong positive association of larger seed mass with increasing root-rat fresh burrow density, rhizomatous vegetative propagation negatively associated with increasing root-rat old burrow, and stolonifereous vegetative propagation positively associated with presence of root-rat mima mound. Moreover, both leaf size and leaf nitrogen content were positively associated with livestock dung abundance but negatively with distance from settlement. Overall, our results suggest that disturbances by rodents filter plant traits related to survival and reproduction strategies, whereas human activities such as livestock grazing act as filters for traits related to leaf economics spectrum along acquisitive resource-use strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addisu Asefa
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-Von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Victoria M Reuber
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-Von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Georg Miehe
- Vegetation Geography, Department of Geography, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 10, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Luise Wraase
- Environmental Informatics, Department of Geography, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilaye Wube
- Department of Zoology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Po Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-Von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dana G Schabo
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-Von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043, Marburg, Germany
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21
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Wang M, Kong D, Mo X, Wang Y, Yang Q, Kardol P, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Simpson MJ, Zeng H, Reich PB, Bergmann J, Tharayil N, Wang J. Molecular-level carbon traits underlie the multidimensional fine root economics space. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:901-909. [PMID: 38740944 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01700-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Carbon influences the evolution and functioning of plants and their roots. Previous work examining a small number of commonly measured root traits has revealed a global multidimensionality of the resource economics traits in fine roots considering carbon as primary currency but without considering the diversity of carbon-related traits. To address this knowledge gap, we use data from 66 tree species from a tropical forest to illustrate that root economics space co-varies with a novel molecular-level traits space based on nuclear magnetic resonance. Thinner fine roots exhibit higher proportions of carbohydrates and lower diversity of molecular carbon than thicker roots. Mass-denser fine roots have more lignin and aromatic carbon compounds but less bioactive carbon compounds than lighter roots. Thus, the transition from thin to thick fine roots implies a shift in the root carbon economy from 'do-it-yourself' soil exploration to collaboration with mycorrhizal fungi, while the shift from light to dense fine roots emphasizes a shift from acquisitive to conservative root strategy. We reveal a previously undocumented role of molecular-level carbon traits that potentially undergird the multidimensional root economics space. This finding offers new molecular insight into the diversity of root form and function, which is fundamental to our understanding of plant evolution, species coexistence and adaptations to heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Deliang Kong
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Xiaohan Mo
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yinghui Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingpei Yang
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hui Zeng
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St, Paul, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology and School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Junjian Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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22
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Hederström V, Ekroos J, Friberg M, Krausl T, Opedal ØH, Persson AS, Petrén H, Quan Y, Smith HG, Clough Y. Pollinator-mediated effects of landscape-scale land use on grassland plant community composition and ecosystem functioning - seven hypotheses. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:675-698. [PMID: 38118437 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13040] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change is disrupting mutualisms between organisms worldwide. Reported declines in insect populations and changes in pollinator community compositions in response to land use and other environmental drivers have put the spotlight on the need to conserve pollinators. While this is often motivated by their role in supporting crop yields, the role of pollinators for reproduction and resulting taxonomic and functional assembly in wild plant communities has received less attention. Recent findings suggest that observed and experimental gradients in pollinator availability can affect plant community composition, but we know little about when such shifts are to be expected, or the impact they have on ecosystem functioning. Correlations between plant traits related to pollination and plant traits related to other important ecosystem functions, such as productivity, nitrogen uptake or palatability to herbivores, lead us to expect non-random shifts in ecosystem functioning in response to changes in pollinator communities. At the same time, ecological and evolutionary processes may counteract these effects of pollinator declines, limiting changes in plant community composition, and in ecosystem functioning. Despite calls to investigate community- and ecosystem-level impacts of reduced pollination, the study of pollinator effects on plants has largely been confined to impacts on plant individuals or single-species populations. With this review we aim to break new ground by bringing together aspects of landscape ecology, ecological and evolutionary plant-insect interactions, and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research, to generate new ideas and hypotheses about the ecosystem-level consequences of pollinator declines in response to land-use change, using grasslands as a focal system. Based on an integrated set of seven hypotheses, we call for more research investigating the putative pollinator-mediated links between landscape-scale land use and ecosystem functioning. In particular, future research should use combinations of experimental and observational approaches to assess the effects of changes in pollinator communities over multiple years and across species on plant communities and on trait distributions both within and among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Hederström
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Johan Ekroos
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Magne Friberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Theresia Krausl
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Øystein H Opedal
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Anna S Persson
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Hampus Petrén
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Yuanyuan Quan
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Henrik G Smith
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
| | - Yann Clough
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, 223 62, Sweden
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Huang K, De Long JR, Yan X, Wang X, Wang C, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Wang P, Du G, van Kleunen M, Guo H. Why are graminoid species more dominant? Trait-mediated plant-soil feedbacks shape community composition. Ecology 2024; 105:e4295. [PMID: 38723655 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Species traits may determine plant interactions along with soil microbiome, further shaping plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs). However, how plant traits modulate PSFs and, consequently, the dominance of plant functional groups remains unclear. We used a combination of field surveys and a two-phase PSF experiment to investigate whether forbs and graminoids differed in PSFs and in their trait-PSF associations. When grown in forb-conditioned soils, forbs experienced stronger negative feedbacks, while graminoids experienced positive feedbacks. Graminoid-conditioned soil resulted in neutral PSFs for both functional types. Forbs with thin roots and small seeds showed more-negative PSFs than those with thick roots and large seeds. Conversely, graminoids with acquisitive root and leaf traits (i.e., thin roots and thin leaves) demonstrated greater positive PSFs than graminoids with thick roots and tough leaves. By distinguishing overall and soil biota-mediated PSFs, we found that the associations between plant traits and PSFs within both functional groups were mainly mediated by soil biota. A simulation model demonstrated that such differences in PSFs could lead to a dominance of graminoids over forbs in natural plant communities, which might explain why graminoids dominate in grasslands. Our study provides new insights into the differentiation and adaptation of plant life-history strategies under selection pressures imposed by soil biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailing Huang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jonathan R De Long
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED-ELD), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Xuebin Yan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunlong Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwei Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guozhen Du
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Hui Guo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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24
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Deilmann TJ, Ulrich J, Römermann C. Habitat conditions filter stronger for functional traits than for phenology in herbaceous species. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11505. [PMID: 38835520 PMCID: PMC11148399 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies in botanical gardens are investigating species' responses to climate change. However, the influence of local environmental or habitat conditions such as soil nutrient status or microclimate on phenology and the link between morpho-physiological functional traits and phenological stages are poorly understood, making it difficult to extrapolate patterns from botanical gardens to natural environments. Therefore, we selected herbaceous species growing in two semi-natural habitats, namely, semi-dry grasslands (SDGs) and mesophilic grasslands (MGs) and the botanical garden of Jena (Germany) to investigate the influence of habitat conditions on interspecific and intraspecific patterns in phenology, functional traits and their associations. For 16 species, we monitored leaf and flowering phenology weekly for 133 populations from the three habitats, measured morpho-physiological traits (i.e., whole plant, leaf and reproductive traits), as well as habitat conditions and compared the measurements across habitats. Multivariate analyses revealed that morpho-physiological traits conspicuously showed stronger differences between habitats compared to phenological traits. Populations on MG showed temporal niche segregation, whereas populations on SDG showed flowering synchrony. Boosted Regression Trees showed that morpho-physiological traits, especially reproductive traits, strongly influenced phenological traits and that the trait-phenology relationships were highly habitat-specific. We conclude that species phenology is broadly similar between botanical gardens and local habitats. However, phenological responses to the environment may be constrained by a certain suite of correlated traits due to ecological plant strategies that vary across habitats. The effect of habitat conditions on morpho-physiological functional traits and phenology-trait relationships is important and should not be neglected at local scales, implying consequences at larger scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till J Deilmann
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena Jena Germany
- Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function Jena Jena Germany
| | - Josephine Ulrich
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena Jena Germany
- Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function Jena Jena Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Christine Römermann
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena Jena Germany
- Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function Jena Jena Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Leipzig Germany
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25
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Fang S, Ren J, Cadotte MW, Yuan Z, Hao Z, Wang X, Lin F, Fortunel C. Disturbance history, neighborhood crowding and soil conditions jointly shape tree growth in temperate forests. Oecologia 2024; 205:295-306. [PMID: 38824461 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05570-7] [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: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how different mechanisms act and interact in shaping communities and ecosystems is essential to better predict their future with global change. Disturbance legacy, abiotic conditions, and biotic interactions can simultaneously influence tree growth, but it remains unclear what are their relative contributions and whether they have additive or interactive effects. We examined the separate and joint effects of disturbance intensity, soil conditions, and neighborhood crowding on tree growth in 10 temperate forests in northeast China. We found that disturbance was the strongest driver of tree growth, followed by neighbors and soil. Specifically, trees grew slower with decreasing initial disturbance intensity, but with increasing neighborhood crowding, soil pH and soil total phosphorus. Interestingly, the decrease in tree growth with increasing soil pH and soil phosphorus was steeper with high initial disturbance intensity. Testing the role of species traits, we showed that fast-growing species exhibited greater maximum tree size, but lower wood density and specific leaf area. Species with lower wood density grew faster with increasing initial disturbance intensity, while species with higher specific leaf area suffered less from neighbors in areas with high initial disturbance intensity. Our study suggests that accounting for both individual and interactive effects of multiple drivers is crucial to better predict forest dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning, China
| | - Jing Ren
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marc William Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Zuoqiang Yuan
- Research Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhanqing Hao
- Research Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xugao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning, China
| | - Fei Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning, China.
| | - Claire Fortunel
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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26
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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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Wang L, Zhang B, Fang Y, Yin H, Fu S, Chang SX, Cai Y. Distinct effects of canopy vs understory and organic vs inorganic N deposition on root resource acquisition strategies of subtropical Moso bamboo plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:172424. [PMID: 38614348 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition inevitably alters soil nutrient status, subsequently prompting plants to modify their root morphology (i.e., adopting a do-it-yourself strategy), mycorrhizal symbioses (i.e., outsourcing strategy), and root exudation (i.e., nutrient-mining strategy) linking with resource acquisition. However, how N deposition influences the integrated pattern of these resource-acquisition strategies remains unclear. Furthermore, most studies in forest ecosystems have focused on understory N and inorganic N deposition, neglecting canopy-associated processes (e.g., N interception and assimilation) and the impacts of organic N on root functional traits. In this study, we compared the effects of canopy vs understory, organic vs inorganic N deposition on eight root functional traits of Moso bamboo plants. Our results showed that N deposition significantly decreased arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization, altered root exudation rate and root foraging traits (branching intensity, specific root area, and length), but did not influence root tissue density and N concentration. Moreover, the impacts of N deposition on root functional traits varied significantly with deposition approach (canopy vs. understory), form (organic vs. inorganic), and their interaction, showing variations in both intensity and direction (positive/negative). Furthermore, specific root area and length were positively correlated with AMF colonization under canopy N deposition and root exudation rate in understory N deposition. Root trait variation under understory N deposition, but not under canopy N deposition, was classified into the collaboration gradient and the conservation gradient. These findings imply that coordination of nutrient-acquisition strategies dependent on N deposition approach. Overall, this study provides a holistic understanding of the impacts of N deposition on root resource-acquisition strategies. Our results indicate that the evaluation of N deposition on fine roots in forest ecosystems might be biased if N is added understory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Environment and Resources, College of Carbon Neutrality, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Baogang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Environment and Resources, College of Carbon Neutrality, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
| | - Yunying Fang
- Australian Rivers Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Huajun Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & China-Croatia "Belt and Road" Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Shenglei Fu
- College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Scott X Chang
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Yanjiang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Environment and Resources, College of Carbon Neutrality, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
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Liu C, Van Meerbeek K. Predicting the responses of European grassland communities to climate and land cover change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230335. [PMID: 38583469 PMCID: PMC10999271 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0335] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
European grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on small spatial scales. However, human-induced activities like land use and climate change pose significant threats to this diversity. To explore how climate and land cover change will affect biodiversity and community composition in grassland ecosystems, we conducted joint species distribution models (SDMs) on the extensive vegetation-plot database sPlotOpen to project distributions of 1178 grassland species across Europe under current conditions and three future scenarios. We further compared model accuracy and computational efficiency between joint SDMs (JSDMs) and stacked SDMs, especially for rare species. Our results show that: (i) grassland communities in the mountain ranges are expected to suffer high rates of species loss, while those in western, northern and eastern Europe will experience substantial turnover; (ii) scaling anomalies were observed in the predicted species richness, reflecting regional differences in the dominant drivers of assembly processes; (iii) JSDMs did not outperform stacked SDMs in predictive power but demonstrated superior efficiency in model fitting and predicting; and (iv) incorporating co-occurrence datasets improved the model performance in predicting the distribution of rare species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders 3001, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders 3001, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
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29
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Wenk EH, Sauquet H, Gallagher RV, Brownlee R, Boettiger C, Coleman D, Yang S, Auld T, Barrett R, Brodribb T, Choat B, Dun L, Ellsworth D, Gosper C, Guja L, Jordan GJ, Le Breton T, Leigh A, Lu-Irving P, Medlyn B, Nolan R, Ooi M, Sommerville KD, Vesk P, White M, Wright IJ, Falster DS. The AusTraits plant dictionary. Sci Data 2024; 11:537. [PMID: 38796535 PMCID: PMC11127939 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03368-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Traits with intuitive names, a clear scope and explicit description are essential for all trait databases. The lack of unified, comprehensive, and machine-readable plant trait definitions limits the utility of trait databases, including reanalysis of data from a single database, or analyses that integrate data across multiple databases. Both can only occur if researchers are confident the trait concepts are consistent within and across sources. Here we describe the AusTraits Plant Dictionary (APD), a new data source of terms that extends the trait definitions included in a recent trait database, AusTraits. The development process of the APD included three steps: review and formalisation of the scope of each trait and the accompanying trait description; addition of trait metadata; and publication in both human and machine-readable forms. Trait definitions include keywords, references, and links to related trait concepts in other databases, enabling integration of AusTraits with other sources. The APD will both improve the usability of AusTraits and foster the integration of trait data across global and regional plant trait databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth H Wenk
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachael V Gallagher
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rowan Brownlee
- Australian Research Data Commons, Caulfield East, Australia
| | - Carl Boettiger
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - David Coleman
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Australia
| | - Sophie Yang
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Tony Auld
- NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Parramatta, Australia
- University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Syndey, Australia
| | - Russell Barrett
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lily Dun
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Ellsworth
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carl Gosper
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, Australia
| | - Lydia Guja
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Canberra, Australia
- National Seed Bank, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra, Australia
| | - Gregory J Jordan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Tom Le Breton
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Syndey, Australia
| | - Andrea Leigh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, Australia
| | - Patricia Lu-Irving
- National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia
| | - Belinda Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rachael Nolan
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Ooi
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of New South Wales, Syndey, Australia
| | | | - Peter Vesk
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Matthew White
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, East Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ian J Wright
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Australia
| | - Daniel S Falster
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Carvalho JI, Carayugan MB, Tran LTN, Hernandez JO, Youn WB, An JY, Park BB. Variation in Root Biomass and Distribution Based on the Topography, Soil Properties, and Tree Influence Index: The Case of Mt. Duryun in Republic of Korea. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1340. [PMID: 38794410 PMCID: PMC11125356 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Root biomass and distribution are influenced by abiotic factors, such as topography and soil physicochemical properties, determining belowground productivity. Hence, we investigated the variation in root biomass and vertical root distribution based on the topography, soil physicochemical properties, and tree influence index, and their relationships, across soil depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm) and topographical gradients in a warm-temperate forest in Mt. Duryun, Republic of Korea. Two contrasting research sites were established: a lower slope oriented at ≤3° and an upper slope with a slope of 30°. Each site comprised eleven 400 m2 sampling plots from which root samples from various diameter classes (<2 mm, 2-5 mm, 5-10 mm, and >10 mm) were collected. While the bulk density increased with soil depth in the lower slope, the organic matter, available phosphorus, Ca2+, and Mg2+ showed a reversed pattern. Linear mixed-effects models generally revealed significant negative correlations between root biomass and soil pH, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity, particularly in small roots (βstd = -1.03 to -1.51) and coarse roots (βstd = -6.30). Root biomass exhibited a 10-15% increase in the upper slope compared to the lower slope, particularly in fine (median = 52.0 g m2-65.64 g m2) and medium roots (median = 56.04 g m2-69.52 g m2) at a 0-20 cm soil depth. While no significant correlation between root biomass and the tree influence index was found on the lower slope, a different pattern was found on the upper slope. Our results indicate that the variation in root biomass and distribution can also be explained by the differences in the soil environment and topographical positions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Inacio Carvalho
- Department of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (J.I.C.); (M.B.C.); (W.B.Y.)
| | - Mark Bryan Carayugan
- Department of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (J.I.C.); (M.B.C.); (W.B.Y.)
| | - Lan Thi Ngoc Tran
- Forest Environment and Geospatial Technology Research Institute, Sejong 30098, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jonathan O. Hernandez
- Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Philippines, Laguna 4031, Philippines;
| | - Woo Bin Youn
- Department of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (J.I.C.); (M.B.C.); (W.B.Y.)
| | - Ji Young An
- Division of Environmental and Forest Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea;
| | - Byung Bae Park
- Department of Forest Resources, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea; (J.I.C.); (M.B.C.); (W.B.Y.)
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Liu X, Zhou S, Hu J, Zou X, Tie L, Li Y, Cui X, Huang C, Sardans J, Peñuelas J. Variations and trade-offs in leaf and culm functional traits among 77 woody bamboo species. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:387. [PMID: 38724946 PMCID: PMC11084126 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05108-2] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Woody bamboos are the only diverse large perennial grasses in mesic-wet forests and are widely distributed in the understory and canopy. The functional trait variations and trade-offs in this taxon remain unclear due to woody bamboo syndromes (represented by lignified culm of composed internodes and nodes). Here, we examined the effects of heritable legacy and occurrence site climates on functional trait variations in leaf and culm across 77 woody bamboo species in a common garden. We explored the trade-offs among leaf functional traits, the connection between leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) concentrations and functional niche traits, and the correlation of functional traits between leaves and culms. RESULTS The Bayesian mixed models reveal that the combined effects of heritable legacy (phylogenetic distances and other evolutionary processes) and occurrence site climates accounted for 55.10-90.89% of the total variation among species for each studied trait. The standardized major axis analysis identified trade-offs among leaf functional traits in woody bamboo consistent with the global leaf economics spectrum; however, compared to non-bamboo species, the woody bamboo exhibited lower leaf mass per area but higher N, P concentrations and assimilation, dark respiration rates. The canonical correlation analysis demonstrated a positive correlation (ρ = 0.57, P-value < 0.001) between leaf N, P concentrations and morphophysiology traits. The phylogenetic principal components and trait network analyses indicated that leaf and culm traits were clustered separately, with leaf assimilation and respiration rates associated with culm ground diameter. CONCLUSION Our study confirms the applicability of the leaf economics spectrum and the biogeochemical niche in woody bamboo taxa, improves the understanding of woody bamboo leaf and culm functional trait variations and trade-offs, and broadens the taxonomic units considered in plant functional trait studies, which contributes to our comprehensive understanding of terrestrial forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Liu
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Shixing Zhou
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Junxi Hu
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xingcheng Zou
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Liehua Tie
- Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation in Plateau Mountain of Guizhou Province, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Ying Li
- College of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Xinglei Cui
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Congde Huang
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, SICAU, Chengdu, 611130, China.
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
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32
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Zhigila DA, Elliott TL, Schmiedel U, Muasya AM. Do phylogenetic community metrics reveal the South African quartz fields as terrestrial-habitat islands? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 133:833-850. [PMID: 38401154 PMCID: PMC11082514 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae027] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The quartz fields of the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) are arid and island-like special habitats, hosting ~142 habitat-specialized plant species, of which 81 % are local endemics, characterized by a rapid turnover of species between and among sites. We use several phylogenetic community metrics: (1) to examine species diversity and phylogenetic structure within and among quartz fields; (2) to investigate whether quartz field specialists are evolutionarily drawn from local species pools, whereas the alternative hypothesis posits that there is no significant evolutionary connection between quartz field specialists and the local species pools; and (3) to determine whether there is an association between certain traits and the presence of species in quartz fields. METHODS We sampled and developed dated phylogenies for six species-rich angiosperm families (Aizoaceae, Asteraceae, Crassulaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae and Santalaceae) represented in the quartz field floras of southern Africa. Specifically, we focused on the flora of three quartz field regions in South Africa (Knersvlakte, Little Karoo and Overberg) and their surrounding species pools to address our research questions by scoring traits associated with harsh environments. KEY RESULTS We found that the Overberg and Little Karoo had the highest level of species overlap for families Aizoaceae and Fabaceae, whereas the Knersvlakte and the Overberg had the highest species overlap for families Asteraceae, Crassulaceae and Santalaceae. Although our phylogenetic community structure and trait analyses showed no clear patterns, relatively low pairwise phylogenetic distances between specialists and their local species pools for Aizoaceae suggest that quartz species could be drawn evolutionarily from their surrounding areas. We also found that families Aizoaceae and Crassulaceae in Knersvlakte and Little Karoo were phylogenetically even. CONCLUSIONS Despite their proximity to one another within the GCFR, the studied areas differ in their species pools and the phylogenetic structure of their specialists. Our work provides further justification for increased conservation focus on these unique habitats under future scenarios of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Zhigila
- Department of Botany, Gombe State University, PMB 127, Tudun Wada, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria
- Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Tammy L Elliott
- Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ute Schmiedel
- Organismic Botany and Mycology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Muthama Muasya
- Bolus Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa
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Murata H, Noshita K. Three-Dimensional Leaf Edge Reconstruction Combining Two- and Three-Dimensional Approaches. PLANT PHENOMICS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2024; 6:0181. [PMID: 38726389 PMCID: PMC11079596 DOI: 10.34133/plantphenomics.0181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Leaves, crucial for plant physiology, exhibit various morphological traits that meet diverse functional needs. Traditional leaf morphology quantification, largely 2-dimensional (2D), has not fully captured the 3-dimensional (3D) aspects of leaf function. Despite improvements in 3D data acquisition, accurately depicting leaf morphologies, particularly at the edges, is difficult. This study proposes a method for 3D leaf edge reconstruction, combining 2D image segmentation with curve-based 3D reconstruction. Utilizing deep-learning-based instance segmentation for 2D edge detection, structure from motion for estimation of camera positions and orientations, leaf correspondence identification for matching leaves among images, and curve-based 3D reconstruction for estimating 3D curve fragments, the method assembles 3D curve fragments into a leaf edge model through B-spline curve fitting. The method's performances were evaluated on both virtual and actual leaves, and the results indicated that small leaves and high camera noise pose greater challenges to reconstruction. We developed guidelines for setting a reliability threshold for curve fragments, considering factors occlusion, leaf size, the number of images, and camera error; the number of images had a lesser impact on this threshold compared to others. The method was effective for lobed leaves and leaves with fewer than 4 holes. However, challenges still existed when dealing with morphologies exhibiting highly local variations, such as serrations. This nondestructive approach to 3D leaf edge reconstruction marks an advancement in the quantitative analysis of plant morphology. It is a promising way to capture whole-plant architecture by combining 2D and 3D phenotyping approaches adapted to the target anatomical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Murata
- Department of Biology,
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819–0395, Japan
| | - Koji Noshita
- Department of Biology,
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819–0395, Japan
- Plant Frontier Research Center,
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 819–0395, Japan
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34
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Hu Y, Li X, Wang S, Lv P, Yue P, Chen M, Zuo X. Patterns and driving factors of functional traits of desert species with different elevational distributions in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:371. [PMID: 38724940 PMCID: PMC11080261 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Variations in functional traits serve as measures of plants' ability to adapt to environment. Exploring the patterns of functional traits of desert plants along elevational gradients is helpful to understand the responses and adaptation strategies of species to changing environments. However, it is unknown whether the relationship between functional traits and elevation is affected by differences in the species' elevational distributions (elevation preference and species' range). Importantly, most researches have concerned with differences in mean trait values and ignored intraspecific trait variation. Here, we measured functional traits of desert plants along a wide elevational gradient in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas and explored functional trait patterns over elevation in species with different elevational distributions. We decomposed trait variation and further investigated characterizations of intraspecific variation. Ultimately, the main drivers of trait variation were identified using redundancy analysis. We found that species' elevational distributions significantly influenced the relationship of functional traits such as plant height, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, leaf nitrogen and carbon content with elevation. Species with a lower elevational preference showed greater trait variation than species with a higher elevational preference, suggesting that species that prefer high elevation are more conservative facing environmental changes. We provide evidence that interspecific trait variation in leaf thickness and leaf carbon content decreased with increasing species' range, indicating that increased variations in resistance traits within species make greater responsiveness to environmental changes, enabling species a wider range. Elevation, temperature and precipitation were the main drivers of trait variation in species with a low elevational preference, while the effect of precipitation on trait variation in species with a high elevational preference was not significant. This study sheds new insights on how plants with different elevational distributions regulate their ecological strategies to cope with changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Shaokun Wang
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Peng Lv
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Min Chen
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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35
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Svenning JC, Buitenwerf R, Le Roux E. Trophic rewilding as a restoration approach under emerging novel biosphere conditions. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R435-R451. [PMID: 38714176 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Rewilding is a restoration approach that aims to promote self-regulating complex ecosystems by restoring non-human ecological processes while reducing human control and pressures. Rewilding is forward-looking in that it aims to enhance functionality for biodiversity, accepting and indeed promoting the dynamic nature of ecosystems, rather than fixating on static composition or structure. Rewilding is thus especially relevant in our epoch of increasingly novel biosphere conditions, driven by strong human-induced global change. Here, we explore this hypothesis in the context of trophic rewilding - the restoration of trophic complexity mediated by wild, large-bodied animals, known as 'megafauna'. This focus reflects the strong ecological impacts of large-bodied animals, their widespread loss during the last 50,000 years and their high diversity and ubiquity in the preceding 50 million years. Restoring abundant, diverse, wild-living megafauna is expected to promote vegetation heterogeneity, seed dispersal, nutrient cycling and biotic microhabitats. These are fundamental drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem function and are likely to gain importance for maintaining a biodiverse biosphere under increasingly novel ecological conditions. Non-native megafauna species may contribute to these effects as ecological surrogates of extinct species or by promoting ecological functionality within novel assemblages. Trophic rewilding has strong upscaling potential via population growth and expansion of wild fauna. It is likely to facilitate biotic adaptation to changing climatic conditions and resilience to ecosystem collapse, and to curb some negative impacts of globalization, notably the dominance of invasive alien plants. Finally, we discuss the complexities of realizing the biodiversity benefits that trophic rewilding offers under novel biosphere conditions in a heavily populated world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Elizabeth Le Roux
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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Ramirez JA, Craven D, Herrera D, Posada JM, Reu B, Sierra CA, Hoch G, Handa IT, Messier C. Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in tree organs vary across biomes and leaf habits, but are independent of the fast-slow plant economic spectrum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1375958. [PMID: 38766471 PMCID: PMC11099217 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1375958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Carbohydrate reserves play a vital role in plant survival during periods of negative carbon balance. Under a carbon-limited scenario, we expect a trade-offs between carbon allocation to growth, reserves, and defense. A resulting hypothesis is that carbon allocation to reserves exhibits a coordinated variation with functional traits associated with the 'fast-slow' plant economics spectrum. We tested the relationship between non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) of tree organs and functional traits using 61 angiosperm tree species from temperate and tropical forests with phylogenetic hierarchical Bayesian models. Our results provide evidence that NSC concentrations in stems and branches are decoupled from plant functional traits. while those in roots are weakly coupled with plant functional traits. In contrast, we found that variation between NSC concentrations in leaves and the fast-slow trait spectrum was coordinated, as species with higher leaf NSC had trait values associated with resource conservative species, such as lower SLA, leaf N, and leaf P. We also detected a small effect of leaf habit on the variation of NSC concentrations in branches and roots. Efforts to predict the response of ecosystems to global change will need to integrate a suite of plant traits, such as NSC concentrations in woody organs, that are independent of the 'fast-slow' plant economics spectrum and that capture how species respond to a broad range of global change drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Andres Ramirez
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Colombia
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dylan Craven
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Universidad Mayor, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile
- Data Observatory Foundation, and Technology Center, Santiago, Chile
| | - David Herrera
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Juan Manuel Posada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Bjorn Reu
- School of Biology, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | | | - Guenter Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ira Tanya Handa
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Messier
- Centre d’Étude de la Forêt (CEF), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Institut des Sciences de la Foret Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, QC, Canada
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37
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Beccari E, Capdevila P, Salguero-Gómez R, Carmona CP. Worldwide diversity in mammalian life histories: Environmental realms and evolutionary adaptations. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14445. [PMID: 38783648 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14445] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian life history strategies can be characterised by a few axes of variation, conforming a space where species are positioned based on the life history strategies favoured in the environment they exploit. Yet, we still lack global descriptions of the diversity of realised mammalian life history and how this diversity is shaped by the environment. We used six life history traits to build a life history space covering worldwide mammalian adaptation, and we explored how environmental realms (land, air, water) influence mammalian life history strategies. We demonstrate that realms are tightly linked to distinct life history strategies. Aquatic and aerial species predominantly adhere to slower life history strategies, while terrestrial species exhibit faster life histories. Highly encephalised terrestrial species are a notable exception to these patterns. Furthermore, we show that different mode of life may play a significant role in expanding the set of strategies exploitable in the terrestrial realm. Additionally, species transitioning between terrestrial and aquatic realms, such as seals, exhibit intermediate life history strategies. Our results provide compelling evidence of the link between environmental realms and the life history diversity of mammals, highlighting the importance of differences in mode of life to expand life history diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Beccari
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - P Capdevila
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - R Salguero-Gómez
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Evolutionary Demography Laboratory, Max Plank Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
| | - C P Carmona
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Gundale MJ, Axelsson EP, Buness V, Callebaut T, DeLuca TH, Hupperts SF, Ibáñez TS, Metcalfe DB, Nilsson MC, Peichl M, Spitzer CM, Stangl ZR, Strengbom J, Sundqvist MK, Wardle DA, Lindahl BD. The biological controls of soil carbon accumulation following wildfire and harvest in boreal forests: A review. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17276. [PMID: 38683126 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17276] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Boreal forests are frequently subjected to disturbances, including wildfire and clear-cutting. While these disturbances can cause soil carbon (C) losses, the long-term accumulation dynamics of soil C stocks during subsequent stand development is controlled by biological processes related to the balance of net primary production (NPP) and outputs via heterotrophic respiration and leaching, many of which remain poorly understood. We review the biological processes suggested to influence soil C accumulation in boreal forests. Our review indicates that median C accumulation rates following wildfire and clear-cutting are similar (0.15 and 0.20 Mg ha-1 year-1, respectively), however, variation between studies is extremely high. Further, while many individual studies show linear increases in soil C stocks through time after disturbance, there are indications that C stock recovery is fastest early to mid-succession (e.g. 15-80 years) and then slows as forests mature (e.g. >100 years). We indicate that the rapid build-up of soil C in younger stands appears not only driven by higher plant production, but also by a high rate of mycorrhizal hyphal production, and mycorrhizal suppression of saprotrophs. As stands mature, the balance between reductions in plant and mycorrhizal production, increasing plant litter recalcitrance, and ectomycorrhizal decomposers and saprotrophs have been highlighted as key controls on soil C accumulation rates. While some of these controls appear well understood (e.g. temporal patterns in NPP, changes in aboveground litter quality), many others remain research frontiers. Notably, very little data exists describing and comparing successional patterns of root production, mycorrhizal functional traits, mycorrhizal-saprotroph interactions, or C outputs via heterotrophic respiration and dissolved organic C following different disturbances. We argue that these less frequently described controls require attention, as they will be key not only for understanding ecosystem C balances, but also for representing these dynamics more accurately in soil organic C and Earth system models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Gundale
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - E Petter Axelsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Vincent Buness
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Timon Callebaut
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Thomas H DeLuca
- College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Stefan F Hupperts
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Theresa S Ibáñez
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Daniel B Metcalfe
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Marie-Charlotte Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Matthias Peichl
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Clydecia M Spitzer
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Zsofia R Stangl
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joachim Strengbom
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maja K Sundqvist
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - David A Wardle
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Björn D Lindahl
- Department of Soil Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Plos C, Hensen I, Korell L, Auge H, Römermann C. Plant species phenology differs between climate and land-use scenarios and relates to plant functional traits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11441. [PMID: 38799400 PMCID: PMC11116844 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Phenological shifts due to changing climate are often highly species and context specific. Land-use practices such as mowing or grazing directly affect the phenology of grassland species, but it is unclear if plants are similarly affected by climate change in differently managed grassland systems such as meadows and pastures. Functional traits have a high potential to explain phenological shifts and might help to understand species-specific and land-use-specific phenological responses to changes in climate. In the large-scale field experiment Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF), we monitored the first flowering day, last flowering day, flowering duration, and day of peak flowering, of 17 herbaceous grassland species under ambient and future climate conditions, comparing meadows and pastures. Both climate and land use impacted the flowering phenology of plant species in species-specific ways. We did not find evidence for interacting effects of climate and land-use type on plant phenology. However, the data indicate that microclimatic and microsite conditions on meadows and pastures were differently affected by future climate, making differential effects on meadows and pastures likely. Functional traits, including the phenological niche and grassland utilization indicator values, explained species-specific phenological climate responses. Late flowering species and species with a low mowing tolerance advanced their flowering more strongly under future climate. Long flowering species and species following an acquisitive strategy (high specific leaf area, high mowing tolerance, and high forage value) advanced their flowering end more strongly and thus more strongly shortened their flowering under future climate. We associated these trait-response relationships primarily with a phenological drought escape during summer. Our results provide novel insights on how climate and land use impact the flowering phenology of grassland species and we highlight the role of functional traits in mediating phenological responses to climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Plos
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Isabell Hensen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Lotte Korell
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)Halle (Saale)Germany
| | - Harald Auge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)Halle (Saale)Germany
| | - Christine Römermann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden, Friedrich Schiller University JenaJenaGermany
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40
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Lam OHY, Kattge J, Tautenhahn S, Boenisch G, Kovach KR, Townsend PA. 'rtry': An R package to support plant trait data preprocessing. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11292. [PMID: 38725827 PMCID: PMC11079438 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant trait data are used to quantify how plants respond to environmental factors and can act as indicators of ecosystem function. Measured trait values are influenced by genetics, trade-offs, competition, environmental conditions, and phenology. These interacting effects on traits are poorly characterized across taxa, and for many traits, measurement protocols are not standardized. As a result, ancillary information about growth and measurement conditions can be highly variable, requiring a flexible data structure. In 2007, the TRY initiative was founded as an integrated database of plant trait data, including ancillary attributes relevant to understanding and interpreting the trait values. The TRY database now integrates around 700 original and collective datasets and has become a central resource of plant trait data. These data are provided in a generic long-table format, where a unique identifier links different trait records and ancillary data measured on the same entity. Due to the high number of trait records, plant taxa, and types of traits and ancillary data released from the TRY database, data preprocessing is necessary but not straightforward. Here, we present the 'rtry' R package, specifically designed to support plant trait data exploration and filtering. By integrating a subset of existing R functions essential for preprocessing, 'rtry' avoids the need for users to navigate the extensive R ecosystem and provides the functions under a consistent syntax. 'rtry' is therefore easy to use even for beginners in R. Notably, 'rtry' does not support data retrieval or analysis; rather, it focuses on the preprocessing tasks to optimize data quality. While 'rtry' primarily targets TRY data, its utility extends to data from other sources, such as the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The 'rtry' package is available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN; https://cran.r-project.org/package=rtry) and the GitHub Wiki (https://github.com/MPI-BGC-Functional-Biogeography/rtry/wiki) along with comprehensive documentation and vignettes describing detailed data preprocessing workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olee Hoi Ying Lam
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
- Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | | | | | - Kyle R. Kovach
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Philip A. Townsend
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
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Yan H, Schmid B, Xu W, Bongers FJ, Chen G, Tang T, Wang Z, Svenning J, Ma K, Liu X. The functional diversity-productivity relationship of woody plants is climatically sensitive. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11364. [PMID: 38698929 PMCID: PMC11063782 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plot-scale experiments indicate that functional diversity (FD) plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystem functions such as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the relationships between functional diversity and NPP across larger scale under varying climatic conditions are sparsely studied, despite its significance for understanding forest-atmosphere interactions and informing policy development. Hence, we examine the relationships of community-weighted mean (CWM) and functional dispersion (FDis) of woody plant traits on NPP across China and if such relationships are modulated by climatic conditions at the national scale. Using comprehensive datasets of distribution, functional traits, and productivity for 9120 Chinese woody plant species, we evaluated the distribution pattern of community-weighted mean and functional dispersion (including three orthogonal trait indicators: plant size, leaf morphology, and flower duration) and its relationships with NPP. Finally, we tested the effects of climatic conditions on community-weighted mean/functional dispersion-NPP relationships. We first found overall functional diversity-NPP relationships, but also that the magnitude of these relationships was sensitive to climate, with plant size community-weighted mean promoting NPP in warm regions and plant size functional dispersion promoting NPP in wet regions. Second, warm and wet conditions indirectly increased NPP by its positive effects on community-weighted mean or functional dispersion, particularly through mean plant size and leaf morphology. Our study provides comprehensive evidence for the relationships between functional diversity and NPP under varying climates at a large scale. Importantly, our results indicate a broadening significance of multidimensional plant functional traits for woody vegetation NPP in response to rising temperatures and wetter climates. Restoration, reforestation actions and natural capital accounting need to carefully consider not only community-weighted mean and functional dispersion but also their interactions with climate, to predict how functional diversity may promote ecosystem functioning under future climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoru Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Geography, Remote Sensing LaboratoriesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Wubing Xu
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Franca J. Bongers
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Guoke Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
| | - Ting Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhiheng Wang
- Institute of Ecology and key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Zhejiang Qianjiangyuan Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research StationInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
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Lu S, Wang J, Liu A, Lei F, Liu R, Li S. Intraspecific transitioning of ecological strategies in Pinus massoniana trees across restoration stages. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11305. [PMID: 38711487 PMCID: PMC11070636 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits and ecological strategies is typically overlooked in most studies despite its pivotal role at the local scales and along short environmental gradients. While CSR theory has been used to classify ecological strategies (competitive C; stress-tolerant, S; ruderal, R) in different plant species, its ability to explain intraspecific variation in ecological strategies remains uncertain. Here, we sought to investigate intraspecific variation in ecological strategies for Pinus massoniana, a pioneer conifer tree for ecological restoration in Changting County, southeast China. By measuring key leaf traits and canopy height of 252 individuals at different ontogenetic stages from three plots spanning distinctive stages along early ecological restoration and calculating their C, S, and R scores, we constructed an intraspecific CSR system. All individual strategies shifted across three restoration stages, with adults from higher S component to higher C component while juveniles from higher S component to higher R component. Our results suggest that while strategies of all P. massoniana individuals start with tolerance to environmental stress, as restoration proceeds, adult transition towards completion for light, whereas juveniles shift to an acquisitive resource use. The study reveals an intraspecific pattern of strategy variation during forest restoration, contributing to our understanding of how plants adapt to diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihang Lu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Jiazheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Ao Liu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Feiya Lei
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Rong Liu
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Shouzhong Li
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
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Gonçalves‐Souza T, Milz B, Sanders NJ, Reich PB, Maitner B, Chaves LS, Boldorini GX, Ferreira N, Gusmão RAF, Perônico PB, Teresa FB, Umaña MN. ZooTraits: An R shiny app for exploring animal trait data for ecological and evolutionary research. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11334. [PMID: 38694759 PMCID: PMC11056955 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal trait data are scattered across several datasets, making it challenging to compile and compare trait information across different groups. For plants, the TRY database has been an unwavering success for those ecologists interested in addressing how plant traits influence a wide variety of processes and patterns, but the same is not true for most animal taxonomic groups. Here, we introduce ZooTraits, a Shiny app designed to help users explore and obtain animal trait data for research in ecology and evolution. ZooTraits was developed to tackle the challenge of finding in a single site information of multiple trait datasets and facilitating access to traits by providing an easy-to-use, open-source platform. This app combines datasets centralized in the Open Trait Network, raw data from the AnimalTraits database, and trait information for animals compiled by Gonçalves-Souza et al. (2023, Ecology and Evolution 13, e10016). Importantly, the ZooTraits app can be accessed freely and provides a user-friendly interface through three functionalities that will allow users to easily visualize, compare, download, and upload trait data across the animal tree of life-ExploreTrait, FeedTrait, and GetTrait. By using ExploreTrait and GetTrait, users can explore, compare, and extract 3954 trait records from 23,394 species centralized in the Open Traits Network, and trait data for ~2000 species from the AnimalTraits database. The app summarizes trait information for numerous taxonomic groups within the Animal Kingdom, encompassing data from diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and various geographic regions worldwide. Moreover, ZooTraits enables researchers to upload trait information, serving as a hub for a continually expanding global trait database. By promoting the centralization of trait datasets and offering a platform for data sharing, ZooTraits is facilitating advancements in trait-based ecological and evolutionary studies. We hope that other trait databases will evolve to mirror the approach we have outlined here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Gonçalves‐Souza
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Departmento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Beatriz Milz
- Pós‐graduação em Ciência Ambiental, Instituto de Energia e AmbienteUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MinnesotaSt PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Brian Maitner
- Department of GeographyUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNew YorkUSA
| | - Leonardo S. Chaves
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive ScienceUniversity of OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
| | - Gabriel X. Boldorini
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Departmento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Natália Ferreira
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade, Departmento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Reginaldo A. F. Gusmão
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Departmento de BiologiaUniversidade Federal Rural de PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Phamela Bernardes Perônico
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Recursos Naturais do CerradoUniversidade Estadual de GoiásAnápolisBrazil
- Laboratório de Biogeografia e Ecologia AquáticaUniversidade Estadual de GoiásAnápolisBrazil
| | - Fabrício B. Teresa
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Recursos Naturais do CerradoUniversidade Estadual de GoiásAnápolisBrazil
- Laboratório de Biogeografia e Ecologia AquáticaUniversidade Estadual de GoiásAnápolisBrazil
| | - María Natalia Umaña
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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An N, Lu N, Wang M, Chen Y, Wu F, Fu B. Plant size traits are key contributors in the spatial variation of net primary productivity across terrestrial biomes in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171412. [PMID: 38447733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171412] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial variability of ecosystem functions is an important step forward in predicting changes in ecosystems under global transformations. Plant functional traits are important drivers of ecosystem functions such as net primary productivity (NPP). Although trait-based approaches have advanced rapidly, the extent to which specific plant functional traits are linked to the spatial diversity of NPP at a regional scale remains uncertain. Here, we used structural equation models (SEMs) to disentangle the relative effects of abiotic variables (i.e., climate, soil, nitrogen deposition, and human footprint) and biotic variables (i.e., plant functional traits and community structure) on the spatial variation of NPP across China and its eight biomes. Additionally, we investigated the indirect influence of climate and soil on the spatial variation of NPP by directly affecting plant functional traits. Abiotic and biotic variables collectively explained 62.6 % of the spatial differences of NPP within China, and 28.0 %-69.4 % across the eight distinct biomes. The most important abiotic factors, temperature and precipitation, had positive effects for NPP spatial variation. Interestingly, plant functional traits associated with the size of plant organs (i.e., plant height, leaf area, seed mass, and wood density) were the primary biotic drivers, and their positive effects were independent of biome type. Incorporating plant functional traits improved predictions of NPP by 6.7 %-50.2 %, except for the alpine tundra on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our study identifies the principal factors regulating NPP spatial variation and highlights the importance of plant size traits in predictions of NPP variation at a large scale. These results provide new insights for involving plant size traits in carbon process models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan An
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Nan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
| | - Mengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Library, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Yongzhe Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hongkong 999077, China
| | - Fuzhong Wu
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
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Reyes-Ortiz M, Lira-Noriega A, Osorio-Olvera L, Luna-Vega I, Williams-Linera G. Leaf functional traits and ecological niche of Fagus grandifolia and Oreomunnea mexicana in natural forests and plantings as a proxy of climate change. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16322. [PMID: 38641895 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16322] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Functional traits reflect species' responses to environmental variation and the breadth of their ecological niches. Fagus grandifolia and Oreomunnea mexicana have restricted distribution in upper montane cloud forests (1700-2000 m a.s.l.) in Mexico. These species were introduced into plantings at lower elevations (1200-1600 m a.s.l.) that have climates predicted for montane forests in 2050 and 2070. The aim was to relate morphological leaf traits to the ecological niche structure of each species. METHODS Leaf functional traits (leaf area, specific leaf area [SLA], thickness, and toughness) were analyzed in forests and plantings. Atmospheric circulation models and representative concentration pathways (RCPs: 2.6, 4.5, 8.5) were used to assess future climate conditions. Trait-niche relationships were analyzed by measuring the Mahalanobis distance (MD) from the forests and the plantings to the ecological niche centroid (ENC). RESULTS For both species, leaf area and SLA were higher and toughness lower in plantings at lower elevation relative to those in higher-elevation forests, and thickness was similar. Leaf traits varied with distance from sites to the ENC. Forests and plantings have different environmental locations regarding the ENC, but forests are closer (MD 0.34-0.58) than plantings (MD 0.50-0.70) for both species. CONCLUSIONS Elevation as a proxy for expected future climate conditions influenced the functional traits of both species, and trait patterns related to the structure of their ecological niches were consistent. The use of distances to the ENC is a promising approach to explore variability in species' functional traits and phenotypic responses in optimal versus marginal environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reyes-Ortiz
- Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351, Xalapa, 91073, Veracruz, Mexico
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo, 126 - Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz CEP 13083-887, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Andrés Lira-Noriega
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Xalapa, 91073, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Luis Osorio-Olvera
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Laboratorio de Ecoinformática de la Biodiversidad, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Isolda Luna-Vega
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Laboratorio de Biogeografía y Sistemática, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Williams-Linera
- Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec No. 351, Xalapa, 91073, Veracruz, Mexico
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Hisano M, Ghazoul J, Chen X, Chen HYH. Functional diversity enhances dryland forest productivity under long-term climate change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn4152. [PMID: 38657059 PMCID: PMC11042740 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn4152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Short-term experimental studies provided evidence that plant diversity increases ecosystem resilience and resistance to drought events, suggesting diversity to serve as a nature-based solution to address climate change. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of diversity are momentary or still hold over the long term in natural forests to ensure that the sustainability of carbon sinks. By analyzing 57 years of inventory data from dryland forests in Canada, we show that productivity of dryland forests decreased at an average rate of 1.3% per decade, in concert with the temporally increasing temperature and decreasing water availability. Increasing functional trait diversity from its minimum (monocultures) to maximum value increased productivity by 13%. Our results demonstrate the potential role of tree functional trait diversity in alleviating climate change impacts on dryland forests. While recognizing that nature-based climate mitigation (e.g., planting trees) can only be partial solutions, their long-term (decadal) efficacy can be improved by enhancing functional trait diversity across the forest community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Hisano
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xinli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
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Camenzind T, Aguilar-Trigueros CA, Hempel S, Lehmann A, Bielcik M, Andrade-Linares DR, Bergmann J, Dela Cruz J, Gawronski J, Golubeva P, Haslwimmer H, Lartey L, Leifheit E, Maaß S, Marhan S, Pinek L, Powell JR, Roy J, Veresoglou SD, Wang D, Wulf A, Zheng W, Rillig MC. Towards establishing a fungal economics spectrum in soil saprobic fungi. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3321. [PMID: 38637578 PMCID: PMC11026409 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47705-7] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Trait-based frameworks are promising tools to understand the functional consequences of community shifts in response to environmental change. The applicability of these tools to soil microbes is limited by a lack of functional trait data and a focus on categorical traits. To address this gap for an important group of soil microorganisms, we identify trade-offs underlying a fungal economics spectrum based on a large trait collection in 28 saprobic fungal isolates, derived from a common grassland soil and grown in culture plates. In this dataset, ecologically relevant trait variation is best captured by a three-dimensional fungal economics space. The primary explanatory axis represents a dense-fast continuum, resembling dominant life-history trade-offs in other taxa. A second significant axis reflects mycelial flexibility, and a third one carbon acquisition traits. All three axes correlate with traits involved in soil carbon cycling. Since stress tolerance and fundamental niche gradients are primarily related to the dense-fast continuum, traits of the 2nd (carbon-use efficiency) and especially the 3rd (decomposition) orthogonal axes are independent of tested environmental stressors. These findings suggest a fungal economics space which can now be tested at broader scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Camenzind
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany.
| | - Carlos A Aguilar-Trigueros
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Stefan Hempel
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anika Lehmann
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Milos Bielcik
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Diana R Andrade-Linares
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), 15374, Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Jeane Dela Cruz
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessie Gawronski
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Polina Golubeva
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Heike Haslwimmer
- Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, Soil Biology department, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Linda Lartey
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Leifheit
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Maaß
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Marhan
- Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, Soil Biology department, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 27, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Liliana Pinek
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jeff R Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Julien Roy
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Stavros D Veresoglou
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Dongwei Wang
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Wulf
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Weishuang Zheng
- Marine Institute for Bioresources and Environment, Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China
| | - Matthias C Rillig
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
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Gargallo-Garriga A, Sardans J, Llusià J, Peguero G, Ayala-Roque M, Courtois EA, Stahl C, Urban O, Klem K, Nolis P, Pérez-Trujillo M, Parella T, Richter A, Janssens IA, Peñuelas J. Different profiles of soil phosphorous compounds depending on tree species and availability of soil phosphorus in a tropical rainforest in French Guiana. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:278. [PMID: 38609866 PMCID: PMC11010349 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04907-x] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The availability of soil phosphorus (P) often limits the productivities of wet tropical lowland forests. Little is known, however, about the metabolomic profile of different chemical P compounds with potentially different uses and about the cycling of P and their variability across space under different tree species in highly diverse tropical rainforests. RESULTS We hypothesised that the different strategies of the competing tree species to retranslocate, mineralise, mobilise, and take up P from the soil would promote distinct soil 31P profiles. We tested this hypothesis by performing a metabolomic analysis of the soils in two rainforests in French Guiana using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We analysed 31P NMR chemical shifts in soil solutions of model P compounds, including inorganic phosphates, orthophosphate mono- and diesters, phosphonates, and organic polyphosphates. The identity of the tree species (growing above the soil samples) explained > 53% of the total variance of the 31P NMR metabolomic profiles of the soils, suggesting species-specific ecological niches and/or species-specific interactions with the soil microbiome and soil trophic web structure and functionality determining the use and production of P compounds. Differences at regional and topographic levels also explained some part of the the total variance of the 31P NMR profiles, although less than the influence of the tree species. Multivariate analyses of soil 31P NMR metabolomics data indicated higher soil concentrations of P biomolecules involved in the active use of P (nucleic acids and molecules involved with energy and anabolism) in soils with lower concentrations of total soil P and higher concentrations of P-storing biomolecules in soils with higher concentrations of total P. CONCLUSIONS The results strongly suggest "niches" of soil P profiles associated with physical gradients, mostly topographic position, and with the specific distribution of species along this gradient, which is associated with species-specific strategies of soil P mineralisation, mobilisation, use, and uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Gargallo-Garriga
- Global Change Research Institute, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Belidla 986/4a, Brno, CZ-60300, Czech Republic.
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain.
| | - Jordi Sardans
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Joan Llusià
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Guille Peguero
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | | | - Elodie A Courtois
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Laboratoire écologie, évolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), Université de Guyane, CNRS, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | - Clément Stahl
- UMR ECOFOG - Ecologie des forêts de Guyane, Kourou cedex, 97379, France
| | - Otmar Urban
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Karel Klem
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pau Nolis
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Miriam Pérez-Trujillo
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Teodor Parella
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Andreas Richter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Ivan A Janssens
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Global Ecology Unit, CSIC, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
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Ye Z, Mu Y, Van Duzen S, Ryser P. Root and shoot phenology, architecture, and organ properties: an integrated trait network among 44 herbaceous wetland species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38600040 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Integrating traits across above- and belowground organs offers comprehensive insights into plant ecology, but their various functions also increase model complexity. This study aimed to illuminate the interspecific pattern of whole-plant trait correlations through a network lens, including a detailed analysis of the root system. Using a network algorithm that allows individual traits to belong to multiple modules, we characterize interrelations among 19 traits, spanning both shoot and root phenology, architecture, morphology, and tissue properties of 44 species, mostly herbaceous monocots from Northern Ontario wetlands, grown in a common garden. The resulting trait network shows three distinct yet partially overlapping modules. Two major trait modules indicate constraints of plant size and form, and resource economics, respectively. These modules highlight the interdependence between shoot size, root architecture and porosity, and a shoot-root coordination in phenology and dry-matter content. A third module depicts leaf biomechanical adaptations specific to wetland graminoids. All three modules overlap on shoot height, suggesting multifaceted constraints of plant stature. In the network, individual-level traits showed significantly higher centrality than tissue-level traits do, demonstrating a hierarchical trait integration. The presented whole-plant, integrated network suggests that trait covariation is essentially function-driven rather than organ-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Ye
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Yanmei Mu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shianne Van Duzen
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Peter Ryser
- School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, P3E 2C6, Canada
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50
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Tong S, Zhang J, Qiao X, Li B, Yang Q, Hu P, Yu S. Does local soil factor drive functional leaf trait variation? A test on Neilingding Island, South China. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:43. [PMID: 38600505 PMCID: PMC11005248 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02227-0] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Leaf traits were affected by soil factors and displayed varietal differences in forest. However, few examples have been reported on the Island ecosystems. We comprehensively investigated 9 leaf traits (leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, SLA, leaf fresh weight, leaf C content, leaf N content, leaf K content, leaf C:N ratio) of 54 main subtropical woody species and soil parameters (soil pH, total C content, total N content, total K content, available N content, available P content, available K content and soil moisture) in Neilingding Island, Shenzhen, southern China. Intra-and interspecific variation of leaf traits were measured and their correlations with soil parameters were explored. The interspecific variations of leaf C:N ratio, leaf N content and leaf fresh weight were higher than their intraspecific variations. The intraspecific variation of leaf K content was larger than that of interspecific one, accounting for 80.69% of the total variance. Positive correlations were found among intraspecific coefficients of variations in leaf morphological traits. The correlation analysis between the variation of intraspecific traits and the variation of soil parameters showed that changes in soil factors affected leaf morphology and stoichiometry. The interaction between soil moisture and soil available P content was the key factor on intraspecific variations of leaf traits including leaf area, leaf fresh weight, leaf C and leaf K content. We concluded that leaf traits of plants in the island were tightly related to soil parameters. Soil parameters, especially soil moisture and available P content, affected plant leaf morphology and stoichiometry at the local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Tong
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xueting Qiao
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Buhang Li
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiong Yang
- Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve, 518040, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Hu
- Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve, 518040, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shixiao Yu
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, 510275, Guangzhou, China.
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, 518057, Shenzhen, China.
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