1
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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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2
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Vahsen ML, Kleiner HS, Kodak H, Summers JL, Vahsen WL, Blum MJ, Megonigal JP, McLachlan JS. Complex eco-evolutionary responses of a foundational coastal marsh plant to global change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2121-2136. [PMID: 37452486 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19117] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the fate of coastal marshes requires understanding how plants respond to rapid environmental change. Environmental change can elicit shifts in trait variation attributable to phenotypic plasticity and act as selective agents to shift trait means, resulting in rapid evolution. Comparably, less is known about the potential for responses to reflect the evolution of trait plasticity. Here, we assessed the relative magnitude of eco-evolutionary responses to interacting global change factors using a multifactorial experiment. We exposed replicates of 32 Schoenoplectus americanus genotypes 'resurrected' from century-long, soil-stored seed banks to ambient or elevated CO2 , varying levels of inundation, and the presence of a competing marsh grass, across two sites with different salinities. Comparisons of responses to global change factors among age cohorts and across provenances indicated that plasticity has evolved in five of the seven traits measured. Accounting for evolutionary factors (i.e. evolution and sources of heritable variation) in statistical models explained an additional 9-31% of trait variation. Our findings indicate that evolutionary factors mediate ecological responses to environmental change. The magnitude of evolutionary change in plant traits over the last century suggests that evolution could play a role in pacing future ecosystem response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Vahsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Helena S Kleiner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Haley Kodak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Jennifer L Summers
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Wendy L Vahsen
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Michael J Blum
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | | | - Jason S McLachlan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
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3
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Leles SG, Levine NM. Mechanistic constraints on the trade-off between photosynthesis and respiration in response to warming. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh8043. [PMID: 37656790 PMCID: PMC10796116 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh8043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton are responsible for half of all oxygen production and drive the ocean carbon cycle. Metabolic theory predicts that increasing global temperatures will cause phytoplankton to become more heterotrophic and smaller. Here, we uncover the metabolic trade-offs between cellular space, energy, and stress management driving phytoplankton thermal acclimation and how these might be overcome through evolutionary adaptation. We show that the observed relationships between traits such as chlorophyll, lipid content, C:N, and size can be predicted on the basis of the metabolic demands of the cell, the thermal dependency of transporters, and changes in membrane lipids. We suggest that many of the observed relationships are not fixed physiological constraints but rather can be altered through adaptation. For example, the evolution of lipid metabolism can favor larger cells with higher lipid content to mitigate oxidative stress. These results have implications for rates of carbon sequestration and export in a warmer ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzana G. Leles
- Department of Marine and Environmental Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Mozdzer TJ, McCormick MK, Slette IJ, Blum MJ, Megonigal JP. Rapid evolution of a coastal marsh ecosystem engineer in response to global change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:157846. [PMID: 35948126 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that global change can alter ecosystems by eliciting rapid evolution of foundational plants capable of shaping vital attributes and processes. Here we describe results of a field-scale exposure experiment and multilocus assays illustrating that elevated CO2 (eCO2) and nitrogen (N) enrichment can result in rapid shifts in genetic and genotypic variation in Phragmites australis, an ecologically dominant plant that acts as an ecosystem engineer in coastal marshes worldwide. Compared to control treatments, genotypic diversity declined over three years of exposure, especially to N enrichment. The magnitude of loss also increased over time under conditions of N enrichment. Comparisons of genotype frequencies revealed that proportional abundances shifted with exposure to eCO2 and N in a manner consistent with expected responses to selection. Comparisons also revealed evidence of tradeoffs that constrained exposure responses, where any particular genotype responded favorably to one factor rather than to different factors or to combinations of factors. These findings challenge the prevailing view that plant-mediated ecosystem outcomes of global change are governed primarily by differences in species responses to shifting environmental pressures and highlight the value of accounting for organismal evolution in predictive models to improve forecasts of ecosystem responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Mozdzer
- Bryn Mawr College, Department of Biology, 101 N. Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, United States of America; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
| | - Melissa K McCormick
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
| | - Ingrid J Slette
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, 251 W Pitkin St, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States of America
| | - Michael J Blum
- University of Tennessee, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States of America.
| | - J Patrick Megonigal
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
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5
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Polazzo F, Roth SK, Hermann M, Mangold‐Döring A, Rico A, Sobek A, Van den Brink PJ, Jackson M. Combined effects of heatwaves and micropollutants on freshwater ecosystems: Towards an integrated assessment of extreme events in multiple stressors research. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1248-1267. [PMID: 34735747 PMCID: PMC9298819 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are strongly influenced by weather extremes such as heatwaves (HWs), which are predicted to increase in frequency and magnitude in the future. In addition to these climate extremes, the freshwater realm is impacted by the exposure to various classes of chemicals emitted by anthropogenic activities. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how the combined exposure to HWs and chemicals affects the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Here, we review the available literature describing the single and combined effects of HWs and chemicals on different levels of biological organization, to obtain a holistic view of their potential interactive effects. We only found a few studies (13 out of the 61 studies included in this review) that investigated the biological effects of HWs in combination with chemical pollution. The reported interactive effects of HWs and chemicals varied largely not only within the different trophic levels but also depending on the studied endpoints for populations or individuals. Hence, owing also to the little number of studies available, no consistent interactive effects could be highlighted at any level of biological organization. Moreover, we found an imbalance towards single species and population experiments, with only five studies using a multitrophic approach. This results in a knowledge gap for relevant community and ecosystem level endpoints, which prevents the exploration of important indirect effects that can compromise food web stability. Moreover, this knowledge gap impairs the validity of chemical risk assessments and our ability to protect ecosystems. Finally, we highlight the urgency of integrating extreme events into multiple stressors studies and provide specific recommendations to guide further experimental research in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Polazzo
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresSpain
| | - Sabrina K. Roth
- Department of Environmental ScienceStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Annika Mangold‐Döring
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresSpain
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | - Anna Sobek
- Department of Environmental ScienceStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Paul J. Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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6
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Competition and resource depletion shape the thermal response of population fitness in Aedes aegypti. Commun Biol 2022; 5:66. [PMID: 35046515 PMCID: PMC8770499 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mathematical models that incorporate the temperature dependence of lab-measured life history traits are increasingly being used to predict how climatic warming will affect ectotherms, including disease vectors and other arthropods. These temperature-trait relationships are typically measured under laboratory conditions that ignore how conspecific competition in depleting resource environments—a commonly occurring scenario in nature—regulates natural populations. Here, we used laboratory experiments on the mosquito Aedes aegypti, combined with a stage-structured population model, to investigate this issue. We find that intensified larval competition in ecologically-realistic depleting resource environments can significantly diminish the vector’s maximal population-level fitness across the entire temperature range, cause a ~6 °C decrease in the optimal temperature for fitness, and contract its thermal niche width by ~10 °C. Our results provide evidence for the importance of considering intra-specific competition under depleting resources when predicting how arthropod populations will respond to climatic warming. Huxley et al. use laboratory experiments to examine how environmental resource depletion impacts temperature-dependent traits observed in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The authors find that the conspecific competition dynamics of larvae significantly alter how the mosquito’s population-level fitness responds to temperature, shedding light on how arthropods and other disease vectors may respond to environmental change.
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7
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Hogan JA, Baraloto C, Ficken C, Clark MD, Weston DJ, Warren JM. The physiological acclimation and growth response of Populus trichocarpa to warming. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:1008-1029. [PMID: 34272872 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant metabolic acclimation to thermal stress remains underrepresented in current global climate models. Gaps exist in our understanding of how metabolic processes (i.e., photosynthesis, respiration) acclimate over time and how aboveground versus belowground acclimation differs. We measured the thermal acclimation of Populus trichocarpa, comparing aboveground versus belowground physiology over time. Ninety genetically identical ramets were propagated in mesocosms that separated root and microbial components. After establishment at 25°C for 6 weeks, 60 clones were warmed +4 or +8°C and monitored for 10 weeks, measuring photosynthesis (A), leaf respiration (R), soil respiration (Rs ), root plus soil respiration (Rs+r ), and root respiration (Rr ). We observed thermal acclimation in both A and R, with rates initially increasing, then declining as the thermal photosynthetic optimum (Topt ) and the temperature-sensitivity (Q10 ) of respiration adjusted to warmer conditions. Photosynthetic acclimation was constructive, based on an increase in both Topt and peak A. Belowground, Rs+r decreased linearly with warming, while Rs rates declined abruptly, then remained constant with additional warming. Plant biomass was greatest at +4°C, with 30% allocated belowground. Rates of mass-based Rr were similar among treatments; however, root nitrogen declined at +8°C leading to less mass nitrogen-based Rr in that treatment. The Q10 -temperature relationship of Rr was affected by warming, leading to differing values among treatments. Aboveground acclimation exceeded belowground acclimation, and plant nitrogen-use mediated the acclimatory response. Results suggest that moderate climate warming (+4°C) may lead to acclimation and increased plant biomass production but increases in production could be limited with severe warming (+8°C).
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Affiliation(s)
- J Aaron Hogan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Division of Environmental Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Cari Ficken
- Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Miranda D Clark
- Division of Biosciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - David J Weston
- Division of Biosciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Warren
- Division of Environmental Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
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8
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Fey SB, Kremer CT, Layden TJ, Vasseur DA. Resolving the consequences of gradual phenotypic plasticity for populations in variable environments. ECOL MONOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel B. Fey
- Department of Biology Reed College Portland Oregon 97202 USA
| | - Colin T. Kremer
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan 49060 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90096 USA
| | | | - David A. Vasseur
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06520 USA
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9
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Smith TP, Clegg T, Bell T, Pawar S. Systematic variation in the temperature dependence of bacterial carbon use efficiency. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2123-2133. [PMID: 34240797 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Carbon use efficiency (CUE) is a key characteristic of microbial physiology and underlies community-level responses to changing environments. Yet, we currently lack general empirical insights into variation in microbial CUE at the level of individual taxa. Here, through experiments with 29 strains of environmentally isolated bacteria, we find that bacterial CUE typically responds either positively to temperature, or has no discernible response, within biologically meaningful temperature ranges. Using a global data synthesis, we show that these results are generalisable across most culturable groups of bacteria. This variation in the thermal responses of bacterial CUE is taxonomically structured, and stems from the fact that relative to respiration rates, bacterial population growth rates typically respond more strongly to temperature, and are also subject to weaker evolutionary constraints. Our results provide new insights into microbial physiology, and a basis for more accurately modelling the effects of thermal fluctuations on complex microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - Tom Clegg
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - Thomas Bell
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - Samrāt Pawar
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
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10
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Melero‐Jiménez IJ, Flores‐Moya A, Collins S. The role of changes in environmental quality in multitrait plastic responses to environmental and social change in the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1888-1901. [PMID: 33614011 PMCID: PMC7882982 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation plays a key role in species' responses to environmental change; however, little is known about the role of changes in environmental quality (the population growth rate an environment supports) on intraspecific trait variation. Here, we hypothesize that intraspecific trait variation will be higher in ameliorated environments than in degraded ones. We first measure the range of multitrait phenotypes over a range of environmental qualities for three strains and two evolutionary histories of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in laboratory conditions. We then explore how environmental quality and trait variation affect the predictability of lineage frequencies when lineage pairs are grown in indirect co-culture. Our results show that environmental quality has the potential to affect intraspecific variability both in terms of the variation in expressed trait values, and in terms of the genotype composition of rapidly growing populations. We found low phenotypic variability in degraded or same-quality environments and high phenotypic variability in ameliorated conditions. This variation can affect population composition, as monoculture growth rate is a less reliable predictor of lineage frequencies in ameliorated environments. Our study highlights that understanding whether populations experience environmental change as an increase or a decrease in quality relative to their recent history affects the changes in trait variation during plastic responses, including growth responses to the presence of conspecifics. This points toward a fundamental role for changes in overall environmental quality in driving phenotypic variation within closely related populations, with implications for microevolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Flores‐Moya
- Departamento de Botánica y Fisiología VegetalFacultad de CienciasUniversidad de MálagaMálagaSpain
| | - Sinéad Collins
- Institute of Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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11
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Kontopoulos D, Smith TP, Barraclough TG, Pawar S. Adaptive evolution shapes the present-day distribution of the thermal sensitivity of population growth rate. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000894. [PMID: 33064736 PMCID: PMC7592915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing a thorough understanding of how ectotherm physiology adapts to different thermal environments is of crucial importance, especially in the face of global climate change. A key aspect of an organism's thermal performance curve (TPC)-the relationship between fitness-related trait performance and temperature-is its thermal sensitivity, i.e., the rate at which trait values increase with temperature within its typically experienced thermal range. For a given trait, the distribution of thermal sensitivities across species, often quantified as "activation energy" values, is typically right-skewed. Currently, the mechanisms that generate this distribution are unclear, with considerable debate about the role of thermodynamic constraints versus adaptive evolution. Here, using a phylogenetic comparative approach, we study the evolution of the thermal sensitivity of population growth rate across phytoplankton (Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae) and prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea), 2 microbial groups that play a major role in the global carbon cycle. We find that thermal sensitivity across these groups is moderately phylogenetically heritable, and that its distribution is shaped by repeated evolutionary convergence throughout its parameter space. More precisely, we detect bursts of adaptive evolution in thermal sensitivity, increasing the amount of overlap among its distributions in different clades. We obtain qualitatively similar results from evolutionary analyses of the thermal sensitivities of 2 physiological rates underlying growth rate: net photosynthesis and respiration of plants. Furthermore, we find that these episodes of evolutionary convergence are consistent with 2 opposing forces: decrease in thermal sensitivity due to environmental fluctuations and increase due to adaptation to stable environments. Overall, our results indicate that adaptation can lead to large and relatively rapid shifts in thermal sensitivity, especially in microbes for which rapid evolution can occur at short timescales. Thus, more attention needs to be paid to elucidating the implications of rapid evolution in organismal thermal sensitivity for ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios—Georgios Kontopoulos
- Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTP, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas P. Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy G. Barraclough
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Samraat Pawar
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire, United Kingdom
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12
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Lopatkin AJ, Collins JJ. Predictive biology: modelling, understanding and harnessing microbial complexity. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 18:507-520. [DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-0372-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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13
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Kontopoulos D‐G, van Sebille E, Lange M, Yvon‐Durocher G, Barraclough TG, Pawar S. Phytoplankton thermal responses adapt in the absence of hard thermodynamic constraints. Evolution 2020; 74:775-790. [PMID: 32118294 PMCID: PMC7384082 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To better predict how populations and communities respond to climatic temperature variation, it is necessary to understand how the shape of the response of fitness-related rates to temperature evolves (the thermal performance curve). Currently, there is disagreement about the extent to which the evolution of thermal performance curves is constrained. One school of thought has argued for the prevalence of thermodynamic constraints through enzyme kinetics, whereas another argues that adaptation can-at least partly-overcome such constraints. To shed further light on this debate, we perform a phylogenetic meta-analysis of the thermal performance curves of growth rate of phytoplankton-a globally important functional group-controlling for environmental effects (habitat type and thermal regime). We find that thermodynamic constraints have a minor influence on the shape of the curve. In particular, we detect a very weak increase of maximum performance with the temperature at which the curve peaks, suggesting a weak "hotter-is-better" constraint. Also, instead of a constant thermal sensitivity of growth across species, as might be expected from strong constraints, we find that all aspects of the thermal performance curve evolve along the phylogeny. Our results suggest that phytoplankton thermal performance curves adapt to thermal environments largely in the absence of hard thermodynamic constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios ‐ Georgios Kontopoulos
- Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet DTPImperial College LondonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood ParkAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYUK
| | - Erik van Sebille
- Grantham InstituteImperial College LondonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research UtrechtUtrecht UniversityUtrecht3584 CCthe Netherlands
| | - Michael Lange
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonSW7 2AZUK
| | - Gabriel Yvon‐Durocher
- Environment and Sustainability InstituteUniversity of ExeterPenrynCornwallTR10 9EZUK
| | | | - Samraat Pawar
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood ParkAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYUK
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14
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Abstract
Water temperature is critical for the ecology of lakes. However, the ability to predict its spatial and seasonal variation is constrained by the lack of a thermal classification system. Here we define lake thermal regions using objective analysis of seasonal surface temperature dynamics from satellite observations. Nine lake thermal regions are identified that mapped robustly and largely contiguously globally, even for small lakes. The regions differed from other global patterns, and so provide unique information. Using a lake model forced by 21st century climate projections, we found that 12%, 27% and 66% of lakes will change to a lower latitude thermal region by 2080–2099 for low, medium and high greenhouse gas concentration trajectories (Representative Concentration Pathways 2.6, 6.0 and 8.5) respectively. Under the worst-case scenario, a 79% reduction in the number of lakes in the northernmost thermal region is projected. This thermal region framework can facilitate the global scaling of lake-research. Water temperature is a critical variable for lakes, but its spatial and temporal patterns are not well characterised globally. Here, the authors use surface temperature dynamics to define lake thermal regions that group lakes with similar patterns, and show how these regions shift under climate change.
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15
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Sordo L, Santos R, Barrote I, Silva J. Temperature amplifies the effect of high CO 2 on the photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification of the coralline algae Phymatolithon lusitanicum. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11000-11009. [PMID: 31641450 PMCID: PMC6802031 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of ocean acidification (OA) and global warming is expected to have a significant effect on the diversity and functioning of marine ecosystems, particularly on calcifying algae such as rhodoliths (maërl) that form extensive beds worldwide, from polar to tropical regions. In addition, the increasing frequency of extreme events, such as heat waves, threatens coastal ecosystems and may affect their capacity to fix blue carbon. The few studies where the simultaneous effects of both temperature and CO2 were investigated have revealed contradictory results. To assess the effect that high temperature spells can have on the maërl beds under OA, we tested the short-time effects of temperature and CO2 on the net photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification of the recently described species Phymatolithon lusitanicum, the most common maërl species of southern Portugal. Photosynthesis, calcification, and respiration increased with temperature, and the differences among treatments were enhanced under high CO2. We found that in the short term, the metabolic rates of Phymatolithon lusitanicum will increase with CO2 and temperature as will the coupling between calcification and photosynthesis. However, under high CO2, this coupling will favor photosynthesis over calcification, which, in the long term, can have a negative effect on the blue carbon fixing capacity of the maërl beds from southern Portugal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sordo
- Marine Plant Ecology Research Group, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)University of AlgarveFaroPortugal
- Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA)OlhãoPortugal
| | - Rui Santos
- Marine Plant Ecology Research Group, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)University of AlgarveFaroPortugal
| | - Isabel Barrote
- Marine Plant Ecology Research Group, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)University of AlgarveFaroPortugal
| | - João Silva
- Marine Plant Ecology Research Group, Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)University of AlgarveFaroPortugal
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16
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Molecular mechanisms of temperature acclimation and adaptation in marine diatoms. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2415-2425. [PMID: 31127177 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0441-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Diatoms are important contributors to marine primary production and the ocean carbon cycle, yet the molecular mechanisms that regulate their acclimation and adaptation to temperature are poorly understood. Here we use a transcriptomic approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with temperature acclimation and adaptation in closely related colder- and warmer-adapted diatom species. We find evidence that evolutionary changes in baseline gene expression, which we termed transcriptional investment or divestment, is a key mechanism used by diatoms to adapt to different growth temperatures. Invested and divested pathways indicate that the maintenance of protein processing machinery and membrane structure, important short-term physiological mechanisms used to respond to temperature changes, are key elements associated with adaptation to different growth temperatures. Our results also indicate that evolutionary changes in the transcriptional regulation of acetyl-CoA associated pathways, including lipid and branched chain amino acid metabolism, are used by diatoms to balance photosynthetic light capture and metabolism with changes in growth temperature. Transcriptional investment and divestment can provide a framework to identify mechanisms of acclimation and adaption to temperature.
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17
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Tabi A, Petchey OL, Pennekamp F. Warming reduces the effects of enrichment on stability and functioning across levels of organisation in an aquatic microbial ecosystem. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1061-1071. [PMID: 30985066 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Warming and nutrient enrichment are major environmental factors shaping ecological dynamics. However, cross-scale investigation of their combined effects by linking theory and experiments is lacking. We collected data from aquatic microbial ecosystems investigating the interactive effects of warming (constant and rising temperatures) and enrichment across levels of organisation and contrasted them with community models based on metabolic theory. We found high agreement between our observations and theoretical predictions: we observed in many cases the predicted antagonistic effects of high temperature and high enrichment across levels of organisation. Temporal stability of total biomass decreased with warming but did not differ across enrichment levels. Constant and rising temperature treatments with identical mean temperature did not show qualitative differences. Overall, we conclude that model and empirical results are in broad agreement due to robustness of the effects of temperature and enrichment, that the mitigating effects of temperature on effects of enrichment may be common, and that models based on metabolic theory provide qualitatively robust predictions of the combined ecological effects of enrichment and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Tabi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Owen L Petchey
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Frank Pennekamp
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
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