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Twumasi-Ankrah MJ, Zhan J, Asamoah EF. Mapping ecoregional vulnerability to climate change for Africa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 953:176219. [PMID: 39265675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176219] [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: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
African ecosystems are expected to be significantly affected by climate change, making it crucial to understand these changes for effective management. We provide a framework and application to assess ecoregional vulnerability to climate change, considering environmental exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. We assessed environmental exposure using projections for consecutive dry days, precipitation, and temperature changes. Sensitivity was determined based on forest fragmentation and grassland degradation. Adaptive capacity was represented by protected areas network and biodiversity intactness. These factors were combined to create overall vulnerability index and specific categories to guide management decisions. Under the SSP5 8.5 scenario, 16 % of ecoregions will be highly impacted by 2050, with vulnerable areas emerging in Montane forest-grassland and flooded savanna. Impacted ecoregions are disproportionately biodiverse. By intersecting the likely climate impacts and adaptive capacity, we highlight where conservation actions are needed to enhance the resilience of ecoregions to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jordan Twumasi-Ankrah
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jinyan Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Ernest Frimpong Asamoah
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, 2109 Sydney, NSW, Australia; School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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2
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Li J, Prentice IC. Global patterns of plant functional traits and their relationships to climate. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1136. [PMID: 39271947 PMCID: PMC11399309 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06777-3] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant functional traits (FTs) determine growth, reproduction and survival strategies of plants adapted to their growth environment. Exploring global geographic patterns of FTs, their covariation and their relationships to climate are necessary steps towards better-founded predictions of how global environmental change will affect ecosystem composition. We compile an extensive global dataset for 16 FTs and characterise trait-trait and trait-climate relationships separately within non-woody, woody deciduous and woody evergreen plant groups, using multivariate analysis and generalised additive models (GAMs). Among the six major FTs considered, two dominant trait dimensions-representing plant size and the leaf economics spectrum (LES) respectively-are identified within all three groups. Size traits (plant height, diaspore mass) however are generally higher in warmer climates, while LES traits (leaf mass and nitrogen per area) are higher in drier climates. Larger leaves are associated principally with warmer winters in woody evergreens, but with wetter climates in non-woody plants. GAM-simulated global patterns for all 16 FTs explain up to three-quarters of global trait variation. Global maps obtained by upscaling GAMs are broadly in agreement with iNaturalist citizen-science FT data. This analysis contributes to the foundations for global trait-based ecosystem modelling by demonstrating universal relationships between FTs and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaze Li
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Iain Colin Prentice
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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3
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Messier J, Becker-Scarpitta A, Li Y, Violle C, Vellend M. Root and biomass allocation traits predict changes in plant species and communities over four decades of global change. Ecology 2024:e4389. [PMID: 39252476 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Global change is affecting the distribution and population dynamics of plant species across the planet, leading to trends such as shifts in distribution toward the poles and to higher elevations. Yet, we poorly understand why individual species respond differently to warming and other environmental changes, or how the trait composition of communities responds. Here we ask two questions regarding plant species and community changes over 42 years of global change in a temperate montane forest in Québec, Canada: (1) How did the trait composition, alpha diversity, and beta diversity of understory vascular plant communities change between 1970 and 2010, a period over which the region experienced 1.5°C of warming and changes in nitrogen deposition? (2) Can traits predict shifts in species elevation and abundance over this time period? For 46 understory vascular species, we locally measured six aboveground traits, and for 36 of those (not including shrubs), we also measured five belowground traits. Collectively, they capture leading dimensions of phenotypic variation that are associated with climatic and resource niches. At the community level, the trait composition of high-elevation plots shifted, primarily for two root traits: specific root length decreased and rooting depth increased. The mean trait values of high-elevation plots shifted over time toward values initially associated with low-elevation plots. These changes led to trait homogenization across elevations. The community-level shifts in traits mirrored the taxonomic shifts reported elsewhere for this site. At the species level, two of the three traits predicting changes in species elevation and abundance were belowground traits (low mycorrhizal fraction and shallow rooting). These findings highlight the importance of root traits, which, along with leaf mass fraction, were associated with shifts in distribution and abundance over four decades. Community-level trait changes were largely similar across the elevational and temporal gradients. In contrast, traits typically associated with lower elevations at the community level did not predict differences among species in their shift in abundance or distribution, indicating a decoupling between species- and community-level responses. Overall, changes were consistent with some influence of both climate warming and increased nitrogen availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Messier
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Antoine Becker-Scarpitta
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
- Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yuanzhi Li
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Mark Vellend
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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Moisan MA, Lajoie G, Constant P, Martineau C, Maire V. How tree traits modulate tree methane fluxes: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 940:173730. [PMID: 38839018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173730] [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: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Trees can play different roles in the regulation of fluxes of methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 83 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Forest soils have the greatest potential for methane uptake compared to other land uses. In addition to their influence on soil CH4 fluxes, trees can act directly as a source or sink of CH4, by transporting CH4 produced in the soil and harbouring the key microorganisms involved in CH4 production and consumption (methanogens and methanotrophs). Tree CH4 fluxes can vary between species characterized by different traits that influence transport and modify the availability of CH4 reaction substrates as well as the habitat for methanogens and methanotrophs. Despite their important role in modulating CH4 fluxes from forest ecosystems, the identity and role of tree traits influencing these fluxes are poorly consolidated in the literature. The objectives of this paper are to 1) Review the functional traits of trees associated with their role in the regulation of CH4 emissions; 2) Assess the importance of inter-specific variability in CH4 fluxes via a global analysis of tree methane fluxes in the literature. Our review highlights that differences in CH4 fluxes between tree species and individuals can be explained by a diversity of traits influencing CH4 transport and microbial production of CH4 such as wood density and secondary metabolites. We propose a functional classification for trees based on the key traits associated with a function in CH4 emissions. We identified the fast-growing species with low wood density, species adapted to flood and species vulnerable to rot as functional groups which can be net sources of CH4 in conditions favorable to CH4 production. The global analysis further demonstrated the importance of taxonomy, with other factors such as land type and season in explaining variability in tree CH4 fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Ange Moisan
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 Rue du Peps, Québec, QC G1V 4C7, Canada; Département des Sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Bd des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada; Centre de Recherche sur les Interactions Bassins Versants - Écosystèmes Aquatiques (RIVE), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Bd des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada.
| | - Geneviève Lajoie
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke St E, Montréal H1X 2B2, Canada; Jardin Botanique de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke St E, Montréal H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - Philippe Constant
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 Boul des Prairies, Laval, QC H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Christine Martineau
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 Rue du Peps, Québec, QC G1V 4C7, Canada
| | - Vincent Maire
- Département des Sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Bd des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada; Centre de Recherche sur les Interactions Bassins Versants - Écosystèmes Aquatiques (RIVE), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Bd des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Z 4M3, Canada
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5
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Ye J, Ji Y, Wang J, Ma X, Gao J. Climate factors dominate the elevational variation in grassland plant resource utilization strategies. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1430027. [PMID: 39170792 PMCID: PMC11335560 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1430027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) are key leaf functional traits often used to reflect plant resource utilization strategies and predict plant responses to environmental changes. In general, grassland plants at different elevations exhibit varying survival strategies. However, it remains unclear how grassland plants adapt to changes in elevation and their driving factors. To address this issue, we utilized SLA and LDMC data of grassland plants from 223 study sites at different elevations in China, along with climate and soil data, to investigate variations in resource utilization strategies of grassland plants along different elevational gradients and their dominant influencing factors employing linear mixed-effects models, variance partitioning method, piecewise Structural Equation Modeling, etc. The results show that with increasing elevation, SLA significantly decreases, and LDMC significantly increases (P < 0.001). This indicates different resource utilization strategies of grassland plants across elevation gradients, transitioning from a "faster investment-return" at lower elevations to a "slower investment-return" at higher elevations. Across different elevation gradients, climatic factors are the main factors affecting grassland plant resource utilization strategies, with soil nutrient factors also playing a non-negligible coordinating role. Among these, mean annual precipitation and hottest month mean temperature are key climatic factors influencing SLA of grassland plants, explaining 28.94% and 23.88% of SLA variation, respectively. The key factors affecting LDMC of grassland plants are mainly hottest month mean temperature and soil phosphorus content, with relative importance of 24.24% and 20.27%, respectively. Additionally, the direct effect of elevation on grassland plant resource utilization strategies is greater than its indirect effect (through influencing climatic and soil nutrient factors). These findings emphasize the substantive impact of elevation on grassland plant resource utilization strategies and have important ecological value for grassland management and protection under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinkun Ye
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yuhui Ji
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaodong Ma
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Jie Gao
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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6
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Laine AL, Tylianakis JM. The coevolutionary consequences of biodiversity change. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:745-756. [PMID: 38705768 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Coevolutionary selection is a powerful process shaping species interactions and biodiversity. Anthropogenic global environmental change is reshaping planetary biodiversity, including by altering the structure and intensity of interspecific interactions. However, remarkably little is understood of how coevolutionary selection is changing in the process. Here, we outline three interrelated pathways - change in evolutionary potential, change in community composition, and shifts in interaction trait distributions - that are expected to redirect coevolutionary selection under biodiversity change. Assessing how both ecological and evolutionary rules governing species interactions are disrupted under anthropogenic global change is of paramount importance to understand the past, present, and future of Earth's biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Liisa Laine
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikinkaari 1 (PO Box 65), University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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7
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Huang C, Xu Y, Zang R. Low functional redundancy revealed high vulnerability of the subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests to environmental change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173307. [PMID: 38777067 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173307] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic-induced environmental changes threaten forest ecosystems by reducing their biodiversity and adaptive capacity. Understanding the sensitivity of ecosystem function to loss of diversity is vital in designing conservation strategies and maintaining the resilience of forest ecosystems in a changing world. Here, based on unique combinations of ten functional traits (termed as functional entities; FEs), we quantified the metrics of functional redundancy (FR) and functional vulnerability (FV) in 250 forest plots across five locations in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests. We then examined the potential impacts of species loss on functional diversity in subtropical forest communities along environmental gradients (climate and soil). Results showed that the subtropical forests displayed a low level of functional redundancy (FR < 2). Over 75 % of the FEs in these subtropical forest communities were composed of only one species, with rare species emerging as pivotal contributors to these vulnerable FEs. The number of FEs and functional redundancy both increased with the rise in species richness, but functional vulnerability decreased with increasing species richness. Climatic factors, especially mean diurnal range, played crucial roles in determining the functions that the forest ecosystem delivers. Under variable temperature conditions, species in each plot were packed into a few FEs, leading to higher functional redundancy and lower functional vulnerability. These results highlighted that rare species contribute significantly to ecosystem functions and the highly diverse subtropical forest communities could show more insurance effects against species loss under stressful environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caishuang Huang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
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8
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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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Quan Q, He N, Zhang R, Wang J, Luo Y, Ma F, Pan J, Wang R, Liu C, Zhang J, Wang Y, Song B, Li Z, Zhou Q, Yu G, Niu S. Plant height as an indicator for alpine carbon sequestration and ecosystem response to warming. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:890-900. [PMID: 38755277 PMCID: PMC11208140 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01705-z] [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: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that plant community structure and traits have changed under climate warming, especially in cold or high-elevation regions. However, the impact of these warming-induced changes on ecosystem carbon sequestration remains unclear. Using a warming experiment on the high-elevation Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we found that warming not only increased plant species height but also altered species composition, collectively resulting in a taller plant community associated with increased net ecosystem productivity (NEP). Along a 1,500 km transect on the Plateau, taller plant community promoted NEP and soil carbon through associated chlorophyll content and other photosynthetic traits at the community level. Overall, plant community height as a dominant trait is associated with species composition and regulates ecosystem C sequestration in the high-elevation biome. This trait-based association provides new insights into predicting the direction, magnitude and sensitivity of ecosystem C fluxes in response to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Quan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, PR China
| | - Ruiyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yiqi Luo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Fangfang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Junxiao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Ruomeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yiheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Bing Song
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, PR China
| | - Zhaolei Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Qingping Zhou
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
- Department of Environment and Resources, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
- Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
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10
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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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11
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Luo A, Li Y, Shrestha N, Xu X, Su X, Li Y, Lyu T, Waris K, Tang Z, Liu X, Lin L, Chen Y, Zu K, Song W, Peng S, Zimmermann NE, Pellissier L, Wang Z. Global multifaceted biodiversity patterns, centers, and conservation needs in angiosperms. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:817-828. [PMID: 38217639 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2430-2] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The Convention on Biological Diversity seeks to conserve at least 30% of global land and water areas by 2030, which is a challenge but also an opportunity to better preserve biodiversity, including flowering plants (angiosperms). Herein, we compiled a large database on distributions of over 300,000 angiosperm species and the key functional traits of 67,024 species. Using this database, we constructed biodiversity-environment models to predict global patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity in terrestrial angiosperms and provide a comprehensive mapping of the three diversity facets. We further evaluated the current protection status of the biodiversity centers of these diversity facets. Our results showed that geographical patterns of the three facets of plant diversity exhibited substantial spatial mismatches and nonoverlapping conservation priorities. Idiosyncratic centers of functional diversity, particularly of herbaceous species, were primarily distributed in temperate regions and under weaker protection compared with other biodiversity centers of taxonomic and phylogenetic facets. Our global assessment of multifaceted biodiversity patterns and centers highlights the insufficiency and unbalanced conservation among the three diversity facets and the two growth forms (woody vs. herbaceous), thus providing directions for guiding the future conservation of global plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Luo
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yaoqi Li
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Nawal Shrestha
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaoting Xu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Xiangyan Su
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, 100035, China
| | - Yichao Li
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Tong Lyu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Kilara Waris
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Luxiang Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Kuiling Zu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Wenqi Song
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Shijia Peng
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Niklaus E Zimmermann
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Zhiheng Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Chelli S, Bricca A, Tsakalos JL, Andreetta A, Bonari G, Campetella G, Carnicelli S, Cervellini M, Puletti N, Wellstein C, Canullo R. Multiple drivers of functional diversity in temperate forest understories: Climate, soil, and forest structure effects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170258. [PMID: 38246378 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170258] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
In macroecology, shifting from coarse- to local-scale explanatory factors is crucial for understanding how global change impacts functional diversity (FD). Plants possess diverse traits allowing them to differentially respond across a spectrum of environmental conditions. We aim to assess how macro- to microclimate, stand-scale measured soil properties, forest structure, and management type, influence forest understorey FD at the macroecological scale. Our study covers Italian forests, using thirteen predictors categorized into climate, soil, forest structure, and management. We analyzed five traits (i.e., specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, belowground bud bank size, and clonal lateral spread) capturing independent functional dimensions to calculate the standardized effect size of functional diversity (SES-FD) for all traits (multi-trait) and for single traits. Multiple regression models were applied to assess the effect of predictors on SES-FD. We revealed that climate, soil, and forest structure significantly drive SES-FD of specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, and bud bank. Forest management had a limited effect. However, differences emerged between herbaceous and woody growth forms of the understorey layer, with herbaceous species mainly responding to climate and soil features, while woody species were mainly affected by forest structure. Future warmer and more seasonal climate could reduce the diversity of resource economics, plant size, and persistence strategies of the forest understorey. Soil eutrophication and acidification may impact the diversity of regeneration strategies; canopy closure affects the diversity of above- and belowground traits, with a larger effect on woody species. Multifunctional approaches are vital to disentangle the effect of global changes on functional diversity since independent functional specialization axes are modulated by different drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Bricca
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - James L Tsakalos
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Anna Andreetta
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Marco Cervellini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Nicola Puletti
- CREA, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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13
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Cui E. Trait-environment relationships are timescale dependent. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:2313-2315. [PMID: 38263681 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19546] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
This article is a Commentary on Famiglietti et al. (2024), 241: 2423–2434.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erqian Cui
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
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14
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Golivets M, Knapp S, Essl F, Lenzner B, Latombe G, Leung B, Kühn I. Future changes in key plant traits across Central Europe vary with biogeographical status, woodiness, and habitat type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167954. [PMID: 37866591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits covary with environmental gradients, reflecting shifts in adaptive strategies and thus informing about potential consequences of future environmental change for vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the evidence of trait-environment relationships (TERs) remains too heterogeneous for reliable predictions, partially due to insufficient consideration of trait syndromes specific to certain growth forms and habitats. Moreover, it is still unclear whether non-native and native plants' traits align similarly along environmental gradients, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of future plant invasions. Using a Bayesian multilevel modelling framework, we assess TERs for native and non-native woody and herbaceous plants across six broad habitat types in Central Europe at a resolution of c. 130 km2 and use them to project trait change under future environmental change scenarios until 2081-2100. We model TERs between three key plant traits (maximum height, Hmax; specific leaf area, SLA; seed mass, SM) and individual environmental factors (7 climate variables and % urban land cover) and estimate trait change summed across all environmental effects. We also quantify the change in the average trait difference between native and non-native plants. Our models depict multiple TERs, with important differences attributed to biogeographical status and woodiness within and across habitat types. The overall magnitude of trait change is projected to be greater for non-native than native taxa and to increase under more extreme scenarios. Native woody plant assemblages may generally experience a future increase across all three traits, whereas woody non-natives may decline in Hmax and increase in SLA and SM. Herbaceous Hmax is estimated to increase and SLA to decrease in most habitats. The obtained trait projections highlight conditions of competitive advantage of non-native plants over natives and vice versa and can serve as starting points for projecting future changes in ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Golivets
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Lenzner
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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15
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Yu J, Lee JYY, Tang SN, Lee PKH. Niche differentiation in microbial communities with stable genomic traits over time in engineered systems. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae042. [PMID: 38470313 PMCID: PMC10987969 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae042] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities in full-scale engineered systems undergo dynamic compositional changes. However, mechanisms governing assembly of such microbes and succession of their functioning and genomic traits under various environmental conditions are unclear. In this study, we used the activated sludge and anaerobic treatment systems of four full-scale industrial wastewater treatment plants as models to investigate the niches of microbes in communities and the temporal succession patterns of community compositions. High-quality representative metagenome-assembled genomes revealed that taxonomic, functional, and trait-based compositions were strongly shaped by environmental selection, with replacement processes primarily driving variations in taxonomic and functional compositions. Plant-specific indicators were associated with system environmental conditions and exhibited strong determinism and trajectory directionality over time. The partitioning of microbes in a co-abundance network according to groups of plant-specific indicators, together with significant between-group differences in genomic traits, indicated the occurrence of niche differentiation. The indicators of the treatment plant with rich nutrient input and high substrate removal efficiency exhibited a faster predicted growth rate, lower guanine-cytosine content, smaller genome size, and higher codon usage bias than the indicators of the other plants. In individual plants, taxonomic composition displayed a more rapid temporal succession than functional and trait-based compositions. The succession of taxonomic, functional, and trait-based compositions was correlated with the kinetics of treatment processes in the activated sludge systems. This study provides insights into ecological niches of microbes in engineered systems and succession patterns of their functions and traits, which will aid microbial community management to improve treatment performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Yu
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Justin Y Y Lee
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Siang Nee Tang
- Facility Management and Environmental Engineering, TAL Group, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Patrick K H Lee
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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16
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Cantwell-Jones A, Tylianakis JM, Larson K, Gill RJ. Using individual-based trait frequency distributions to forecast plant-pollinator network responses to environmental change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14368. [PMID: 38247047 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14368] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Determining how and why organisms interact is fundamental to understanding ecosystem responses to future environmental change. To assess the impact on plant-pollinator interactions, recent studies have examined how the effects of environmental change on individual interactions accumulate to generate species-level responses. Here, we review recent developments in using plant-pollinator networks of interacting individuals along with their functional traits, where individuals are nested within species nodes. We highlight how these individual-level, trait-based networks connect intraspecific trait variation (as frequency distributions of multiple traits) with dynamic responses within plant-pollinator communities. This approach can better explain interaction plasticity, and changes to interaction probabilities and network structure over spatiotemporal or other environmental gradients. We argue that only through appreciating such trait-based interaction plasticity can we accurately forecast the potential vulnerability of interactions to future environmental change. We follow this with general guidance on how future studies can collect and analyse high-resolution interaction and trait data, with the hope of improving predictions of future plant-pollinator network responses for targeted and effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 4800, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Keith Larson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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17
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Piñeiro J, Dang C, Walkup JGV, Kuzniar T, Winslett R, Blazewicz SJ, Freedman ZB, Brzostek E, Morrissey EM. Shifts in bacterial traits under chronic nitrogen deposition align with soil processes in arbuscular, but not ectomycorrhizal-associated trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17030. [PMID: 38010627 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17030] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition increases soil carbon (C) storage by reducing microbial activity. These effects vary in soil beneath trees that associate with arbuscular (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. Variation in carbon C and N uptake traits among microbes may explain differences in soil nutrient cycling between mycorrhizal associations in response to high N loads, a mechanism not previously examined due to methodological limitations. Here, we used quantitative Stable Isotope Probing (qSIP) to measure bacterial C and N assimilation rates from an added organic compound, which we conceptualize as functional traits. As such, we applied a trait-based approach to explore whether variation in assimilation rates of bacterial taxa can inform shifts in soil function under chronic N deposition. We show taxon-specific and community-wide declines of bacterial C and N uptake under chronic N deposition in both AM and ECM soils. N deposition-induced reductions in microbial activity were mirrored by declines in soil organic matter mineralization rates in AM but not ECM soils. Our findings suggest C and N uptake traits of bacterial communities can predict C cycling feedbacks to N deposition in AM soils, but additional data, for instance on the traits of fungi, may be needed to connect microbial traits with soil C and N cycling in ECM systems. Our study also highlights the potential of employing qSIP in conjunction with trait-based analytical approaches to inform how ecological processes of microbial communities influence soil functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Piñeiro
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- School of Forest Engineering and Natural Resources, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chansotheary Dang
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Jeth G V Walkup
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Teagan Kuzniar
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Rachel Winslett
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | | | - Zachary B Freedman
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Edward Brzostek
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Ember M Morrissey
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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18
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de Tomás Marín S, Galán Díaz J, Rodríguez-Calcerrada J, Prieto I, de la Riva EG. Linking functional composition moments of the sub-Mediterranean ecotone with environmental drivers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1303022. [PMID: 38143583 PMCID: PMC10748396 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1303022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Functional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub-Mediterranean ecotones. Methods We set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM. Results and discussion The first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability. Conclusion We observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio de Tomás Marín
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Javier Galán Díaz
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Rodríguez-Calcerrada
- Functioning of Forest Systems in a Changing Environment Research Group, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Prieto
- Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Enrique G. de la Riva
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
- Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de León, León, Spain
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Zhang J, Liang M, Tong S, Qiao X, Li B, Yang Q, Chen T, Hu P, Yu S. Response of leaf functional traits to soil nutrients in the wet and dry seasons in a subtropical forest on an island. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1236607. [PMID: 38143586 PMCID: PMC10748499 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1236607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Island ecosystems often have a disproportionate number of endemic species and unique and fragile functional characteristics. However, few examples of this type of ecosystem have been reported. Methods We conducted a comprehensive field study on Neilingding Island, southern China. The leaf samples of 79 subtropical forest tree species were obtained and their functional traits were studied in the dry and wet seasons to explain the relationships between plant functional traits and soil nutrients. Results We found a greater availability of soil moisture content (SMC) and nutrients in the wet season than in the dry season. The values of wet season soil available phosphorus (5.97 mg·kg-1), SMC (17.67%), and soil available potassium (SAK, 266.96 mg·kg-1) were significantly higher than those of the dry season. The leaf dry matter content, specific leaf weight, leaf density, leaf total carbon, leaf total nitrogen, leaf total calcium, and the N/P and C/P ratios of leaves were all significantly higher in the dry season than in the wet season, being 18.06%, 12.90%, 12.00%, 0.17%, 3.41%, 9.02%, 26.80%, and 24.14% higher, respectively. In contrast, the leaf area (51.01 cm2), specific leaf area (152.76 cm2·g-1), leaf water content (0.59%), leaf total nitrogen (1.31%), leaf total phosphorus (0.14%), and leaf total magnesium (0.33%) were much lower in the dry season than in the wet one. There were significant pairwise correlations between leaf functional traits, but the number and strength of correlations were significantly different in the dry and wet seasons. The SAK, soil total phosphorus (STP), and pH impacted plant leaf functional traits in the dry season, whereas in the wet season, they were affected by SAK, STP, pH, and NO3- (nitrate). Discussion Both soil nutrients and water availability varied seasonally and could cause variation in a number of leaf traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- School of Ecology/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Minxia Liang
- School of Ecology/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sen Tong
- School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xueting Qiao
- School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Buhang Li
- School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiong Yang
- Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Hu
- Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shixiao Yu
- School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Liu C, Sack L, Li Y, Zhang J, Yu K, Zhang Q, He N, Yu G. Relationships of stomatal morphology to the environment across plant communities. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6629. [PMID: 37857672 PMCID: PMC10587080 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42136-2] [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: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between stomatal traits and environmental drivers across plant communities has important implications for ecosystem carbon and water fluxes, but it has remained unclear. Here, we measure the stomatal morphology of 4492 species-site combinations in 340 vegetation plots across China and calculate their community-weighted values for mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. We demonstrate a trade-off between stomatal density and size at the community level. The community-weighted mean and variance of stomatal density are mainly associated with precipitation, while that of stomatal size is mainly associated with temperature, and the skewness and kurtosis of stomatal traits are less related to climatic and soil variables. Beyond mean climate variables, stomatal trait moments also vary with climatic seasonality and extreme conditions. Our findings extend the knowledge of stomatal trait-environment relationships to the ecosystem scale, with applications in predicting future water and carbon cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, 100081, Beijing, China
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Kailiang Yu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA
| | - Qiongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 150040, Harbin, China.
- Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 165200, Daxing'anling, China.
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
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21
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Wrońska-Pilarek D, Rymszewicz S, Jagodziński AM, Gawryś R, Dyderski MK. Temperate forest understory vegetation shifts after 40 years of conservation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165164. [PMID: 37379914 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165164] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how vegetation composition and diversity respond to global changes is crucial for effective ecosystem management and conservation. This study evaluated shifts in understory vegetation after 40 years of conservation within Drawa National Park (NW Poland), to check which plant communities changed the most, and whether vegetation shifts reflect global change symptoms (climate change and pollution) or natural forest dynamics. Using ordination and generalized mixed-effects linear models, we assessed changes in alpha diversity metrics, accounting for taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic aspects within 170 quasi-permanent plots, surveyed in 1973-85 and resurveyed in 2015-19. We found an overall homogenization of forest vegetation and specific shift patterns in certain forest associations. In coniferous and nutrient-poor broadleaved forests, the overall number of species increased due to the replacement of functionally distinct or specialized species with more ubiquitous species that could exploit increased resource availability. In riparian forests and alder carrs we found either shifts from riparian forest to alder carrs or to mesic broadleaved forests. The most stable communities were fertile broadleaved forests. Our study quantified shifts in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity after 40 years of conservation and provides important insights into the shifts in vegetation composition in temperate forest communities. In coniferous and nutrient-poor broadleaved forests we found an increase in species richness and replacement of functionally distinct or specialized species by ubiquitous species, indicating increased resource availability. Shifts between wet broadleaved forests and transition into mesic forests suggest water limitation, which can be related to climate change. The most stable were fertile broadleaved forests fluctuating due to natural stand dynamics. The findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and management of ecological systems to preserve their diversity and functionality in the face of global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Wrońska-Pilarek
- Department of Botany and Forest Habitats, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71d, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Andrzej M Jagodziński
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71D, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
| | - Radosław Gawryś
- Forest Research Institute (IBL), Sękocin Stary, Braci Leśnej Street No. 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
| | - Marcin K Dyderski
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland.
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22
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Bravo-Avila CH, Feeley KJ. Variation in the Drought Tolerance of Tropical Understory Plant Communities across an Extreme Elevation and Precipitation Gradient. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2957. [PMID: 37631168 PMCID: PMC10459884 DOI: 10.3390/plants12162957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about how differences in water availability within the "super humid" tropics can influence the physiology of understory plant species and the composition of understory plant communities. We investigated the variation in the physiological drought tolerances of hundreds of understory plants in dozens of plant communities across an extreme elevation and precipitation gradient. Specifically, we established 58 understory plots along a gradient of 400-3600 m asl elevation and 1000-6000 mm yr-1 rainfall in and around Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. Within the plots, we sampled all understory woody plants and measured three metrics of physiological leaf drought tolerance-turgor loss point (TLP), cuticular conductance (Gmin), and solute leakage (SL)-and assessed how the community-level means of these three traits related to the mean annual precipitation (MAP) and elevation (along the study gradient, the temperature decreases linearly, and the vapor pressure deficit increases monotonically with elevation). We did not find any correlations between the three metrics of leaf drought tolerance, suggesting that they represent independent strategies for coping with a low water availability. Despite being widely used metrics of leaf drought tolerance, neither the TLP nor Gmin showed any significant relationships with elevation or the MAP. In contrast, SL, which has only recently been developed for use in ecological field studies, increased significantly at higher precipitations and at lower elevations (i.e., plants in colder and drier habitats have a lower average SL, indicating greater drought tolerances). Our results illustrate that differences in water availability may affect the physiology of tropical montane plants and thus play a strong role in structuring plant communities even in the super humid tropics. Our results also highlight the potential for SL assays to be efficient and effective tools for measuring drought tolerances in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
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23
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Lammerant R, Rita A, Borghetti M, Muscarella R. Water-limited environments affect the association between functional diversity and forest productivity. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10406. [PMID: 37560182 PMCID: PMC10408253 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10406] [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: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The link between biodiversity and ecosystem function can depend on environmental conditions. This contingency can impede our ability to predict how biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) relationships will respond to future environmental change, causing a clear need to explore the processes underlying shifts in BEF relationships across large spatial scales and broad environmental gradients. We compiled a dataset on five functional traits (maximum height, wood density, specific leaf area [SLA], seed size, and xylem vulnerability to embolism [P50]), covering 78%-90% of the tree species in the National Forest Inventory from Italy, to test (i) how a water limitation gradient shapes the functional composition and diversity of forests, (ii) how functional composition and diversity of trees relate to forest annual increment via mass ratio and complementarity effects, and (iii) how the relationship between functional diversity and annual increment varies between Mediterranean and temperate climate regions. Functional composition varied with water limitation; tree communities tended to have more conservative traits in sites with higher levels of water limitation. The response of functional diversity differed among traits and climatic regions but among temperate forest plots, we found a consistent increase of functional diversity with water limitation. Tree diversity was positively associated with annual increment of Italian forests through a combination of mass ratio and niche complementarity effects, but the relative importance of these effects depended on the trait and range of climate considered. Specifically, niche complementarity effects were more strongly associated with annual increment in the Mediterranean compared to temperate forests. Synthesis: Overall, our results suggest that biodiversity mediates forest annual increment under water-limited conditions by promoting beneficial interactions between species and complementarity in resource use. Our work highlights the importance of conserving functional diversity for future forest management to maintain forest annual increment under the expected increase in intensity and frequency of drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Lammerant
- Department of Ecology & GeneticsUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Present address:
Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiHankoFinland
| | - Angelo Rita
- Dipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPortici (Napoli)Italy
| | - Marco Borghetti
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi della BasilicataPotenzaItaly
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24
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Yan P, Fernández-Martínez M, Van Meerbeek K, Yu G, Migliavacca M, He N. The essential role of biodiversity in the key axes of ecosystem function. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4569-4585. [PMID: 36880889 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is essential for maintaining the terrestrial ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). Recent studies have revealed that the variations in terrestrial ecosystem functions are captured by three key axes: the maximum productivity, water use efficiency, and carbon use efficiency of the ecosystem. However, the role of biodiversity in supporting these three key axes has not yet been explored. In this study, we combined the (i) data collected from more than 840 vegetation plots across a large climatic gradient in China using standard protocols, (ii) data on plant traits and phylogenetic information for more than 2,500 plant species, and (iii) soil nutrient data measured in each plot. These data were used to systematically assess the contribution of environmental factors, species richness, functional and phylogenetic diversity, and community-weighted mean (CWM) and ecosystem traits (i.e., traits intensity normalized per unit land area) to EMF via hierarchical partitioning and Bayesian structural equation modeling. Multiple biodiversity attributes accounted for 70% of the influence of all the variables on EMF, and ecosystems with high functional diversity had high resource use efficiency. Our study is the first to systematically explore the role of different biodiversity attributes, including species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversity, and CWM and ecosystem traits, in the key axes of ecosystem functions. Our findings underscore that biodiversity conservation is critical for sustaining EMF and ultimately ensuring human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marcos Fernández-Martínez
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- BEECA-UB, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mirco Migliavacca
- Department for Biogeochemical Integration, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
- European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Daxing'anling, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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25
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Barajas Barbosa MP, Craven D, Weigelt P, Denelle P, Otto R, Díaz S, Price J, Fernández-Palacios JM, Kreft H. Assembly of functional diversity in an oceanic island flora. Nature 2023; 619:545-550. [PMID: 37438518 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06305-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: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Oceanic island floras are well known for their morphological peculiarities and exhibit striking examples of trait evolution1-3. These morphological shifts are commonly attributed to insularity and are thought to be shaped by the biogeographical processes and evolutionary histories of oceanic islands2,4. However, the mechanisms through which biogeography and evolution have shaped the distribution and diversity of plant functional traits remain unclear5. Here we describe the functional trait space of the native flora of an oceanic island (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) using extensive field and laboratory measurements, and relate it to global trade-offs in ecological strategies. We find that the island trait space exhibits a remarkable functional richness but that most plants are concentrated around a functional hotspot dominated by shrubs with a conservative life-history strategy. By dividing the island flora into species groups associated with distinct biogeographical distributions and diversification histories, our results also suggest that colonization via long-distance dispersal and the interplay between inter-island dispersal and archipelago-level speciation processes drive functional divergence and trait space expansion. Contrary to our expectations, speciation via cladogenesis has led to functional convergence, and therefore only contributes marginally to functional diversity by densely packing trait space around shrubs. By combining biogeography, ecology and evolution, our approach opens new avenues for trait-based insights into how dispersal, speciation and persistence shape the assembly of entire native island floras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Paola Barajas Barbosa
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Computer Science, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Dylan Craven
- Centro de Modelación y Monitoreo de Ecosistemas, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- Data Observatory Foundation, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patrick Weigelt
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Campus-Institute Data Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Denelle
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Otto
- Island Ecology and Biogeography Research Group, Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, Universidad de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Jonathan Price
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - José María Fernández-Palacios
- Island Ecology and Biogeography Research Group, Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Campus-Institute Data Science, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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26
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Da R, Fan C, Zhang C, Zhao X, von Gadow K. Are absorptive root traits good predictors of ecosystem functioning? A test in a natural temperate forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:75-86. [PMID: 36978285 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trait-based approaches provide a useful framework to predict ecosystem functions under intensifying global change. However, our current understanding of trait-functioning relationships mainly relies on aboveground traits. Belowground traits (e.g. absorptive root traits) are rarely studied although these traits are related to important plant functions. We analyzed four pairs of analogous leaf and absorptive root traits of woody plants in a temperate forest and examined how these traits are coordinated at the community-level, and to what extent the trait covariation depends on local-scale environmental conditions. We then quantified the contributions of leaf and absorptive root traits and the environmental conditions in determining two important forest ecosystem functions, aboveground carbon storage, and woody biomass productivity. The results showed that both morphological trait pairs and chemical trait pairs exhibited positive correlations at the community level. Absorptive root traits show a strong response to environmental conditions compared to leaf traits. We also found that absorptive root traits were better predictors of the two forest ecosystem functions than leaf traits and environmental conditions. Our study confirms the important role of belowground traits in modulating ecosystem functions and deepens our understanding of belowground responses to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rihan Da
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunyu Fan
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
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27
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Abstract
Plant diseases are strongly influenced by host biodiversity, spatial structure, and abiotic conditions. All of these are undergoing rapid change, as the climate is warming, habitats are being lost, and nitrogen deposition is changing nutrient dynamics of ecosystems with ensuing consequences for biodiversity. Here, I review examples of plant-pathogen associations to demonstrate how our ability to understand, model and predict disease dynamics is becoming increasingly difficult, as both plant and pathogen populations and communities are undergoing extensive change. The extent of this change is influenced via both direct and combined effects of global change drivers, and especially the latter are still poorly understood. Change at one trophic level is expected to drive change also at the other, and hence feedback loops between plants and their pathogens are expected to drive changes in disease risk both through ecological as well as evolutionary mechanisms. Many of the examples discussed here demonstrate an increase in disease risk as a result of ongoing change, suggesting that unless we successfully mitigate global environmental change, plant disease is going to become an increasingly heavy burden on our societies with far-reaching consequences for food security and functioning of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Liisa Laine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland; Research Centre for Ecological Change, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO BOX 65 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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28
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Stefanoudis PV, Fassbender N, Samimi-Namin K, Adam PA, Ebrahim A, Harlay J, Koester A, Samoilys M, Sims H, Swanborn D, Talma S, Winter S, Woodall LC. Trait-based approaches reveal that deep reef ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean are functionally distinct. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162111. [PMID: 36773924 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162111] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tropical deep reefs (>30 m) are biologically and ecologically unique ecosystems with a higher geographic reach to shallow (<30 m) reefs. Yet they are poorly understood and rarely considered in conservation practices. Here, we characterise benthic and fish communities across a depth gradient (10-350 m) in remote coral atolls in Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. Using taxonomic and trait-based approaches we present the taxonomic and functional composition of shallow and deep reef communities, with distinct communities and traits dominating different depths. Depth-related changes in community metrics (taxa richness, abundance and biomass) and functional diversity metrics (richness, dispersion, and evenness) indicate complex relationships across different biological components (fish, benthos) that differ between shallow and deep reefs. These in turn translate into different patterns of reef resilience against disturbance or species invasions with depth. Notably, deep reefs host on average fewer and less abundant taxa but with higher functional contribution and originality scores, some of which are of conservation concern. Overall, the results highlight the unique nature of deep reefs that requires their explicit consideration in conservation and management activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris V Stefanoudis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Kaveh Samimi-Namin
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom; Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands; Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jerome Harlay
- Blue Economy Research Institute, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Anna Koester
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Melita Samoilys
- CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Sims
- The Nature Conservancy, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Denise Swanborn
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
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29
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Chandregowda MH, Tjoelker MG, Pendall E, Zhang H, Churchill AC, Power SA. Belowground carbon allocation, root trait plasticity, and productivity during drought and warming in a pasture grass. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:2127-2145. [PMID: 36640126 PMCID: PMC10084810 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad021] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sustaining grassland production in a changing climate requires an understanding of plant adaptation strategies, including trait plasticity under warmer and drier conditions. However, our knowledge to date disproportionately relies on aboveground responses, despite the importance of belowground traits in maintaining aboveground growth, especially in grazed systems. We subjected a perennial pasture grass, Festuca arundinacea, to year-round warming (+3 °C) and cool-season drought (60% rainfall reduction) in a factorial field experiment to test the hypotheses that: (i) drought and warming increase carbon allocation belowground and shift root traits towards greater resource acquisition and (ii) increased belowground carbon reserves support post-drought aboveground recovery. Drought and warming reduced plant production and biomass allocation belowground. Drought increased specific root length and reduced root diameter in warmed plots but increased root starch concentrations under ambient temperature. Higher diameter and soluble sugar concentrations of roots and starch storage in crowns explained aboveground production under climate extremes. However, the lack of association between post-drought aboveground biomass and belowground carbon and nitrogen reserves contrasted with our predictions. These findings demonstrate that root trait plasticity and belowground carbon reserves play a key role in aboveground production during climate stress, helping predict pasture responses and inform management decisions under future climates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark G Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Elise Pendall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Amber C Churchill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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30
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Yan P, He N, Yu K, Xu L, Van Meerbeek K. Integrating multiple plant functional traits to predict ecosystem productivity. Commun Biol 2023; 6:239. [PMID: 36869238 PMCID: PMC9984401 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04626-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantifying and predicting variation in gross primary productivity (GPP) is important for accurate assessment of the ecosystem carbon budget under global change. Scaling traits to community scales for predicting ecosystem functions (i.e., GPP) remain challenging, while it is promising and well appreciated with the rapid development of trait-based ecology. In this study, we aim to integrate multiple plant traits with the recently developed trait-based productivity (TBP) theory, verify it via Bayesian structural equation modeling (SEM) and complementary independent effect analysis. We further distinguish the relative importance of different traits in explaining the variation in GPP. We apply the TBP theory based on plant community traits to a multi-trait dataset containing more than 13,000 measurements of approximately 2,500 species in Chinese forest and grassland systems. Remarkably, our SEM accurately predicts variation in annual and monthly GPP across China (R2 values of 0.87 and 0.73, respectively). Plant community traits play a key role. This study shows that integrating multiple plant functional traits into the TBP theory strengthens the quantification of ecosystem primary productivity variability and further advances understanding of the trait-productivity relationship. Our findings facilitate integration of the growing plant trait data into future ecological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.
| | - Kailiang Yu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Daxing'anling, 165200, China
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Plant Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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31
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Chacón-Labella J, Hinojo-Hinojo C, Bohner T, Castorena M, Violle C, Vandvik V, Enquist BJ. How to improve scaling from traits to ecosystem processes. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:228-237. [PMID: 36435672 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Scaling approaches in ecology assume that traits are the main attributes by which organisms influence ecosystem functioning. However, several recent empirical papers have found only weak links between traits and ecosystem functioning, questioning the usefulness of trait-based ecology (TBE). We argue that these studies often suffer from one or more widespread misconceptions. Specifically, these studies often (i) conflict with the conceptual foundations of TBE, (ii) lack theory- or hypothesis-driven selection and use of traits, (iii) tend to ignore intraspecific variation, and (iv) use experimental or study designs that are not well suited to make strong tests of TBE assumptions. Addressing these aspects could significantly improve our ability to scale from traits to ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Chacón-Labella
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Department of Biology (Botany), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Cesar Hinojo-Hinojo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; School of Geography and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Teresa Bohner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Matiss Castorena
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Vigdis Vandvik
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
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32
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Krishnadas M. Climate and forest loss interactively restructure trait composition across a human-modified landscape. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9361. [PMID: 36329815 PMCID: PMC9618670 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9361] [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: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Traits determine species response to climate conditions and the match between phenotypes and climate mediates spatial variation in species composition. These trait-climate linkages can be disrupted in human-modified landscapes. Human land use creates forest fragments where dispersal limitation or edge effects exclude species that may otherwise suit a given macroclimate. Furthermore, stressful macroclimate can limit viable trait combinations such that only a subset of values of any given trait occurs with respect to another trait, resulting in stronger trait covariance. Because forest loss can compound climatic stress, trait covariance from benign to harsher climates is expected to be stronger in fragments compared to contiguous forests. In a wet tropical forest landscape in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot of peninsular India, I compared fragments with adjacent contiguous forests for signatures of trait-mediated assembly of tree communities. Using four key plant traits-seed size, specific leaf area (SLA), wood density, and maximum height-I evaluated trait-abundance associations and trait covariance across climate, soil, and elevation gradients. In the contiguous forest, smaller-seeded, shorter, thinner-leaved species became more abundant from low to high elevations. In fragments, species with higher SLA were more abundant at sites with more seasonal climates and lower precipitation, and larger seeded species were less abundant at warmer sites. However, traits only weakly predicted abundances in both habitats. Moreover, only contiguous forests exhibited significant compositional change via traits, driven by trait syndromes varying along a composite gradient defined by elevation, water deficit, and soil C:N ratio. Site-level trait covariance revealed that warmer, wetter conditions in fragments favored taller species for given seed size, as compared to similar conditions in contiguous forests. Overall, trait syndromes and trait covariance, rather than single traits, determined the phenotypes best suited to macroclimate conditions and should inform management or restoration goals in fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Krishnadas
- CSIR‐ Centre for Cellular and Molecular BiologyHyderabadTelanganaIndia
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33
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Liu C, Sack L, Li Y, He N. Contrasting adaptation and optimization of stomatal traits across communities at continental scale. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:6405-6416. [PMID: 35716087 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac266] [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: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Shifts in stomatal trait distributions across contrasting environments and their linkage with ecosystem productivity at large spatial scales have been unclear. Here, we measured the maximum stomatal conductance (g), stomatal area fraction (f), and stomatal space-use efficiency (e, the ratio of g to f) of 800 plant species ranging from tropical to cold-temperate forests, and determined their values for community-weighted mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. We found that the community-weighted means of g and f were higher in drier sites, and thus, that drought 'avoidance' by water availability-driven growth pulses was the dominant mode of adaptation for communities at sites with low water availability. Additionally, the variance of g and f was also higher at arid sites, indicating greater functional niche differentiation, whereas that for e was lower, indicating the convergence in efficiency. When all other stomatal trait distributions were held constant, increasing kurtosis or decreasing skewness of g would improve ecosystem productivity, whereas f showed the opposite patterns, suggesting that the distributions of inter-related traits can play contrasting roles in regulating ecosystem productivity. These findings demonstrate the climatic trends of stomatal trait distributions and their significance in the prediction of ecosystem productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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34
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Padullés Cubino J. Environmental drivers of taxonomic and functional turnover of tree assemblages in Europe. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Josep Padullés Cubino
- Dept of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk Univ. Brno Czech Republic
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
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35
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Ben Saadi C, Cayuela L, Bañares de Dios G, de Aledo JG, Matas-Granados L, Salinas N, La Torre Cuadros MDLÁ, Macía MJ. Latitudinal patterns and environmental drivers of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants in western Amazonian terra firme forests. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:978299. [PMID: 36275574 PMCID: PMC9585299 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.978299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating how environmental factors drive plant species distributions and how they affect latitudinal diversity gradients, remain essential questions in ecology and biogeography. In this study we aimed: 1) to investigate the relationships between all three diversity attributes, i.e., taxonomic diversity (TD), functional diversity (FD), and phylogenetic diversity (PD); 2) to quantify the latitudinal variation in these diversity attributes in western Amazonian terra firme forests; and 3) to understand how climatic and edaphic drivers contribute to explaining diversity patterns. We inventoried ca. 15,000 individuals from ca. 1,250 species, and obtained functional trait records for ca. 5,000 woody plant individuals in 50 plots of 0.1 ha located in five terra firme forest sites spread over a latitudinal gradient of 1200 km covering ca. 10°C in latitude in western Amazonia. We calculated all three diversity attributes using Hill numbers: q = 0 (richness), q = 1 (richness weighted by relative abundance), and q = 2 (richness weighted by dominance). Generalized linear mixed models were constructed for each diversity attribute to test the effects of different uncorrelated environmental predictors comprising the temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, soil pH and soil bulk density, as well as accounting for the effect of spatial autocorrelation, i.e., plots aggregated within sites. We confirmed that TD (q = 0, q = 1, and q = 2), FD (q = 0, q = 1, and q = 2), and PD (q = 0) increased monotonically towards the Equator following the latitudinal diversity gradient. The importance of rare species could explain the lack of a pattern for PD (q = 1 and q = 2). Temperature seasonality, which was highly correlated with latitude, and annual precipitation were the main environmental drivers of variations in TD, FD, and PD. All three diversity attributes increased with lower temperature seasonality, higher annual precipitation, and lower soil pH. We confirmed the existence of latitudinal diversity gradients for TD, FD, and PD in hyperdiverse Amazonian terra firme forests. Our results agree well with the predictions of the environmental filtering principle and the favourability hypothesis, even acting in a 10°C latitudinal range within tropical climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Ben Saadi
- Departamento de Biología, Área de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Cayuela
- Departmento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Guillermo Bañares de Dios
- Departmento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Julia G. de Aledo
- Departamento de Biología, Área de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Matas-Granados
- Departamento de Biología, Área de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Norma Salinas
- Sección Quíımica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
- School of Geography and Environment, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - María de los Ángeles La Torre Cuadros
- Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Científica del Sur, Villa el Salvador, Peru
- Departamento de Manejo Forestal, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru
| | - Manuel J. Macía
- Departamento de Biología, Área de Botánica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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36
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Ibarra‐Isassi J, Handa IT, Lessard J. Community‐wide trait adaptation, but not plasticity, explain ant community structure in extreme environments. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ibarra‐Isassi
- Department of Biology Concordia University Montréal QC Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue Montréal QC Canada
| | - Ira Tanya Handa
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal QC Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue Montréal QC Canada
| | - Jean‐Philippe Lessard
- Department of Biology Concordia University Montréal QC Canada
- Québec Centre for Biodiversity Sciences, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue Montréal QC Canada
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37
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Báez S, Cayuela L, Macía MJ, Álvarez-Dávila E, Apaza-Quevedo A, Arnelas I, Baca-Cortes N, Bañares de Dios G, Bauters M, Ben Saadi C, Blundo C, Cabrera M, Castaño F, Cayola L, de Aledo JG, Espinosa CI, Fadrique B, Farfán-Rios W, Fuentes A, Garnica-Díaz C, González M, González D, Hensen I, Hurtado AB, Jadán O, Lippok D, Loza MI, Maldonado C, Malizia L, Matas-Granados L, Myers JA, Norden N, Oliveras Menor I, Pierick K, Ramírez-Angulo H, Salgado-Negret B, Schleuning M, Silman M, Solarte-Cruz ME, Tello JS, Verbeeck H, Vilanova E, Weithmann G, Homeier J. FunAndes – A functional trait database of Andean plants. Sci Data 2022; 9:511. [PMID: 35987763 PMCID: PMC9392769 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01626-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce the FunAndes database, a compilation of functional trait data for the Andean flora spanning six countries. FunAndes contains data on 24 traits across 2,694 taxa, for a total of 105,466 entries. The database features plant-morphological attributes including growth form, and leaf, stem, and wood traits measured at the species or individual level, together with geographic metadata (i.e., coordinates and elevation). FunAndes follows the field names, trait descriptions and units of measurement of the TRY database. It is currently available in open access in the FIGSHARE data repository, and will be part of TRY’s next release. Open access trait data from Andean plants will contribute to ecological research in the region, the most species rich terrestrial biodiversity hotspot. Measurement(s) | Bark thickness • Leaf area • Leaf aluminium (Al) content per leaf dry mass • Specific leaf area • Leaf calcium (Ca) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf carbon (C) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf carbon (C) isotope signature (delta 13 C) • Leaf compoundness • Leaf dry mass per leaf fresh mass (leaf dry matter content, LDMC) • Leaf magnesium (Mg) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf nitrogen (N) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf nitrogen (N) isotope signature (delta 15 N) • Leaf phosphorus (P) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf potassium (K) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf texture (sclerophylly, physical strength, toughness) • leaf thickness • Plant growth form • Stem conduit cross-sectional area (vessels and tracheids) • Stem conduit density (vessels and tracheids) • Sapwood specific conductivity | Technology Type(s) | bark gauge • Scanner Device • inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy • Calculated from area and mass • CN analyzer • Isotope analyzer • in vivo visual assessment • Ratio of fresh to dry mass • punch tester • micrometer • optical analysis of cross sections with specific software • weight and volume measurement • estimated with equations from wood anatomy | Factor Type(s) | Country • Lat • Long • Elevation • Collection_year | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Tracheophyta | Sample Characteristic - Environment | Andean ecosystems • cloud forest • tropical upper montane forest • tropical lower montane forest • Paramo • Andes | Sample Characteristic - Location | South America • Venezuela • Colombia • Ecuador • Peru • Bolivia • Argentina |
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38
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Teles CB, Magnago LFS, Carilo Filho LM, Piotto D. Relationship between the richness of tree species and edaphoclimatic characteristics of the south region of Bahia, Brazil. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Barreto Teles
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, Bairro Salobrinho Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, Bairro Salobrinho Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia Itabuna Bahia Brazil
| | - Leildo Machado Carilo Filho
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Zoologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - Daniel Piotto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, Bairro Salobrinho Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia Itabuna Bahia Brazil
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39
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Variations in Functional Richness and Assembly Mechanisms of the Subtropical Evergreen Broadleaved Forest Communities along Geographical and Environmental Gradients. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13081206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Linking functional trait space and environmental conditions can help to understand how species fill the functional trait space when species increase along environmental gradients. Here, we examined the variations in functional richness (FRic) and their correlations with key environmental variables in forest communities along latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevational gradients, by measuring seven functional traits of woody plants in 250 forest plots of 0.04 ha across five locations in the subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests (SEBLF) of China. On this basis, we explored whether environmental filtering constrained the functional volume by using a null model approach. Results showed that FRic decreased with increasing elevation and latitude, while it increased with increasing longitude, mirroring the geographical gradients in species richness. FRic was significantly related to precipitation of driest quarter, soil pH, and total phosphorus. Negative SES.FRic was prevalent (83.2% of the communities) in most SEBLF communities and was negatively related to mean diurnal range. Our study suggested that the geographical variation in the functional space occupied by SEBLF communities was affected mainly by climate and soil conditions. The results of the null model revealed that niche packing was dominant in SEBLF communities, highlighting the importance of environmental filtering in defining functional volume within SEBLF communities.
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40
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Maynard DS, Bialic-Murphy L, Zohner CM, Averill C, van den Hoogen J, Ma H, Mo L, Smith GR, Acosta ATR, Aubin I, Berenguer E, Boonman CCF, Catford JA, Cerabolini BEL, Dias AS, González-Melo A, Hietz P, Lusk CH, Mori AS, Niinemets Ü, Pillar VD, Pinho BX, Rosell JA, Schurr FM, Sheremetev SN, da Silva AC, Sosinski Ê, van Bodegom PM, Weiher E, Bönisch G, Kattge J, Crowther TW. Global relationships in tree functional traits. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3185. [PMID: 35676261 PMCID: PMC9177664 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30888-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to massive energetic investments in woody support structures, trees are subject to unique physiological, mechanical, and ecological pressures not experienced by herbaceous plants. Despite a wealth of studies exploring trait relationships across the entire plant kingdom, the dominant traits underpinning these unique aspects of tree form and function remain unclear. Here, by considering 18 functional traits, encompassing leaf, seed, bark, wood, crown, and root characteristics, we quantify the multidimensional relationships in tree trait expression. We find that nearly half of trait variation is captured by two axes: one reflecting leaf economics, the other reflecting tree size and competition for light. Yet these orthogonal axes reveal strong environmental convergence, exhibiting correlated responses to temperature, moisture, and elevation. By subsequently exploring multidimensional trait relationships, we show that the full dimensionality of trait space is captured by eight distinct clusters, each reflecting a unique aspect of tree form and function. Collectively, this work identifies a core set of traits needed to quantify global patterns in functional biodiversity, and it contributes to our fundamental understanding of the functioning of forests worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Maynard
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | | | | | - Colin Averill
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Haozhi Ma
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lidong Mo
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Reuben Smith
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Isabelle Aubin
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste Marie, ON, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Erika Berenguer
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Coline C F Boonman
- Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jane A Catford
- Department of Geography, King's College London, 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Bruno E L Cerabolini
- Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Arildo S Dias
- Goethe University, Institute for Physical Geography, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrés González-Melo
- Biology Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Avenida carrera 24 # 63C-69, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Peter Hietz
- Institute of Botany, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel St. 33, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher H Lusk
- Environmental Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Akira S Mori
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Chair of Crop Science and Plant Biology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
| | - Valério D Pillar
- Department of Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Bruno X Pinho
- AMAP, Univ Montpellier, INRAe, CIRAD, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Julieta A Rosell
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Frank M Schurr
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, Ottilie-Zeller-Weg 2, D-70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Serge N Sheremetev
- Komarov Botanical Institute, Prof. Popov str., 2, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Ana Carolina da Silva
- Department of Forestry, Santa Catarina State University, Lages, SC, 88520-000, Brazil
| | - Ênio Sosinski
- Embrapa Clima Temperado, Pelotas, RS, 96010-971, Brazil
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Institute of Environmental Science, Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Evan Weiher
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI, 54702, USA
| | - Gerhard Bönisch
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas W Crowther
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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Da R, Hao M, Qiao X, Zhang C, Zhao X. Unravelling Trait-Environment Relationships at Local and Regional Scales in Temperate Forests. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:907839. [PMID: 35707613 PMCID: PMC9189410 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.907839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the trait-environment relationships has been a core ecological research topic in the face of global climate change. However, the strength of trait-environment relationships at the local and regional scales in temperate forests remains poorly known. In this study, we investigated the local and regional scale forest plots of the natural broad-leaved temperate forest in northeastern China, to assess what extent community-level trait composition depends on environmental drivers across spatial scales. We measured five key functional traits (leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content, and wood density) of woody plant, and quantified functional compositions of communities by calculating the "specific" community-weighted mean (CWM) traits. The sum of squares decomposition method was used to quantify the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variation to total trait variation among communities. Multiple linear regression model was then used to explore the community-level trait-environment relationships. We found that (i) intraspecific trait variation contributed considerably to total trait variation and decreased with the spatial scale from local to regional; (ii) functional composition was mainly affected by soil and topography factors at the local scale and climate factor at the regional scale, while explaining that variance of environment factors were decreased with increasing spatial scale; and (iii) the main environment driver of functional composition was varied depending on the traits and spatial scale. This work is one of the few multi-scale analyses to investigate the environmental drivers of community functional compositions. The extent of intraspecific trait variation and the strength of trait-environment relationship showed consistent trends with increasing spatial scale. Our findings demonstrate the influence of environmental filtering on both local- and regional-scale temperate forest communities, and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of trait-environment relationships across spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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42
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Chandregowda MH, Tjoelker MG, Pendall E, Zhang H, Churchill AC, Power SA. Root trait shifts towards an avoidance strategy promote productivity and recovery in
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3
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pasture grasses under drought. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manjunatha H. Chandregowda
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
| | - Mark G. Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
| | - Elise Pendall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
| | - Amber C. Churchill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
- Department of Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behaviour University of Minnesota 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Ave St. Paul MN USA
| | - Sally A. Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith NSW Australia
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The evolution of trait variance creates a tension between species diversity and functional diversity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2521. [PMID: 35534474 PMCID: PMC9085882 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30090-4] [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: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It seems intuitively obvious that species diversity promotes functional diversity: communities with more plant species imply more varied plant leaf chemistry, more species of crops provide more kinds of food, etc. Recent literature has nuanced this view, showing how the relationship between the two can be modulated along latitudinal or environmental gradients. Here we show that even without such effects, the evolution of functional trait variance can erase or even reverse the expected positive relationship between species- and functional diversity. We present theory showing that trait-based eco-evolutionary processes force species to evolve narrower trait breadths in more tightly packed, species-rich communities, in their effort to avoid competition with neighboring species. This effect is so strong that it leads to an overall reduction in trait space coverage whenever a new species establishes. Empirical data from land snail communities on the Galápagos Islands are consistent with this claim. The finding that the relationship between species- and functional diversity can be negative implies that trait data from species-poor communities may misjudge functional diversity in species-rich ones, and vice versa. The positive relationship between species diversity and functional diversity has been shown to vary. Here, the authors use theoretical models and data from Galápagos land snail communities to show how eco-evolutionary processes can force species to evolve narrower trait breadths in more species-rich communities to avoid competition, creating a negative relationship.
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Cui E, Lu R, Xu X, Sun H, Qiao Y, Ping J, Qiu S, Lin Y, Bao J, Yong Y, Zheng Z, Yan E, Xia J. Soil phosphorus drives plant trait variations in a mature subtropical forest. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3310-3320. [PMID: 35234326 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Earth system models are implementing soil phosphorus dynamic and plant functional traits to predict functional changes in global forests. However, the linkage between soil phosphorus and plant traits lacks empirical evidence, especially in mature forests. Here, we examined the soil phosphorus constraint on plant functional traits in a mature subtropical forest based on observations of 9943 individuals from 90 species in a 5-ha forest dynamic plot and 405 individuals from 15 species in an adjacent 10-year nutrient-addition experiment. We first confirmed a pervasive phosphorus limitation on subtropical tree growth based on leaf N:P ratios. Then, we found that soil phosphorus dominated multidimensional trait variations in the 5-ha forest dynamic plot. Soil phosphorus content explained 44% and 53% of the variance in the traits defining the main functional space across species and communities, respectively. Lastly, we found much stronger phosphorus effects on most plant functional traits than nitrogen at both species and community levels in the 10-year nutrient-addition experiment. This study provides evidence for the consistent pattern of soil phosphorus constraint on plant trait variations between the species and community levels in a mature evergreen broadleaf forest in the East Asian monsoon region. These findings shed light on the predominant role of soil phosphorus on plant functional trait variations in mature subtropical forests, providing new insights for models to incorporate soil phosphorus constraint in predicting future vegetation dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erqian Cui
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiling Lu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoni Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huanfa Sun
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Qiao
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaye Ping
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuying Qiu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihua Lin
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiehuan Bao
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yutong Yong
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zemei Zheng
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Enrong Yan
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Forest Ecosystem Research and Observation Station in Putuo Island, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianyang Xia
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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Singh C, van der Ent R, Wang‐Erlandsson L, Fetzer I. Hydroclimatic adaptation critical to the resilience of tropical forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2930-2939. [PMID: 35100483 PMCID: PMC9306811 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Forest and savanna ecosystems naturally exist as alternative stable states. The maximum capacity of these ecosystems to absorb perturbations without transitioning to the other alternative stable state is referred to as 'resilience'. Previous studies have determined the resilience of terrestrial ecosystems to hydroclimatic changes predominantly based on space-for-time substitution. This substitution assumes that the contemporary spatial frequency distribution of ecosystems' tree cover structure holds across time. However, this assumption is problematic since ecosystem adaptation over time is ignored. Here we empirically study tropical forests' stability and hydroclimatic adaptation dynamics by examining remotely sensed tree cover change (ΔTC; aboveground ecosystem structural change) and root zone storage capacity (Sr ; buffer capacity towards water-stress) over the last two decades. We find that ecosystems at high (>75%) and low (<10%) tree cover adapt by instigating considerable subsoil investment, and therefore experience limited ΔTC-signifying stability. In contrast, unstable ecosystems at intermediate (30%-60%) tree cover are unable to exploit the same level of adaptation as stable ecosystems, thus showing considerable ΔTC. Ignoring this adaptive mechanism can underestimate the resilience of the forest ecosystems, which we find is largely underestimated in the case of the Congo rainforests. The results from this study emphasise the importance of the ecosystem's temporal dynamics and adaptation in inferring and assessing the risk of forest-savannah transitions under rapid hydroclimatic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrakant Singh
- Stockholm Resilience CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Ruud van der Ent
- Department of Water ManagementFaculty of Civil Engineering and GeosciencesDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
- Department of Physical GeographyFaculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Lan Wang‐Erlandsson
- Stockholm Resilience CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Ingo Fetzer
- Stockholm Resilience CentreStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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46
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Báez S, Fadrique B, Feeley K, Homeier J. Changes in tree functional composition across topographic gradients and through time in a tropical montane forest. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263508. [PMID: 35442987 PMCID: PMC9020722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding variation in tree functional traits along topographic gradients and through time provides insights into the processes that will shape community composition and determine ecosystem functioning. In montane environments, complex topography is known to affect forest structure and composition, yet its role in determining trait composition, indices on community climatic tolerances, and responses to changing environmental conditions has not been fully explored. This study investigates how functional trait composition (characterized as community-weighted moments) and community climatic indices vary for the tree community as a whole and for its separate demographic components (i.e., dying, surviving, recruiting trees) over eight years in a topographically complex tropical Andean forest in southern Ecuador. We identified a strong influence of topography on functional composition and on species' climatic optima, such that communities at lower topographic positions were dominated by acquisitive species adapted to both warmer and wetter conditions compared to communities at upper topographic positions which were dominated by conservative cold adapted species, possibly due to differences in soil conditions and hydrology. Forest functional and climatic composition remained stable through time; and we found limited evidence for trait-based responses to environmental change among demographic groups. Our findings confirm that fine-scale environmental conditions are a critical factor structuring plant communities in tropical forests, and suggest that slow environmental warming and community-based processes may promote short-term community functional stability. This study highlights the need to explore how diverse aspects of community trait composition vary in tropical montane forests, and to further investigate thresholds of forest response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Báez
- Departamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Belén Fadrique
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth Feeley
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Department of Plant Ecology, University of Goettingen. Goettingen, Germany
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Céréghino R, Trzcinski MK, MacDonald AAM, Marino NA, Acosta Mercado D, Leroy C, Corbara B, Romero GQ, Farjalla VF, Barberis IM, Dézerald O, Hammill E, Atwood TB, Piccoli GC, Ospina Bautista F, Carrias J, Leal JS, Montero G, Antiqueira PA, Freire R, Realpe E, Amundrud SL, Omena PM, Campos AB, Srivastava DS. Functional redundancy dampens precipitation change impacts on species‐rich invertebrate communities across the Neotropics. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Régis Céréghino
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement Université de Toulouse CNRS Toulouse France
| | - M. Kurtis Trzcinski
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver Canada
| | - A. Andrew M. MacDonald
- Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science Montreal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
- Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB‐FRB) Aix‐en‐Provence France
| | - Nicholas A.C. Marino
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) CP 68020 Rio de Janeiro/RJ Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Centro de Ciências da Saúde Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro PO Box 68020 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Dimaris Acosta Mercado
- Department of Biology University of Puerto Rico ‐ Mayagüez Campus Mayagüez 00681 Puerto Rico USA
| | - Céline Leroy
- AMAP Univ. Montpellier CIRAD CNRS INRA IRD Montpellier France
- ECOFOG CIRAD CNRS INRAE Université de Guyane Université des Antilles AgroParisTech 97379 Kourou France
| | - Bruno Corbara
- Université Clermont‐Auvergne CNRS LMGE (Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement) F‐63000 Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Gustavo Q. Romero
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity Department of Animal Biology Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP) 13083‐862 Campinas‐SP Brazil
| | - Vinicius F. Farjalla
- Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Biologia Centro de Ciências da Saúde Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro PO Box 68020 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
| | - Ignacio M. Barberis
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario IICAR‐CONICET‐UNR Universidad Nacional de Rosario S2125ZAA Zavalla Argentina
| | - Olivier Dézerald
- UMR ESE, Ecology and Ecosystem Health INRAE Agrocampus Ouest 35042 Rennes France
| | - Edd Hammill
- Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan 84322 USA
| | - Trisha B. Atwood
- Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center Utah State University Logan 84322 USA
| | - Gustavo C.O. Piccoli
- Dept. of Zoology and Botany University of São Paulo State (UNESP/IBILCE) São José do Rio Preto 15054 ‐ 000 SP Brazil
| | | | - Jean‐François Carrias
- Université Clermont‐Auvergne CNRS LMGE (Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement) F‐63000 Clermont‐Ferrand France
| | - Juliana S. Leal
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) CP 68020 Rio de Janeiro/RJ Brazil
| | - Guillermo Montero
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario IICAR‐CONICET‐UNR Universidad Nacional de Rosario S2125ZAA Zavalla Argentina
| | - Pablo A.P. Antiqueira
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity Department of Animal Biology Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP) 13083‐862 Campinas‐SP Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Freire
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario IICAR‐CONICET‐UNR Universidad Nacional de Rosario S2125ZAA Zavalla Argentina
| | - Emilio Realpe
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Caldas Manizales 170002 Colombia
| | - Sarah L. Amundrud
- Dept. of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Paula M. Omena
- Laboratory of Multitrophic Interactions and Biodiversity Department of Animal Biology Institute of Biology University of Campinas (UNICAMP) 13083‐862 Campinas‐SP Brazil
| | - Alice B.A. Campos
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) CP 68020 Rio de Janeiro/RJ Brazil
| | - Diane S. Srivastava
- Dept. of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre University of British Columbia Vancouver V6T 1Z4 Canada
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Lourenço J, Enquist BJ, von Arx G, Sonsin-Oliveira J, Morino K, Thomaz LD, Milanez CRD. Hydraulic tradeoffs underlie local variation in tropical forest functional diversity and sensitivity to drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:50-63. [PMID: 34981534 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are important to the regulation of climate and the maintenance of biodiversity on Earth. However, these ecosystems are threatened by climate change, as temperatures rise and droughts' frequency and duration increase. Xylem anatomical traits are an essential component in understanding and predicting forest responses to changes in water availability. We calculated the community-weighted means and variances of xylem anatomical traits of hydraulic and structural importance (plot-level trait values weighted by species abundance) to assess their linkages to local adaptation and community assembly in response to varying soil water conditions in an environmentally diverse Brazilian Atlantic Forest habitat. Scaling approaches revealed community-level tradeoffs in xylem traits not observed at the species level. Towards drier sites, xylem structural reinforcement and integration balanced against hydraulic efficiency and capacitance xylem traits, leading to changes in plant community diversity. We show how general community assembly rules are reflected in persistent fiber-parenchyma and xylem hydraulic tradeoffs. Trait variation across a moisture gradient is larger between species than within species and is realized mainly through changes in species composition and abundance, suggesting habitat specialization. Modeling efforts to predict tropical forest diversity and drought sensitivity may benefit from adding hydraulic architecture traits into the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehová Lourenço
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geography, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA
| | - Georg von Arx
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland
| | - Julia Sonsin-Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação (PPG) em Botânica, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade de Brasília - UNB, Brasília, DF, 70919-970, Brazil
| | - Kiyomi Morino
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Luciana Dias Thomaz
- Herbário VIES, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Camilla Rozindo Dias Milanez
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
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Brun P, Violle C, Mouillot D, Mouquet N, Enquist BJ, Munoz F, Münkemüller T, Ostling A, Zimmermann NE, Thuiller W. Plant community impact on productivity: Trait diversity or key(stone) species effects? Ecol Lett 2022; 25:913-925. [PMID: 35064626 PMCID: PMC9305544 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Outside controlled experimental plots, the impact of community attributes on primary productivity has rarely been compared to that of individual species. Here, we identified plant species of high importance for productivity (key species) in >29,000 diverse grassland communities in the European Alps, and compared their effects with those of community-level measures of functional composition (weighted means, variances, skewness and kurtosis). After accounting for the environment, the five most important key species jointly explained more deviance of productivity than any measure of functional composition alone. Key species were generally tall with high specific leaf areas. By dividing the observations according to distinct habitats, the explanatory power of key species and functional composition increased and key-species plant types and functional composition-productivity relationships varied systematically, presumably because of changing interactions and trade-offs between traits. Our results advocate for a careful consideration of species' individual effects on ecosystem functioning in complement to community-level measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brun
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont BlancCNRSLECAGrenobleFrance
| | | | - David Mouillot
- UMR 9190 MARBECUniv MontpellierCNRSIfremer, IRDMontpellier, Cedex 5France
- Institut Universitaire de FranceIUFParisFrance
| | - Nicolas Mouquet
- UMR 9190 MARBECUniv MontpellierCNRSIfremer, IRDMontpellier, Cedex 5France
- CESAB – FRBMontpellierFrance
| | - Brian J. Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizonaUSA
| | - François Munoz
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de PhysiqueUniv. Grenoble AlpesSaint‐Martin‐d'HeresFrance
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50
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Prediction of the potential geographical distribution of Betula platyphylla Suk. in China under climate change scenarios. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262540. [PMID: 35358194 PMCID: PMC8970525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate is a dominant factor affecting the potential geographical distribution of species. Understanding the impact of climate change on the potential geographic distribution of species, which is of great significance to the exploitation, utilization, and protection of resources, as well as ecologically sustainable development. Betula platyphylla Suk. is one of the most widely distributed temperate deciduous tree species in East Asia and has important economic and ecological value. Based on 231 species distribution data points of Betula platyphylla Suk. in China and 37 bioclimatic, soil, and topography variables (with correlation coefficients < 0.75), the potential geographical distribution pattern of Betula platyphylla Suk. under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) climate change scenarios at present and in the 2050s and 2070s was predicted using the MaxEnt model. We analyzed the main environmental variables affecting the distribution and change of suitable areas and compared the scope and change of suitable areas under different climate scenarios. This study found: (1) At present, the main suitable area for Betula platyphylla Suk. extends from northeastern to southwestern China, with the periphery area showing fragmented distribution. (2) Annual precipitation, precipitation of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, annual mean temperature, and precipitation of the driest month are the dominant environmental variables that affect the potential geographical distribution of Betula platyphylla Suk. (3) The suitable area for Betula platyphylla Suk. is expected to expand under global warming scenarios. In recent years, due to the impact of diseases and insect infestation, and environmental damage, the natural Betula platyphylla Suk. forest in China has gradually narrowed. This study accurately predicted the potential geographical distribution of Betula platyphylla Suk. under current and future climate change scenarios, which can provide the scientific basis for the cultivation, management, and sustainable utilization of Betula platyphylla Suk. resources.
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