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Huang T, Song B, Chen Z, Sun H, Niu Y. Pollinator shift ensures reproductive success in a camouflaged alpine plant. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 134:325-336. [PMID: 38720433 PMCID: PMC11232517 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS There are intrinsic conflicts between signalling to mutualists and concealing (camouflaging) from antagonists. Like animals, plants also use camouflage as a defence against herbivores. However, this can potentially reduce their attractiveness to pollinators. METHODS Using Fritillaria delavayi, an alpine camouflaged plant with inter-population floral colour divergence, we tested the influence of floral trait differences on reproduction. We conducted pollination experiments, measured floral morphological characteristics, estimated floral colours perceived by pollinators, analysed floral scent and investigated reproductive success in five populations. KEY RESULTS We found that the reproduction of F. delavayi depends on pollinators. Under natural conditions, a flower-camouflaged population had 100 % fruit set and similar seed set to three out of four yellow-flowered populations. Bumblebees are important pollinators in the visually conspicuous yellow-flowered populations, whereas flies are the only pollinator in the flower-camouflaged population, visiting flowers more frequently than bumblebees. The camouflaged flowers cannot be discriminated from the rock background as perceived by pollinators, but may be located by flies through olfactory cues. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results demonstrate that the flower-camouflaged population has different reproductive traits from the visually conspicuous yellow-flowered populations. A pollinator shift from bumblebees to flies, combined with high visitation frequency, compensates for the attractiveness disadvantage in camouflaged plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Hang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
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2
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Wan JSH, Bonser SP, Pang CK, Fazlioglu F, Rutherford S. Adaptive responses to living in stressful habitats: Do invasive and native plant populations use different strategies? Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14419. [PMID: 38613177 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14419] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Plants inhabit stressful environments characterized by a variety of stressors, including mine sites, mountains, deserts, and high latitudes. Populations from stressful and reference (non-stressful) sites often have performance differences. However, while invasive and native species may respond differently to stressful environments, there is limited understanding of the patterns in reaction norms of populations from these sites. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to assess the performance of populations under stress and non-stress conditions. We ask whether stress populations of natives and invasives differ in the magnitude of lowered performance under non-stress conditions and if they vary in the degree of performance advantage under stress. We also assessed whether these distinctions differ with stress intensity. Our findings revealed that natives not only have greater adaptive advantages but also more performance reductions than invasives. Populations from very stressful sites had more efficient adaptations, and performance costs increased with stress intensity in natives only. Overall, the results support the notion that adaptation is frequently costless. Reproductive output was most closely associated with adaptive costs and benefits. Our study characterized the adaptive strategies used by invasive and native plants under stressful conditions, thereby providing important insights into the limitations of adaptation to extreme sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin S H Wan
- Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience, Australian Institute of Botanic Science, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen P Bonser
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Clara K Pang
- PlantClinic, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Susan Rutherford
- Center for Sustainable Environmental and Ecosystem Research, Department of Environmental Science, College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, The Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA
- Zhejiang Bioinformatics International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Lab for Applied Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Informatics, Ouhai, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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3
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Karimi N, Krieg CP, Spalink D, Lemmon AR, Lemmon EM, Eifler E, Hernández AI, Chan PW, Rodríguez A, Landis JB, Strickler SR, Specht CD, Givnish TJ. Chromosomal evolution, environmental heterogeneity, and migration drive spatial patterns of species richness in Calochortus (Liliaceae). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2305228121. [PMID: 38394215 PMCID: PMC10927571 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305228121] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
We used nuclear genomic data and statistical models to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping spatial variation in species richness in Calochortus (Liliaceae, 74 spp.). Calochortus occupies diverse habitats in the western United States and Mexico and has a center of diversity in the California Floristic Province, marked by multiple orogenies, winter rainfall, and highly divergent climates and substrates (including serpentine). We used sequences of 294 low-copy nuclear loci to produce a time-calibrated phylogeny, estimate historical biogeography, and test hypotheses regarding drivers of present-day spatial patterns in species number. Speciation and species coexistence require reproductive isolation and ecological divergence, so we examined the roles of chromosome number, environmental heterogeneity, and migration in shaping local species richness. Six major clades-inhabiting different geographic/climatic areas, and often marked by different base chromosome numbers (n = 6 to 10)-began diverging from each other ~10.3 Mya. As predicted, local species number increased significantly with local heterogeneity in chromosome number, elevation, soil characteristics, and serpentine presence. Species richness is greatest in the Transverse/Peninsular Ranges where clades with different chromosome numbers overlap, topographic complexity provides diverse conditions over short distances, and several physiographic provinces meet allowing immigration by several clades. Recently diverged sister-species pairs generally have peri-patric distributions, and maximum geographic overlap between species increases over the first million years since divergence, suggesting that chromosomal evolution, genetic divergence leading to gametic isolation or hybrid inviability/sterility, and/or ecological divergence over small spatial scales may permit species co-occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisa Karimi
- Science and Conservation Division, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO63110
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
| | | | - Daniel Spalink
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77845
| | - Alan R. Lemmon
- Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL32306
| | | | - Evan Eifler
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
| | - Adriana I. Hernández
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Patricia W. Chan
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
| | - Aarón Rodríguez
- Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Universidad de la Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco45200, Mexico
| | - Jacob B. Landis
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Universidad de la Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco45200, Mexico
- Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Ithaca, NY14853
| | | | - Chelsea D. Specht
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Thomas J. Givnish
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI53706
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Huang T, Chen Z, Xu B, Sun H, Niu Y. Camouflaged plants are shorter than non-camouflaged plants in the alpine zone. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220560. [PMID: 37161296 PMCID: PMC10170205 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Camouflage has been reported as a defensive strategy in plants, while our understanding of the evolution of such defensive coloration is still limited. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that camouflaged plants are shorter than non-camouflaged ones in the same habitat. Based on a species list from the subnival zone from the Hengduan Mountains, SW China and the herbarium collection, we measured the plant heights of 2915 individuals from 621 species (either camouflaged or not), with elevation information as a reference. We show that camouflaged plants were significantly shorter than non-camouflaged ones, though the effects of phylogeny and elevation were considered. Interestingly, a negative correlation between plant height and elevation was found in non-camouflaged plants, but not in camouflaged ones. These results revealed the correlation between defensive coloration and plant height. Camouflage may have evolved from shorter ancestors because they may suffer stronger selection and provide a more efficient defence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Xu
- College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, People's Republic of China
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Niu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, People's Republic of China
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5
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Yang LH, Swan K, Bastin E, Aguilar J, Cenzer M, Codd A, Gonzalez N, Hayes T, Higgins A, Lor X, Macharaga C, McMunn M, Oto K, Winarto N, Wong D, Yang T, Afridi N, Aguilar S, Allison A, Ambrose‐Winters A, Amescua E, Apse M, Avoce N, Bastin K, Bolander E, Burroughs J, Cabrera C, Candy M, Cavett A, Cavett M, Chang L, Claret M, Coleman D, Concha J, Danzer P, DaRosa J, Dufresne A, Duisenberg C, Earl A, Eckey E, English M, Espejo A, Faith E, Fang A, Gamez A, Garcini J, Garcini J, Gilbert‐Igelsrud G, Goedde‐Matthews K, Grahn S, Guerra P, Guerra V, Hagedorn M, Hall K, Hall G, Hammond J, Hargadon C, Henley V, Hinesley S, Jacobs C, Johnson C, Johnson T, Johnson Z, Juchau E, Kaplan C, Katznelson A, Keeley R, Kubik T, Lam T, Lansing C, Lara A, Le V, Lee B, Lee K, Lemmo M, Lucio S, Luo A, Malakzay S, Mangney L, Martin J, Matern W, McConnell B, McHale M, McIsaac G, McLennan C, Milbrodt S, Mohammed M, Mooney‐McCarthy M, Morgan L, Mullin C, Needles S, Nunes K, O'Keeffe F, O'Keeffe O, Osgood G, Padilla J, Padilla S, Palacio I, Panelli V, Paulson K, Pearson J, Perez T, Phrakonekham B, Pitsillides I, Preisler A, Preisler N, Ramirez H, Ransom S, Renaud C, Rocha T, Saris H, Schemrich R, Schoenig L, Sears S, Sharma A, Siu J, Spangler M, Standefer S, Strickland K, Stritzel M, Talbert E, Taylor S, Thomsen E, Toups K, Tran K, Tran H, Tuqiri M, Valdes S, VanVorhis G, Vue S, Wallace S, Whipple J, Yang P, Ye M, Yo D, Zeng Y. Different factors limit early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch development. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9039. [PMID: 35845370 PMCID: PMC9273743 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal windows of opportunity are intervals within a year that provide improved prospects for growth, survival, or reproduction. However, few studies have sufficient temporal resolution to examine how multiple factors combine to constrain the seasonal timing and extent of developmental opportunities. Here, we document seasonal changes in milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)-monarch (Danaus plexippus) interactions with high resolution throughout the last three breeding seasons prior to a precipitous single-year decline in the western monarch population. Our results show early- and late-season windows of opportunity for monarch recruitment that were constrained by different combinations of factors. Early-season windows of opportunity were characterized by high egg densities and low survival on a select subset of host plants, consistent with the hypothesis that early-spring migrant female monarchs select earlier-emerging plants to balance a seasonal trade-off between increasing host plant quantity and decreasing host plant quality. Late-season windows of opportunity were coincident with the initiation of host plant senescence, and caterpillar success was negatively correlated with heatwave exposure, consistent with the hypothesis that late-season windows were constrained by plant defense traits and thermal stress. Throughout this study, climatic and microclimatic variations played a foundational role in the timing and success of monarch developmental windows by affecting bottom-up, top-down, and abiotic limitations. More exposed microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during cooler conditions, and more shaded microclimates were associated with higher developmental success during warmer conditions, suggesting that habitat heterogeneity could buffer the effects of climatic variation. Together, these findings show an important dimension of seasonal change in milkweed-monarch interactions and illustrate how different biotic and abiotic factors can limit the developmental success of monarchs across the breeding season. These results also suggest the potential for seasonal sequences of favorable or unfavorable conditions across the breeding range to strongly affect monarch population dynamics.
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6
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Cera A, Montserrat‐Martí G, Drenovsky RE, Ourry A, Brunel‐Muguet S, Palacio S. Gypsum endemics accumulate excess nutrients in leaves as a potential constitutive strategy to grow in grazed extreme soils. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13738. [PMID: 35765177 PMCID: PMC9546198 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Extreme soils often have mineral nutrient imbalances compared to plant nutritional requirements and co-occur in open areas where grazers thrive. Thus, plants must respond to both constraints, which can affect nutrient concentrations in all plant organs. Gypsum soil provides an excellent model system to study adaptations to extreme soils under current grazing practices as it harbours two groups of plant species that differ in their tolerance to gypsum soils and foliar composition. However, nutrient concentrations in organs other than leaves, and their individual responses to simulated herbivory, are still unknown in gypsum plants. We studied plant biomass, root mass ratio and nutrient partitioning among different organs (leaves, stems, coarse roots, fine roots) in five gypsum endemics and five generalists cultivated in gypsum and calcareous soils and subjected to different levels of simulated browsing. Gypsum endemics tended to have higher elemental concentration in leaves, stems and coarse roots than generalist species in both soil types, whereas both groups tended to show similar high concentrations in fine roots. This behaviour was especially clear with sulphur (S), which is found in excess in gypsum soils, and which endemics accumulated in leaves as sulphate (>50% of S). Moreover, plants subjected to clipping, regardless of their affinity to gypsum, were unable to compensate for biomass losses and showed similar elemental composition to unclipped plants. The accumulation of excess mineral nutrients by endemic species in aboveground organs may be a constitutive nutritional strategy in extreme soils and is potentially playing an anti-herbivore role in grazed gypsum outcrops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreu Cera
- Departamento Biodiversidad y Restauración, Instituto Pirenaico de EcologíaConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasJacaSpain
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Secció de Botànica i Micologia, Facultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Gabriel Montserrat‐Martí
- Departamento Biodiversidad y Restauración, Instituto Pirenaico de EcologíaConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasZaragozaSpain
| | | | - Alain Ourry
- Agronomie et Nutritions N, C, S, SFR Normandie Végétal (FED 4277), UNICAEN, INRAE, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie VégétaleNormandie UniversitéCaenFrance
| | - Sophie Brunel‐Muguet
- Agronomie et Nutritions N, C, S, SFR Normandie Végétal (FED 4277), UNICAEN, INRAE, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie VégétaleNormandie UniversitéCaenFrance
| | - Sara Palacio
- Departamento Biodiversidad y Restauración, Instituto Pirenaico de EcologíaConsejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasJacaSpain
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Castillioni K, Patten MA, Souza L. Precipitation effects on grassland plant performance are lessened by hay harvest. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3282. [PMID: 35228587 PMCID: PMC8885915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06961-7] [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: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate and human management, such as hay harvest, shape grasslands. With both disturbances co-occurring, understanding how these ecosystems respond to these combined drivers may aid in projecting future changes in grasslands. We used an experimental precipitation gradient combined with mimicked acute hay harvest (clipping once a year) to examine (1) whether hay harvest influences precipitation effects on plant performance (cover and height) and (2) the role of inter-specific responses in influencing plant performance. We found that hay harvest reduced the strength of precipitation effects on plant performance through changes in bare-ground soil cover. Species performance were mainly influenced by change in abiotic factors, often responding negatively, as hay harvest increased bare-ground amount. Conversely, altered precipitation without hay harvest promoted plant species performance through abiotic factors change first, followed by biotic. Most species, including the dominant grass Schizachyrium scoparium, increased their performance with greater leaf area index (proxy for canopy structure). Our experiment demonstrates that plant performance responds directly to abiotic factors with hay harvest, but indirectly without hay harvest. Positive effects of increasing precipitation were likely due to microhabitat amelioration and resource acquisition, thus inclusion of hay harvest as a disturbance lessens positive impacts of biotic variables on species performance to climate change.
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8
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Cacho NI, McIntyre PJ, Kliebenstein DJ, Strauss SY. Genome size evolution is associated with climate seasonality and glucosinolates, but not life history, soil nutrients or range size, across a clade of mustards. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:887-902. [PMID: 33675229 PMCID: PMC8225284 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS We investigate patterns of evolution of genome size across a morphologically and ecologically diverse clade of Brassicaceae, in relation to ecological and life history traits. While numerous hypotheses have been put forward regarding autecological and environmental factors that could favour small vs. large genomes, a challenge in understanding genome size evolution in plants is that many hypothesized selective agents are intercorrelated. METHODS We contribute genome size estimates for 47 species of Streptanthus Nutt. and close relatives, and take advantage of many data collections for this group to assemble data on climate, life history, soil affinity and composition, geographic range and plant secondary chemistry to identify simultaneous correlates of variation in genome size in an evolutionary framework. We assess models of evolution across clades and use phylogenetically informed analyses as well as model selection and information criteria approaches to identify variables that can best explain genome size variation in this clade. KEY RESULTS We find differences in genome size and heterogeneity in its rate of evolution across subclades of Streptanthus and close relatives. We show that clade-wide genome size is positively associated with climate seasonality and glucosinolate compounds. Model selection and information criteria approaches identify a best model that includes temperature seasonality and fraction of aliphatic glucosinolates, suggesting a possible role for genome size in climatic adaptation or a role for biotic interactions in shaping the evolution of genome size. We find no evidence supporting hypotheses of life history, range size or soil nutrients as forces shaping genome size in this system. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest climate seasonality and biotic interactions as potential forces shaping the evolution of genome size and highlight the importance of evaluating multiple factors in the context of phylogeny to understand the effect of possible selective agents on genome size.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ivalú Cacho
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, Mexico
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Evolution of Ecology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Patrick J McIntyre
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
- NatureServe, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Daniel J Kliebenstein
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
- DynaMo Centre of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Sharon Y Strauss
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
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Niu Y, Stevens M, Sun H. Commercial Harvesting Has Driven the Evolution of Camouflage in an Alpine Plant. Curr Biol 2020; 31:446-449.e4. [PMID: 33220721 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Color in nature mediates numerous among and within species interactions,1 and anthropogenic impacts have long had major influences on the color evolution of wild animals.2 An under-explored area is commercial harvesting, which in animals can exert a strong selection pressure on various traits, sometimes greater even than natural selection or other human activities.3,4 Natural populations of plants that are used by humans have likely also suffered strong pressure from harvesting, yet the potential for evolutionary change induced by humans has received surprisingly little attention.5 Here, we show that the leaf coloration of a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine (Fritillaria delavayi) varies among populations, with leaves matching their local backgrounds most closely. The degree of background matching correlates with estimates of harvest pressure, with plants being more cryptic in heavily collected populations. In a human search experiment, the time it took participants to find plants was greatly influenced by target concealment. These results point to humans as driving the evolution of camouflage in populations of this species through commercial harvesting, changing the phenotype of wild plants in an unexpected and dramatic way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Niu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, 650201, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, 650201, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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10
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Peach K, Liu JW, Mazer SJ. Climate Predicts UV Floral Pattern Size, Anthocyanin Concentration, and Pollen Performance in Clarkia unguiculata. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:847. [PMID: 32612627 PMCID: PMC7308548 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Given that flower size and pigmentation can mediate plant-pollinator interactions, many studies have focused on pollinator-driven selection on these floral traits. However, abiotic factors such as precipitation, temperature, and solar radiation also contribute to geographic variation in floral color, pattern, and size within multiple species. Several studies have described an ecogeographic pattern within species in which high temperature, high ultraviolet (UV) radiation, low precipitation and/or low latitudes are associated with increased floral anthocyanin production, smaller flowers, and/or larger UV-absorbing floral patterns (nectar guides or bullseyes). However, latitude or elevation is often used as a proxy variable to study variation in floral traits associated with a wide range of climatic variables, making the proximate abiotic drivers of variation difficult to identify. In this study, we tested and corroborated several predictions for how the abiotic environment may directly or indirectly shape geographic patterns of floral color, pattern, and size in Clarkia unguiculata (Onagraceae). This study provides the first report of geographic variation in multispectral floral color and pattern in C. unguiculata, while also providing an experimental test of the putative protective role of UV absorption for pollen performance. We quantified geographic variation among greenhouse-raised populations in UV floral pattern size, mean UV petal reflectance, anthocyanin concentration, and petal area in C. unguiculata across its natural range in California and, using 30 year climate normals for each population, we identified climatic and topographic attributes that are correlated with our focal floral traits. In addition, we examined pollen performance under high and low UV light conditions to detect the protective function (if any) of UV floral patterns in this species. Contrary to our expectations, the nectar guide and the proportion of the petal occupied by the UV nectar guide were largest in low solar UV populations. Estimated floral anthocyanin concentration was highest in populations with high solar UV, which does support our predictions. The size of the UV nectar guide did not affect pollen performance in either of the light treatments used in this study. We conclude that, under the conditions examined here, UV-absorbing floral patterns do not serve a direct "pollen protection" function in C. unguiculata. Our results only partially align with expected ecogeographic patterns in these floral traits, highlighting the need for research in a wider range of taxa in order to detect and interpret broad scale patterns of floral color variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Peach
- Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jasen W. Liu
- Population Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Susan J. Mazer
- Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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11
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Kemp JE, Ellis AG. Cryptic petal coloration decreases floral apparency and herbivory in nocturnally closing daisies. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jurene E. Kemp
- Botany and Zoology Department Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Allan G. Ellis
- Botany and Zoology Department Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch South Africa
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12
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Burrell AM, Goddard JHR, Greer PJ, Williams RJ, Pepper AE. Sporadic Genetic Connectivity among Small Insular Populations of the Rare Geoendemic Plant Caulanthus amplexicaulis var. barbarae (Santa Barbara Jewelflower). J Hered 2019; 110:587-600. [PMID: 31062855 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esz029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, a small number of plants have adapted to terrestrial outcroppings of serpentine geology, which are characterized by soils with low levels of essential mineral nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mo) and toxic levels of heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Co). Paradoxically, many of these plants are restricted to this harsh environment. Caulanthus ampexlicaulis var. barbarae (Brassicaceae) is a rare annual plant that is strictly endemic to a small set of isolated serpentine outcrops in the coastal mountains of central California. The goals of the work presented here were to 1) determine the patterns of genetic connectivity among all known populations of C. ampexlicaulis var. barbarae, and 2) estimate contemporary effective population sizes (Ne), to inform ongoing genomic analyses of the evolutionary history of this taxon, and to provide a foundation upon which to model its future evolutionary potential and long-term viability in a changing environment. Eleven populations of this taxon were sampled, and population-genetic parameters were estimated using 11 nuclear microsatellite markers. Contemporary effective population sizes were estimated using multiple methods and found to be strikingly small (typically Ne < 10). Further, our data showed that a substantial component of genetic connectivity of this taxon is not at equilibrium, and instead showed sporadic gene flow. Several lines of evidence indicate that gene flow between isolated populations is maintained through long-distance seed dispersal (e.g., >1 km), possibly via zoochory.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Millie Burrell
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | | | | | - Ryan J Williams
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Alan E Pepper
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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13
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LoPresti EF, Pan V, Goidell J, Weber MG, Karban R. Mucilage‐bound sand reduces seed predation by ants but not by reducing apparency: a field test of 53 plant species. Ecology 2019; 100:e02809. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. F. LoPresti
- Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University 612 Wilson Road East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - V. Pan
- Department of Entomology UC‐Davis 1 Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - J. Goidell
- Department of Entomology UC‐Davis 1 Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - M. G. Weber
- Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University 612 Wilson Road East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - R. Karban
- Department of Entomology UC‐Davis 1 Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
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14
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Maron JL, Agrawal AA, Schemske DW. Plant–herbivore coevolution and plant speciation. Ecology 2019; 100:e02704. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Anurag A. Agrawal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Douglas W. Schemske
- Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
- W. K. Kellogg Biological Station Michigan State University Hickory Corners Michigan 49060 USA
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15
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Sianta SA, Kay KM. Adaptation and divergence in edaphic specialists and generalists: serpentine soil endemics in the California flora occur in barer serpentine habitats with lower soil calcium levels than serpentine tolerators. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:690-703. [PMID: 31070790 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Adaptation to harsh edaphic substrates has repeatedly led to the evolution of edaphic specialists and generalists. Yet, it is unclear what factors promote specialization versus generalization. Here, we search for habitat use patterns associated with serpentine endemics (specialists) and serpentine tolerators (generalists) to indirectly test the hypothesis that trade-offs associated with serpentine adaptation promote specialization. We predict that (1) endemics have adapted to chemically harsher and more bare serpentine habitats than tolerators, and (2) edaphic endemics show more habitat divergence from their sister species than tolerators do among on- and off-serpentine populations. METHODS We selected 8 serpentine endemic and 9 serpentine tolerator species representing independent adaptation to serpentine. We characterized soil chemistry and microhabitat bareness from one serpentine taxon of each species and from a paired nonserpentine sister taxon, resulting in 8 endemic and 9 tolerator sister-taxa pairs. RESULTS We find endemic serpentine taxa occur in serpentine habitats averaging twice as much bare ground as tolerator serpentine taxa and 25% less soil calcium, a limiting macronutrient in serpentine soils. We do not find strong evidence that habitat divergence between sister taxa of endemic pairs is greater than between sister taxa of tolerator pairs. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest serpentine endemism is associated with adaptation to chemically harsher and more bare serpentine habitats. It may be that this adaptation trades off with competitive ability, which would support the longstanding, but rarely tested, competitive trade-off hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley A Sianta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
| | - Kathleen M Kay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
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16
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Niu Y, Sun H, Stevens M. Plant Camouflage: Ecology, Evolution, and Implications. Trends Ecol Evol 2018; 33:608-618. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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17
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Humphrey PT, Gloss AD, Frazier J, Nelson-Dittrich AC, Faries S, Whiteman NK. Heritable plant phenotypes track light and herbivory levels at fine spatial scales. Oecologia 2018; 187:427-445. [PMID: 29603095 PMCID: PMC5999565 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Organismal phenotypes often co-vary with environmental variables across broad geographic ranges. Less is known about the extent to which phenotypes match local conditions when multiple biotic and abiotic stressors vary at fine spatial scales. Bittercress (Brassicaceae: Cardamine cordifolia), a perennial forb, grows across a microgeographic mosaic of two contrasting herbivory regimes: high herbivory in meadows (sun habitats) and low herbivory in deeply shaded forest understories (shade habitats). We tested for local phenotypic differentiation in plant size, leaf morphology, and anti-herbivore defense (realized resistance and defensive chemicals, i.e., glucosinolates) across this habitat mosaic through reciprocal transplant-common garden experiments with clonally propagated rhizomes. We found habitat-specific divergence in morphological and defensive phenotypes that manifested as contrasting responses to growth in shade common gardens: weak petiole elongation and attenuated defenses in populations from shade habitats, and strong petiole elongation and elevated defenses in populations from sun habitats. These divergent phenotypes are generally consistent with reciprocal local adaptation: plants from shade habitats that naturally experience low herbivory show reduced investment in defense and an attenuated shade avoidance response, owing to its ineffectiveness within forest understories. By contrast, plants from sun habitats with high herbivory show shade-induced elongation, but no evidence of attenuated defenses canonically associated with elongation in shade-intolerant plant species. Finally, we observed differences in flowering phenology between habitat types that could potentially contribute to inter-habitat divergence by reducing gene flow. This study illuminates how clonally heritable plant phenotypes track a fine-grained mosaic of herbivore pressure and light availability in a native plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- P T Humphrey
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO, 81224, USA
| | - A D Gloss
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO, 81224, USA
| | - J Frazier
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO, 81224, USA
| | - A C Nelson-Dittrich
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - S Faries
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO, 81224, USA
| | - N K Whiteman
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, CO, 81224, USA.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 91645, USA.
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18
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Del Valle JC, Gallardo-López A, Buide ML, Whittall JB, Narbona E. Digital photography provides a fast, reliable, and noninvasive method to estimate anthocyanin pigment concentration in reproductive and vegetative plant tissues. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3064-3076. [PMID: 29607006 PMCID: PMC5869271 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthocyanin pigments have become a model trait for evolutionary ecology as they often provide adaptive benefits for plants. Anthocyanins have been traditionally quantified biochemically or more recently using spectral reflectance. However, both methods require destructive sampling and can be labor intensive and challenging with small samples. Recent advances in digital photography and image processing make it the method of choice for measuring color in the wild. Here, we use digital images as a quick, noninvasive method to estimate relative anthocyanin concentrations in species exhibiting color variation. Using a consumer‐level digital camera and a free image processing toolbox, we extracted RGB values from digital images to generate color indices. We tested petals, stems, pedicels, and calyces of six species, which contain different types of anthocyanin pigments and exhibit different pigmentation patterns. Color indices were assessed by their correlation to biochemically determined anthocyanin concentrations. For comparison, we also calculated color indices from spectral reflectance and tested the correlation with anthocyanin concentration. Indices perform differently depending on the nature of the color variation. For both digital images and spectral reflectance, the most accurate estimates of anthocyanin concentration emerge from anthocyanin content‐chroma ratio, anthocyanin content‐chroma basic, and strength of green indices. Color indices derived from both digital images and spectral reflectance strongly correlate with biochemically determined anthocyanin concentration; however, the estimates from digital images performed better than spectral reflectance in terms of r2 and normalized root‐mean‐square error. This was particularly noticeable in a species with striped petals, but in the case of striped calyces, both methods showed a comparable relationship with anthocyanin concentration. Using digital images brings new opportunities to accurately quantify the anthocyanin concentrations in both floral and vegetative tissues. This method is efficient, completely noninvasive, applicable to both uniform and patterned color, and works with samples of any size.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C Del Valle
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Pablo de Olavide University Seville Spain
| | - Antonio Gallardo-López
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Pablo de Olavide University Seville Spain
| | - Mª Luisa Buide
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Pablo de Olavide University Seville Spain
| | | | - Eduardo Narbona
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering Pablo de Olavide University Seville Spain
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19
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Galey ML, van der Ent A, Iqbal MCM, Rajakaruna N. Ultramafic geoecology of South and Southeast Asia. BOTANICAL STUDIES 2017; 58:18. [PMID: 28510201 PMCID: PMC5432931 DOI: 10.1186/s40529-017-0167-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Globally, ultramafic outcrops are renowned for hosting floras with high levels of endemism, including plants with specialised adaptations such as nickel or manganese hyperaccumulation. Soils derived from ultramafic regoliths are generally nutrient-deficient, have major cation imbalances, and have concomitant high concentrations of potentially phytotoxic trace elements, especially nickel. The South and Southeast Asian region has the largest surface occurrences of ultramafic regoliths in the world, but the geoecology of these outcrops is still poorly studied despite severe conservation threats. Due to the paucity of systematic plant collections in many areas and the lack of georeferenced herbarium records and databased information, it is not possible to determine the distribution of species, levels of endemism, and the species most threatened. However, site-specific studies provide insights to the ultramafic geoecology of several locations in South and Southeast Asia. The geoecology of tropical ultramafic regions differs substantially from those in temperate regions in that the vegetation at lower elevations is generally tall forest with relatively low levels of endemism. On ultramafic mountaintops, where the combined forces of edaphic and climatic factors intersect, obligate ultramafic species and hyperendemics often occur. Forest clearing, agricultural development, mining, and climate change-related stressors have contributed to rapid and unprecedented loss of ultramafic-associated habitats in the region. The geoecology of the large ultramafic outcrops of Indonesia's Sulawesi, Obi and Halmahera, and many other smaller outcrops in South and Southeast Asia, remains largely unexplored, and should be prioritised for study and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Galey
- Center for Water and Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55811 USA
| | - A. van der Ent
- Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
- Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, Université de Lorraine-INRA, UMR 1120, Nancy, France
| | - M. C. M. Iqbal
- Plant Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, 20000 Sri Lanka
| | - N. Rajakaruna
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 USA
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520 South Africa
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20
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Niu Y, Chen Z, Stevens M, Sun H. Divergence in cryptic leaf colour provides local camouflage in an alpine plant. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20171654. [PMID: 28978734 PMCID: PMC5647307 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of camouflage through background matching is highly environment-dependent, often resulting in intraspecific colour divergence in animals to optimize crypsis in different visual environments. This phenomenon is largely unexplored in plants, although several lines of evidence suggest they do use crypsis to avoid damage by herbivores. Using Corydalis hemidicentra, an alpine plant with cryptic leaf colour, we quantified background matching between leaves and surrounding rocks in five populations based on an approximate model of their butterfly enemy's colour perception. We also investigated the pigment basis of leaf colour variation and the association between feeding risk and camouflage efficacy. We show that plants exhibit remarkable colour divergence between populations, consistent with differences in rock appearances. Leaf colour varies because of a different quantitative combination of two basic pigments-chlorophyll and anthocyanin-plus different air spaces. As expected, leaf colours are better matched against their native backgrounds than against foreign ones in the eyes of the butterfly. Furthermore, improved crypsis tends to be associated with a higher level of feeding risk. These results suggest that divergent cryptic leaf colour may have evolved to optimize local camouflage in various visual environments, extending our understanding of colour evolution and intraspecific phenotype diversity in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132 Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
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21
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Pearse IS, Aguilar J, Schroder J, Strauss SY. Macroevolutionary constraints to tolerance: trade‐offs with drought tolerance and phenology, but not resistance. Ecology 2017; 98:2758-2772. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Pearse
- Department of Evolution and Ecology UC Davis Davis California 95616 USA
- Ft. Collins Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Ft Collins Colorado 80521 USA
| | - Jessica Aguilar
- Department of Evolution and Ecology UC Davis Davis California 95616 USA
| | - John Schroder
- Department of Evolution and Ecology UC Davis Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Department of Evolution and Ecology UC Davis Davis California 95616 USA
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22
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Zverev V, Zvereva EL, Kozlov MV. Ontogenetic changes in insect herbivory in birch (
Betula pubesecens
): The importance of plant apparency. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vitali Zverev
- Section of EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Elena L. Zvereva
- Section of EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Mikhail V. Kozlov
- Section of EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Turku Turku Finland
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23
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Maldonado C, Barnes CJ, Cornett C, Holmfred E, Hansen SH, Persson C, Antonelli A, Rønsted N. Phylogeny Predicts the Quantity of Antimalarial Alkaloids within the Iconic Yellow Cinchona Bark (Rubiaceae: Cinchona calisaya). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:391. [PMID: 28382048 PMCID: PMC5360753 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Considerable inter- and intraspecific variation with respect to the quantity and composition of plant natural products exists. The processes that drive this variation remain largely unknown. Understanding which factors determine chemical diversity has the potential to shed light on plant defenses against herbivores and diseases and accelerate drug discovery. For centuries, Cinchona alkaloids were the primary treatment of malaria. Using Cinchona calisaya as a model, we generated genetic profiles of leaf samples from four plastid (trnL-F, matK, rps16, and ndhF) and one nuclear (ITS) DNA regions from twenty-two C. calisaya stands sampled in the Yungas region of Bolivia. Climatic and soil parameters were characterized and bark samples were analyzed for content of the four major alkaloids using HPLC-UV to explore the utility of evolutionary history (phylogeny) in determining variation within species of these compounds under natural conditions. A significant phylogenetic signal was found for the content of two out of four major Cinchona alkaloids (quinine and cinchonidine) and their total content. Climatic parameters, primarily driven by changing altitude, predicted 20.2% of the overall alkaloid variation, and geographical separation accounted for a further 9.7%. A clade of high alkaloid producing trees was identified that spanned a narrow range of altitudes, from 1,100 to 1,350 m. However, climate expressed by altitude was not a significant driver when accounting for phylogeny, suggesting that the chemical diversity is primarily driven by phylogeny. Comparisons of the relative effects of both environmental and genetic variability in determining plant chemical diversity have scarcely been performed at the genotypic level. In this study we demonstrate there is an essential need to do so if the extensive genotypic variation in plant biochemistry is to be fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Maldonado
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Universidad Mayor de San AndresLa Paz, Bolivia
| | | | - Claus Cornett
- Analytical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Else Holmfred
- Analytical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steen H. Hansen
- Analytical Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
| | - Claes Persson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of GothenburgGothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity CentreGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of GothenburgGothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Botanical GardenGothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nina Rønsted
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of CopenhagenCopenhagen, Denmark
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24
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Dai X, Zhang W, Xu J, Duffy KJ, Guo Q. Global pattern of plant utilization across different organisms: Does plant apparency or plant phylogeny matter? Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2535-2545. [PMID: 28428845 PMCID: PMC5395452 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study is the first to consider human and nonhuman consumers together to reveal several general patterns of plant utilization. We provide evidence that at a global scale, plant apparency and phylogenetic isolation can be important predictors of plant utilization and consumer diversity. Using the number of species or genera or the distribution area of each plant family as the island "area" and the minimum phylogenetic distance to common plant families as the island "distance", we fitted presence-area relationships and presence-distance relationships with a binomial GLM (generalized linear model) with a logit link. The presence-absence of consumers among each plant family strongly depended on plant apparency (family size and distribution area); the diversity of consumers increased with plant apparency but decreased with phylogenetic isolation. When consumers extended their host breadth, unapparent plants became more likely to be used. Common uses occurred more often on common plants and their relatives, showing higher host phylogenetic clustering than uncommon uses. On the contrary, highly specialized uses might be related to the rarity of plant chemicals and were therefore very species-specific. In summary, our results provide a global illustration of plant-consumer combinations and reveal several general patterns of plant utilization across humans, insects and microbes. First, plant apparency and plant phylogenetic isolation generally govern plant utilization value, with uncommon and isolated plants suffering fewer parasites. Second, extension of the breadth of utilized hosts helps explain the presence of consumers on unapparent plants. Finally, the phylogenetic clustering structure of host plants is different between common uses and uncommon uses. The strength of such consistent plant utilization patterns across a diverse set of usage types suggests that the persistence and accumulation of consumer diversity and use value for plant species are determined by similar ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Dai
- Leafminer Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Gannan Normal University Ganzhou China.,National Navel Orange Engineering Research Centre Ganzhou China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Leafminer Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Gannan Normal University Ganzhou China
| | - Jiasheng Xu
- Leafminer Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Gannan Normal University Ganzhou China
| | - Kevin J Duffy
- Institute of Systems Science Durban University of Technology Durban South Africa.,School of Mathematics Statistics and Computer Science University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban South Africa
| | - Qingyun Guo
- Leafminer Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences Gannan Normal University Ganzhou China
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25
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Caro T. Wallace on Coloration: Contemporary Perspective and Unresolved Insights. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 32:23-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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26
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Stanton MA, Preβler J, Paetz C, Boland W, Svatoš A, Baldwin IT. Plant-mediated pheromone emission by a hemipteran seed feeder increases the apparency of an unreliable but rewarding host. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 211:113-25. [PMID: 26915986 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The defensive chemistry and persistence of plant tissues determine their suitability and apparency - the likelihood of being discovered - to insect herbivores. As consumers of plant tissues with transient apparency, florivores and seed-feeders must frequently migrate between host plants to synchronize colonization with plant phenology. Aggregation pheromones could provide information-based solutions to finding ephemeral hosts, but little is known about plant-influenced variation in this form of chemical communication. Combining analytical chemistry, de novo synthesis and field ecology, we investigated the change in colonization of two sympatric host plants, Nicotiana attenuata and Nicotiana obtusifolia, which differ in apparency-related life history traits, by a heteropteran seed-feeder, Corimelaena extensa. We identified a novel pheromone released by C. extensa males - (5Z,8Z)-tetradeca-5,8-dienal - and performed field assays with the synthetic pheromone, showing that it stimulates the formation of feeding aggregations on the post-fire annual N. attenuata. Corimelaena extensa pheromone emission was 40-fold higher when feeding on N. attenuata compared with the perennial N. obtusifolia, as were adult fecundity and seed capsule content of the putative biosynthetic precursor, linoleic acid. Higher pheromone emission increases the apparency and colonization of the ephemeral, high-quality host N. attenuata. This plant-specific variation in insect signaling could facilitate host-finding by seed-feeders migrating between plant patches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A Stanton
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Jens Preβler
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Paetz
- Research Group Biosynthesis/NMR, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Boland
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Aleš Svatoš
- Research Group Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straβe 8, 07745, Jena, Germany
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27
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Abstract
Sand entrapment on plant surfaces, termed psammophory or sand armor, is a phylogenetically and geographically widespread trait. The functional significance of this phenomenon has been poorly investigated. Sand and soil are nonnutritive and difficult for herbivores to process, as well as visually identical to the background. We experimentally investigated whether this sand coating physically protected the plant from herbivores or increased crypsis (e.g., decreased apparency to herbivores). We tested the former hypothesis by removing entrapped sand from stems, petioles, and leaves of the sand verbena Abronia latifolia and by supplementing natural sand levels in the honeyscented pincushion plant Navarretia mellita. Consistent with a physical defensive function, leaves with sand present or supplemented suffered less chewing herbivory than those with sand removed or left as is. To test a possible crypsis effect, we coated some sand verbena stems with green sand, matching the stem color, as well as others with brown sand to match the background color. Both suffered less chewing herbivory than controls with no sand and herbivory did not significantly differ between the colors, suggesting crypsis was not the driving resistance mechanism. Strong tests of plant apparency are rare; this experimental approach may be possible in other systems and represents one of few manipulative tests of this long-standing hypothesis.
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Cacho NI, Kliebenstein DJ, Strauss SY. Macroevolutionary patterns of glucosinolate defense and tests of defense-escalation and resource availability hypotheses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 208:915-27. [PMID: 26192213 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We explored macroevolutionary patterns of plant chemical defense in Streptanthus (Brassicaceae), tested for evolutionary escalation of defense, as predicted by Ehrlich and Raven's plant-herbivore coevolutionary arms-race hypothesis, and tested whether species inhabiting low-resource or harsh environments invest more in defense, as predicted by the resource availability hypothesis (RAH). We conducted phylogenetically explicit analyses using glucosinolate profiles, soil nutrient analyses, and microhabitat bareness estimates across 30 species of Streptanthus inhabiting varied environments and soils. We found weak to moderate phylogenetic signal in glucosinolate classes and no signal in total glucosinolate production; a trend toward evolutionary de-escalation in the numbers and diversity of glucosinolates, accompanied by an evolutionary increase in the proportion of aliphatic glucosinolates; some support for the RAH relative to soil macronutrients, but not relative to serpentine soil use; and that the number of glucosinolates increases with microhabitat bareness, which is associated with increased herbivory and drought. Weak phylogenetic signal in chemical defense has been observed in other plant systems. A more holistic approach incorporating other forms of defense might be necessary to confidently reject escalation of defense. That defense increases with microhabitat bareness supports the hypothesis that habitat bareness is an underappreciated selective force on plants in harsh environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Ivalú Cacho
- Center for Population Biology, and Department of Evolution of Ecology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel J Kliebenstein
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California. One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- DynaMo Center of Excellence, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Sharon Y Strauss
- Center for Population Biology, and Department of Evolution of Ecology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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Myczko Ł, Skórka P, Dylewski Ł, Sparks TH, Tryjanowski P. Color mimicry of empty seeds influences the probability of predation by birds. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00055.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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30
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Wheeler J, Schnider F, Sedlacek J, Cortés A, Wipf S, Hoch G, Rixen C. With a little help from my friends: Community facilitation increases performance in the dwarf shrub Salix herbacea. Basic Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Lev-Yadun S. Gloger's rule in plants: The species and ecosystem levels. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2015; 10:e1040968. [PMID: 26786012 PMCID: PMC4854333 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2015.1040968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Gloger's rule posits that darker birds are found more often in humid environments than in arid ones, especially in the tropics. Accordingly, desert-inhabiting animals tend to be light-colored. This rule is also true for certain mammalian groups, including humans. Gloger's rule is manifested at 2 levels: (1) at the species level (different populations of the same species have different pigmentation at different latitudes), and (2) at the species assembly level (different taxa at a certain geography have different pigmentation than other taxa found at different habitats or latitudes). Concerning plants, Gloger's rule was first proposed to operate in many plant species growing in sand dunes, sandy shores and in deserts, because of being white, whitish, or silver colored, based on white trichomes, because of sand grains and clay particles glued to sticky glandular trichomes, or because of light-colored waxes. Recently, Gloger's rule was shown to also be true at the intraspecific level in relation to protection of anthers from UV irradiation. While Gloger's rule is true in certain plant taxa and ecologies, there are others where "anti-Gloger" coloration patterns exist. In some of these the selective agents are known and in others they are not. I present both Gloger and "anti-Gloger" cases and argue that this largely neglected aspect of plant biology deserves much more research attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simcha Lev-Yadun
- Department of Biology & Environment; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Haifa – Oranim; Tivon, Israel
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Baldwin BG. Origins of Plant Diversity in the California Floristic Province. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110512-135847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent biogeographic and evolutionary studies have led to improved understanding of the origins of exceptionally high plant diversity in the California Floristic Province (CA-FP). Spatial analyses of Californian plant diversity and endemism reinforce the importance of geographically isolated areas of high topographic and edaphic complexity as floristic hot spots, in which the relative influence of factors promoting evolutionary divergence and buffering of lineages against extinction has gained increased attention. Molecular phylogenetic studies spanning the flora indicate that immediate sources of CA-FP lineages bearing endemic species diversity have been mostly within North America—especially within the west and southwest—even for groups of north temperate affinity, and that most diversification of extant lineages in the CA-FP has occurred since the mid-Miocene, with the transition toward summer-drying. Process-focused studies continue to implicate environmental heterogeneity at local or broad geographic scales in evolutionary divergence within the CA-FP, often associated with reproductive or life-history shifts or sometimes hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce G. Baldwin
- Jepson Herbarium and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-2465
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Multiple origins of serpentine-soil endemism explained by preexisting tolerance of open habitats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:14968-9. [PMID: 25313029 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417242111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Affiliation(s)
- Simcha Lev-Yadun
- Department of Biology & Environment; Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Haifa - Oranim; Tivon 36006 Israel
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Occupation of bare habitats, an evolutionary precursor to soil specialization in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:15132-7. [PMID: 25267640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1409242111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant soil specialists contribute greatly to global diversity; however, the ecoevolutionary forces responsible for generating this diversity are poorly understood. We integrate molecular phylogenies with descriptive and experimental ecological data, creating a powerful framework with which to elucidate forces driving soil specialization. Hypotheses explaining edaphic specialization have historically focused on costs of adaptation to elements (e.g., nickel, calcium/magnesium) and accompanying tradeoffs in competitive ability in benign soils. We combine in situ microhabitat data for 37 streptanthoid species (Brassicaceae), soil analyses, and competition experiments with their phylogeny to reconstruct selective forces generating serpentine soil endemism, which has four to five independent origins in this group. Coupling ancestral state reconstruction with phylogenetic independent contrasts, we examine the magnitude and timing of changes in soil and habitat attributes relative to inferred shifts to serpentine. We find large changes in soil chemistry at nodes associated with soil shifts, suggesting that elemental changes occurred concomitantly with soil transitions. In contrast, the amount of bare ground surrounding plants in the field ("bareness"), which is greater in serpentine environments, is conserved across soil-type shifts. Thus, occupation of bare environments preceded shifts to serpentine, and may serve as an evolutionary precursor to harsh elemental soils and environments. In greenhouse experiments, taxa from barer environments are poorer competitors, a tradeoff that may contribute to soil endemism. The hypothesis of occupation of bare habitats as a precursor of soil specialization can be tested in other systems with a similar integrative ecophylogenetic approach, thereby providing deeper insights into this rich source of biodiversity.
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Niu Y, Chen G, Peng DL, Song B, Yang Y, Li ZM, Sun H. Grey leaves in an alpine plant: a cryptic colouration to avoid attack? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 203:953-63. [PMID: 24800901 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Cryptic colouration is a common predation-avoidance strategy in animals that is postulated to occur in plants, but few experimental studies have rigorously tested this hypothesis. We investigated the colouration of Corydalis benecincta, an alpine plant with remarkably dimorphic leaf colours (grey and green), based on a cost-benefit analysis. First we tested the premise that herbivores (Parnassius butterflies) cannot distinguish grey leaves from a scree background by spectrographic measurements and by estimating discriminability between leaves and scree using a butterfly colour vision model. Then we estimated the potential costs of inconspicuousness by comparing the photosynthetic performance and visual attractiveness to flower visitors of the two colour morphs. Finally, we examined the potential benefits of inconspicuousness by comparing damage, survivorship and female reproductive success. It is difficult for herbivores to distinguish grey-coloured morphs against the background. This grey colour originates in a combination of anthocyanins and chlorophylls. The two colour morphs had similar photosynthetic performance, visual attractiveness and female reproductive success. However, grey morphs had significantly lower herbivore damage and higher survivorship. Grey leaves benefit C. benecincta by reducing herbivory with low investment in anthocyanin synthesis, and little cost on photosynthesis and mating opportunity. This cryptic colouration may have evolved through selection pressure imposed by visually foraging herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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Smith SD. Quantifying color variation: Improved formulas for calculating hue with segment classification. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2014; 2:apps1300088. [PMID: 25202612 PMCID: PMC4103106 DOI: 10.3732/apps.1300088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Differences in color form a major component of biological variation, and quantifying these differences is the first step to understanding their evolutionary and ecological importance. One common method for measuring color variation is segment classification, which uses three variables (chroma, hue, and brightness) to describe the height and shape of reflectance curves. This study provides new formulas for calculating hue (the variable that describes the "type" of color) to give correct values in all regions of color space. • METHODS AND RESULTS Reflectance spectra were obtained from the literature, and chroma, hue, and brightness were computed for each spectrum using the original formulas as well as the new formulas. Only the new formulas result in correct values in the blue-green portion of color space. • CONCLUSIONS Use of the new formulas for calculating hue will result in more accurate color quantification for a broad range of biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey D. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado–Boulder, Campus Box 334, Boulder, Colorado 80309 USA
- Author for correspondence:
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Niu Y, Sun H. Alpine scree plants benefit from cryptic coloration with limited cost. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2014; 9:e29698. [PMID: 25763703 PMCID: PMC4205147 DOI: 10.4161/psb.29698] [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: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Like animals, plants are attacked by enemies (herbivores) that forage using visual cues; however, the defensive coloration type known as cryptic coloration was rarely reported in plants. For most autotrophic plants, because photosynthesis relies on the presence of chlorophyll, a green leaf appearance is standard. However, if having leaves that are not green is more beneficial than costly, such coloration may evolve under certain conditions. Taking advantage of the leaf color dimorphism of Corydalis benecincta, we showed that the cryptically colored leaves confer a clear benefit without obvious cost in natural populations. Based on this study, we try to provide a framework on which to base a cost-benefit analysis to investigate the evolution of cryptic leaf coloration in plants.
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Schultz TD, Fincke OM. Lost in the crowd or hidden in the grass: signal apparency of female polymorphic damselflies in alternative habitats. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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