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Cárdenas RE, Rodríguez-Ortega C, Utreras D, Forrister DL, Endara MJ, Queenborough SA, Alvia P, Menéndez-Guerrero PA, Báez S, Donoso DA. Long-term strict ant-plant mutualism identity characterises growth rate and leaf shearing resistance of an Amazonian myrmecophyte. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17813. [PMID: 39090121 PMCID: PMC11294366 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67140-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Over 125 million years of ant-plant interactions have culminated in one of the most intriguing evolutionary outcomes in life history. The myrmecophyte Duroia hirsuta (Rubiaceae) is known for its mutualistic association with the ant Myrmelachista schumanni and several other species, mainly Azteca, in the north-western Amazon. While both ants provide indirect defences to plants, only M. schumanni nests in plant domatia and has the unique behaviour of clearing the surroundings of its host tree from heterospecific plants, potentially increasing resource availability to its host. Using a 12-year survey, we asked how the continuous presence of either only M. schumanni or only Azteca spp. benefits the growth and defence traits of host trees. We found that the continuous presence of M. schumanni improved relative growth rates and leaf shearing resistance of Duroia better than trees with Azteca. However, leaf herbivory, dry matter content, trichome density, and secondary metabolite production were the same in all trees. Survival depended directly on ant association (> 94% of trees died when ants were absent). This study extends our understanding of the long-term effects of strict ant-plant mutualism on host plant traits in the field and reinforces the use of D. hirsuta-M. schumanni as a model system suitable for eco-co-evolutionary research on plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael E Cárdenas
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Laboratorio de Entomología y Herbario QCA, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Camila Rodríguez-Ortega
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Laboratorio de Entomología y Herbario QCA, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Daniel Utreras
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Laboratorio de Entomología y Herbario QCA, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Dale L Forrister
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apdo. 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - María-José Endara
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Evolutiva en los Trópicos-EETROP, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Simon A Queenborough
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ, Laboratorio de Entomología y Herbario QCA, Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pablo Alvia
- Estación Científica Yasuní, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Parque Nacional Yasuní, Orellana, Ecuador
| | - Pablo A Menéndez-Guerrero
- Laboratorio de Macroecología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apdo. 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Selene Báez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David A Donoso
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Evolutiva en los Trópicos-EETROP, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
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The Effects of Tree and Stand Traits on the Specific Leaf Area in Managed Scots Pine Forests of Different Ages. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12040396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between stand structure (tree size, volume, biomass, social position, stand density) and the variability of specific leaf area (SLA) at the stand level, which could improve forest management modeling. The study was carried out on 100 trees selected from 10 stands of Scots pine located in northwestern Poland. The stands had been established in a similar way and were similarly managed. Five mid-aged (51–60 years) and five mature (81–90 years) pure Scots pine stands were selected. To obtain the SLA index, we used the direct method, which involves scanning ca. 50 needles from each part of the tree crown. The average SLA was from 4.65 to 6.62 m2·kg−1 and differed significantly according to the part of the crown measured (p < 0.0001) and the tree age (p < 0.0001). The smallest SLA was in the upper part of the crown and the largest in the lower part of the crown, which is in line with the known relation to the light exposure of needles. Mid-aged stands of Scots pine have higher SLA values than mature ones. Dominant trees in mid-aged stands have a lower SLA than more shaded intermediate ones, which is probably due to the different lighting conditions within the canopy. No clear relationship is observed between the stand density and the SLA.
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Léveillé-Bourret É, Chen BH, Garon-Labrecque MÈ, Ford BA, Starr JR. RAD sequencing resolves the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of Trichophoreae despite a recent rapid radiation (Cyperaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 145:106727. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Rossetti MR, Rösch V, Videla M, Tscharntke T, Batáry P. Insect and plant traits drive local and landscape effects on herbivory in grassland fragments. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosa Rossetti
- Agroecology Department of Crop Sciences Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Germany
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV) Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611 X5016GCA Córdoba Argentina
| | - Verena Rösch
- Agroecology Department of Crop Sciences Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Germany
- Institute for Environmental Sciences University of Koblenz‐Landau Landau/Pfalz Germany
| | - Martín Videla
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba Córdoba Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV) Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611 X5016GCA Córdoba Argentina
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology Department of Crop Sciences Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Germany
| | - Péter Batáry
- Agroecology Department of Crop Sciences Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Germany
- MTA ÖK Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology Research Group Alkotmány u. 2‐4 2163 Vácrátót Hungary
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Membrane-plate transition in leaves as an influence on dietary selectivity and tooth form. J Hum Evol 2016; 98:18-26. [PMID: 27265521 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Primates need accurate sensory signals about food quality to forage efficiently. Current evidence suggests that they target leaf foods based on color at long-range, reinforcing this with post-ingestive sensations relating to leaf toughness evoked during chewing. Selection against tough leaves effectively selects against high fiber content, which in turn gives a greater opportunity of acquiring protein. Here we consider a novel intermediate mechanical factor that could aid a folivore: leaves may transform mechanically from membranes (sheets that cannot maintain their shape under gravitational loads and thus 'flop') early on in development into plates (that can maintain their shape) as they mature. This transformation can be detected visually. Mechanical tests on two species of leaf eaten by southern muriqui monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides) in Southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil, support a membrane-to-plate shift in turgid leaves during their development. A measure of this mechanical transition, termed lambda (λ), was found to correlate with both leaf color and toughness, thus supporting a potential role in leaf selection. Muriquis appear to select membranous leaves, but they also eat leaves that are plate-like. We attribute this to the degree of cresting of their molar teeth. A dietary choice restricted to membranous leaves might typify the type of 'fallback' leaf that even frugivorous primates will target because membranes of low toughness are relatively easily chewed. This may be relevant to the diets of hominins because these lack the bladed postcanine teeth seen in mammals with a specialized folivorous diet. We suggest that mammals with such dental adaptations can consume tougher leaf 'plates' than others.
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Abstract
Insects and mammals cut their food up into small pieces to facilitate ingestion and chemical digestion. Teeth and jaws act as cutting tools, but, unlike engineering tools designed for a specific purpose, must generally cope with substantial variation in food properties and work at many scales. Knowing how teeth and jaws work effectively requires an understanding of the cutting on the edges and the mechanisms that remove cut material. Variability and heterogeneity of diet properties are not well known, and, for example, may be higher and overlap more in the browsing and grazing categories of plant diets. A reinterpretation of tooth function in large mammal browsers and grazers is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Sanson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Benítez-Malvido J, Dáttilo W, Martínez-Falcón AP, Durán-Barrón C, Valenzuela J, López S, Lombera R. The Multiple Impacts of Tropical Forest Fragmentation on Arthropod Biodiversity and on their Patterns of Interactions with Host Plants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146461. [PMID: 26731271 PMCID: PMC4701723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical rain forest fragmentation affects biotic interactions in distinct ways. Little is known, however, about how fragmentation affects animal trophic guilds and their patterns of interactions with host plants. In this study, we analyzed changes in biotic interactions in forest fragments by using a multitrophic approach. For this, we classified arthropods associated with Heliconia aurantiaca herbs into broad trophic guilds (omnivores, herbivores and predators) and assessed the topological structure of intrapopulation plant-arthropod networks in fragments and continuous forests. Habitat type influenced arthropod species abundance, diversity and composition with greater abundance in fragments but greater diversity in continuous forest. According to trophic guilds, coleopteran herbivores were more abundant in continuous forest and overall omnivores in fragments. Continuous forest showed a greater diversity of interactions than fragments. Only in fragments, however, did the arthropod community associated with H aurantiaca show a nested structure, suggesting novel and/or opportunistic host-arthropod associations. Plants, omnivores and predators contributed more to nestedness than herbivores. Therefore, Heliconia-arthropod network properties do not appear to be maintained in fragments mainly caused by the decrease of herbivores. Our study contributes to the understanding of the impact of fragmentation on the structure and dynamics of multitrophic arthropod communities associated with a particular plant species of the highly biodiverse tropical forests. Nevertheless, further replication of study sites is needed to strengthen the conclusion that forest fragmentation negatively affects arthropod assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julieta Benítez-Malvido
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Hábitat Alterado, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
- * E-mail:
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Instituto de Ecología AC, Red de Ecoetología, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Ana Paola Martínez-Falcón
- Laboratorio de Ecología del Hábitat Alterado, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Apartado postal 69–1, 42001 Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico
| | - César Durán-Barrón
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70–153, México, Distrito Federal C. P., 04510
| | - Jorge Valenzuela
- Instituto de Ecología AC, Red de Ecología Funcional, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Sara López
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70–153, México, Distrito Federal C. P., 04510
| | - Rafael Lombera
- Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Las Margaritas, Chiapas, Mexico
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Łukowski A, Mąderek E, Giertych MJ, Karolewski P. Sex Ratio and Body Mass of Adult Herbivorous Beetles Depend on Time of Occurrence and Light Conditions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144718. [PMID: 26657564 PMCID: PMC4682288 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Body mass and sex ratio (F/M) of folivorous insects are easily measured parameters that are commonly used to assess the effect of food quality, living conditions, and preferences on the selection of favourable sites for offspring. A study was conducted on the polyphagous beetle, Gonioctenaquinquepunctata (a pest of the native Prunus padus and alien P. serotina) and on the monophagous beetle, Alticabrevicollis coryletorum (a pest of Corylus avellana). Both species have a similar life cycle with emergence of current-year adults in summer, and reproduction of 1-year-old insects in spring. A. brevicollis coryletorum feeds primarily on sunlit shrubs, while G. quinquepunctata prefers shaded leaves. The present study assessed the effect of time of occurrence(insect age) on body mass in both sexes and on the sex ratio F/M, taking into account the influence of light conditions associated with their favoured food source (sunlit vs. shaded leaves). We hypothesized that a change in body mass in current-year insects would be determined by the amount of consumed food, while the sex ratio would be stable, when in 1-year-old insects females would die shortly after oviposition, while males would be active for a prolonged time. Results confirmed the hypothesis that changes in mass of current-year beetles was determined by the amount of food intake. We also found that in spring, unfertilized females coexist with fertilized ones and that the latter females live for some time after oviposition; resulting in fluctuations of the mean mass for females. In both species, 1-year-old beetles were heavier than current-year. The preference of A. brevicollis coryletorum for sunlit leaves results in a higher body weight than in G. quinquepunctata in both seasons. The data are consistent and indicate seasonal fluctuations in body mass and changes in the sex ratio in 1-year-old beetles, due to the entrance into their reproductive period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Łukowski
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
- Department of Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Ewa Mąderek
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Marian J. Giertych
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Piotr Karolewski
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
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9
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Ma RY, Zhang JL, Cavaleri MA, Sterck F, Strijk JS, Cao KF. Convergent Evolution towards High Net Carbon Gain Efficiency Contributes to the Shade Tolerance of Palms (Arecaceae). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140384. [PMID: 26461108 PMCID: PMC4604201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Most palm species occur in the shaded lower strata of tropical rain forests, but how their traits relate to shade adaptation is poorly understood. We hypothesized that palms are adapted to the shade of their native habitats by convergent evolution towards high net carbon gain efficiency (CGEn), which is given by the maximum photosynthetic rate to dark respiration rate ratio. Leaf mass per area, maximum photosynthetic rate, dark respiration and N and P concentrations were measured in 80 palm species grown in a common garden, and combined with data of 30 palm species growing in their native habitats. Compared to other species from the global leaf economics data, dicotyledonous broad-leaved trees in tropical rainforest or other monocots in the global leaf economics data, palms possessed consistently higher CGEn, achieved by lowered dark respiration and fairly high foliar P concentration. Combined phylogenetic analyses of evolutionary signal and trait evolution revealed convergent evolution towards high CGEn in palms. We conclude that high CGEn is an evolutionary strategy that enables palms to better adapt to shady environments than coexisting dicot tree species, and may convey advantages in competing with them in the tropical forest understory. These findings provide important insights for understanding the evolution and ecology of palms, and for understanding plant shade adaptations of lower rainforest strata. Moreover, given the dominant role of palms in tropical forests, these findings are important for modelling carbon and nutrient cycling in tropical forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Yi Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao-Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Molly A. Cavaleri
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Joeri S. Strijk
- Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, and College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- Plant Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, and College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- * E-mail:
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10
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Benítez-Malvido J, Martínez-Falcón AP, Dáttilo W, Del Val E. Diversity and network structure of invertebrate communities associated to Heliconia species in natural and human disturbed tropical rain forests. Glob Ecol Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2014.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Gornish ES. Interactive effects of nitrogen addition, warming and invasion across organizational levels in an old-field plant community. AOB PLANTS 2014; 6:plu061. [PMID: 25301820 PMCID: PMC4220848 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plu061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Response to global change is dependent on the level of biological organization (e.g. the ecologically relevant spatial scale) in which species are embedded. For example, individual responses can affect population-level responses, which, in turn, can affect community-level responses. Although relationships are known to exist among responses to global change across levels of biological organization, formal investigations of these relationships are still uncommon. I conducted an exploratory analysis to identify how nitrogen addition and warming by open top chambers might affect plants across spatial scales by estimating treatment effect size at the leaf level, the plant level and the community level. Moreover, I investigated if the presence of Pityopsis aspera, an experimentally introduced plant species, modified the relationship between spatial scale and effect size across treatments. I found that, overall, the spatial scale significantly contributes to differences in effect size, supporting previous work which suggests that mechanisms driving biotic response to global change are scale dependent. Interestingly, the relationship between spatial scale and effect size in both the absence and presence of experimental invasion is very similar for nitrogen addition and warming treatments. The presence of invasion, however, did not affect the relationship between spatial scale and effect size, suggesting that in this system, invasion may not exacerbate or attenuate climate change effects. This exercise highlights the value of moving beyond integration and scaling to the practice of directly testing for scale effects within single experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise S Gornish
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA Present address: Plant Sciences, University at California, Davis 95616, USA
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12
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Kitajima K, Cordero RA, Wright SJ. Leaf life span spectrum of tropical woody seedlings: effects of light and ontogeny and consequences for survival. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 112:685-99. [PMID: 23532047 PMCID: PMC3736767 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Leaf life span is widely recognized as a key life history trait associated with herbivory resistance, but rigorous comparative data are rare for seedlings. The goal of this study was to examine how light environment affects leaf life span, and how ontogenetic development during the first year may influence leaf fracture toughness, lamina density and stem density that are relevant for herbivory resistance, leaf life span and seedling survival. METHODS Data from three experiments encompassing 104 neotropical woody species were combined. Leaf life span, lamina and vein fracture toughness, leaf and stem tissue density and seedling survival were quantified for the first-year seedlings at standardized ontogenetic stages in shade houses and common gardens established in gaps and shaded understorey in a moist tropical forest in Panama. Mortality of naturally recruited seedlings till 1 year later was quantified in 800 1-m² plots from 1994 to 2011. KEY RESULTS Median leaf life span ranged widely among species, always greater in shade (ranging from 151 to >1790 d in the understorey and shade houses) than in gaps (115-867 d), but with strong correlation between gaps and shade. Leaf and stem tissue density increased with seedling age, whereas leaf fracture toughness showed only a weak increase. All these traits were positively correlated with leaf life span. Leaf life span and stem density were negatively correlated with seedling mortality in shade, while gap mortality showed no correlation with these traits. CONCLUSIONS The wide spectrum of leaf life span and associated functional traits reflects variation in shade tolerance of first-year seedlings among coexisting trees, shrubs and lianas in this neotropical forest. High leaf tissue density is important in enhancing leaf toughness, a known physical defence, and leaf life span. Both seedling leaf life span and stem density should be considered as key functional traits that contribute to seedling survival in tropical forest understoreys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Kitajima
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Nadiminti PP, Dong YD, Sayer C, Hay P, Rookes JE, Boyd BJ, Cahill DM. Nanostructured liquid crystalline particles as an alternative delivery vehicle for plant agrochemicals. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2013; 5:1818-26. [PMID: 23421455 DOI: 10.1021/am303208t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Agrochemical spray formulations applied to plants are often mixed with surfactants that facilitate delivery of the active ingredient. However, surfactants cause phytotoxicity and off-target effects in the environment. We propose the use of nanostructured liquid crystalline particles (NLCP) as an alternative to surfactant-based agrochemical delivery. For this, we have compared the application of commercial surfactants, di (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate and alkyl dimethyl betaine, with NLCP made from phytantriol, at concentrations of 0.1%, 1% and 5% on the adaxial surface of leaves of four plant species Ttriticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays (maize), Lupinus angustifolius (lupin), and Arabidopsis thaliana. In comparison with the application of surfactants there was less phytotoxicity on leaves of each species following treatment with NLCP. Following treatment of leaves with NLCP analysis of cuticular wax micromorphology revealed less wax solubilization in the monocot species. The results clearly show that there are advantages in the use of NLCP rather than surfactants for agrochemical delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavani P Nadiminti
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds,Victoria, 3217, Australia
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Kitajima K, Llorens AM, Stefanescu C, Timchenko MV, Lucas PW, Wright SJ. How cellulose-based leaf toughness and lamina density contribute to long leaf lifespans of shade-tolerant species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 195:640-652. [PMID: 22709147 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04203.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Cell wall fibre and lamina density may interactively affect leaf toughness and leaf lifespan. Here, we tested this with seedlings of 24 neotropical tree species differing in shade tolerance and leaf lifespan under standardized field conditions (140-867 d in gaps; longer in shade). We quantified toughness with a cutting test, explicitly seeking a mechanistic linkage to fibre. Lamina density, but not fracture toughness, exhibited a plastic response to gaps vs shade, while neither trait was affected by leaf age. Toughness corrected for lamina density, a recently recognized indicator of material strength per unit mass, was linearly correlated with cellulose content per unit dry mass. Leaf lifespan was positively correlated with cellulose and toughness in shade-tolerant species but only weakly in gap-dependent species. Leaf lifespan was uncorrelated with lamina thickness, phenolics and tannin concentrations. In path analysis including all species, leaf lifespan was directly enhanced by density and toughness, and indirectly by cellulose via its effect on toughness. Different suites of leaf traits were correlated with early seedling survival in gaps vs shade. In conclusion, cellulose and lamina density jointly enhance leaf fracture toughness, and these carbon-based physical traits, rather than phenolic-based defence, explain species differences in herbivory, leaf lifespan and shade survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaoru Kitajima
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | | | - Carla Stefanescu
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Peter W Lucas
- Department of Bioclinical Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait
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Eiserhardt WL, Svenning JC, Kissling WD, Balslev H. Geographical ecology of the palms (Arecaceae): determinants of diversity and distributions across spatial scales. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 108:1391-416. [PMID: 21712297 PMCID: PMC3219491 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2010] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The palm family occurs in all tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Palms are of high ecological and economical importance, and display complex spatial patterns of species distributions and diversity. SCOPE This review summarizes empirical evidence for factors that determine palm species distributions, community composition and species richness such as the abiotic environment (climate, soil chemistry, hydrology and topography), the biotic environment (vegetation structure and species interactions) and dispersal. The importance of contemporary vs. historical impacts of these factors and the scale at which they function is discussed. Finally a hierarchical scale framework is developed to guide predictor selection for future studies. CONCLUSIONS Determinants of palm distributions, composition and richness vary with spatial scale. For species distributions, climate appears to be important at landscape and broader scales, soil, topography and vegetation at landscape and local scales, hydrology at local scales, and dispersal at all scales. For community composition, soil appears important at regional and finer scales, hydrology, topography and vegetation at landscape and local scales, and dispersal again at all scales. For species richness, climate and dispersal appear to be important at continental to global scales, soil at landscape and broader scales, and topography at landscape and finer scales. Some scale-predictor combinations have not been studied or deserve further attention, e.g. climate on regional to finer scales, and hydrology and topography on landscape and broader scales. The importance of biotic interactions - apart from general vegetation structure effects - for the geographic ecology of palms is generally underexplored. Future studies should target scale-predictor combinations and geographic domains not studied yet. To avoid biased inference, one should ideally include at least all predictors previously found important at the spatial scale of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Henrik Balslev
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Group, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Westbrook JW, Kitajima K, Burleigh JG, Kress WJ, Erickson DL, Wright SJ. What Makes a Leaf Tough? Patterns of Correlated Evolution between Leaf Toughness Traits and Demographic Rates among 197 Shade-Tolerant Woody Species in a Neotropical Forest. Am Nat 2011; 177:800-11. [DOI: 10.1086/659963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Santos BA, Benítez-Malvido J. Insect Herbivory and Leaf Disease in Natural and Human Disturbed Habitats: Lessons from Early-Successional Heliconia Herbs. Biotropica 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00765.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Onoda Y, Westoby M, Adler PB, Choong AMF, Clissold FJ, Cornelissen JHC, Díaz S, Dominy NJ, Elgart A, Enrico L, Fine PVA, Howard JJ, Jalili A, Kitajima K, Kurokawa H, McArthur C, Lucas PW, Markesteijn L, Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Poorter L, Richards L, Santiago LS, Sosinski EE, Van Bael SA, Warton DI, Wright IJ, Wright SJ, Yamashita N. Global patterns of leaf mechanical properties. Ecol Lett 2011; 14:301-12. [PMID: 21265976 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01582.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Onoda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
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Warman L, Moles AT, Edwards W. Not so simple after all: searching for ecological advantages of compound leaves. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.19344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Herbaceous monocot plant form and function along a tropical rain-forest light gradient: a reversal of dicot strategy. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467408005567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Whole plant form and function vary spectacularly across the seed plants. In recent years, plant evolutionary ecologists have begun to document this diversity on large geographic scales by analysing ‘functional traits’ that are indicative of whole plant performance across environmental gradients (Swenson & Enquist 2007, Wright et al. 2004). Despite the high degree of functional diversity in tropical forests, convergence in function does occur locally along successional or light gradients (Bazzaz & Pickett 1980, Swaine & Whitmore 1988).
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Grubb PJ, Jackson RV, Barberis IM, Bee JN, Coomes DA, Dominy NJ, De La Fuente MAS, Lucas PW, Metcalfe DJ, Svenning JC, Turner IM, Vargas O. Monocot leaves are eaten less than dicot leaves in tropical lowland rain forests: correlations with toughness and leaf presentation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2008; 101:1379-89. [PMID: 18387972 PMCID: PMC2710256 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcn047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2007] [Revised: 11/27/2007] [Accepted: 02/25/2008] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In tropical lowland rain forest (TLRF) the leaves of most monocots differ from those of most dicots in two ways that may reduce attack by herbivores. Firstly, they are tougher. Secondly, the immature leaves are tightly folded or rolled until 50-100 % of their final length. It was hypothesized that (a) losses of leaf area to herbivorous invertebrates are generally greatest during leaf expansion and smaller for monocots than for dicots, and (b) where losses after expansion are appreciable any difference between monocots and dicots then is smaller than that found during expansion. METHODS At six sites on four continents, estimates were made of lamina area loss from the four most recently mature leaves of focal monocots and of the nearest dicot shoot. Measurements of leaf mass per unit area, and the concentrations of water and nitrogen were made for many of the species. In Panama, the losses from monocots (palms) and dicots were also measured after placing fully expanded palm leaflets and whole dicot leaves on trails of leaf-cutter ants. KEY RESULTS At five of six sites monocots experienced significantly smaller leaf area loss than dicots. The results were not explicable in terms of leaf mass per unit area, or concentrations of water or nitrogen. At only one site was the increase in loss from first to fourth mature leaf significant (also large and the same in monocots and dicots), but the losses sustained during expansion were much smaller in the monocots. In the leaf-cutter ant experiment, losses were much smaller for palms than for dicots. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between toughness and herbivory is complex; despite the negative findings of some recent authors for dicots we hypothesize that either greater toughness or late folding can protect monocot leaves against herbivorous insects in tropical lowland rain forest, and that the relative importance varies widely with species. The difficulties of establishing unequivocally the roles of leaf toughness and leaf folding or rolling in a given case are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Grubb
- Plant Sciences Department, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
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