1
|
Herben T, Šašek J, Balšánková T, Hadincová V, Krahulec F, Krak K, Pecháčková S, Skálová H. The shape of root systems in a mountain meadow: plastic responses or species-specific architectural blueprints? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:2223-2236. [PMID: 35363897 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18132] [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: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The efficient uptake of nutrients depends on the ability of roots to respond to gradients of these resources. Although pot experiments have shown that species differ in their ability to proliferate their roots in nutrient-rich patches, the role of such differences in determining root shapes in the field is unclear. We used fine-scale quantitative (q)PCR-based species-specific mapping of roots in a grassland community to reconstruct species-specific root system shapes. We linked them with data from pot experiments on the ability of these species to proliferate in nutrient-rich patches and their rooting depth. We found remarkable diversity in root system shapes, from cylindrical to conical. Interspecific differences in rooting depths in pots were the main determinant of rooting depths in the field, whereas differences in foraging ability played only a minor role. Although some species with strong foraging ability did place their roots into nutrient-rich soil layers, it was not a universal pattern. The results imply that although the vertical differentiation of grassland species is pronounced, it is primarily not driven by the differential plastic response of species to soil nutrient gradients. This may constrain the coexistence of species with similar rooting depths and may instead favour coexistence of species differing in their architectural blueprints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Herben
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Šašek
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, CZ-128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Balšánková
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Věroslava Hadincová
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - František Krahulec
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Karol Krak
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 21, Praha 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Sylvie Pecháčková
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- The West Bohemian Museum in Pilsen, Kopeckého sady 2, 301 00, Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Skálová
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cahill JF. Introduction to the Special Issue: Beyond traits: integrating behaviour into plant ecology and biology. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv120. [PMID: 26504090 PMCID: PMC4670486 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The way that plants are conceptualized in the context of ecological understanding is changing. In one direction, a reductionist school is pulling plants apart into a list of measured 'traits', from which ecological function and outcomes of species interactions may be inferred. This special issue offers an alternative, and more holistic, view: that the ecological functions performed by a plant will be a consequence not only of their complement of traits but also of the ways in which their component parts are used in response to environmental and social conditions. This is the realm of behavioural ecology, a field that has greatly advanced our understanding of animal biology, ecology and evolution. Included in this special issue are 10 articles focussing not on the tried and true metaphor that plant growth is similar to animal movement, but instead on how application of principles from animal behaviour can improve our ability to understand plant biology and ecology. The goals are not to draw false parallels, nor to anthropomorphize plant biology, but instead to demonstrate how existing and robust theory based on fundamental principles can provide novel understanding for plants. Key to this approach is the recognition that behaviour and intelligence are not the same. Many organisms display complex behaviours despite a lack of cognition (as it is traditionally understood) or any hint of a nervous system. The applicability of behavioural concepts to plants is further enhanced with the realization that all organisms face the same harsh forces of natural selection in the context of finding resources, mates and coping with neighbours. As these ecological realities are often highly variable in space and time, it is not surprising that all organisms-even plants-exhibit complex behaviours to handle this variability. The articles included here address diverse topics in behavioural ecology, as applied to plants: general conceptual understanding, plant nutrient foraging, root-root interactions, and using and helping others. As a group, the articles in this special issue demonstrate how plant ecological understanding can be enhanced through incorporation of behavioural ideas and set the stage for future research in the emerging discipline of plant behavioural ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|