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Tian J, Yang X, Yuan W, Lin S, Han L, Zheng Y, Xia X, Liu L, Wang M, Zheng W, Fan L, Yan K, Chen X. A leaf age-dependent light use efficiency model for remote sensing the gross primary productivity seasonality over pantropical evergreen broadleaved forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17454. [PMID: 39132898 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17454] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Tropical and subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests (TEFs) contribute more than one-third of terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP). However, the continental-scale leaf phenology-photosynthesis nexus over TEFs is still poorly understood to date. This knowledge gap hinders most light use efficiency (LUE) models from accurately simulating the GPP seasonality in TEFs. Leaf age is the crucial plant trait to link the dynamics of leaf phenology with GPP seasonality. Thus, here we incorporated the seasonal leaf area index of different leaf age cohorts into a widely used LUE model (i.e., EC-LUE) and proposed a novel leaf age-dependent LUE model (denoted as LA-LUE model). At the site level, the LA-LUE model (average R2 = .59, average root-mean-square error [RMSE] = 1.23 gC m-2 day-1) performs better than the EC-LUE model in simulating the GPP seasonality across the nine TEFs sites (average R2 = .18; average RMSE = 1.87 gC m-2 day-1). At the continental scale, the monthly GPP estimates from the LA-LUE model are consistent with FLUXCOM GPP data (R2 = .80; average RMSE = 1.74 gC m-2 day-1), and satellite-based GPP data retrieved from the global Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) based solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) product (GOSIF) (R2 = .64; average RMSE = 1.90 gC m-2 day-1) and the reconstructed TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument SIF dataset using machine learning algorithms (RTSIF) (R2 = .78; average RMSE = 1.88 gC m-2 day-1). Typically, the estimated monthly GPP not only successfully represents the unimodal GPP seasonality near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, but also captures well the bimodal GPP seasonality near the Equator. Overall, this study for the first time integrates the leaf age information into the satellite-based LUE model and provides a feasible implementation for mapping the continental-scale GPP seasonality over the entire TEFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Tian
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Xueqin Yang
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
- Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenping Yuan
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shangrong Lin
- Carbon-Water Research Station in Karst Regions of Northern Guangdong, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liusheng Han
- School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Xiaosheng Xia
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Liyang Liu
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Mei Wang
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Wei Zheng
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Lei Fan
- Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kai Yan
- Faculty of Geographical Science, State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Innovation Research Center of Satellite Application (IRCSA), Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuzhi Chen
- Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519082, China
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Damasceno AR, Garcia S, Aleixo IF, Menezes JCG, Pereira IS, De Kauwe MG, Ferrer VR, Fleischer K, Grams TEE, Guedes AV, Hartley IP, Kruijt B, Lugli LF, Martins NP, Norby RJ, Pires-Santos JS, Portela BTT, Rammig A, de Oliveira LR, Santana FD, Santos YR, de Souza CCS, Ushida G, Lapola DM, Quesada CAN, Domingues TF. In situ short-term responses of Amazonian understory plants to elevated CO 2. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:1865-1876. [PMID: 38334166 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14842] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The response of plants to increasing atmospheric CO2 depends on the ecological context where the plants are found. Several experiments with elevated CO2 (eCO2) have been done worldwide, but the Amazonian forest understory has been neglected. As the central Amazon is limited by light and phosphorus, understanding how understory responds to eCO2 is important for foreseeing how the forest will function in the future. In the understory of a natural forest in the Central Amazon, we installed four open-top chambers as control replicates and another four under eCO2 (+250 ppm above ambient levels). Under eCO2, we observed increases in carbon assimilation rate (67%), maximum electron transport rate (19%), quantum yield (56%), and water use efficiency (78%). We also detected an increase in leaf area (51%) and stem diameter increment (65%). Central Amazon understory responded positively to eCO2 by increasing their ability to capture and use light and the extra primary productivity was allocated to supporting more leaf and conducting tissues. The increment in leaf area while maintaining transpiration rates suggests that the understory will increase its contribution to evapotranspiration. Therefore, this forest might be less resistant in the future to extreme drought, as no reduction in transpiration rates were detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Rayane Damasceno
- Ecology Graduate Program, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Garcia
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Izabela Fonseca Aleixo
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | - Iokanam Sales Pereira
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | - Vanessa Rodrigues Ferrer
- Ecology Graduate Program, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | - Thorsten E E Grams
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Alacimar V Guedes
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Iain Paul Hartley
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bart Kruijt
- Wageningen University, Water Systems and Global Change, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Nathielly Pires Martins
- Tropical Forest Sciences Graduate Program, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Richard J Norby
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | | | - Bruno Takeshi Tanaka Portela
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Anja Rammig
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Leonardo Ramos de Oliveira
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Flávia Delgado Santana
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Yago Rodrigues Santos
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Ushida
- Ecology Graduate Program, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - David Montenegro Lapola
- Laboratório de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre - LabTerra, Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura - CEPAGRI, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Nobre Quesada
- Environmental Dynamics Coordination (CODAM), National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Tomas Ferreira Domingues
- Faculdde de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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3
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Ren W, Tian L, Querejeta JI. Tight coupling between leaf δ 13 C and N content along leaf ageing in the N 2 -fixing legume tree black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14235. [PMID: 38472162 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
N2 -fixing legumes can strongly affect ecosystem functions by supplying nitrogen (N) and improving the carbon-fixing capacity of vegetation. Still, the question of how their leaf-level N status and carbon metabolism are coordinated along leaf ageing remains unexplored. Leaf tissue carbon isotopic composition (δ13 C) provides a useful indicator of time-integrated intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi). Here, we quantified the seasonal changes of leaf δ13 C, N content on a mass and area basis (Nmass , Narea , respectively), Δ18 O (leaf 18 O enrichment above source water, a proxy of time-integrated stomatal conductance) and morphological traits in an emblematic N2 -fixing legume tree, the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), at a subtropical site in Southwest China. We also measured xylem, soil and rainwater isotopes (δ18 O, δ2 H) to characterize tree water uptake patterns. Xylem water isotopic data reveal that black locust primarily used shallow soil water in this humid habitat. Black locust exhibited a decreasing δ13 C along leaf ageing, which was largely driven by decreasing leaf Nmass , despite roughly constant Narea . In contrast, the decreasing δ13 C along leaf ageing was largely uncoupled from parallel increases in Δ18 O and leaf thickness. Leaf N content is used as a proxy of leaf photosynthetic capacity; thus, it plays a key role in determining the seasonality in δ13 C, whereas the roles of stomatal conductance and leaf morphology are minor. Black locust leaves can effectively adjust to changing environmental conditions along leaf ageing through LMA increases and moderate stomatal conductance reduction while maintaining constant Narea to optimize photosynthesis and carbon assimilation, despite declining leaf Nmass and δ13 C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ren
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Karst Environment, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lide Tian
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Kunming, China
| | - José Ignacio Querejeta
- Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS, CSIC), Murcia, Spain
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Yao Y, Xia L, Yang L, Liu R, Zhang S. Drought responses and carbon allocation strategies of poplar with different leaf maturity. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14224. [PMID: 38389291 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Leaf characteristics can reflect the adaptation of trees to drought stress. However, the effect of leaf maturity on drought stress has been neglected, leading to uncertainty in inferring individual tree responses to drought from leaves. The allocation strategy of photosynthetic carbon between leaf organs (fully expanded young and old leaves) under drought stress remains unclear. Poplar is a diverse and widespread tree species in arid and semi-arid regions. Here, three poplar genotypes (Populus cathayana, P. × euramericana 'Nanlin 895', and P. alba × P. tremula var. glandulosa) were selected and exposed to different watering regimes. The responses and carbon allocation strategies of leaves with different maturity to drought were investigated using a combination of leaf traits and 13 C pulse labelling technique. The results showed that (1) fully expanded young leaves had better osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity than aged leaves under drought stress. (2) Aged leaves acted as a carbon source during water deficit, where their photosynthetic products were transferred and supplied to upper young leaves to promote stronger photosynthesis in young leaves to acquire resources for tree growth. This study highlights that the effect of leaf maturity should be considered in the future when investigating the effects of drought on woody plants, especially for continuously growing tree species. Therefore, our study not only demonstrates the existence of leaf-age-dependent responses to drought in poplar but also provides new insights into carbon allocation at the leaf level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yao
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Linchao Xia
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Le Yang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruixuan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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5
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Ruv Lemes M, Sampaio G, Garcia-Carreras L, Fisch G, Alves LM, Bassett R, Betts R, Maksic J, Shimizu MH, Torres RR, Guatura M, Basso LS, Bispo PDC. Impacts on South America moisture transport under Amazon deforestation and 2 °C global warming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167407. [PMID: 37777132 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167407] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
The increase in greenhouse gasses (GHG) anthropogenic emissions and deforestation over the last decades have led to many chemical and physical changes in the climate system, affecting the atmosphere's energy and water balance. A process that could be affected is the Amazonian moisture transport in the South American continent (including La Plata basin), which is crucial to the southeast Brazilian water regime. The focus of our research is on evaluating how local (i.e. Amazon deforestation) and global forcings (increase of atmospheric GHG concentration) may modify this moisture transport under climate change scenarios. We used two coupled land-atmosphere models forced by CMIP6 sea surface temperatures to simulate these processes for two scenarios: i) increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) - RCP8.5 atmospheric levels (00DEF), and ii) total Amazon deforestation simultaneous with atmospheric CO2 levels increased (100DEF). These scenarios were compared with a control simulation, set with a constant CO2 of 388 ppm and present-day Amazon Forest cover. The 30-year Specific Warming Level 2 (SWL2) index evaluated from the simulations is set to be reached 2 years earlier due to Amazon deforestation. A reduction in precipitation was observed in the Amazon basin (-3.1 mm·day-1) as well as in La Plata Basin (-0.5 mm·day-1) due to reductions in the Amazon evapotranspiration (-0.9 mm·day-1) through a stomatal conductance decrease (00DEF) and land cover change (100DEF). In addition, the income moisture transport decreased (22 %) in the northern La Plata basin in both scenarios and model experiments. Our results indicated a worse scenario than previously found in the region. Both Amazon and La Plata hydrological regimes are connected (moisture and energy transport), indicating that a large-scale Amazon deforestation will have additional climate, economic and social implications for South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo Ruv Lemes
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil; University of Manchester (UoM), School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom.
| | - Gilvan Sampaio
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Garcia-Carreras
- University of Manchester (UoM), School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Gilberto Fisch
- University of Taubaté (UNITAU), Agronomy Department, Taubaté, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lincoln Muniz Alves
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Richard Bassett
- University of Manchester (UoM), School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jelena Maksic
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marília Harumi Shimizu
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Guatura
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Polyanna da C Bispo
- University of Manchester (UoM), Geography Department, Manchester, United Kingdom
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6
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Wu A, Anderegg LDL, Dawson TE, Trugman AT. Leaf trait coordination and variation of blue oak across topo-environmental scales. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 43:2098-2108. [PMID: 37847600 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad127] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Trees are arguably the most diverse and complex macro-organisms on Earth. The equally diverse functions of trees directly impact fluxes of carbon, water and energy from the land surface. A number of recent studies have shed light on the substantial within-species variability across plant traits, including aspects of leaf morphology and plant allocation of photosynthates to leaf biomass. Yet, within-tree variability in leaf traits due to microclimatic variations, leaf hydraulic coordination across traits at different physiological scales and variations in leaf traits over a growing season remain poorly studied. This knowledge gap is stymieing the fundamental understanding of what drives trait variation and covariation from tissues to trees to landscapes. Here, we present an extensive dataset measuring within-tree heterogeneity in leaf traits in California's blue oak (Quercus douglasii) across an edaphic gradient and over the course of a growing season at an oak-grass savanna in Southern CA, USA. We found a high level of within-tree crown leaf area:sapwood area variation that was not attributable to sample height or aspect. We also found a higher level of trait integration at the tree level, rather than branch level, suggesting that trees optimize water use at the organismal level. Despite the large variance in traits within a tree crown and across trees, we did not find strong evidence for adaptive plasticity or acclimation in leaf morphological traits (e.g., changes to phenotype which increased fitness) across temporal and spatial water availability gradients. Collectively, our results highlight strong variation in drought-related physiology, but limited evidence for adaptive trait plasticity over shorter time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Wu
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Leander D L Anderegg
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Noble Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Todd E Dawson
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna T Trugman
- Department of Geography, Ellison Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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7
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Anttonen P, Li Y, Chesters D, Davrinche A, Haider S, Bruelheide H, Chen JT, Wang MQ, Ma KP, Zhu CD, Schuldt A. Leaf Nutritional Content, Tree Richness, and Season Shape the Caterpillar Functional Trait Composition Hosted by Trees. INSECTS 2022; 13:1100. [PMID: 36555010 PMCID: PMC9785672 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nutritional content of host plants is expected to drive caterpillar species assemblages and their trait composition. These relationships are altered by tree richness-induced neighborhood variation and a seasonal decline in leaf quality. We tested how key functional traits related to the growth and defenses of the average caterpillar hosted by a tree species are shaped by nutritional host quality. We measured morphological traits and estimated plant community-level diet breadth based on occurrences from 1020 caterpillars representing 146 species in a subtropical tree diversity experiment from spring to autumn in one year. We focused on interspecific caterpillar trait variation by analyzing presence-only patterns of caterpillar species for each tree species. Our results show that tree richness positively affected caterpillar species-sharing among tree species, which resulted in lowered trait variation and led to higher caterpillar richness for each tree species. However, community-level diet breadth depended more on the nutritional content of host trees. Higher nutritional quality also supported species-poorer but more abundant communities of smaller and less well-defended caterpillars. This study demonstrates that the leaf nutritional quality of trees shapes caterpillar trait composition across diverse species assemblages at fine spatial scales in a way that can be predicted by ecological theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perttu Anttonen
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Douglas Chesters
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Andréa Davrinche
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sylvia Haider
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jing-Ting Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming-Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ke-Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Chao-Dong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Andreas Schuldt
- Department of Forest Nature Conservation, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Robinia pseudoacacia Seedlings Are More Sensitive to Rainfall Frequency Than to Rainfall Intensity. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Climate change causes the global redistribution of precipitation, yet little is known about the effects of the changes in precipitation intensity and frequency on the seedlings of wood trees in warm temperate forests. In this study, we focused on the effects of variability in both the intensity and frequency of water supply on the physiological traits, biomass, and growth of an important plantation wood species, Robinia pseudoacacia. In the greenhouse, we exposed R. pseudoacacia seedlings to three rainfall intensity and three rainfall frequency treatments. The results from the 62-day experiment revealed that lower rainfall intensity and frequency significantly reduced the photosynthetic performance, growth, and biomass of the tree seedlings. In lower rainfall intensity and frequency conditions, the seedlings had improved water absorption and utilization by increasing the water use efficiency and root shoot ratio, and reduced water consumption by defoliating the compound leaves of the lower crown. More importantly, we found that R. pseudoacacia seedlings were more sensitive to rainfall frequency than to rainfall intensity. Therefore, our results suggest that increasing the irrigation water, especially irrigation frequency, could better facilitate the survival and growth of R. pseudoacacia seedlings and eventually promote the process of vegetation restoration in the future global climate change context.
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Robinson ML, Schilmiller AL, Wetzel WC. A domestic plant differs from its wild relative along multiple axes of within-plant trait variability and diversity. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8545. [PMID: 35127045 PMCID: PMC8794722 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
For 10,000 years humans have altered plant traits through domestication and ongoing crop improvement, shaping plant form and function in agroecosystems. To date, studies have focused on how these processes shape whole-plant or average traits; however, plants also have characteristic levels of trait variability among their repeated parts, which can be heritable and mediate critical ecological interactions. Here, we examine an underappreciated scale of trait variation-among leaves, within plants-that may have changed through the process of domestication and improvement. Variability at this scale may itself be a target of selection, or be shaped as a by-product of the domestication process. We explore how levels of among-leaf trait variability differ between cultivars and wild relatives of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), a key forage crop with a 7,000-year domestication history. We grew individual plants from 30 wild populations and 30 cultivars, and quantified variability in a broad suite of physical, nutritive, and chemical leaf traits, including measures of chemical dissimilarity (beta diversity) among leaves within each plant. We find that trait variability has changed over the course of domestication, with effects often larger than changes in trait means. Domestic alfalfa had elevated among-leaf variability in SLA, trichomes, and C:N; increased diversity in defensive compounds; and reduced variability in phytochemical composition. We also elucidate fundamental relationships between trait means and variability, and between overall production of secondary metabolites and patterns of chemical diversity. We conclude that within-plant variability is an overlooked dimension of trait diversity in a globally critical agricultural crop. Trait variability is actually higher in cultivated plants compared to wild progenitors for multiple nutritive, physical, and chemical traits, highlighting a scale of variation that may mitigate loss of trait diversity at other scales in alfalfa agroecosystems, and in other crops with similar histories of domestication and improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria L. Robinson
- Department of EntomologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Kellogg Biological StationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | | | - William C. Wetzel
- Department of EntomologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Kellogg Biological StationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- Department of Integrative BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
- AgBioResearchMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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