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Functional Diversity in Woody Organs of Tropical Dry Forests and Implications for Restoration. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tropical dry forests (TDFs) represent one of the most diverse and, at the same time, most threatened ecosystems on earth. Restoration of TDFs is thus crucial but is hindered by a limited understanding of the functional diversity (FD) of original communities. We examine the FD of TDFs based on wood (vessel diameter and wood density) and bark traits (total, inner, and outer bark thicknesses) measured on ~500 species from 24 plant communities and compare this diversity with that of seven other major vegetation types. Along with other seasonally dry sites, TDFs had the highest FD, as indicated by the widest ranges, highest variances, and largest trait hypervolumes. Warm temperatures and seasonal drought seem to drive diverse ecological strategies in these ecosystems, which include a continuum from deciduous species with low-density wood, thick bark, and wide vessels to evergreen species with high-density wood, thin bark, and narrow vessels. The very high FD of TDFs represents a challenge to restoring the likely widest trait ranges of any habitat on earth. Understanding this diversity is essential for monitoring successional changes in minimal intervention restoration and guiding species selection for resilient restoration plantings in the context of climate change.
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Díaz‐Castellanos A, Meave JA, Vega‐Ramos F, Pineda‐García F, Bonfil C, Paz H. The above–belowground functional space of tropical dry forest communities responds to local hydric habitats. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleida Díaz‐Castellanos
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia México
| | - Jorge A. Meave
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
| | - Flor Vega‐Ramos
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia México
| | - Fernando Pineda‐García
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia México
| | - Consuelo Bonfil
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad de México México
| | - Horacio Paz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia México
- Department of Integrative Biology & Center for Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry University of California – Berkeley Berkeley USA
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Sanaphre-Villanueva L, Pineda-García F, Dáttilo W, Pinzón-Pérez LF, Ricaño-Rocha A, Paz H. Above- and below-ground trait coordination in tree seedlings depend on the most limiting resource: a test comparing a wet and a dry tropical forest in Mexico. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13458. [PMID: 35722267 PMCID: PMC9205306 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of above- and below-ground organ plant coordination is crucial for understanding the biophysical constraints and trade-offs involved in species' performance under different environmental conditions. Environmental stress is expected to increase constraints on species trait combinations, resulting in stronger coordination among the organs involved in the acquisition and processing of the most limiting resource. To test this hypothesis, we compared the coordination of trait combinations in 94 tree seedling species from two tropical forest systems in Mexico: dry and moist. In general, we expected that the water limitation experienced by dry forest species would result in stronger leaf-stem-root coordination than light limitation experienced by moist forest species. Using multiple correlations analyses and tools derived from network theory, we found similar functional trait coordination between forests. However, the most important traits differed between the forest types. While in the dry forest the most central traits were all related to water storage (leaf and stem water content and root thickness), in the moist forest they were related to the capacity to store water in leaves (leaf water content), root efficiency to capture resources (specific root length), and stem toughness (wood density). Our findings indicate that there is a shift in the relative importance of mechanisms to face the most limiting resource in contrasting tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Sanaphre-Villanueva
- Centro del Cambio Global y la Sustentabilidad A.C., Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Villahermosa, Tabasco, México,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Fernando Pineda-García
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Luisa Fernanda Pinzón-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Arlett Ricaño-Rocha
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Horacio Paz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México,Laboratorio Nacional de Innovación Ecotecnológica para la Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México,Center for Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry and the Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
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Variations in leaf water status and drought tolerance of dominant tree species growing in multi-aged tropical forests in Thailand. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6882. [PMID: 35477746 PMCID: PMC9044374 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10988-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale abandoned agricultural areas in Southeast Asia resulted in patches of forests of multiple successions and characteristics, challenging the study of their responses to environmental changes, especially under climatic water stress. Here, we investigated seasonal variation in leaf water status and drought tolerance of dominant tree species in three multi-aged tropical forests, ranging from 5 to > 200 years old, with contrasting soil moisture in Thailand. Seasonal variation in leaf water status differed among the forests with trees in young and intermediate sites demonstrating larger differences between seasons than the old-growth forest. Although vulnerability to embolism curves revealed that trees in old-growth forest were potentially more sensitive to declining leaf water status than others, they were predicted to lose < 5% of their hydraulic capacity as opposed to 13% for the trees in the younger sites. Our results suggest that the responses to water stress of tree species in different forest ages greatly vary with a tendency of trees in younger sites to be more resilience than those in older sites. Such information would benefit the selection of tree species that could adapt well to specific environments, thus improving the strategies for managing forests of different ages under a warmer future.
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Ecological and Social Limitations for Mexican Dry Forest Restoration: A Systematic Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14073793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
In Mexico, dry forests are one of the ecosystems in major need of restoration intervention. Here, we explored the ecological and social limitations on the restoration of Mexican dry forests from the perspective of restoration practitioners and researchers. We included three data sources: (i) projects included in a national evaluation (1979–2016), (ii) a systematic review of scientific literature (1979–2021), and (iii) restoration projects included in two governmental programs. The national evaluation and the systematic review coincided in identifying the establishment of plantings as the most important ecological limitation and low social participation as the most important social limitation. There were three times more publications addressing ecological limitations than those addressing social limitations. We did not find research to resolve the problems faced by practitioners related to invasive species, unpredictable climate, and poor soil quality. Governmental programs promoting the restoration of ecosystems need to include measurable indicators to document the socioecological limitations faced by local practitioners to restore Mexican dry forests.
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Wu G, Chen D, Zhou Z. Contrasting Hydraulic Efficiency and Photosynthesis Strategy in Differential Successional Stages of a Subtropical Forest in a Karst Region. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10122604. [PMID: 34961075 PMCID: PMC8705339 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the successional process from a disturbed forest to a mature forest is essential for species recovery and conservation initiatives. The resource acquisition and drought tolerance of plants can be instructive to predictions of species abundance and distribution for different forests. However, they have not been adequately tested at different successional stages in karst regions. Here, we selected seven dominant species in an early-succession forest and 17 species in a late-succession forest in a karst region of southwestern China. Resource acquisition-related traits such as hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic rate, and drought tolerance-related traits, including turgor loss point and wood density, were measured. We found that species in the early-succession forest had a higher hydraulic conductance and photosynthetic rate than those in the late-succession forest, while leaf water potential at turgor loss point and wood density showed nonsignificant differences between the two forests. In addition, we observed a significant negative relationship between photosynthetic rate and drought tolerance in the early-succession forest, which was not identified in late-succession forests. Our study indicates that resource acquisition rather than drought tolerance was the key factor explaining plant distributions in forests at different successional stages in karst regions. We also suggest that the resource acquisition and drought tolerance trade-off hypothesis is not always supported for karst region species. Our study could inform about the design of species replacements in successional forests and provide forest management and restoration guidelines for karst regions.
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Wright CL, de Lima ALA, de Souza ES, West JB, Wilcox BP. Plant functional types broadly describe water use strategies in the Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest in northeast Brazil. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11808-11825. [PMID: 34522343 PMCID: PMC8427645 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In seasonally dry tropical forests, plant functional type can be classified as deciduous low wood density, deciduous high wood density, or evergreen high wood density species. While deciduousness is often associated with drought-avoidance and low wood density is often associated with tissue water storage, the degree to which these functional types may correspond to diverging and unique water use strategies has not been extensively tested.We examined (a) tolerance to water stress, measured by predawn and mid-day leaf water potential; (b) water use efficiency, measured via foliar δ13C; and (c) access to soil water, measured via stem water δ18O.We found that deciduous low wood density species maintain high leaf water potential and low water use efficiency. Deciduous high wood density species have lower leaf water potential and variable water use efficiency. Both groups rely on shallow soil water. Evergreen high wood density species have low leaf water potential, higher water use efficiency, and access alternative water sources. These findings indicate that deciduous low wood density species are drought avoiders, with a specialized strategy for storing root and stem water. Deciduous high wood density species are moderately drought tolerant, and evergreen high wood density species are the most drought tolerant group.Synthesis. Our results broadly support the plant functional type framework as a way to understand water use strategies, but also highlight species-level differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L. Wright
- Environmental Sciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Ecology and Conservation BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - André L. A. de Lima
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UFRPE/UAST)Serra TalhadaBrasil
| | - Eduardo S. de Souza
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UFRPE/UAST)Serra TalhadaBrasil
| | - Jason B. West
- Ecology and Conservation BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - Bradford P. Wilcox
- Ecology and Conservation BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
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Multiple Factors Influence Seasonal and Interannual Litterfall Production in a Tropical Dry Forest in Mexico. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11121241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Litterfall production plays a fundamental role in the dynamics and function of tropical forest ecosystems, as it supplies 70–80% of nutrients entering the soil. This process varies annually and seasonally, depending on multiple environmental factors. However, few studies spanning several years have addressed the combined effect of climate variables, successional age, topography, and vegetation structure in tropical dry forests. In this study, we evaluated monthly, seasonal, and annual litterfall production over a five-year period in semideciduous dry forests of different successional ages growing on contrasting topographic conditions (sloping or flat terrain) in Yucatan, Mexico. Its relationship with climate and vegetation structural variables were also analyzed using multiple linear regression and generalized linear models. Litterfall was measured monthly in 12 litterfall traps of 0.5 m2 in three sampling clusters (sets of four 400 m2 sampling plots) established in forests of five successional age classes, 3–5, 10–17, 18–25, 60–79, and >80 years (in the latter two classes either on slopping or on flat terrain), for a total of 15 sampling clusters and 180 litterfall traps. Litterfall production varied between years (negatively correlated with precipitation), seasons (positively correlated with wind speed and maximum temperature), and months (negatively correlated with relative humidity) and was higher in flat than in sloping sites. Litterfall production also increased with successional age until 18–25 years after abandonment, when it attained values similar to those of mature forests. It was positively correlated with the aboveground biomass of deciduous species but negatively correlated with the basal area of evergreen species. Our results show a rapid recovery of litterfall production with successional age of these forests, which may increase with climate changes such as less precipitation, higher temperatures, and higher incidence of hurricanes.
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Zhou L, Saeed S, Sun Y, Zhang B, Luo M, Li Z, Amir M. The relationships between water storage and biomass components in two conifer species. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7901. [PMID: 31632855 PMCID: PMC6796964 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Water storage is a significant physiological index of vegetation growth. However, information on water storage at the individual tree level and its relationship to climatic conditions and productivity is scarce. METHODS We performed a comparative analysis of water storage using field measurements acquired three age classes of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) and Korean larch (Larix olgensis). The distributions of water storage, water content ratio and dry mass were presented, and regression analyses were used to confirm the relationships of water storage and water content ratio to dry mass components, respectively. RESULTS Our results indicated that water was mostly concentrated in the stem xylem, which aligned well with the distribution of dry mass in both conifer species. However, the water storage of the stem xylem was always higher in Chinese fir than in Korean larch. The average water content ratio of both conifer species decreased with age, but that of Chinese fir was always higher than that of Korean larch. There was a significant difference in the water storage proportion in the components of Chinese fir (P < 0.001) and Korean larch (P < 0.001). The effects of age class on the water storage of Chinese fir (P = 0.72) and Korean larch (P = 0.077) were not significant. Interestingly, significant positive linear correlations were found between fine root water and leaf water and mass in Chinese fir (P < 0.001, R 2 ≥ 0.57) and Korean larch (P < 0.001, R 2 ≥ 0.74). The slopes showing that the linear relationship between tree size and water content ratio of stem xylem were always steeper than that of other components for the two conifers. CONCLUSION Our study indicates the similar water related characteristics and their close relations to biomass accumulation and growth in both fast growing species at contrasting climates, illustrating the same coherent strategies of fast growing conifers in water utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Zhou
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Sajjad Saeed
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yujun Sun
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Mi Luo
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohui Li
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Muhammad Amir
- State Forestry Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources & Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Guo C, Ma L, Yuan S, Wang R. Morphological, physiological and anatomical traits of plant functional types in temperate grasslands along a large-scale aridity gradient in northeastern China. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40900. [PMID: 28106080 PMCID: PMC5247725 DOI: 10.1038/srep40900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
At the species level, plants can respond to climate changes by changing their leaf traits; however, there is scant information regarding the responses of morphological, physiological and anatomical traits of plant functional types (PFTs) to aridity. Herein, the leaf traits of five PFTs representing 17 plant species in temperate grasslands were examined along a large-scale aridity gradient in northeastern China. The results show that leaf thickness in shrubs, perennial grasses and forbs increased with heightened aridity. Trees increased soluble sugar content, but shrubs, perennials and annual grasses enhanced proline accumulation due to increasing aridity. Moreover, vessel diameter and stomatal index in shrubs and perennial grasses decreased with increasing aridity, but stomatal density and vascular diameter of five PFTs were not correlated with water availability. In conclusion, divergences in adaptive strategies to aridity among these PFTs in temperate grasslands were likely caused by differences in their utilization of water resources, which have different temporal and spatial distribution patterns. Leaf traits of shrubs and perennial grasses had the largest responses to variability of aridity through regulation of morphological, physiological and anatomical traits, which was followed by perennial forbs. Trees and annual grasses endured aridity only by adjusting leaf physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyuan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Linna Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Shan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Renzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China
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