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Cabal C, Maciel GA, Martinez-Garcia R. Plant antagonistic facilitation across environmental gradients: a soil-resource ecosystem engineering model. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 244:670-682. [PMID: 39165156 DOI: 10.1111/nph.20053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Theory questions the persistence of nonreciprocal interactions in which one plant has a positive net effect on a neighbor that, in return, has a negative net impact on its benefactor - a phenomenon known as antagonistic facilitation. We develop a spatially explicit consumer-resource model for belowground plant competition between ecosystem engineers, plants able to mine resources and make them available for any other plant in the community, and exploiters. We use the model to determine in what environmental conditions antagonistic facilitation via soil-resource engineering emerges as an optimal strategy. Antagonistic facilitation emerges in stressful environments where ecosystem engineers' self-benefits from mining resources outweigh the competition with opportunistic neighbors. Among all potential causes of stress considered in the model, the key environmental parameter driving changes in the interaction between plants is the proportion of the resource that becomes readily available for plant consumption in the absence of any mining activity. Our results align with theories of primary succession and the stress gradient hypothesis. However, we find that the total root biomass and its spatial allocation through the root system, often used to measure the sign of the interaction between plants, do not predict facilitation reliably.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Cabal
- Global Change Research Institute, Rey Juan Carlos University (IICG-URJC), 28933, Móstoles, Spain
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University (HMEI), 08544, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Gabriel A Maciel
- ICTP-South American Institute for Fundamental Research - Instituto de Física Teórica da UNESP, 01140-070, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Martinez-Garcia
- Center for Advanced Systems Understanding, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (CASUS-HZDR), 02826, Görlitz, Germany
- ICTP-South American Institute for Fundamental Research - Instituto de Física Teórica da UNESP, 01140-070, São Paulo, Brazil
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Ale R, Zhang L, Bahadur Raskoti B, Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Luo T. Leaf carbon isotope tracks the facilitation pattern of legume shrubs shaped by water availability and species replacement along a large elevation gradient in Trans-Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:429-442. [PMID: 37632795 PMCID: PMC10667008 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad117] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Understanding patterns and mechanisms of nurse plant facilitation is important to predict the resilience of arid/semi-arid ecosystems to climate change. We investigate whether water availability and nurse species turnover interact to shape the facilitation pattern of widespread legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient. We also investigate whether leaf δ13C of nurse plants can track the facilitation pattern. METHODS We measured the relative interaction index (RII) of the number of species within and outside the canopy of two widespread legume shrub species (Caragana gerardiana and Caragana versicolor) alternatively distributed along a large elevation gradient in the Trans-Himalayas. We also assessed the proportional increase of species richness (ISR) at the community level using the paired plot data. To determine site-specific water availability, we measured the leaf δ13C of nurse shrubs and calculated the Thornthwaite moisture index (MI) for each elevation site. KEY RESULTS Elevational variations in RII, ISR and δ13C were mainly explained by the MI when the effects of soil nitrogen and plant traits (leaf nitrogen and shrub size) were controlled. Variations in RII and ISR across the two nurse species were explained better by δ13C than by smoothly changing climatic factors along elevation. At the transition zone between the upper limit of C. gerardiana (4100 m) and the lower limit of C. versicolor (4200 m), RII and ISR were much higher in C. versicolor than in C. gerardiana under a similar MI. Such an abrupt increase in facilitation induced by nurse species replacement was well tracked by the variation of δ13C. CONCLUSIONS Water availability and nurse species replacement are crucial to shaping facilitation patterns by legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient in dry mountainous regions, such as the Trans-Himalayas. Turnover in nurse species under global change might significantly alter the pattern of nurse plant facilitation associated with water availability, which can be well tracked by leaf δ13C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ale
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | - Guangshuai Cui
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Francisco I Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Yang L, Zhao W, Ale R, Shen W, Luo T, Liang E, Zhang L. Shrub-mediated effects on soil nitrogen determines shrub-herbaceous interactions in drylands of the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1137365. [PMID: 36844071 PMCID: PMC9950575 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1137365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Shrub promotes the survival, growth and reproduction of understory species by buffering the environmental extremes and improving limited resources (i.e., facilitation effect) in arid and semiarid regions. However, the importance of soil water and nutrient availability on shrub facilitation, and its trend along a drought gradient have been relatively less addressed in water-limited systems. METHODS We investigated species richness, plant size, soil total nitrogen and dominant grass leaf δ13C within and outside the dominant leguminous cushion-like shrub Caragana versicolor along a water deficit gradient in drylands of Tibetan Plateau. RESULTS We found that C. versicolor increased grass species richness but had a negative effect on annual and perennial forbs. Along the water deficit gradient, plant interaction assessed by species richness (RIIspecies) showed a unimodal pattern with shift from increase to decrease, while plant interaction assessed by plant size (RIIsize) did not vary significantly. The effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen, rather than water availability, determined its overall effect on understory species richness. Neither the effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen nor water availability affected plant size. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that the drying tendency in association with the recent warming trends observed in drylands of Tibetan Plateau, will likely hinder the facilitation effect of nurse leguminous shrub on understories if moisture availability crosses a critical minimum threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshuai Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wanglin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rita Ale
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Science and Technology Information of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, China
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Zhang YZ, Qian LS, Chen XF, Sun L, Sun H, Chen JG. Diversity patterns of cushion plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A basic study for future conservation efforts on alpine ecosystems. PLANT DIVERSITY 2022; 44:231-242. [PMID: 35769589 PMCID: PMC9209862 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is an important cushion plant hotspot. However, the distribution of cushion plants on the QTP is unknown, as are the factors that drive cushion plant distribution, limiting our understanding of the evolution of cushion species in the region. In this study, we assessed spatial patterns of total cushion plant diversity (including taxonomic and phylogenetic) over the entire QTP and compared patterns of diversity of cushion plants with different typologies (i.e., compact vs. loose). We also examined how these patterns were related to climatic features. Our results indicate that the southern QTP hosts the highest total cushion plant richness, especially in the south-central Hengduan Mountains subregion. The total number of cushion species declines from south to north and from southeast to northwest. Compact cushion plants exhibit similar patterns as the total cushion plant richness, whereas loose cushion plants show random distribution. Cushion plant phylogenetic diversity showed a similar pattern as that of the total cushion plant richness. In addition, cushion plant phylogenetic community structure was clustered in the eastern and southwestern QTP, whereas random or overdispersed in other areas. Climatic features represented by annual energy and water trends, seasonality and extreme environmental factors, had significant effects on cushion plant diversity patterns but limited effects on the phylogenetic community structure, suggesting that climatic features indeed promote the formation of cushion plants. Because cushion plants play vital roles in alpine ecosystems, our findings not only promote our understanding of the evolution and formation of alpine cushion plant diversity but also provide an indispensable foundation for future studies on cushion plant functions and thus alpine ecosystem sustainability in the entire QTP region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Zhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Shen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xu-Fang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Sales Lucas D, Pereira de Oliveira DM, Soares AA, Churka Blum S, Sgobaro Zanette LR, Boscaini Zandavalli R. Microsite abiotic conditions and juvenile response under three early successional shrub/tree species in a SEMI‐ARID region. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Sales Lucas
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology and Natural Resources Department of Biology Federal University of Ceara Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | | | | | - Susana Churka Blum
- Institute of Rural Development University of International Integration of Afro‐Brazilian Lusophony Redenção CE Brazil
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Jiang L, Hu D, Wang H, Lv G. Discriminating ecological processes affecting different dimensions of α- and β-diversity in desert plant communities. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8710. [PMID: 35342610 PMCID: PMC8933320 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spatial distribution of plant diversity and its drivers are major challenges in biogeography and conservation biology. Integrating multiple facets of biodiversity (e.g., taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional biodiversity) may advance our understanding on how community assembly processes drive the distribution of biodiversity. In this study, plant communities in 60 sampling plots in desert ecosystems were investigated. The effects of local environment and spatial factors on the species, functional, and phylogenetic α- and β-diversity (including turnover and nestedness components) of desert plant communities were investigated. The results showed that functional and phylogenetic α-diversity were negatively correlated with species richness, and were significantly positively correlated with each other. Environmental filtering mainly influenced species richness and Rao quadratic entropy; phylogenetic α-diversity was mainly influenced by dispersal limitation. Species and phylogenetic β-diversity were mainly consisted of turnover component. The functional β-diversity and its turnover component were mainly influenced by environmental factors, while dispersal limitation dominantly effected species and phylogenetic β-diversity and their turnover component of species and phylogenetic β-diversity. Soil organic carbon and soil pH significantly influenced different dimensions of α-diversity, and soil moisture, salinity, organic carbon, and total nitrogen significantly influenced different dimensions of α- and β-diversity and their components. Overall, it appeared that the relative influence of environmental and spatial factors on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity differed at the α and β scales. Quantifying α- and β-diversity at different biodiversity dimensions can help researchers to more accurately assess patterns of diversity and community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamei Jiang
- College of Resources and Environmental ScienceXinjiang UniversityUrumqiChina
| | - Dong Hu
- College of Resources and Environmental ScienceXinjiang UniversityUrumqiChina
| | - Hengfang Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental ScienceXinjiang UniversityUrumqiChina
| | - Guanghui Lv
- College of Resources and Environmental ScienceXinjiang UniversityUrumqiChina
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Pollination success increases with plant diversity in high-Andean communities. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22107. [PMID: 34764375 PMCID: PMC8586006 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01611-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollinator-mediated plant–plant interactions have traditionally been viewed within the competition paradigm. However, facilitation via pollinator sharing might be the rule rather than the exception in harsh environments. Moreover, plant diversity could be playing a key role in fostering pollinator-mediated facilitation. Yet, the facilitative effect of plant diversity on pollination remains poorly understood, especially under natural conditions. By examining a total of 9371 stigmas of 88 species from nine high-Andean communities in NW Patagonia, we explored the prevalent sign of the relation between conspecific pollen receipt and heterospecific pollen diversity, and assessed whether the incidence of different outcomes varies with altitude and whether pollen receipt relates to plant diversity. Conspecific pollen receipt increased with heterospecific pollen diversity on stigmas. In all communities, species showed either positive or neutral but never negative relations between the number of heterospecific pollen donor species and conspecific pollen receipt. The incidence of species showing positive relations increased with altitude. Finally, stigmas collected from communities with more co-flowering species had richer heterospecific pollen loads and higher abundance of conspecific pollen grains. Our findings suggest that plant diversity enhances pollination success in high-Andean plant communities. This study emphasizes the importance of plant diversity in fostering indirect plant–plant facilitative interactions in alpine environments, which could promote species coexistence and biodiversity maintenance.
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Wang Y, Sun J, Liu B, Wang J, Zeng T. Cushion plants as critical pioneers and engineers in alpine ecosystems across the Tibetan Plateau. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11554-11558. [PMID: 34522323 PMCID: PMC8427563 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cushion plants are widely representative species in the alpine ecosystem due to their vital roles in influencing abiotic and biotic environments, ecological succession processes, and ecosystem engineering. Importantly, cushion plants, such as Androsace L. and Arenaria L., are considered to be critical pioneers of ecosystem health, restoration, and sustainability across the Tibetan Plateau. This is because cushion plants (a) show tenacious vitality and can modify regional climates, substrates, and soil nutrients in extreme environments; (b) facilitate relationships with the surroundings and maintain the diversity of aboveground and belowground communities; and (c) are highly sensitive to environmental changes and thus can indicate grassland ecosystem health and resilience in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology State Key Lab of Biological Control Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science (LATPES) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Earth Sciences Chengdu University of Technology Chengdu China
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science (LATPES) Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Biying Liu
- School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology State Key Lab of Biological Control Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Jinniu Wang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu China
| | - Tao Zeng
- College of Earth Sciences Chengdu University of Technology Chengdu China
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Chen J, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Schöb C, Wang S, Chang S, Sun H. The positive effects of the alpine cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides on insect dynamics are determined by both physical and biotic factors. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143091. [PMID: 33213902 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cushion plants' significant role for alpine biodiversity has been demonstrated in particular through their positive effects on plant diversity. However, their effects on higher trophic levels (e.g. insects) remain largely unclear. In this study, by field sampling in the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) in southwestern China, we evaluated the effects of an alpine gynodioecious cushion species, Arenaria polytrichoides (Carophyllaceae), on insect richness, abundance and population dynamics at two different elevations (4427 m vs. 4732 m) separately at two time periods (day vs. night) and in two growing seasons (early vs. late). The results showed that the total insect diversity decreases from low to high elevation sites. Some insect species were exclusively detected within A. polytrichoides cushions, leading to an increase in local insect richness from 7% to 35%. The positive effects of cushions on insect diversity could be attributed to unique biotic properties provided by cushions. Firstly, the effects were determined by the sexual dimorphism of the cushion with hermaphroditic cushions supporting higher insect diversity than female cushions. This could be because hermaphroditic cushions provide more resources, such as nectar and pollen grains, for insects than female cushions. Secondly, the cushions' associated beneficiary plants can also provide extra resources for attracting more insects, but this effect was mediated by the micro-environmental conditions. Finally, the magnitude of cushions' positive effects on insect dynamics were stronger under higher than under lower environmental stress. This study confirmed that facilitation by A. polytrichoides cushions in HDM plays an important role in constructing the alpine insect community and further regulating its dynamics. Moreover, the positive effects of cushions on insect dynamics increase with increasing environmental stress. Therefore, the distribution range of insects would quite possibly be expanded into higher elevation under future climate changes, which will induce new challenges for the local alpine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Yazhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Hongrui Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agriculture University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Christian Schöb
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Songwei Wang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China; School of life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shuai Chang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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Wang X, Michalet R, Meng L, Zhou X, Chen S, Du G, Xiao S. Direct and indirect facilitation affect community productivity through changes in functional diversity in an alpine system. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:241-249. [PMID: 32940643 PMCID: PMC7789107 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Facilitation is an important ecological process for plant community structure and functional composition. Although direct facilitation has accrued most of the evidence so far, indirect facilitation is ubiquitous in nature and it has an enormous potential to explain community structuring. In this study, we assess the effect of direct and indirect facilitation on community productivity via taxonomic and functional diversity. METHODS In an alpine community on the Tibetan Plateau, we manipulated the presence of the shrub Dasiphora fruticosa and graminoids in a fenced meadow and a grazed meadow to quantify the effects of direct and indirect facilitation. We measured four plant traits: height, lateral spread, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) of forbs; calculated two metrics of functional diversity [range of trait and community-weighted mean (CWM) of trait]; and assessed the responses of functional diversity to shrub facilitation. We used structural equation modelling to explore how shrubs directly and indirectly drove community productivity via taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. KEY RESULTS We found stronger effects from herbivore-mediated indirect facilitation than direct facilitation on productivity and taxonomic diversity, regardless of the presence of graminoids. For functional diversity, the range and CWM of height and SLA, rather than lateral spread and LDMC, generally increased due to direct and indirect facilitation. Moreover, we found that the range of traits played a primary role over taxonomic diversity and CWM of traits in terms of shrub effects on community productivity. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that the mechanism of shrub direct and indirect facilitation of community productivity in this alpine community is expanding the realized niche (i.e. expanding range of traits). Our findings indicate that facilitators might increase trait dispersion in the local community, which could alleviate the effect of environmental filters on trait values in harsh environments, thereby contributing to ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangtai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | | | - Lihua Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xianhui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Guozhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Duarte M, Verdú M, Cavieres LA, Bustamante RO. Plant–plant facilitation increases with reduced phylogenetic relatedness along an elevation gradient. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Milen Duarte
- Dept de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Chile Santiago Chile
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
| | - Miguel Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE CSIC‐UV‐GV), Apartado Oficial Moncada Valencia Spain
| | - Lohengrin A. Cavieres
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
- Dept de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Univ. de Concepción Chile
| | - Ramiro O. Bustamante
- Dept de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Chile Santiago Chile
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
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Lucero JE, Seifan M, Callaway RM, Lortie CJ. Positive associations with native shrubs are intense and important for an exotic invader but not the native annual community across an aridity gradient. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Lucero
- Department of Biology York University Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Merav Seifan
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev Midreshet Ben‐Gurion Israel
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems University of Montana Missoula MT USA
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13
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Sanjerehei MM, Rundel PW. A comparison of methods for detecting association between plant species. ECOL INFORM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.101034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Dolezal J, Dvorsky M, Kopecky M, Altman J, Mudrak O, Capkova K, Rehakova K, Macek M, Liancourt P. Functionally distinct assembly of vascular plants colonizing alpine cushions suggests their vulnerability to climate change. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:569-578. [PMID: 30541052 PMCID: PMC6417476 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alpine cushion plants can initially facilitate other species during ecological succession, but later on can be negatively affected by their development, especially when beneficiaries possess traits allowing them to overrun their host. This can be reinforced by accelerated warming favouring competitively strong species over cold-adapted cushion specialists. However, little empirical research has addressed the trait-based mechanisms of these interactions. The ecological strategies of plants colonizing the cushion plant Thylacospermum caespitosum (Caryophyllaceae), a dominant pioneer of subnival zones, were studied in the Western Himalayas. METHODS To assess whether the cushion colonizers are phylogenetically and functionally distinct, 1668 vegetation samples were collected, both in open ground outside the cushions and inside their live and dead canopies, in two mountain ranges, Karakoram and Little Tibet. More than 50 plant traits related to growth, biomass allocation and resource acquisition were measured for target species, and the phylogenetic relationships of these species were studied [or determined]. KEY RESULTS Species-based trait-environment analysis with phylogenetic correction showed that in both mountain ranges Thylacospermum colonizers are phylogenetically diverse but functionally similar and are functionally different from species preferring bare soil outside cushions. Successful colonizers are fast-growing, clonal graminoids and forbs, penetrating the cushion by rhizomes and stolons. They have higher root-to-shoot ratios, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, and soil moisture and nutrient demands, sharing the syndrome of competitive species with broad elevation ranges typical of the late stages of primary succession. In contrast, the species from open ground have traits typical of stress-tolerant specialists from high and dry environments. CONCLUSION Species colonizing tight cushions of T. caespitosum are competitively strong graminoids and herbaceous perennials from alpine grasslands. Since climate change in the Himalayas favours these species, highly specialized subnival cushion plants may face intense competition and a greater risk of decline in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Dolezal
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Dvorsky
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kopecky
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Altman
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Mudrak
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Capkova
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Rehakova
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Macek
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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16
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Variation in plant functional groups indicates land degradation on the Tibetan Plateau. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17606. [PMID: 30514965 PMCID: PMC6279773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36028-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant functional groups (PFGs) have been increasingly introduced in land degradation (LD) studies; however, it is unclear whether PFGs can indicate LD. Here, we selected five different degraded lands (i.e., pristine and, lightly, moderately, seriously and extremely degraded) higher than 4650 m on the Tibetan Plateau. In addition, we investigated floristic metrics (i.e., composition, height, cover, biomass and abundance) and soil conditions (e.g., moisture, temperature and gravel ratio) by sampling 225 subplots. We found 75 vascular plants that consist of sedges (Cyperaceae), grasses (Gramineae), legumes, forbs, cushion plants and shrubs PFGs. LD dramatically deteriorated soil conditions, vegetation cover and productivity, however, improved species diversity. Moreover, cover and productivity showed a hump-shaped relationship with LD intensification in legumes, grasses and forbs and decreased mainly in sedges. Productivity increased considerably in cushion plants and shrubs on the extremely degraded land. Major characteristics of the LD process were the replacement of Kobresia spp. by Carex spp. in sedges; cushion plants significantly expanded, and shrubs appeared on the extremely degraded land. We, thus, confirm that the PFG variations are likely to indicate a LD process and demonstrate ways of using PFGs to assess LD status on the Tibetan Plateau.
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Chardon NI, Wipf S, Rixen C, Beilstein A, Doak DF. Local trampling disturbance effects on alpine plant populations and communities: Negative implications for climate change vulnerability. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7921-7935. [PMID: 30250673 PMCID: PMC6144962 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Global change is modifying species communities from local to landscape scales, with alterations in the abiotic and biotic determinants of geographic range limits causing species range shifts along both latitudinal and elevational gradients. An important but often overlooked component of global change is the effect of anthropogenic disturbance, and how it interacts with the effects of climate to affect both species and communities, as well as interspecies interactions, such as facilitation and competition. We examined the effects of frequent human trampling disturbances on alpine plant communities in Switzerland, focusing on the elevational range of the widely distributed cushion plant Silene acaulis and the interactions of this facilitator species with other plants. Examining size distributions and densities, we found that disturbance appears to favor individual Silene growth at middle elevations. However, it has negative effects at the population level, as evidenced by a reduction in population density and reproductive indices. Disturbance synergistically interacts with the effects of elevation to reduce species richness at low and high elevations, an effect not mitigated by Silene. In fact, we find predominantly competitive interactions, both by Silene on its hosted and neighboring species and by neighboring (but not hosted) species on Silene. Our results indicate that disturbance can be beneficial for Silene individual performance, potentially through changes in its neighboring species community. However, possible reduced recruitment in disturbed areas could eventually lead to population declines. While other studies have shown that light to moderate disturbances can maintain high species diversity, our results emphasize that heavier disturbance reduces species richness, diversity, as well as percent cover, and adversely affects cushion plants and that these effects are not substantially reduced by plant-plant interactions. Heavily disturbed alpine systems could therefore be at greater risk for upward encroachment of lower elevation species in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Isabelle Chardon
- Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of ColoradoBoulderUSA
- Mountain EcosystemsWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - Sonja Wipf
- Mountain EcosystemsWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - Christian Rixen
- Mountain EcosystemsWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - Annabarbara Beilstein
- Mountain EcosystemsWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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López-Angulo J, Pescador DS, Sánchez AM, Mihoč MAK, Cavieres LA, Escudero A. Determinants of high mountain plant diversity in the Chilean Andes: From regional to local spatial scales. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200216. [PMID: 29979767 PMCID: PMC6034847 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mountains are considered excellent natural laboratories for studying the determinants of plant diversity at contrasting spatial scales. To gain insights into how plant diversity is structured at different spatial scales, we surveyed high mountain plant communities in the Chilean Andes where man-driven perturbations are rare. This was done along elevational gradients located at different latitudes taking into account factors that act at fine scales, including abiotic (potential solar radiation and soil quality) and biotic (species interactions) factors, and considering multiple spatial scales. Species richness, inverse of Simpson's concentration (Dequiv), beta-diversity and plant cover were estimated using the percentage of cover per species recorded in 34 sites in the different regions with contrasted climates. Overall, plant species richness, Dequiv and plant cover were lower in sites located at higher latitudes. We found a unimodal relationship between species richness and elevation and this pattern was constant independently of the regional climatic conditions. Soil quality decreased the beta-diversity among the plots in each massif and increased the richness, the Dequiv and cover. Segregated patterns of species co-occurrence were related to increases in richness, Dequiv and plant cover at finer scales. Our results showed that elevation patterns of alpine plant diversity remained constant along the regions although the mechanisms underlying these diversity patterns may differ among climatic regions. They also suggested that the patterns of plant diversity in alpine ecosystems respond to a series of factors (abiotic and biotic) that act jointly at different spatial scale determining the assemblages of local communities, but their importance can only be assessed using a multi-scale spatial approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús López-Angulo
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - David S. Pescador
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana M. Sánchez
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Lohengrin A. Cavieres
- Departamento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
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Collins CG, Stajich JE, Weber SE, Pombubpa N, Diez JM. Shrub range expansion alters diversity and distribution of soil fungal communities across an alpine elevation gradient. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2461-2476. [PMID: 29675967 PMCID: PMC7111543 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Global climate and land use change are altering plant and soil microbial communities worldwide, particularly in arctic and alpine biomes where warming is accelerated. The widespread expansion of woody shrubs into historically herbaceous alpine plant zones is likely to interact with climate to affect soil microbial community structure and function; however, our understanding of alpine soil ecology remains limited. This study aimed to (i) determine whether the diversity and community composition of soil fungi vary across elevation gradients and to (ii) assess the impact of woody shrub expansion on these patterns. In the White Mountains of California, sagebrush (Artemisia rothrockii) shrubs have been expanding upwards into alpine areas since 1960. In this study, we combined observational field data with a manipulative shrub removal experiment along an elevation transect of alpine shrub expansion. We utilized next-generation sequencing of the ITS1 region for fungi and joint distribution modelling to tease apart effects of the environment and intracommunity interactions on soil fungi. We found that soil fungal diversity declines and community composition changes with increasing elevation. Both abiotic factors (primarily soil moisture and soil organic C) and woody sagebrush range expansion had significant effects on these patterns. However, fungal diversity and relative abundance had high spatial variation, overwhelming the predictive power of vegetation type, elevation and abiotic soil conditions at the landscape scale. Finally, we observed positive and negative associations among fungal taxa which may be important in structuring community responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney G. Collins
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Sören E. Weber
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Nuttapon Pombubpa
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Jeffrey M. Diez
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92521
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20
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Molina-Venegas R, Aparicio A, Lavergne S, Arroyo J. Soil conditions drive changes in a key leaf functional trait through environmental filtering and facilitative interactions. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Danet A, Kéfi S, Meneses RI, Anthelme F. Nurse species and indirect facilitation through grazing drive plant community functional traits in tropical alpine peatlands. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:11265-11276. [PMID: 29299299 PMCID: PMC5743694 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Facilitation among plants mediated by grazers occurs when an unpalatable plant extends its protection against grazing to another plant. This type of indirect facilitation impacts species coexistence and ecosystem functioning in a large array of ecosystems worldwide. It has nonetheless generally been understudied so far in comparison with the role played by direct facilitation among plants. We aimed at providing original data on indirect facilitation at the community scale to determine the extent to which indirect facilitation mediated by grazers can shape plant communities. Such experimental data are expected to contribute to refining the conceptual framework on plant–plant–herbivore interactions in stressful environments. We set up a 2‐year grazing exclusion experiment in tropical alpine peatlands in Bolivia. Those ecosystems depend entirely on a few, structuring cushion‐forming plants (hereafter referred to as “nurse” species), in which associated plant communities develop. Fences have been set over two nurse species with different strategies to cope with grazing (direct vs. indirect defenses), which are expected to lead to different intensities of indirect facilitation for the associated communities. We collected functional traits which are known to vary according to grazing pressure (LDMC, leaf thickness, and maximum height), on both the nurse and their associated plant communities in grazed (and therefore indirect facilitation as well) and ungrazed conditions. We found that the effect of indirectly facilitated on the associated plant communities depended on the functional trait considered. Indirect facilitation decreased the effects of grazing on species relative abundance, mean LDMC, and the convergence of the maximum height distribution of the associated communities, but did not affect mean height or cover. The identity of the nurse species and grazing jointly affected the structure of the associated plant community through indirect facilitation. Our results together with the existing literature suggest that the “grazer–nurse–beneficiary” interaction module can be more complex than expected when evaluated in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Danet
- AMAP CIRAD IRD CNRS INRA Université de Montpellier Montpellier France.,ISEM CNRS Université de Montpellier, IRD EPHEMontpellier France
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM CNRS Université de Montpellier, IRD EPHEMontpellier France
| | - Rosa I Meneses
- Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Herbario Nacional de Bolivia Cota Cota La Paz Bolivia.,Inst. de Ecologìa Univ. Mayor San Andrés Cota Cota La Paz Bolivia
| | - Fabien Anthelme
- AMAP CIRAD IRD CNRS INRA Université de Montpellier Montpellier France.,Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Herbario Nacional de Bolivia Cota Cota La Paz Bolivia.,Inst. de Ecologìa Univ. Mayor San Andrés Cota Cota La Paz Bolivia
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22
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Chen J, Li Y, Yang Y, Sun H. How cushion communities are maintained in alpine ecosystems: A review and case study on alpine cushion plant reproduction. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:221-228. [PMID: 30159515 PMCID: PMC6112308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cushion species occur in nearly all alpine environments worldwide. In past decades, the adaptive and ecosystem-engineering roles of such highly specialized life forms have been well studied. However, the adaptive strategies responsible for cushion species reproductive success and maintenance in severe alpine habitats remain largely unclear. In this study, we reviewed the current understanding of reproductive strategies and population persistence in alpine cushion species. We then present a preliminary case study on the sexual reproduction of Arenaria polytrichoides (Caryophyllaceae), a typical cushion species inhabiting high elevations of the Himalaya Hengduan Mountains, which is a hotspot for diversification of cushion species. Finally, we highlight the limitations of our current understanding of alpine cushion species reproduction and propose future directions for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanbo Li
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Corresponding author. Fax: +86 871 65215002.
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Carbohydrate reserves in the facilitator cushion plant Laretia acaulis suggest carbon limitation at high elevation and no negative effects of beneficiary plants. Oecologia 2017; 183:997-1006. [PMID: 28233055 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3840-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The elevational range of the alpine cushion plant Laretia acaulis (Apiaceae) comprises a cold upper extreme and a dry lower extreme. For this species, we predict reduced growth and increased non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations (i.e. carbon sink limitation) at both elevational extremes. In a facilitative interaction, these cushions harbor other plant species (beneficiaries). Such interactions appear to reduce reproduction in other cushion species, but not in L. acaulis. However, vegetative effects may be more important in this long-lived species and may be stronger under marginal conditions. We studied growth and NSC concentrations in leaves and stems of L. acaulis collected from cushions along its full elevational range in the Andes of Central Chile. NSC concentrations were lowest and cushions were smaller and much less abundant at the highest elevation. At the lowest elevation, NSC concentrations and cushion sizes were similar to those of intermediate elevations but cushions were somewhat less abundant. NSC concentrations and growth did not change with beneficiary cover at any elevation. Lower NSC concentrations at the upper extreme contradict the sink-limitation hypothesis and may indicate that a lack of warmth is not limiting growth at high-elevation. At the lower extreme, carbon gain and growth do not appear more limiting than at intermediate elevations. The lower population density at both extremes suggests that the regeneration niche exerts important limitations to this species' distribution. The lack of an effect of beneficiaries on reproduction and vegetative performance suggests that the interaction between L. acaulis and its beneficiaries is probably commensalistic.
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Prinzing A, Ozinga WA, Brändle M, Courty PE, Hennion F, Labandeira C, Parisod C, Pihain M, Bartish IV. Benefits from living together? Clades whose species use similar habitats may persist as a result of eco-evolutionary feedbacks. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:66-82. [PMID: 27880007 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Contents 66 I. 67 II. 68 III. 69 IV. 70 V. 73 VI. 75 VII. 77 78 References 78 SUMMARY: Recent decades have seen declines of entire plant clades while other clades persist despite changing environments. We suggest that one reason why some clades persist is that species within these clades use similar habitats, because such similarity may increase the degree of co-occurrence of species within clades. Traditionally, co-occurrence among clade members has been suggested to be disadvantageous because of increased competition and enemy pressure. Here, we hypothesize that increased co-occurrence among clade members promotes mutualist exchange, niche expansion or hybridization, thereby helping species avoid population decline from environmental change. We review the literature and analyse published data for hundreds of plant clades (genera) within a well-studied region and find major differences in the degree to which species within clades occupy similar habitats. We tentatively show that, in clades for which species occupy similar habitats, species tend to exhibit increased co-occurrence, mutualism, niche expansion, and hybridization - and rarely decline. Consistently, throughout the geological past, clades whose species occupied similar habitats often persisted through long time-spans. Overall, for many plant species, the occupation of similar habitats among fellow clade members apparently reduced their vulnerability to environmental change. Future research should identify when and how this previously unrecognized eco-evolutionary feedback operates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Prinzing
- University Rennes 1/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit 'Ecobio - Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution', Campus Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - Wim A Ozinga
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, NL-6700, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Brändle
- Department of Ecology - Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 8, D-35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Courty
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Françoise Hennion
- University Rennes 1/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit 'Ecobio - Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution', Campus Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - Conrad Labandeira
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
- Department of Entomology and BEES Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Christian Parisod
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Mickael Pihain
- University Rennes 1/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Research Unit 'Ecobio - Ecosystèmes, Biodiversité, Evolution', Campus Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - Igor V Bartish
- Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Zamek 1, Pruhonice, 25243, Czech Republic
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Michalet R, Pugnaire FI. Facilitation in communities: underlying mechanisms, community and ecosystem implications. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Almería Spain
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