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Gao W, Dai D, Luo H, Yu D, Liu C, Zhang N, Liu L, You C, Zhou S, Tu L, Liu Y, Huang C, He X, Cui X. Habitat differentiation and environmental adaptability contribute to leaf size variations globally in C 3 and C 4 grasses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173309. [PMID: 38782268 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The grass family (Poaceae) dominates ~43 % of Earth's land area and contributes 33 % of terrestrial primary productivity that is critical to naturally regulating atmosphere CO2 concentration and global climate change. Currently grasses comprise ~11,780 species and ~50 % of them (~6000 species) utilize C4 photosynthetic pathway. Generally, grass species have smaller leaves under colder and drier environments, but it is unclear whether the primary drivers of leaf size differ between C3 and C4 grasses on a global scale. Here, we analyzed 34 environmental variables, such as latitude, elevation, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, and solar radiation etc., through a comparatively comprehensive database of ~3.0 million occurrence records from 1380 C3 and 978 C4 grass species (2358 species in total). Results from this study confirm that C4 grasses have occupied habitats with lower latitudes and elevations, characterized by warmer, sunnier, drier and less fertile environmental conditions. Grass leaf size correlates positively with mean annual temperature and precipitation as expected. Our results also demonstrate that the mean temperature of the wettest quarter of the year is the primary control for C3 leaf size, whereas C4 leaf size is negatively correlated with the difference between summer and winter temperatures. For C4 grasses, phylogeny exerts a significant effect on leaf size but is less important than environmental factors. Our findings highlight the importance of evolutionarily contrasting variations in leaf size between C3 and C4 grasses for shaping their geographical distribution and habitat suitability at the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuchao Gao
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Dachuan Dai
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Huan Luo
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Dongli Yu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lin Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Chengming You
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Shixing Zhou
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Lihua Tu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Yang Liu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Congde Huang
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Xinhua He
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Xinglei Cui
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
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Mueller KE, Kray JA, Blumenthal DM. Coordination of leaf, root, and seed traits shows the importance of whole plant economics in two semiarid grasslands. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:2410-2422. [PMID: 38214451 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19529] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Uncertainty persists within trait-based ecology, partly because few studies assess multiple axes of functional variation and their effect on plant performance. For 55 species from two semiarid grasslands, we quantified: (1) covariation between economic traits of leaves and absorptive roots, (2) covariation among economic traits, plant height, leaf size, and seed mass, and (3) relationships between these traits and species' abundance. Pairs of analogous leaf and root traits were at least weakly positively correlated (e.g. specific leaf area (SLA) and specific root length (SRL)). Two pairs of such traits, N content and DMC of leaves and roots, were at least moderately correlated (r > 0.5) whether species were grouped by site, taxonomic group and growth form, or life history. Root diameter was positively correlated with seed mass for all groups of species except annuals and monocots. Species with higher leaf dry matter content (LDMC) tended to be more abundant (r = 0.63). Annuals with larger seeds were more abundant (r = 0.69). Compared with global-scale syntheses with many observations from mesic ecosystems, we observed stronger correlations between analogous leaf and root traits, weaker correlations between SLA and leaf N, and stronger correlations between SRL and root N. In dry grasslands, plant persistence may require coordination of above- and belowground traits, and dense tissues may facilitate dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E Mueller
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Julie A Kray
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Resources & Systems Research, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Dana M Blumenthal
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Rangeland Resources & Systems Research, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
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Nabayi A, Teh CBS, Tan AKZ, Tan NP, Beke D. Combined benefits of fermented washed rice water and NPK mineral fertilizer on plant growth and soil fertility over three field planting cycles. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20213. [PMID: 37809856 PMCID: PMC10559983 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Washed rice water (WRW) is the leftover water after washing rice grains and is usually discarded. However, WRW contains nutrients leached from rice, making it a potential plant fertilizer. Reusing WRW promotes better water governance, particularly in the face of increased freshwater needs due to population expansion and climate change. Recent experiments in rain shelters have demonstrated the advantages of using WRW as fertilizer. Building on this, our study assessed WRW's efficacy in an open field against NPK fertilizer, both individually and in combination. The treatments were: R3 (3-day fermented WRW), N1 (full recommended NPK rate), N0.5R3 (half NPK rate and R3), and CON (tap water only). These treatments were tested over three consecutive planting cycles of choy sum (Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis) vegetable. At the end of each planting cycle, measurements were taken for the plant's growth, nutrient content and uptake, as well as various soil chemical properties and bacterial population. Plants were watered daily with 5 mm WRW (R3 and N0.5R3) or tap water (N1 and CON). N0.5R3 showed the best results in terms of plant growth, nutrient content, uptake, and soil nutrient levels. N0.5R3 supplied the most nutrients, especially N, P, and K. Increased plant growth also led to increased plant uptake of nutrients, including micronutrients. Macronutrients had a greater impact on plant biomass than micronutrients, as R3 and N1 had similar results. R3 soils had higher bacterial populations but were more acidic than N1 soils. The negative effect of NPK on bacteria was partially offset by combining NPK with WRW as N0.5R3. No carryover effects were observed, likely because of the high nutrient leaching from heavy rains. These findings confirm WRW's is an effective fertilizer in open fields, but measures like surface mulching are crucial to minimize nutrient leaching prior to its use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abba Nabayi
- Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University Dutse, Nigeria. PMB 7156, Ibrahim Aliyu bye-pass Jigawa state, 720101, Nigeria
| | - Christopher Boon Sung Teh
- Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ali Kee Zuan Tan
- Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ngai Paing Tan
- Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Dóra Beke
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Széchenyi István University, Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
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Qu Q, Wang Z, Gan Q, Liu R, Xu H. Impact of drought on soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1221288. [PMID: 37692424 PMCID: PMC10491016 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1221288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Introduction With the continuous changes in climate patterns due to global warming, drought has become an important limiting factor in the development of terrestrial ecosystems. However, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of drought on soil microbial activity at a global scale is lacking. Methods In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of drought on soil microbial biomass (carbon [MBC], nitrogen [MBN], and phosphorus [MBP]) and enzyme activity (β-1, 4-glucosidase [BG]; β-D-cellobiosidase [CBH]; β-1, 4-N-acetylglucosaminidase [NAG]; L-leucine aminopeptidase [LAP]; and acid phosphatase [AP]). Additionally, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the degree to which these effects are regulated by vegetation type, drought intensity, drought duration, and mean annual temperature (MAT). Result and discussion Our results showed that drought significantly decreased the MBC, MBN, and MBP and the activity levels of BG and AP by 22.7%, 21.2%, 21.6%, 26.8%, and 16.1%, respectively. In terms of vegetation type, drought mainly affected the MBC and MBN in croplands and grasslands. Furthermore, the response ratio of BG, CBH, NAG, and LAP were negatively correlated with drought intensity, whereas MBN and MBP and the activity levels of BG and CBH were negatively correlated with drought duration. Additionally, the response ratio of BG and NAG were negatively correlated with MAT. In conclusion, drought significantly reduced soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity on a global scale. Our results highlight the strong impact of drought on soil microbial biomass and carbon- and phosphorus-acquiring enzyme activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Qu
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China, Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China, Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Quan Gan
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rentao Liu
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China, Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Hongwei Xu
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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Huang X, He M, Guo Z, Li L, Hou F. Effects of grazing and precipitation addition induced by functional groups on the relationship between aboveground biomass and species richness of a typical steppe. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 339:117924. [PMID: 37060693 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117924] [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: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have explored the influence of grazing or precipitation addition (PA), two important components of human activities and global climate change on the structure and function of communities. However, the response of communities to a combination of grazing and PA remains largely unexplored. We investigated the impact of grazing and PA on the relationship between aboveground biomass (AGB) and species richness (SR) of communities in three-year field experiments conducted in a typical steppe in the Loess Plateau, using a split-plot design with grazing as the main-plot factor and PA as the split-plot factor. AGB and SR have response threshold value to PA, which was decreased by grazing for AGB, but increased for SR. This indicates that implementing grazing management strategies is conducive to strengthening the protection of biodiversity in arid and semi-arid grasslands. Grazing promoted the AGB-SR coupling of the community by increasing the SR of medium drought tolerance (MD), low drought tolerance, and grazing tolerant functional groups. Grazing also accelerated the AGB-SR decoupling of the community by changing the AGB of high drought tolerance, MD, high grazing tolerance, and medium grazing tolerance functional groups. PA mediated changes in MD and SR of both drought and grazing tolerant functional groups and AGB of low grazing tolerance promoted the coupling of AGB-SR of the community. The Two-dimension functional groups classification method reflects the changes of AGB and SR in communities more reasonable than the division of single-factor functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Meiyue He
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Zhaoxia Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Lan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China.
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Wang H, Yang J, Xie T, Ma L, Niu F, He C, Shan L. Variation and association of leaf traits for desert plants in the arid area, northwest China. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9946. [PMID: 36969926 PMCID: PMC10037433 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterizing variation and association of plant traits is critical for understanding plant adaptation strategies and community assembly mechanisms. However, little is known about the leaf trait variations of desert plants and their association with different life forms. We used principal component analysis, Pearson's correlation, phylogenetic independent contrasts, linear mixed model, and variance decomposition to explore the variation and association of 10 leaf traits in 22 desert plants in the arid area of northwest China. We found that: (1) the contribution of interspecific variation to the overall variation was greater than the intraspecific variation of all the studied leaf traits; (2) intraspecific and interspecific variation in leaf traits differed among life forms. Some leaf traits, such as tissue density of shrubs and specific leaf area of herbs, exhibited greater intraspecific than interspecific variation, while other traits exhibited the inverse; (3) desert shrubs corroborate the leaf economic spectrum hypothesis and had a fast acquisitive resource strategy, but herbs may not conform to this hypothesis; (4) there were trade‐offs between leaf traits, which were mediated by phylogeny. Overall, our results suggest that interspecific variation of leaf traits significantly contributes to the total leaf traits variation in desert plants. However, intraspecific variation should not be overlooked. There are contrasts in the resource acquisition strategies between plants life forms. Our results support understanding of the mechanisms underlying community assembly in arid regions and suggest that future works may focus on the variation and association of plant traits at both intra‐ and interspecific scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyong Wang
- College of ForestryGansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Jie Yang
- Pingliang institute of soil and water conservation SciencePingliangChina
| | - Tingting Xie
- College of ForestryGansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Li Ma
- College of ForestryGansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Furong Niu
- College of ForestryGansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Cai He
- Wuwei Academy of ForestryWuweiChina
| | - Lishan Shan
- College of ForestryGansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhouChina
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Botta-Dukát Z. Quartile coefficient of variation is more robust than CV for traits calculated as a ratio. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4671. [PMID: 36949089 PMCID: PMC10033673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31711-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparing within-species variations of traits can be used in testing ecological theories. In these comparisons, it is useful to remove the effect of the difference in mean trait values, therefore measures of relative variation, most often the coefficient of variation (CV), are used. The studied traits are often calculated as the ratio of the size or mass of two organs: e.g. specific leaf area (SLA) is the ratio of leaf size and leaf mass. Often the inverse of these ratios is also meaningful; for example, the inverse of SLA is often referred to as LMA (leaf mass per area). Relative variation of a trait and its inverse should not considerably differ. However, it is illustrated that using the coefficient of variation may result in differences that could influence the interpretation, especially if there are outlier trait values. The alternative way for estimating CV from the standard deviation of log-transformed data assuming log-normal distribution and Kirkwood's geometric coefficient of variation free from this problem, but they proved to be sensitive to outlier values. Quartile coefficient of variation performed best in the tests: it gives the same value for a trait and its inverse and it is not sensitive to outliers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Botta-Dukát
- Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány 2-4., Vácrátót, H-2163, Hungary.
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8
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Liu L, Guo Y, Liu X, Yao Y, Qi W. Coordinated variation in root and leaf functional traits of Hippophae rhamnoides treated at different stump heights in feldspathic sandstone areas of Inner Mongolia. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1104632. [PMID: 36866378 PMCID: PMC9971914 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1104632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study was aimed to clarify the effects of stumping on root and leaf traits as well as the tradeoffs and synergies of decaying Hippophae rhamnoides in feldspathic sandstone areas, and to select the optimal stump height that contributed to the recovery and growth of H. rhamnoides. variations and coordination between leaf traits and fine root traits of H. rhamnoides were studied at different stump heights (0, 10, 15, 20 cm, and no stumping) in feldspathic sandstone areas. All functional traits of the leaves and roots, except the leaf C content (LC) and the fine root C content (FRC), were significantly different among different stump heights. The total variation coefficient was the largest in the specific leaf area (SLA), which is therefore the most sensitive trait. Compared to non-stumping, SLA, leaf N content (LN), specific root length (SRL) and fine root N content (FRN) all improved significantly at stump height of 15 cm, but leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio (LC : LN), fine root tissue density (FRTD), fine root dry matter content (FRDMC) and fine root carbon to nitrogen ratio (FRC : FRN) all decreased significantly. The leaf traits of H. rhamnoides at different stump heights follow the leaf economic spectrum, and the fine roots show a similar trait syndrome to the leaves. SLA and LN are positively correlated with SRL and FRN and negatively with FRTD and FRC : FRN. LDMC and LC : LN are positively correlated with FRTD and FRC : FRN, and negatively correlated SRL and RN. The stumped H. rhamnoides changes to the 'rapid investment-return type' resource trade-offs strategy, and the growth rate is maximized at the stump height of 15 cm. Our findings are critical to the prevention and control of vegetation recovery and soil erosion in feldspathic sandstone areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yuefeng Guo
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yunfeng Yao
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wei Qi
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Water Conservancy Development Center, Hohhot, China
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9
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Zhou M, Guo Y, Sheng J, Yuan Y, Zhang WH, Bai W. Using anatomical traits to understand root functions across root orders of herbaceous species in a temperate steppe. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:422-434. [PMID: 35048364 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Root anatomical traits play crucial roles in understanding root functions and root form-function linkages. However, the root anatomy and form-function linkages of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous herbs remain largely unknown. We measured order-based anatomical traits and mycorrhizal colonization rates of 32 perennial herbs of monocotyledons and dicotyledons in a temperate steppe. For monocots, relative constant proportion of cortex and mycorrhizal colonization rates, but increased cell-wall thickening of the endodermis and proportion of stele were observed across root orders, indicating a slight reduction in absorption capacity and improvement in transportation capacity across orders. For dicots, the cortex and mycorrhizal colonization disappeared in the fourth-order and/or fifth-order roots, whereas the secondary vascular tissue increased markedly, suggesting significant transition of root functions from absorption to transportation across root orders. The allometric relationships between stele and cortex differed across root orders and plant groups, suggesting different strategies to coordinate the absorption and transportation functions among plant groups. In summary, our results revealed different functional transition patterns across root orders and distinct strategies for coordinating the absorption and transportation of root system between monocots and dicots. These findings will contribute to our understanding of the root form and functions in herbaceous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yumeng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jun Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yujia Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen-Hao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenming Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
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Zhou J, Cieraad E, van Bodegom PM. Global analysis of trait-trait relationships within and between species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1643-1656. [PMID: 34821399 PMCID: PMC9299860 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Some commonly reported trait-trait relationships between species, including the leaf economic spectrum (LES), are regarded as important plant strategies but whether these relationships represent plant strategies in reality remains unclear. We propose a novel approach to distinguish trait-trait relationships between species that may represent plant strategies vs those relationships that are the result of common drivers, by comparing the direction and strength of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) vs interspecific trait variation. We applied this framework using a unique global ITV database that we compiled, which included 11 traits related to LES, size and roots, and observations from 2064 species occurring in 1068 communities across 19 countries. Generally, compared to between species, trait-trait relationships within species were much weaker or totally disappeared. Almost only within the LES traits, the between-species trait-trait relationships were translated into positive relationships within species, which suggests that they may represent plant strategies. Moreover, the frequent coincidental trait-trait relationships between species, driven by co-varying common drivers, imply that in future research, decoupling of trait-trait relationships should be considered seriously in model projections of ecosystem functioning. Our study emphasizes the importance of describing the mechanisms behind trait-trait relationships, both between and within species, for deepening our understanding of general plant strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhong Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)Leiden University2333 CCLeidenthe Netherlands
| | - Ellen Cieraad
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)Leiden University2333 CCLeidenthe Netherlands
- Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology322 Hardy StreetNelson7010New Zealand
| | - Peter M. van Bodegom
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)Leiden University2333 CCLeidenthe Netherlands
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11
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Wang J, Wang X, Ji Y, Gao J. Climate factors determine the utilization strategy of forest plant resources at large scales. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:990441. [PMID: 36035720 PMCID: PMC9399733 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.990441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits are a representation of plant resource utilization strategies. Plants with higher specific leaf area (SLA) and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC) exhibit faster investment-return resource utilization strategies. However, the distribution patterns and driving factors of plant resource utilization strategies at the macroscale are rarely studied. We investigated the relative importance of climatic and soil factors in shaping plant resource utilization strategies at different life forms in forests using data collected from 926 plots across 163 forests in China. SLA and LDMC of plants at different life forms (i.e., trees, shrubs, and herbs) differ significantly. Resource utilization strategies show significant geographical differences, with vegetation in the western arid regions adopting a slower investment-return survival strategy and vegetation in warmer and wetter areas adopting a faster investment-return survival strategy. SLA decreases significantly with increased temperature and reduced rainfall, and vegetation growing in these conditions exhibits conservative resource utilization. Mean annual precipitation (MAP) is a key climatic factor that controls the resource utilization strategies of plants at the macroscale. Plants use resources more conservatively as soil pH increases. The influence of climate and soil factors is coupled to determine the resource utilization strategies of plants occupying different life forms at the macroscale, but the relative contribution of each varies across life forms. Our findings provide a theoretical framework for understanding the potential impact of increasing global temperatures on plant resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfeng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xianxian Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yuhui Ji
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Jie Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jie Gao,
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12
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Chu HH, Farrell C. Fast plants have water-use and drought strategies that balance rainfall retention and drought survival on green roofs. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02486. [PMID: 34674341 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2486] [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: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Green roofs can improve ecosystem services in cities; however, this depends on appropriate plant selection. For stormwater management, plants should have high water use to maximize retention and also survive dry periods. Plants adapted to wetter habitats develop "fast" traits for growth, whereas plants from drier habitats develop "slow" traits to conserve water use and survive drought. Therefore, we hypothesized that (1) plants with fast traits would have greater water use, (2) plants with slow traits would have greater drought tolerance, (3) fast-slow traits would be consistent across the plant, and (4) fast plants with greater water use could avoid drought stress. We evaluated 14 green roof species in a glasshouse experiment under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions to determine relationships between fast-slow traits, water use, and drought resistance. Traits measured were shoot dry mass, specific leaf area (SLA), root mass fraction (RMF), and specific root length (SRL). Daily evapotranspiration per shoot dry mass was used to describe water use. Drought resistance was represented by (1) days to stomatal closure; (2) cumulative ET before stomatal closure; and (3) degree of iso-anisohydry (difference between midday leaf water potential (ΨMD ) of WW and WD plants; ΔΨMD ). Plants with greater water use had fast aboveground traits (greater shoot biomass and SLA). Plants with slow traits had greater drought tolerance as plants with lower shoot dry mass closed their stomata later under WD, and plants with greater root allocation were more anisohydric. Fast-slow traits were not consistent across the plant. Although SLA and SRL were positively related, SRL was not related to water use or drought resistance. Shoot dry mass was inversely related to SLA and had a stronger influence on stomatal closure. Though plants with greater water use under well-watered conditions closed their stomates earlier to avoid drought stress, they were not more isohydric (smaller ∆ΨMD ) and did not necessarily use more water under WD. Fast aboveground traits can be used to select green roof plants with high water use that avoid drought stress to optimize rainfall retention without jeopardizing drought survival. This will facilitate rapid plant selection using trait information from online databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Chu
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
| | - Claire Farrell
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
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13
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Xie L, Zhou X, Liu Q, Zhao C, Yin C. Inorganic nitrogen uptake rate of Picea asperata curtailed by fine root acclimation to water and nitrogen supply and further by ectomycorrhizae. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:2130-2141. [PMID: 34537962 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi colonization and function depend on soil water and nutrient supply. To study the effects of resource supply on ECM colonization and inorganic nitrogen (N) uptake by roots of Picea asperata seedlings, we conducted a study at the end of a 5-year long experiment consisting of five watering regimes (40, 50, 60, 80, and 100% of field capacity) and three NH4 NO3 application rates (0 [N0], 20 [N1], and 40 [N2] g N m-2 year-1 ). We measured fluxes of ammonium ( NH 4 + ) and nitrate ( NO 3 - ) into colonized and uncolonized roots using noninvasive microtest technology. We found that, across the N supply levels, ECM colonization rate increased by 53 ± 14% from the highest to the lowest level of water supply. Across the watering regimes, the fraction of mycorrhizal root tips was 39 ± 4% higher under native N supply compared to roots grown under N additions. As expected for conifers, both colonized and uncolonized roots absorbed NH 4 + at a higher rate than NO 3 - . N additions reduced the instantaneous ion uptake rates of uncolonized roots grown under low water supply but enhanced the fluxes into roots grown under sufficient soil water availability. Soil water supply improves inorganic N uptake by uncolonized roots but reduces the efficiency of colonized roots. Under the lowest water supply regime, the uptake rate of NH 4 + and NO 3 - by colonized roots was 40-80% of those by uncolonized roots, decreasing to 20-30% as soil water supply improved. Taken together, our results suggest that the role ectomycorrhizae play in the nutrient acquisition of P. asperata seedling likely diminishes with increasing availability of soil resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingmei Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Chunzhang Zhao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Synergetic Control and Joint Remediation for Soil & Water Pollution, College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Chunying Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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14
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Jiang X, Jia X, Gao S, Jiang Y, Wei N, Han C, Zha T, Liu P, Tian Y, Qin S. Plant Nutrient Contents Rather Than Physical Traits Are Coordinated Between Leaves and Roots in a Desert Shrubland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:734775. [PMID: 34764966 PMCID: PMC8576145 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.734775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although leaf economics spectrum (LES) has been extensively tested with regional and global datasets, the correlation among functional traits of desert plants remains largely unclear. Moreover, examinations on whether and how leaf and root traits are coordinated have yielded mixed results. We investigated variations in leaf and fine-root traits across 48 species in a desert community of northern China to test the hypotheses that (1) the leaf-trait syndrome of plant species in desert shrublands follows the predictions of the global LES, and is paralleled by a similar root-trait syndrome, (2) functional traits related to nutrient contents and resource uptake are tightly coordinated between leaves and fine roots in desert ecosystems where plant growth is limited primarily by dry and nutrient-poor conditions, and (3) traits as well as their relationships vary among functional groups. Our results partially supported the LES theory. Specific leaf area (SLA) was correlated with leaf tissue density, phosphorus content, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, but not with leaf nitrogen content. Specific root length (SRL) was not correlated with other fine-root traits, and fine-root traits were largely independent of each other. Therefore, fine-root traits did not mirror the leaf-trait syndrome. Fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus contents, nitrogen-to-phosphorous ratio, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio all increased with analogous leaf traits, whereas SRL was not correlated with SLA. After phylogenetic effects were considered, nutrient contents and their ratios still displayed stronger coordination between leaves and fine roots than did SRL and SLA. The overall pattern of trait variations and relationships suggested differentiation among functional groups. Our results suggest that despite the absence of a root-trait syndrome, fine-root functions in the studied desert community were probably coordinated with leaf functions with respect to nutrient allocation and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Jia
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengjie Gao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Wei
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Han
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianshan Zha
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shugao Qin
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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15
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Li H, Qiu Y, Yao T, Han D, Gao Y, Zhang J, Ma Y, Zhang H, Yang X. Nutrients available in the soil regulate the changes of soil microbial community alongside degradation of alpine meadows in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148363. [PMID: 34465051 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The alpine meadow in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been seriously degraded due to human activities and climate change in recent decades. Understanding the changes of the soil microbial community in response to the degradation process helps reveal the mechanism underlying the degradation process of alpine meadows. We surveyed and analyzed changes of the vegetation, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microbial community in three degradation levels, namely, non-degradation (ND), moderate degradation (MD), and severe degradation (SD), of the alpine meadows in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found that as the level of degradation increased, plant cover, plant density (PD), above-ground biomass (AGB), plant Shannon-Wiener index (PS), soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) decreased significantly, while the soil pH increased from 7.20 to 8.57. Alpine meadow degradation significantly changed the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities but had no significant impact on the diversity of the microbial communities. Functional predictions indicated that meadow degradation increased the relative abundances of aerobic_chemoheterotrophy, undefined_saprotroph, and plant_pathogen, likely increasing the risk of plant diseases. Redundancy analysis revealed that in ND, the soil microbial community was mainly regulated by PS, PH, PD, SWC, and soil pH. In MD, the soil microbial community was regulated by the soil's available nutrients and SOC. In SD, the soil microbial community was not only regulated by the soil's available nutrients but also influenced by plant characteristics. These results indicate that during alpine meadow degradation, while the changes in the plants and soil environmental factors both affect the composition of the soil microbial community, the influence of soil factors is greater. The soil's available nutrients are the main driving factors regulating the change in the soil microbial community's composition alongside degradation levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyun Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Yizhi Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Tuo Yao
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Dongrong Han
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yamin Gao
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Jiangui Zhang
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yachun Ma
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Huirong Zhang
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Xiaolei Yang
- College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem of the Ministry of Education, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
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16
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McAusland L, Smith KE, Williams A, Molero G, Murchie EH. Nocturnal stomatal conductance in wheat is growth-stage specific and shows genotypic variation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:162-175. [PMID: 34143507 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17563] [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: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nocturnal stomatal conductance (gsn ) represents a significant source of water loss, with implications for metabolism, thermal regulation and water-use efficiency. With increasing nocturnal temperatures due to climate change, it is vital to identify and understand variation in the magnitude and responses of gsn in major crops. We assessed interspecific variation in gsn and daytime stomatal conductance (gs ) in a wild relative and modern spring wheat genotype. To investigate intraspecific variation, we grew six modern wheat genotypes and two landraces under well watered, simulated field conditions. For the diurnal data, higher gsn in the wild relative was associated with significantly lower nocturnal respiration and higher daytime CO2 assimilation while both species exhibited declines in gsn post-dusk and pre-dawn. Lifetime gsn achieved rates of 5.7-18.9% of gs . Magnitude of gsn was genotype specific 'and positively correlated with gs . gsn and gs were significantly higher on the adaxial surface. No relationship was determined between harvest characteristics, stomatal morphology and gsn , while cuticular conductance was genotype specific. Finally, for the majority of genotypes, gsn declined with age. Here we present the discovery that variation in gsn occurs across developmental, morphological and temporal scales in nonstressed wheat, presenting opportunities for exploiting intrinsic variation under heat or water stressed conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna McAusland
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Kellie E Smith
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Alexander Williams
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Gemma Molero
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Km. 45, Carretera Mexico, El Batan, Texcoco, CP 56237, Mexico
| | - Erik H Murchie
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK
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17
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Li L, Zheng Z, Biederman JA, Qian R, Ran Q, Zhang B, Xu C, Wang F, Zhou S, Che R, Dong J, Xu Z, Cui X, Hao Y, Wang Y. Drought and heat wave impacts on grassland carbon cycling across hierarchical levels. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:2402-2413. [PMID: 32275067 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Droughts and heat waves are increasing in magnitude and frequency, altering the carbon cycle. However, understanding of the underlying response mechanisms remains poor, especially for the combination (hot drought). We conducted a 4-year field experiment to examine both individual and interactive effects of drought and heat wave on carbon cycling of a semiarid grassland across individual, functional group, community and ecosystem levels. Drought did not change below-ground biomass (BGB) or above-ground biomass (AGB) due to compensation effects between grass and non-grass functional groups. However, consistently decreased BGB under heat waves limited such compensation effects, resulting in reduced AGB. Ecosystem CO2 fluxes were suppressed by droughts, attributed to stomatal closure-induced reductions in leaf photosynthesis and decreased AGB of grasses, while CO2 fluxes were little affected by heat waves. Overall the hot drought produced the lowest leaf photosynthesis, AGB and ecosystem CO2 fluxes although the interactions between heat wave and drought were usually not significant. Our results highlight that the functional group compensatory effects that maintain community-level AGB rely on feedback of root system responses, and that plant adjustments at the individual level, together with shifts in composition at the functional group level, co-regulate ecosystem carbon sink strength under climate extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linfeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Zhenzhen Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joel A Biederman
- Southwest Watershed Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Ruyan Qian
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qinwei Ran
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Biao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shutong Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongxiao Che
- Institude of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Junfu Dong
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihong Xu
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Xiaoyong Cui
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yanbin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
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18
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Liu Y, Medeiros JS, Burns JH. The soil biotic community protects Rhododendron spp. across multiple clades from the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi at a cost to plant growth. Oecologia 2020; 195:1-12. [PMID: 33025264 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The effects of whole soil biotic communities on plants is a result of positive and negative interactions from a complex suite of mutualists and pathogens. However, few experiments have evaluated the composite effects of whole soil biotic communities on plant growth and disease resistance. We conducted a factorial greenhouse experiment with 14 Rhododendron species grown with and without live conspecific soil biota and with and without the disease, Phytophthora cinnamomi. We tested the prediction that the presence of whole soil biotic communities influences survival in the presence of disease. We also explored functional trait correlations with disease susceptibility across the phylogeny. The presence of live soil biota led to higher survival in the presence of disease compared with sterilized soils, and the direction of this effect was consistent for seven species across four clades. The presence of live soil biota also significantly reduced plant growth rate and decreased shoot biomass, relative to plants grown in sterilized soil, indicating that live soil biota might influence plant allocation strategies. We found that Rhododendron species with higher Root Shoot Ratios were less susceptible to Phytophthora, suggesting that water relations influence disease susceptibility. Our findings that disease resistance and susceptibility occur independently across multiple clades and that whole soil biotic communities consistently enhance disease resistance across clades, suggest that soil biota may play an important role in disease resistance and can moderate disease-induced mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7080, USA.
| | | | - Jean H Burns
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7080, USA
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19
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20
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Yizhaq H, Shachak M, Meron E. A model study of terraced riverbeds as novel ecosystems. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3782. [PMID: 32123214 PMCID: PMC7052233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60706-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Riverbed terracing has been introduced in ancient times to retain water and soil, to reduce hydrological connectivity and erosion and to increase primary and secondary productivity of agro-ecological systems. These presently abandoned human-made landscapes have become novel ecosystems and a potential source of ecosystem services to humans in drylands. We use a mathematical-modeling approach to study factors that regulate terraced riverbeds and affect community and ecosystem attributes such as productivity, functional diversity and resilience to droughts. We introduce a model that captures the relationships between rainfall pattern, runoff coupling between adjacent terraces, and vegetation growth, taking into account competition for water and light. We found that a large number of weak rainfall events results in lower total biomass and functional diversity across the terraced riverbed compared with a few strong rainfall events. We further analyzed the filtering of species traits from pools of functional groups that make different tradeoffs between investment in above-ground biomass to capture canopy resources and investment in below-ground biomass to capture soil resources. Pools characterized by concave tradeoffs give rise to higher functional diversity, lower biomass production and lower resilience to droughts, as compared with convex pools. New empirical studies are needed to test these model predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hezi Yizhaq
- Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 8499000, Israel.
| | - Moshe Shachak
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 8499000, Israel
| | - Ehud Meron
- Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben Gurion, 8499000, Israel.,Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 8410501, Israel
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21
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Lin D, Yang S, Dou P, Wang H, Wang F, Qian S, Yang G, Zhao L, Yang Y, Fanin N. A plant economics spectrum of litter decomposition among coexisting fern species in a sub-tropical forest. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:145-155. [PMID: 31633171 PMCID: PMC7080221 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The plant economics spectrum theory provides a useful framework to examine plant strategies by integrating the co-ordination of plant functional traits along a resource acquisition-conservation trade-off axis. Empirical evidence for this theory has been widely observed for seed plants (Spermatophyta). However, whether this theory can be applied to ferns (Pteridophyta), a ubiquitous and ancient group of vascular plants, has rarely been evaluated so far. METHODS We measured 11 pairs of plant functional traits on leaves and fine roots (diameter <2 mm) on 12 coexisting fern species in a sub-tropical forest. Litterbags of leaves and roots were placed in situ and exposed for 586 d to measure decomposition rates. The variation of traits across species and the co-ordination among traits within and between plant organs were analysed. Finally, the influence of the traits on decomposition rates were explored. KEY RESULTS Most leaf and root traits displayed high cross-species variation, and were aligned along a major resource acquisition-conservation trade-off axis. Many fern traits co-varied between leaves and fine roots, suggesting co-ordinated responses between above- and below-ground organs. Decomposition rates of leaves were significantly higher than those of fine roots, but they were significantly and positively correlated. Finally, our results highlight that the decomposition of both leaves and roots was relatively well predicted by the leaf and root economics spectra. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the existence of an acquisition-conservation trade-off axis within ferns and indicate that traits have important 'afterlife' effects on fern litter decomposition. We conclude that the plant economics spectrum theory that is commonly observed across seed plants can be applied to ferns species, thereby extending the generality of this theory to this ancient plant lineage in our study site. Our study further suggests that the evolutionary and ecological basis for the relationships among key economics traits appears to be similar between ferns and seed plants. Future studies involving larger data sets will be required to confirm these findings across different biomes at larger spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunmei Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shufang Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Pengpeng Dou
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjuan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Center, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shenhua Qian
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guangrong Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongchuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nicolas Fanin
- Interaction Soil Plant Atmosphere (ISPA), UMR 1391, INRA-Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, 33882 Villenave-d’Ornon cedex, France
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22
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Mickky B, Aldesuquy H, Elnajar M. Drought-induced change in yield capacity of ten wheat cultivars in relation to their vegetative characteristics at heading stage. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1137-1148. [PMID: 31564777 PMCID: PMC6745582 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-019-00705-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Ten wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were tested in a semi-field experiment for drought response in terms of their flag leaf vigor, whole shoot growth and ultimate yield capacity. At booting stage, 25% of field capacity was held for 3 weeks, then the plants were normally irrigated. Based on split plot analysis of the pooled data, the order in which the source of variation could affect the estimated traits was watering level, then cultivar and finally the combination of both. At p ≤ 0.05, significant positive linear correlation was recorded between the drought-induced change in grain total carbohydrate content and leaf total carbohydrate content, between biological yield and each of water use efficiency for biomass and evapotranspiration efficiency as well as between economic yield and each of leaf catalase activity, water use efficiency for grain and hundred kernel mass. On contrary, significant negative correlation was recorded between the drought-induced change in shoot evapotranspiration rate and each of leaf proline content and shoot water content. Based on the drought-induced change in the estimated vegetative and yield traits, cluster analysis could sequester the concerned cultivars into drought-tolerant, moderate and sensitive ones; with Sids 13 being the most drought-tolerant cultivar as well as Shandaweel 1 and Giza 168 as the most drought-sensitive ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bardees Mickky
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Heshmat Aldesuquy
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Mustafa Elnajar
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
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23
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The response of root traits to precipitation change of herbaceous species in temperate steppes. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Validating the Predictive Power of Statistical Models in Retrieving Leaf Dry Matter Content of a Coastal Wetland from a Sentinel-2 Image. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11161936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Leaf dry matter content (LDMC), the ratio of leaf dry mass to its fresh mass, is a key plant trait, which is an indicator for many critical aspects of plant growth and survival. Accurate and fast detection of the spatiotemporal dynamics of LDMC would help understanding plants’ carbon assimilation and relative growth rate, and may then be used as an input for vegetation process models to monitor ecosystems. Satellite remote sensing is an effective tool for predicting such plant traits non-destructively. However, studies on the applicability of remote sensing for LDMC retrieval are scarce. Only a few studies have looked into the practicality of using remotely sensed data for the prediction of LDMC in a forest ecosystem. In this study, we assessed the performance of partial least squares regression (PLSR) plus 11 widely used vegetation indices (VIs), calculated based on different combinations of Sentinel-2 bands, in predicting LDMC in a coastal wetland. The accuracy of the selected methods was validated using LDMC, destructively measured in 50 randomly distributed sample plots at the study site in Schiermonnikoog, the Netherlands. The PLSR applied to canopy reflectance of Sentinel-2 bands resulted in accurate prediction of LDMC (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.71, RMSE = 0.033). PLSR applied to the studied VIs provided an R2 of 0.70 and RMSE of 0.033. Four vegetation indices (enhanced vegetation index(EVI), specific leaf area vegetation index (SLAVI), simple ratio vegetation index (SRVI), and visible atmospherically resistant index (VARI)) computed using band 3 (green) and band 11 of the Sentinel-2 performed equally well and achieved a good measure of accuracy (R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 0.034). Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using Sentinel-2 surface reflectance data to map LDMC in a coastal wetland.
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25
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Hu Y, Pan X, Yang X, Liu G, Liu X, Song Y, Zhang M, Cui L, Dong M. Is there coordination of leaf and fine root traits at local scales? A test in temperate forest swamps. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8714-8723. [PMID: 31410274 PMCID: PMC6686282 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Examining the coordination of leaf and fine root traits not only aids a better understanding of plant ecological strategies from a whole-plant perspective, but also helps improve the prediction of belowground properties from aboveground traits. The relationships between leaf and fine root traits have been extensively explored at global and regional scales, but remain unclear at local scales. Here, we measured six pairs of analogous leaf and fine root traits related to resource economy and organ size for coexisting dominant and subordinate vascular plants at three successional stages of temperate forest swamps in Lingfeng National Nature Reserve in the Greater Hinggan Mountains, NE China. Leaf and fine root traits related to resource acquisition (e.g., specific leaf area [SLA], leaf N, leaf P, root water content, and root P) decreased with succession. Overall, we found strong linear relationships between leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and root water content, and between leaf and root C, N, and P concentrations, but only weak correlations were observed between leaf area and root diameter, and between SLA and specific root length (SRL). The strong relationships between LDMC and root water content and between leaf and root C, N, and P held at the early and late stages, but disappeared at the middle stage. Besides, C and P of leaves were significantly correlated with those of roots for woody plants, while strong linkages existed between LDMC and root water content and between leaf N and root N for herbaceous species. These results provided evidence for the existence of strong coordination between leaf and root traits at the local scale. Meanwhile, the leaf-root trait relationships could be modulated by successional stage and growth form, indicating the complexity of coordination of aboveground and belowground traits at the local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Kun Hu
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xu Pan
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xue‐Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guo‐Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xu‐Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yao‐Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Man‐Yin Zhang
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Li‐Juan Cui
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
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De Long JR, Jackson BG, Wilkinson A, Pritchard WJ, Oakley S, Mason KE, Stephan JG, Ostle NJ, Johnson D, Baggs EM, Bardgett RD. Relationships between plant traits, soil properties and carbon fluxes differ between monocultures and mixed communities in temperate grassland. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019; 107:1704-1719. [PMID: 31341333 PMCID: PMC6617750 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The use of plant traits to predict ecosystem functions has been gaining growing attention. Above-ground plant traits, such as leaf nitrogen (N) content and specific leaf area (SLA), have been shown to strongly relate to ecosystem productivity, respiration and nutrient cycling. Furthermore, increasing plant functional trait diversity has been suggested as a possible mechanism to increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. However, it is uncertain whether below-ground plant traits can be predicted by above-ground traits, and if both above- and below-ground traits can be used to predict soil properties and ecosystem-level functions.Here, we used two adjacent field experiments in temperate grassland to investigate if above- and below-ground plant traits are related, and whether relationships between plant traits, soil properties and ecosystem C fluxes (i.e. ecosystem respiration and net ecosystem exchange) measured in potted monocultures could be detected in mixed field communities.We found that certain shoot traits (e.g. shoot N and C, and leaf dry matter content) were related to root traits (e.g. root N, root C:N and root dry matter content) in monocultures, but such relationships were either weak or not detected in mixed communities. Some relationships between plant traits (i.e. shoot N, root N and/or shoot C:N) and soil properties (i.e. inorganic N availability and microbial community structure) were similar in monocultures and mixed communities, but they were more strongly linked to shoot traits in monocultures and root traits in mixed communities. Structural equation modelling showed that above- and below-ground traits and soil properties improved predictions of ecosystem C fluxes in monocultures, but not in mixed communities on the basis of community-weighted mean traits. Synthesis. Our results from a single grassland habitat detected relationships in monocultures between above- and below-ground plant traits, and between plant traits, soil properties and ecosystem C fluxes. However, these relationships were generally weaker or different in mixed communities. Our results demonstrate that while plant traits can be used to predict certain soil properties and ecosystem functions in monocultures, they are less effective for predicting how changes in plant species composition influence ecosystem functions in mixed communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNetherlands Institute of EcologyWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Benjamin G. Jackson
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - William J. Pritchard
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Simon Oakley
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment CentreBailriggUK
| | - Kelly E. Mason
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment CentreBailriggUK
| | - Jörg G. Stephan
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | | | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Elizabeth M. Baggs
- The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesUniversity of EdinburghMidlothianUK
| | - Richard D. Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
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27
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Li L, Zheng Z, Biederman JA, Xu C, Xu Z, Che R, Wang Y, Cui X, Hao Y. Ecological responses to heavy rainfall depend on seasonal timing and multi-year recurrence. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:647-660. [PMID: 30934122 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15832] [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: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Heavy rainfall events are expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future. However, their effects on natural ecosystems are largely unknown, in particular with different seasonal timing of the events and recurrence over multiple years. We conducted a 4 yr manipulative experiment to explore grassland response to heavy rainfall imposed in either the middle of, or late in, the growing season in Inner Mongolia, China. We measured hierarchical responses at individual, community and ecosystem levels. Surprisingly, above-ground biomass remained stable in the face of heavy rainfall, regardless of seasonal timing, whereas heavy rainfall late in the growing season had consistent negative impacts on below-ground and total biomass. However, such negative biomass effects were not significant for heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season. By contrast, heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season had greater positive effects on ecosystem CO2 exchanges, mainly reflected in the latter 2 yr of the 4 yr experiment. This two-stage response of CO2 fluxes was regulated by increased community-level leaf area and leaf-level photosynthesis and interannual variability of natural precipitation. Overall, our study demonstrates that ecosystem impacts of heavy rainfall events crucially depend on the seasonal timing and multiannual recurrence. Plant physiological and morphological adjustment appeared to improve the capacity of the ecosystem to respond positively to heavy rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linfeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, 4111, Australia
| | - Zhenzhen Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Joel A Biederman
- Southwest Watershed Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Cong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhihong Xu
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld, 4111, Australia
| | - Rongxiao Che
- Institude of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650091, China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xiaoyong Cui
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanbin Hao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
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28
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Khasanova A, Lovell JT, Bonnette J, Weng X, Jenkins J, Yoshinaga Y, Schmutz J, Juenger TE. The Genetic Architecture of Shoot and Root Trait Divergence Between Mesic and Xeric Ecotypes of a Perennial Grass. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:366. [PMID: 31019518 PMCID: PMC6458277 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity can drive patterns of functional trait variation and lead to the formation of locally adapted ecotypes. Plant ecotypes are often differentiated by suites of correlated root and shoot traits that share common genetic, developmental, and physiological relationships. For instance, although plant water loss is largely governed by shoot systems, root systems determine water access and constrain shoot water status. To evaluate the genetic basis of root and shoot trait divergence, we developed a recombinant inbred population derived from mesic and xeric ecotypes of the perennial grass Panicum hallii. Our study sheds light on the genetic architecture underlying the relationships between root and shoot traits. We identified several genomic "hotspots" which control suites of correlated root and shoot traits, thus indicating genetic coordination between plant organ systems in the process of ecotypic divergence. Genomic regions of colocalized quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the majority of shoot and root growth related traits were independent of colocalized QTL for shoot and root resource acquisition traits. The allelic effects of individual QTL underscore ecological specialization for drought adaptation between ecotypes and reveal possible hybrid breakdown through epistatic interactions. These results have implications for understanding the factors constraining or facilitating local adaptation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albina Khasanova
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - John T. Lovell
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Jason Bonnette
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Xiaoyu Weng
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Jerry Jenkins
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Yuko Yoshinaga
- United States Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- Genome Sequencing Center, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Thomas E. Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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29
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Effect of Gap Sizes on Specific Leaf Area and Chlorophyll Contents at the Castanopsis kawakamii Natural Reserve Forest, China. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9110682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The two hemispherical photographs (THP) method was used to calculate gap area. The areas of nine forest gaps were measured. Meanwhile, non-gap areas were selected as control groups with areas of 225 m2. Plots with areas of 25 m2 in five different directions within gap and non-gap areas were conducted for collecting leaf samples. To determine the effect of gap size on leaf traits the selected traits were leaf area (LA), leaf dry mass (LDM), specific leaf area (SLA), Chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll b (Chl b), total chlorophyll (TChl), and carotenoid (CAR). Leaves were collected from the regeneration layer (<2 cm DBH, height 2–5 m) to measure the leaf traits in winter and summer seasons. Results confirmed significant positive correlations between LA and LDM in the small, medium, large gap sizes, and non-gap areas (r2 = 0.913, 0.827, 0.897, and 0.939, p < 0.01, respectively). On the contrary, relationships between LDM and SLA in the small, medium, large gap sizes, and non-gap areas have significant negative correlations (r2 = −0.269, −0.259, −0.417, and −0.505, p < 0.05, respectively). The effect of gap size on the average Chl a, Chl b, TChl, and CAR varies by the season. During the summer season, the highest chlorophyll contents were recorded in the small gap size and the lowest in the non-gap area, while during the winter season, the highest values of these chlorophyll contents appeared in the medium gap size. Moreover, the directions within the gap in the medium gap size of the summer season had an effect on the Chl a and TChl.
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30
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Xu J, Chai Y, Wang M, Dang H, Guo Y, Chen Y, Zhang C, Li T, Zhang L, Yue M. Shifts in Plant Community Assembly Processes across Growth Forms along a Habitat Severity Gradient: A Test of the Plant Functional Trait Approach. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:180. [PMID: 29497437 PMCID: PMC5818416 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Species respond to changes in their environments. A core goal in ecology is to understand the process of plant community assembly in response to a changing climate. Examining the performance of functional traits and trait-based assembly patterns across species among different growth forms is a useful way to explore the assembly process. In this study, we constructed a habitat severity gradient including several environment factors along a 2300 m wide elevational range at Taibai Mountain, central China. Then we assessed the shift on functional trait values and community assembly patterns along this gradient across species among different growth forms. We found that (1) although habitat-severity values closely covaried with elevation in this study, an examined communities along a habitat severity gradient might reveal community dynamics and species responses under future climate change. (2) the occurrence of trait values along the habitat severity gradient across different growth forms were similar, whereas the assembly pattern of herbaceous species was inconsistent with the community and woody species. (3) the trait-trait relationships of herbaceous species were dissimilar to those of the community and woody species. These results suggest that (1) community would re-assemble along habitat severity gradient through environmental filtering, regardless of any growth forms and that (2) different growth forms' species exhibiting similar trait values' shift but different trait-trait relationship by different trait combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinshi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yongfu Chai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- College of Grassland and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumchi, China
| | - Han Dang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaoxin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chenguang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ting Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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31
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Abalos D, van Groenigen JW, De Deyn GB. What plant functional traits can reduce nitrous oxide emissions from intensively managed grasslands? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:e248-e258. [PMID: 28727214 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Plant species exert a dominant control over the nitrogen (N) cycle of natural and managed grasslands. Although in intensively managed systems that receive large external N inputs the emission of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2 O) is a crucial component of this cycle, a mechanistic relationship between plant species and N2 O emissions has not yet been established. Here we use a plant functional trait approach to study the relation between plant species strategies and N2 O emissions from soils. Compared to species with conservative strategies, species with acquisitive strategies have higher N uptake when there is ample N in the soil, but also trigger N mineralization when soil N is limiting. Therefore, we hypothesized that (1) compared to conservative species, species with acquisitive traits reduce N2 O emissions after a high N addition; and (2) species with conservative traits have lower N2 O emissions than acquisitive plants if there is no high N addition. This was tested in a greenhouse experiment using monocultures of six grass species with differing above- and below-ground traits, growing across a gradient of soil N availability. We found that acquisitive species reduced N2 O emissions at all levels of N availability, produced higher biomass and showed larger N uptake. As such, acquisitive species had 87% lower N2 O emissions per unit of N uptake than conservative species (p < .05). Structural equation modelling revealed that specific leaf area and root length density were key traits regulating the effects of plants on N2 O emission and biomass productivity. These results provide the first framework to understand the mechanisms through which plants modulate N2 O emissions, pointing the way to develop productive grasslands that contribute optimally to climate change mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Abalos
- Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Gerlinde B De Deyn
- Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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32
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Roucou A, Violle C, Fort F, Roumet P, Ecarnot M, Vile D. Shifts in plant functional strategies over the course of wheat domestication. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agathe Roucou
- CEFE; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
- LEPSE; Univ Montpellier; INRA; SupAgro Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
| | - Florian Fort
- CEFE; Montpellier SupAgro; CNRS; Univ. Montpellier; Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3; EPHE, IRD; Montpellier France
| | - Pierre Roumet
- AGAP; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
| | - Martin Ecarnot
- AGAP; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
| | - Denis Vile
- LEPSE; Univ Montpellier; INRA; SupAgro Montpellier; Montpellier France
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Liu M, Wang Z, Li S, Lü X, Wang X, Han X. Changes in specific leaf area of dominant plants in temperate grasslands along a 2500-km transect in northern China. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10780. [PMID: 28883421 PMCID: PMC5589743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11133-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific leaf area (SLA) is a key trait with great ecological importance as it correlates with whole plant growth. We aimed to investigate how SLA varies with environmental factors at a geographical scale in temperate grasslands. We measured SLA and mass-based leaf nitrogen content (N mass) of four dominant plant genera along a 2500 km climatic gradient in northern China grassland, and correlated SLA with mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), soil nitrogen concentration (soil N), soil C:N and N mass. Climate accounts much more for SLA variation than soil variables for Stipa, Cleistogens and Carex. SLA of Stipa is negatively associated with MAP and soil N, while positively with MAT, but Cleistogenes and Carex show the opposite. For Leymus, soil N promotes SLA and accounts for largest fraction of SLA variation. Overall, SLA was positively correlated with N mass in semi-arid regions, but not significant in arid regions. The genus-dependent responses of SLA may have consequences on ecosystem functioning, thus may help to predict the community composition and ecosystem functions under future climate scenario. The finding of SLA-N mass trade-off and its susceptibility to precipitation will advance our understanding on plant resource use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Liu
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhengwen Wang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China. .,Key Laboratory for Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
| | - Shanshan Li
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaotao Lü
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xingguo Han
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China.,State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire T. Freschet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 (CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE) 1919 route de Mende Montpellier34293 France
| | - Catherine Roumet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 (CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE) 1919 route de Mende Montpellier34293 France
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