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Hisano M, Ghazoul J, Chen X, Chen HYH. Functional diversity enhances dryland forest productivity under long-term climate change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn4152. [PMID: 38657059 PMCID: PMC11042740 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn4152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Short-term experimental studies provided evidence that plant diversity increases ecosystem resilience and resistance to drought events, suggesting diversity to serve as a nature-based solution to address climate change. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of diversity are momentary or still hold over the long term in natural forests to ensure that the sustainability of carbon sinks. By analyzing 57 years of inventory data from dryland forests in Canada, we show that productivity of dryland forests decreased at an average rate of 1.3% per decade, in concert with the temporally increasing temperature and decreasing water availability. Increasing functional trait diversity from its minimum (monocultures) to maximum value increased productivity by 13%. Our results demonstrate the potential role of tree functional trait diversity in alleviating climate change impacts on dryland forests. While recognizing that nature-based climate mitigation (e.g., planting trees) can only be partial solutions, their long-term (decadal) efficacy can be improved by enhancing functional trait diversity across the forest community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Hisano
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xinli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
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O'Keefe K, Nippert JB, Keen RM, McCulloh KA. Contrasting shrub and grass hydraulic responses to experimental drought. Oecologia 2024; 204:931-941. [PMID: 38607552 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05543-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Whole-plant hydraulics provide important information about responses to water limitation and can be used to understand how plant communities may change in a drier climate when measured on multiple species. Here, we measured above- and belowground hydraulic traits in Cornus drummondii, an encroaching shrub within North American tallgrass prairies, and Andropogon gerardii, a dominant C4 grass, to assess the potential hydraulic responses to future drought as this region undergoes woody expansion. Shelters that reduced precipitation by 50% and 0% were built over shrubs and grasses growing in sites that are burned at 1-year and 4-year frequencies. We then measured aboveground (Kshoot), belowground (Kroot), and whole-plant maximum hydraulic conductance (Kplant) in C. drummondii and Kroot in A. gerardii. We also measured vulnerability to embolism (P50) in C. drummondii stems. Overall, we show that: (1) A. gerardii had substantially greater Kroot than C. drummondii; (2) belowground hydraulic functioning was linked with aboveground processes; (3) above- and belowground C. drummondii hydraulics were not negatively impacted by the rainfall reductions imposed here. These results suggest that a multi-year drought will not ameliorate rates of woody expansion and highlight key differences in aboveground and belowground hydraulics for dominant species within the same ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly O'Keefe
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Edward's University, Austin, TX, 78704, USA.
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Jesse B Nippert
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Rachel M Keen
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Kansas Biological Survey, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66047, USA
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3
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Zhai L, Will RE, Zhang B. Structural diversity is better associated with forest productivity than species or functional diversity. Ecology 2024; 105:e4269. [PMID: 38361215 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and productivity can be advanced by improving metrics used to quantify biodiversity. Structural diversity, that is, variation of size and form of plant organs, is an emerging biodiversity metric. However, compared with the other biodiversity metrics, its relative importance in specific components of forest productivity, for example, recruitment of new individuals, biomass net change after accounting for mortality, is largely unknown, particularly across a large spatial scale with multiple influential gradients. To address the knowledge gap, we used USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data across the southcentral USA from 2008 to 2017. We calculated forest biomass increments due to recruitment and growth and net change in biomass. Then, we quantified the effects of a range of abiotic and biotic variables on the biomass increments and net change. Our results showed that (1) Structural diversity was negatively associated with the two biomass increments and net change in biomass. The negative effects were supported by increased occurrences of insects and diseases with greater structural diversity. (2) Compared with species and functional diversity, structural diversity showed a better association with biomass increments and net change, suggested by its larger absolute values of standardized coefficients, and the effects of structural diversity were negative in contrast to species diversity. (3) The effects of structural diversity, stand age, and elevation differed between natural and planted forests that may stem from the differences in stand development and species composition between the two forest types. Together, structural diversity may represent an important dimension of biodiversity impacts on plant productivity, which could be related to the exacerbated disturbances with greater structural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhai
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Rodney E Will
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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de Alencar AS, da F Lira C, Rosado BHP, de F Mansano V. Twenty-five years of Open-Top Chambers in tropical environments: where, how, and what are we looking at regarding flora response to climate change? PLANTA 2024; 259:82. [PMID: 38438633 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04356-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Open-Top Chambers should be more used in tropical ecosystems to study climate change effects in plants as they are still insufficient to extract plant response patterns in these ecosystems. Understanding flora response to climate change (CC) is critical for predicting future ecosystem dynamics. Open-Top Chambers (OTCs) have been widely used to study the effects of CC on plants and are very popular in temperate ecosystems but are still underused in tropical regions. In this systematic review, we aimed to discuss the use of OTCs in the study of the effects of different agents of climate change on tropical flora by presenting scientometric data, discussing the technical aspects of its use and enumerating some observations on plant response patterns to climatic alterations in the tropics. Our analysis indicated that the bottleneck in choosing an OTC shape is not strictly related to its purpose or the type of parameter modulated; instead, passive or active approaches seem to be a more sensitive point. The common critical point in using this technique in warmer regions is overheating and decoupling, but it can be overcome with simple adaptations and extra features. The most frequently parameter modulated was CO2, followed by O3 and temperature. The plant families with more representatives in the studies analyzed were Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Poaceae, and the most represented biome was tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. In conclusion, OTCs are a valuable and feasible tool to study CC effects on various tropical ecosystems, regardless of structure, active/passive approach, or other technical features. One of the primary advantages of this methodology is its applicability for in situ use, eliminating the need for plant transplantation. We encourage studies using OTC experimental design for plant conservation in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S de Alencar
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030, Brazil.
| | - Catarina da F Lira
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030, Brazil
| | - Bruno Henrique P Rosado
- Department of Ecology, IBRAG, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Vidal de F Mansano
- Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden Research Institute, Rua Pacheco Leão, 915, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22460-030, Brazil
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Huang R, Di N, Xi B, Yang J, Duan J, Li X, Feng J, Choat B, Tissue D. Herb hydraulics: Variation and correlation for traits governing drought tolerance and efficiency of water transport. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:168095. [PMID: 37879470 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168095] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Hydraulic traits dictate plant response to drought, thus enabling better understanding of community dynamics under global climate change. Despite being intensively documented in woody species, herbaceous species (graminoids and forbs) are largely understudied, hence the distribution and correlation of hydraulic traits in herbaceous species remains unclear. Here, we collected key hydraulic traits for 436 herbaceous species from published literature, including leaf hydraulic conductivity (Kleaf), water potential inducing 50 % loss of hydraulic conductivity (P50), stomatal closure (Pclose) and turgor loss (Ptlp). Trait variation of herbs was analyzed and contrasted with angiosperm woody species within the existing global hydraulic traits database, as well as between different growth forms within herbs. Furthermore, hydraulic traits coordination was also assessed for herbaceous species. We found that herbs showed overall more negative Pclose but less negative Ptlp compared with angiosperm woody species, while P50 did not differ between functional types, regardless of the organ (leaf and stem). In addition, correlations were found between Kleaf and P50 of leaf (P50leaf), as well as between Pclose, P50leaf and Kleaf. Within herbs, graminoids generally exhibited more negative P50 and Ptlp, but lower Kleaf, relative to forbs. Within herbs, no clear pattern regarding hydraulic traits-climate relationship was found. Our analysis provided insights into herb hydraulic, and highlighted the knowledge gaps need to be filled regarding the response of herbs to drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruike Huang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun Campus, 27 Zhongguancun south Avenue, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security (Jointly Supported by the Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), Hohhot 010020, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Di
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security (Jointly Supported by the Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), Hohhot 010020, People's Republic of China; School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Benye Xi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Silviculture and Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Qinghua East Rd, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinyan Yang
- CSIRO Land and Water, Black Mountain, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Jie Duan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Silviculture and Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Qinghua East Rd, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ximeng Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun Campus, 27 Zhongguancun south Avenue, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinchao Feng
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Zhongguancun Campus, 27 Zhongguancun south Avenue, Beijing 100081, People's Republic of China
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - David Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia; Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
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Shi C, Li Y, Zhang T, Wang H, Wu L, Suriguga, Li FY. Light grazing intensity enhances ecosystem services in semi-arid grasslands through plant trait associations. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 348:119375. [PMID: 37883834 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119375] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands provide multiple ecosystem services (ESs) including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services that are largely affected by livestock grazing. Linking plant functional traits (PFTs) to ecosystem processes and functions has attracted extensive ecological research to explore the responses and inter-relations of ecosystem services to environmental and management changes. However, little information is available on the links between PFTs and ESs in most ecosystems. We conducted a grazing experiment to investigate the response of PFTs at different levels, including in plant organs (leaves and stems), individual plants, and the overall community in a typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia. Additionally, we examined the effect of animal grazing at four intensities (nil, light, moderate, and heavy) and explored the dynamic interconnections between PFTs and ecosystem services in grasslands. Our analysis revealed that the highest total ecosystem service and provisioning service were achieved under light- and moderate-grazing treatments, respectively. Heavy grazing also increased provisioning service but with a large decline in regulating and total ecosystem services. These changes in ESs were closely associated with grazing-induced variations in PFTs. Compared to no grazing, light grazing increased plant size-related functional traits, such as height, leaf length, leaf area, stem length, and the ratio of stem length to diameter. In contrast, heavy grazing decreased these PFTs. Provisioning and regulating services were determined by plant above-ground community function and structural properties, while supporting service was jointly affected by the below-ground community and soil properties. Our results indicate that light grazing should be recommended for the best total ESs, although moderate grazing may lead to high short-term economic benefits. Moreover, PFTs are powerful indicators for provisioning and regulating services. These findings provide a valuable reference for developing effective management practices to achieve targeted ESs using PFTs as indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjun Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China, 235 University West Street, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Yanlong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China, 235 University West Street, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Tongrui Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China, 235 University West Street, Hohhot, 010021, China; Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China, 235 University West Street, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Suriguga
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Frank Yonghong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, Ministry of Education of China, 235 University West Street, Hohhot, 010021, China.
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Liu C, Sack L, Li Y, Zhang J, Yu K, Zhang Q, He N, Yu G. Relationships of stomatal morphology to the environment across plant communities. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6629. [PMID: 37857672 PMCID: PMC10587080 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42136-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between stomatal traits and environmental drivers across plant communities has important implications for ecosystem carbon and water fluxes, but it has remained unclear. Here, we measure the stomatal morphology of 4492 species-site combinations in 340 vegetation plots across China and calculate their community-weighted values for mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. We demonstrate a trade-off between stomatal density and size at the community level. The community-weighted mean and variance of stomatal density are mainly associated with precipitation, while that of stomatal size is mainly associated with temperature, and the skewness and kurtosis of stomatal traits are less related to climatic and soil variables. Beyond mean climate variables, stomatal trait moments also vary with climatic seasonality and extreme conditions. Our findings extend the knowledge of stomatal trait-environment relationships to the ecosystem scale, with applications in predicting future water and carbon cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, 100081, Beijing, China
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Kailiang Yu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA
| | - Qiongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 150040, Harbin, China.
- Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 165200, Daxing'anling, China.
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
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Aspinwall MJ, Blackman CJ, Maier C, Tjoelker MG, Rymer PD, Creek D, Chieppa J, Griffin‐Nolan RJ, Tissue DT. Aridity drives clinal patterns in leaf traits and responsiveness to precipitation in a broadly distributed Australian tree species. PLANT-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2023; 4:70-85. [PMID: 37288162 PMCID: PMC10243541 DOI: 10.1002/pei3.10102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aridity shapes species distributions and plant growth and function worldwide. Yet, plant traits often show complex relationships with aridity, challenging our understanding of aridity as a driver of evolutionary adaptation. We grew nine genotypes of Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. camaldulensis sourced from an aridity gradient together in the field for ~650 days under low and high precipitation treatments. Eucalyptus camaldulesis is considered a phreatophyte (deep-rooted species that utilizes groundwater), so we hypothesized that genotypes from more arid environments would show lower aboveground productivity, higher leaf gas-exchange rates, and greater tolerance/avoidance of dry surface soils (indicated by lower responsiveness) than genotypes from less arid environments. Aridity predicted genotype responses to precipitation, with more arid genotypes showing lower responsiveness to reduced precipitation and dry surface conditions than less arid genotypes. Under low precipitation, genotype net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance increased with home-climate aridity. Across treatments, genotype intrinsic water-use efficiency and osmotic potential declined with increasing aridity while photosynthetic capacity (Rubisco carboxylation and RuBP regeneration) increased with aridity. The observed clinal patterns indicate that E. camaldulensis genotypes from extremely arid environments possess a unique strategy defined by lower responsiveness to dry surface soils, low water-use efficiency, and high photosynthetic capacity. This strategy could be underpinned by deep rooting and could be adaptive under arid conditions where heat avoidance is critical and water demand is high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Aspinwall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- College of Forestry and Wildlife SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
- Formation EnvironmentalLLCSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chris J. Blackman
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and AgricultureSchool of Natural Sciences, University of TasmaniaHobartAustralia
| | - Chelsea Maier
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Mark G. Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Paul D. Rymer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Danielle Creek
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Jeff Chieppa
- College of Forestry and Wildlife SciencesAuburn UniversityAuburnAlabamaUSA
| | | | - David T. Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNew South WalesAustralia
- Global Centre for Land Based InnovationWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNew South WalesAustralia
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Portela AP, Durance I, Vieira C, Honrado J. Response-effect trait overlap and correlation in riparian plant communities suggests sensitivity of ecosystem functioning and services to environmental change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160549. [PMID: 36455733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160549] [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: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental changes and biodiversity loss have emphasized the need to understand how communities affect ecosystem functioning and services. In riparian ecosystems, integrative, generalizable, broad-scale models of ecosystem functioning are still required to fulfill this need. However, few studies have explored the links between functional traits, ecosystem functions, and the services of riparian vegetation. Here we adapt the response-effect trait framework to link drivers, traits, ecosystem functions, and services in riparian ecosystems and assess ecosystem functioning sensitivity to environmental changes. The response-effect trait framework distinguishes between traits related to responses to the environment (response traits) and effects on ecosystem functioning (effect traits). The framework predicts that if response and effect traits are tightly linked, shifts in environmental drivers may alter communities' traits and ecosystem functioning. We adapted the response-effect trait framework for riparian plant communities and used it to assess the overlap between response and effect traits. We tested for correlation among traits identified in the framework and for community functional responses to climatic, topographic, soil, and land cover factors using riparian plant communities along a Temperate-Mediterranean climate gradient in North Portugal. We found a high overlap between response and effect traits, with seven out of thirteen traits identified as both response and effect. Additionally, we found trait linkages in four groups of positively correlated community mean traits. Precipitation and aridity were the most predictive drivers of community functional structure, and life form and leaf area were the most responsive traits. Overall, our findings suggest riparian plant communities are likely to propagate the effects of environmental changes to ecosystem functioning and services, affecting several regulation ecosystem services. This work highlights the sensitivity of riparian ecosystems to environmental changes and how it can affect ecosystem services. Similar functional approaches can be useful for adaptive ecosystem management to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Portela
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Isabelle Durance
- Water Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Cristiana Vieira
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto (MHNC-UP/UPorto/PRISC), Praça Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - João Honrado
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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10
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Griffin-Nolan RJ, Felton AJ, Slette IJ, Smith MD, Knapp AK. Traits that distinguish dominant species across aridity gradients differ from those that respond to soil moisture. Oecologia 2023; 201:311-322. [PMID: 36640197 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05315-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits respond to changes in water availability and might be useful for understanding ecosystem properties such as net primary production (NPP). This is especially evident in grasslands where NPP is water-limited and primarily determined by the traits of dominant species. We measured root and shoot morphology, leaf hydraulic traits, and NPP of four dominant North American prairie grasses in response to four levels of soil moisture in a greenhouse experiment. We expected that traits of species from drier regions would be more responsive to reduced water availability and that this would make these species more resistant to low soil moisture than species from wetter regions. All four species grew taller, produced more biomass, and increased total root length in wetter treatments. Each species reduced its leaf turgor loss point (TLP) in drier conditions, but only two species (one xeric, one mesic) maintained leaf water potential above TLP. We identified a suite of traits that clearly distinguished species from one another, but, surprisingly, these traits were relatively unresponsive to reduced soil moisture. Specifically, more xeric species produced thinner roots with higher specific root length and had a lower root mass fraction. This suggest that root traits are critical for distinguishing species from one another but might not respond strongly to changing water availability, though this warrants further investigation in the field. Overall, we found that NPP of these dominant grass species responded similarly to varying levels of soil moisture despite differences in species morphology, physiology, and habitat of origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Griffin-Nolan
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. .,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. .,Department of Biology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
| | - Andrew J Felton
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA.,Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Ingrid J Slette
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Long Term Ecological Research Network Office, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.,Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
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11
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Liu M, Li Y, Sun L, Du Z, Li W, Zhang L, Wang J, Chen J. Divergent coupling mechanism of precipitation on plant community multifunction across alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1122140. [PMID: 36743555 PMCID: PMC9895794 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1122140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It is essential to understand plant adaptive strategies on plant stoichiometric traits at the species level rather than at the community level under various environmental conditions across the Tibetan Plateau (TP). METHODS Here, plant community function and edaphic and meteorological factors were collected at 111 sites along an extensive water-heat gradient during the peak growing season in 2015. Community-weighted mean trait (CWM) was introduced to illuminating dynamics of the functional trait at the community level. RESULTS Our results indicated that plant functional traits, including CWM-leaf total carbon (CWM_LTC), CWM-leaf total nitrogen (CWM_LTN), and CWM-leaf total phosphorus (CWM_LTP), showed similar and comparatively marked increases from alpine meadow (AM) to alpine steppe (AS). Moreover, since the tightly coordinated variation among each plant functional trait of AM was higher than that of AS, a more stable coupling mechanism of these plant functional traits could be observed in AM under a long-term evolutionary habit. Specifically, there was higher annual mean precipitation (AMP) in AM than that in AS significantly (P < 0.01), and AMP was significantly correlated with soil moisture and soil total phosphorus in AM. Generally, our findings suggest that precipitation determines divergent coupling plant community function in both AS and AM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyin Du
- School of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Wencheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinniu Wang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Climate Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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12
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Rodríguez A, de Vries FT, Manning P, Sebastià MT, Bardgett RD. Soil Abiotic Properties Shape Plant Functional Diversity Across Temperate Grassland Plant Communities. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00812-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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13
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Liu C, Sack L, Li Y, He N. Contrasting adaptation and optimization of stomatal traits across communities at continental scale. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:6405-6416. [PMID: 35716087 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac266] [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: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Shifts in stomatal trait distributions across contrasting environments and their linkage with ecosystem productivity at large spatial scales have been unclear. Here, we measured the maximum stomatal conductance (g), stomatal area fraction (f), and stomatal space-use efficiency (e, the ratio of g to f) of 800 plant species ranging from tropical to cold-temperate forests, and determined their values for community-weighted mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. We found that the community-weighted means of g and f were higher in drier sites, and thus, that drought 'avoidance' by water availability-driven growth pulses was the dominant mode of adaptation for communities at sites with low water availability. Additionally, the variance of g and f was also higher at arid sites, indicating greater functional niche differentiation, whereas that for e was lower, indicating the convergence in efficiency. When all other stomatal trait distributions were held constant, increasing kurtosis or decreasing skewness of g would improve ecosystem productivity, whereas f showed the opposite patterns, suggesting that the distributions of inter-related traits can play contrasting roles in regulating ecosystem productivity. These findings demonstrate the climatic trends of stomatal trait distributions and their significance in the prediction of ecosystem productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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14
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Mao W, Sun Z, Forrestel EJ, Griffin‐Nolan R, Chen A, Smith MD. Using local and regional trait hypervolumes to study the effects of environmental factors on community assembly. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Mao
- College of Ecology and Environment Hainan University Haikou China
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Zhibin Sun
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | | | | | - Anping Chen
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of Biology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
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15
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Ohlert T, Kimmel K, Avolio M, Chang C, Forrestel E, Gerstner B, Hobbie SE, Komastu K, Reich P, Whitney K. Exploring the impact of trait number and type on functional diversity metrics in real-world ecosystems. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272791. [PMID: 36006866 PMCID: PMC9409596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of trait-based approaches to understand ecological communities has increased in the past two decades because of their promise to preserve more information about community structure than taxonomic methods and their potential to connect community responses to subsequent effects of ecosystem functioning. Though trait-based approaches are a powerful tool for describing ecological communities, many important properties of commonly-used trait metrics remain unexamined. Previous work in studies that simulate communities and trait distributions show consistent sensitivity of functional richness and evenness measures to the number of traits used to calculate them, but these relationships have yet to be studied in actual plant communities with a realistic distribution of trait values, ecologically meaningful covariation of traits, and a realistic number of traits available for analysis. Therefore, we propose to test how the number of traits used and the correlation between traits used in the calculation of functional diversity indices impacts the magnitude of eight functional diversity metrics in real plant communities. We will use trait data from three grassland plant communities in the US to assess the generality of our findings across ecosystems and experiments. We will determine how eight functional diversity metrics (functional richness, functional evenness, functional divergence, functional dispersion, kernel density estimation (KDE) richness, KDE evenness, KDE dispersion, Rao’s Q) differ based on the number of traits used in the metric calculation and on the correlation of traits when holding the number of traits constant. Without a firm understanding of how a scientist’s choices impact these metric, it will be difficult to compare results among studies with different metric parametrization and thus, limit robust conclusions about functional composition of communities across systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Ohlert
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kaitlin Kimmel
- Mad Agriculture, Boulder, Colorado
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Meghan Avolio
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Cynthia Chang
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, United States of America
| | - Elisabeth Forrestel
- Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Gerstner
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Komastu
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, United States of America
| | - Peter Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Institute for Global Change Biology and School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, NSW, Australia
| | - Kenneth Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
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16
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Luo W, Griffin‐Nolan RJ, Felton AJ, Yu Q, Wang H, Zhang H, Wang Z, Han X, Collins SL, Knapp AK. Drought has inconsistent effects on seed trait composition despite their strong association with ecosystem drought sensitivity. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Luo
- Erguna Forest‐Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | | | - Andrew J. Felton
- Schmid College of Science and Technology Chapman University Orange CA USA
| | - Qiang Yu
- School of Grassland Science Beijing Forestry University Beijing China
| | - Hongyi Wang
- Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University Daqing China
| | - Hongxiang Zhang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun China
| | - Zhengwen Wang
- Erguna Forest‐Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | - Xingguo Han
- Erguna Forest‐Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Alan K. Knapp
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
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17
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Kramp RE, Liancourt P, Herberich MM, Saul L, Weides S, Tielbörger K, Májeková M. Functional traits and their plasticity shift from tolerant to avoidant under extreme drought. Ecology 2022; 103:e3826. [PMID: 35857330 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Under climate change, extreme droughts will limit water availability for plants. However, the species-specific responses make it difficult to draw general conclusions. We hypothesized that changes in species' abundance in response to extreme drought can be best explained by a set of water economic traits under ambient conditions in combination with the ability to adjust these traits towards higher drought resistance. We conducted a four-year field experiment in temperate grasslands using rainout shelters with 30% and 50% rainfall reduction. We quantified the response as the change in species abundance between ambient conditions and the rainfall reduction. Abundance response to extreme drought was best explained by a combination of traits in ambient conditions and their functional adjustment, most likely reflecting plasticity. Smaller leaved species decreased less in abundance under drought. With increasing drought intensity, we observed a shift from drought tolerance, i.e. an increase in leaf dry matter content, to avoidance, i.e. a less negative turgor loss point (TLP) in ambient conditions and a constancy in TLP under drought. We stress the importance of using a multidimensional approach of variation in multiple traits and the importance of considering a range of drought intensities to improve predictions of species' response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa E Kramp
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany.,Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.,Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic
| | | | - Lara Saul
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sophie Weides
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland
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18
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Song L, Luo W, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Cai J, Zuo X, Yu Q, Hartmann H, Li MH, Smith MD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Wang Z, Han X. Differential responses of grassland community nonstructural carbohydrate to experimental drought along a natural aridity gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153589. [PMID: 35122840 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) can reflect community and ecosystem responses to environmental changes such as water availability. Climate change is predicted to increase aridity and the frequency of extreme drought events in grasslands, but it is unclear how community-scale NSC will respond to drought or how such responses may vary along aridity gradients. We experimentally imposed a 4-year drought in six grasslands along a natural aridity gradient and measured the community-weighted mean of leaf soluble sugar (SSCWM) and total leaf NSC (NSCCWM) concentrations. We observed a bell-shape relationship across this gradient, where SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations were lowest at intermediate aridity, with this pattern driven primarily by species turnover. Drought manipulation increased both SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations at one moderately arid grassland but decreased total NSCCWM concentrations at one moist site. These differential responses to experimental drought depended on the relative role of species turnover and intraspecific variation in driving shifts in SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations. Specifically, the synergistic effects of species turnover and intraspecific variation drove the responses of leaf NSC concentrations to drought, while their opposing effects diminished the effect of drought on plant SSCWM and total NSCCWM concentrations. Plant resource strategies were more acquisitive, via higher chlorophyllCWM concentration, to offset reduced NSCCWM concentrations and net aboveground primary productivity (ANPP) with increasing aridity at more mesic sites, but more conservative (i.e., decreased plant heightCWM and ANPP) to reduce NSC consumption at drier sites. The relationship between water availability and NSCCWM concentrations may contribute to community drought resistance and improve plant viability and adaptation strategies to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Song
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wentao Luo
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | | | - Wang Ma
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiangping Cai
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Henrik Hartmann
- Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knoll Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Mai-He Li
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland; Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Zhengwen 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; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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19
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Xu X, Qiu Y, Zhang K, Yang F, Chen M, Luo X, Yan X, Wang P, Zhang Y, Chen H, Guo H, Jiang L, Hu S. Climate warming promotes deterministic assembly of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1147-1161. [PMID: 34668627 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) significantly contribute to plant resource acquisition and play important roles in mediating plant interactions and soil carbon (C) dynamics. However, it remains unclear how AMF communities respond to climate change. We assessed impacts of warming and precipitation alterations (30% increase or decrease) on soil AMF communities, and examined major ecological processes shaping the AMF community assemblage in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Our results showed that warming significantly increased root biomass, and available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in soil. While precipitation alterations increased AMF abundances, they did not significantly affect the composition or diversity of AMF communities. In contrast, warming altered the composition of AMF communities and reduced their Shannon-Wiener index and Pielou's evenness. In particular, warming shifted the AMF community composition in favor of Diversisporaceae over Glomeraceae, likely through its impact on soil N and P availability. In addition, AMF communities were phylogenetically random in the unwarmed control but clustered in warming plots, implying more deterministic community assembly under climate warming. Warming enhancement of root growth, N and P availability likely reduced plant C-allocation to AMF, imposing stronger environmental filtering on AMF communities. We further proposed a conceptual framework that integrates biological and geochemical processes into a mechanistic understanding of warming and precipitation changes' effects on AMF. Taken together, these results suggest that soil AMF communities may be more sensitive to warming than expected, highlighting the need to monitor their community structure and associated functional consequences on plant communities and soil C dynamics under the future warmer climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Xu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunpeng Qiu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kangcheng Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Yang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengfei Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Luo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuebin Yan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huaihai Chen
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Guo
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shuijin Hu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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20
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Zhang B, Zhang J, Hastings A, Fu Z, Yuan Y, Zhai L. Contrasting plant responses to multivariate environmental variations among species with divergent elevation shifts. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e02488. [PMID: 34679234 PMCID: PMC9285362 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The general predictions of climate impacts on species shifts (e.g., upward shift) cannot directly inform local species conservation, because local-scale studies find divergent patterns instead of a general one. For example, our previous study found three shift patterns with elevation (strong down-, moderate down-, and up-slope shifts) in temperate mountain forests. The divergent shifts are hypothesized to arise from both multivariate environmental variations with elevation and corresponding species-specific responses. To test this hypothesis, we sampled soils and leaves to measure elevation variations in soil conditions and determined plant responses using discriminations against heavier isotopes, carbon (13 C) and nitrogen (15 N). Functional traits of the species studied were also extracted from a public trait dataset. We found that: (1) With low soil water contents at low elevations, only the leaves of up-shifters had lower 13 C discriminations at low vs. high elevations; (2) With low soil P contents at high elevations, only the leaves of moderate down-shifters had higher 15 N discriminations at high vs. low elevations; (3) The leaves of strong down-shifters did not show significant elevation patterns of the discriminations; (4) The contrasting responses among the three types of shifters agree with their functional dissimilarity, suggested by their separate locations in a multitrait space. Taken together, the divergent shifts are associated with the elevation variations in environmental conditions and contrasting plant responses. The contrasting responses could result from the functional dissimilarity among species. Therefore, a detailed understanding of both local environmental variations and species-specific responses can facilitate accurate predictions of species shifts to inform local species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahoma74078USA
- Department of Integrative BiologyOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahoma74078USA
| | - Jinchi Zhang
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaJiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological RestorationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsu210037China
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCalifornia95616USA
- Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeNew Mexico87501USA
| | - Zhiyuan Fu
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaJiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological RestorationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsu210037China
| | - Yingdan Yuan
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaJiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological RestorationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingJiangsu210037China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and PhysiologyCollege of Horticulture and Plant ProtectionYangzhou UniversityNo. 88, Daxue South RoadYangzhouJiangsu225127China
| | - Lu Zhai
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOklahoma74078USA
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21
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Hadj-Hammou J, McClanahan TR, Graham NAJ. Decadal shifts in traits of reef fish communities in marine reserves. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23470. [PMID: 34873242 PMCID: PMC8648868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03038-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine reserves are known to impact the biomass, biodiversity, and functions of coral reef fish communities, but the effect of protective management on fish traits is less explored. We used a time-series modelling approach to simultaneously evaluate the abundance, biomass, and traits of eight fish families over a chronosequence spanning 44 years of protection. We constructed a multivariate functional space based on six traits known to respond to management or disturbance and affect ecosystem processes: size, diet, position in the water column, gregariousness, reef association, and length at maturity. We show that biomass increased with a log-linear trend over the time-series, but abundance only increased after 20 years of closure, and with more variation among reserves. This difference is attributed to recovery rates being dependent on body sizes. Abundance-weighted traits and the associated multivariate space of the community change is driven by increased proportions over time of the trait categories: 7-15 cm body size; planktivorous; species low in the water column; medium-large schools; and species with high levels of reef association. These findings suggest that the trait compositions emerging after the cessation of fishing are novel and dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeneen Hadj-Hammou
- Lancaster University Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
| | - Tim R McClanahan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Marine Programs, Bronx, NY, 10460, USA
| | - Nicholas A J Graham
- Lancaster University Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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22
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Boonman CC, Huijbregts MA, Benítez‐López A, Schipper AM, Thuiller W, Santini L. Trait‐based projections of climate change effects on global biome distributions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Coline C.F. Boonman
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Environmental Science Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
| | - Mark A.J. Huijbregts
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Environmental Science Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
| | - Ana Benítez‐López
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Environmental Science Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Integrative Ecology Group Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | - Aafke M. Schipper
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Environmental Science Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency The Hague the Netherlands
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (LECA) CNRS LECA Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont Blanc Grenoble France
| | - Luca Santini
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research Department of Environmental Science Radboud University Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin” Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
- National Research Council Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CNR‐IRET)Monterotondo (Rome) Italy
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23
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Su Y, Renz M, Cui B, Sun X, Ouyang Z, Wang X. Leaf Morphological and Nutrient Traits of Common Woody Plants Change Along the Urban-Rural Gradient in Beijing, China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:682274. [PMID: 34512683 PMCID: PMC8427184 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.682274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have found differences in the diversity of plant functional traits between urban and rural sites as a result of urbanization. However, the results remain inconsistent. In this study, we measured morphological and nutrient traits of 11 common woody plants along a continuous urban-rural gradient in Beijing, China. Leaf size (e.g., length, width, and area), specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen and potassium contents decreased gradually and significantly along the urban-rural gradient, indicating that urbanization can enhance the capacity of plants to acquire resources for growth and production. Furthermore, soil nutrients and air temperature decreased along the urban-rural gradient, while air relative humidity increased. A structural equation model showed that these alterations in physical factors attributable to urbanization contributed directly or indirectly to changes in leaf functional traits, implying that changes in soil nutrients and micro-climate induced by urbanization may affect plant growth and production because of the improvement in resource acquisition capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuebo Su
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mark Renz
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Bowen Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Urban Ecosystem Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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24
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Cheng H, Gong Y, Zuo X. Precipitation Variability Affects Aboveground Biomass Directly and Indirectly via Plant Functional Traits in the Desert Steppe of Inner Mongolia, Northern China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:674527. [PMID: 34456934 PMCID: PMC8385370 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.674527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Clarifying the response of community and dominance species to climate change is crucial for disentangling the mechanism of the ecosystem evolution and predicting the prospective dynamics of communities under the global climate scenario. We examined how precipitation changes affect community structure and aboveground biomass (AGB) according to manipulated precipitation experiments in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. Bayesian model and structural equation models (SEM) were used to test variation and causal relationship among precipitation, plant diversity, functional attributes, and AGB. The results showed that the responses of species richness, evenness, and plant community weighted means traits to precipitation changes in amount and year were significant. The SEM demonstrated that precipitation change in amount and year has a direct effect on richness, evenness, and community-weighted mean (CWM) for height, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), and leaf carbon content (LCC) and AGB; there into CWM for height and LDMC had a direct positive effect on AGB; LA had a direct negative effect on AGB. Three dominant species showed diverse adaptation and resource utilization strategies in response to precipitation changes. A. polyrhizum showed an increase in height under the precipitation treatments that promoted AGB, whereas the AGB of P. harmala and S. glareosa was boosted through alterations in height and LA. Our results highlight the asynchronism of variation in community composition and structure, leaf functional traits in precipitation-AGB relationship. We proposed that altered AGB resulted from the direct and indirect effects of plant functional traits (plant height, LA, LDMC) rather than species diversity, plant functional traits are likely candidate traits, given that they are mechanistically linked to precipitation changes and affected aboveground biomass in a desert steppe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Cheng
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Yuanbo Gong
- College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, China
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25
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Larson EI, Poff NL, Funk WC, Harrington RA, Kondratieff BC, Morton SG, Flecker AS. A unifying framework for analyzing temporal changes in functional and taxonomic diversity along disturbance gradients. Ecology 2021; 102:e03503. [PMID: 34314030 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Frameworks exclusively considering functional diversity are gaining popularity, as they complement and extend the information provided by taxonomic diversity metrics, particularly in response to disturbance. Taxonomic diversity should be included in functional diversity frameworks to uncover the functional mechanisms causing species loss following disturbance events. We present and test a predictive framework that considers temporal functional and taxonomic diversity responses along disturbance gradients. Our proposed framework allows us to test different multidimensional metrics of taxonomic diversity that can be directly compared to calculated multidimensional functional diversity metrics. It builds on existing functional diversity-disturbance frameworks both by using a gradient approach and by jointly considering taxonomic and functional diversity. We used previously unpublished stream insect community data collected prior to, and for the two years following, an extreme flood event that occurred in 2013. Using 14 northern Colorado mountain streams, we tested our framework and determined that taxonomic diversity metrics calculated using multidimensional methods resulted in concordance between taxonomic and functional diversity responses. By considering functional and taxonomic diversity together and using a gradient approach, we were able to identify some of the mechanisms driving species losses following this extreme disturbance event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin I Larson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA.,Institute for Culture and Environment, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - N LeRoy Poff
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA.,Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2617, Australia
| | - W Chris Funk
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Rachel A Harrington
- Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 20460, USA
| | - Boris C Kondratieff
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Scott G Morton
- Department of Biology & Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Alexander S Flecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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26
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Zuo X, Zhao S, Cheng H, Hu Y, Wang S, Yue P, Liu R, Knapp AK, Smith MD, Yu Q, Koerner SE. Functional diversity response to geographic and experimental precipitation gradients varies with plant community type. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology Gansu ProvinceLanzhou China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
| | - Shenglong Zhao
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Huan Cheng
- College of forestry Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Shaokun Wang
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert‐grassland Research StationNorthwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and ResourcesChinese Academy of Science Lanzhou China
| | - Rentao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education Ningxia University Yinchuan China
| | - Alan K. Knapp
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina Greensboro Greensboro NC USA
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27
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Luo W, Griffin-Nolan RJ, Ma W, Liu B, Zuo X, Xu C, Yu Q, Luo Y, Mariotte P, Smith MD, Collins SL, Knapp AK, Wang Z, Han X. Plant traits and soil fertility mediate productivity losses under extreme drought in C 3 grasslands. Ecology 2021; 102:e03465. [PMID: 34236696 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Extreme drought decreases aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in most grasslands, but the magnitude of ANPP reductions varies especially in C3 -dominated grasslands. Because the mechanisms underlying such differential ecosystem responses to drought are not well resolved, we experimentally imposed an extreme 4-yr drought (2015-2018) in two C3 grasslands that differed in aridity. These sites had similar annual precipitation and dominant grass species (Leymus chinensis) but different annual temperatures and thus water availability. Drought treatments differentially affected these two semiarid grasslands, with ANPP of the drier site reduced more than at the wetter site. Structural equation modeling revealed that community-weighted means for some traits modified relationships between soil moisture and ANPP, often due to intraspecific variation. Specifically, drought reduced community mean plant height at both sites, resulting in a reduction in ANPP beyond that attributable to reduced soil moisture alone. Higher community mean leaf carbon content enhanced the negative effects of drought on ANPP at the drier site, and ANPP-soil-moisture relationships were influenced by soil C:N ratio at the wetter site. Importantly, neither species richness nor functional dispersion were significantly correlated with ANPP at either site. Overall, as expected, soil moisture was a dominant, direct driver of ANPP response to drought, but differential sensitivity to drought in these two grasslands was also related to soil fertility and plant traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Luo
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | | | - Wang Ma
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chong Xu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yahuang Luo
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Pierre Mariotte
- Agroscope, Grazing systems, Route de Duillier 50, 1260, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523, USA
| | - Zhengwen 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
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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28
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Luong JC, Holl KD, Loik ME. Leaf traits and phylogeny explain plant survival and community dynamics in response to extreme drought in a restored coastal grassland. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Luong
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Karen D. Holl
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
| | - Michael E. Loik
- Department of Environmental Studies University of California Santa Cruz CA USA
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29
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Li X, Zuo X, Yue P, Zhao X, Hu Y, Guo X, Guo A, Xu C, Yu Q. Drought of early time in growing season decreases community aboveground biomass, but increases belowground biomass in a desert steppe. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:106. [PMID: 34074246 PMCID: PMC8170925 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01842-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing drought induced by global climate changes is altering the structure and function of grassland ecosystems. However, there is a lack of understanding of how drought affects the trade-off of above- and belowground biomass in desert steppe. We conducted a four-year (2015-2018) drought experiment to examine the responses of community above-and belowground biomass (AGB and BGB) to manipulated drought and natural drought in the early period of growing season (from March to June) in a desert steppe. We compared the associations of drought with species diversity (species richness and density), community-weighted means (CWM) of five traits, and soil factors (soil Water, soil carbon content, and soil nitrogen content) for grass communities. Meanwhile, we used the structural equation modeling (SEM) to elucidate whether drought affects AGB and BGB by altering species diversity, functional traits, or soil factors. RESULTS We found that manipulated drought affected soil water content, but not on soil carbon and nitrogen content. Experimental drought reduced the species richness, and species modified the CWM of traits to cope with a natural drought of an early time in the growing season. We also found that the experimental and natural drought decreased AGB, while natural drought increased BGB. AGB was positively correlated with species richness, density, CWM of plant height, and soil water. BGB was negatively correlated with CWM of plant height, CWM of leaf dry matter content, and soil nitrogen content, while was positively correlated with CWM of specific leaf area, CWM of leaf nitrogen content, soil water, and soil carbon content. The SEM results indicated that the experimental and natural drought indirectly decreased AGB by reducing species richness and plant height, while natural drought and soil nitrogen content directly affected BGB. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that species richness and functional traits can modulate the effects of drought on AGB, however natural drought and soil nitrogen determine BGB. Our findings demonstrate that the long-term observation and experiment are necessary to understand the underlying mechanism of the allocation and trade-off of community above-and belowground biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Xueyong Zhao
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Xinxin Guo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Aixia Guo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Chong Xu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10008 China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10008 China
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30
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Májeková M, Hájek T, Albert ÁJ, Bello F, Doležal J, Götzenberger L, Janeček Š, Lepš J, Liancourt P, Mudrák O. Weak coordination between leaf drought tolerance and proxy traits in herbaceous plants. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Májeková
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
- Department of Soil Science Comenius University Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Tomáš Hájek
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Ágnes J. Albert
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Francesco Bello
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
- CIDE‐CSIC Valencia Spain
| | - Jiří Doležal
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Lars Götzenberger
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic
| | - Jan Lepš
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mudrák
- Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
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31
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Bachle S, Nippert JB. Microanatomical traits track climate gradients for a dominant C4 grass species across the Great Plains, USA. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:451-459. [PMID: 32780105 PMCID: PMC7988519 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Andropogon gerardii is a highly productive C4 grass species with a large geographic range throughout the North American Great Plains, a biome characterized by a variable temperate climate. Plant traits are often invoked to explain growth rates and competitive abilities within broad climate gradients. For example, plant competition models typically predict that species with large geographic ranges benefit from variation in traits underlying high growth potential. Here, we examined the relationship between climate variability and leaf-level traits in A. gerardii, emphasizing how leaf-level microanatomical traits serve as a mechanism that may underlie variation in commonly measured traits, such as specific leaf area (SLA). METHODS Andropogon gerardii leaves were collected in August 2017 from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (MN), Konza Prairie Biological Station (KS), Platte River Prairie (NE) and Rocky Mountain Research Station (SD). Leaves from ten individuals from each site were trimmed, stained and prepared for fluorescent confocal microscopy to analyse internal leaf anatomy. Leaf microanatomical data were compared with historical and growing season climate data extracted from PRISM spatial climate models. KEY RESULTS Microanatomical traits displayed large variation within and across sites. According to AICc (Akaike's information criterion adjusted for small sample sizes) selection scores, the interaction of mean precipitation and temperature for the 2017 growing season was the best predictor of variability for the anatomical and morphological traits measured here. Mesophyll area and bundle sheath thickness were directly correlated with mean temperature (annual and growing season). Tissues related to water-use strategies, such as bulliform cell and xylem area, were significantly correlated with one another. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that (1) microanatomical trait variation exists within this broadly distributed grass species, (2) microanatomical trait variability appears likely to impact leaf-level carbon and water use strategies, and (3) microanatomical trait values vary across climate gradients, and may underlie variation in traits measured at larger ecological scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seton Bachle
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Jesse B Nippert
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
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32
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方 小. Effects of Nitrogen Increase and Precipitation Changes on Early Spring Plants under Global Climate Change: A Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.12677/ije.2021.104068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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33
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Rundel PW, Cooley AM, Gerst KL, Riordan EC, Sharifi MR, Sun JW, Tower JA. Functional traits of broad-leaved monocot herbs in the understory and forest edges of a Costa Rican rainforest. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9958. [PMID: 33194368 PMCID: PMC7597634 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-leaved monocot herbs are widespread and dominant components of the shaded understories of wet neotropical forests. These understory habitats are characterized by light limitation and a constant threat of falling branches. Many shaded understory herb species have close relatives that occupy forest edges and gaps, where light availability is higher and defoliation threat is lower, creating an opportunity for comparative analysis of functional traits in order to better understand the evolutionary adaptations associated with this habitat transition. We documented ecological, morphological and ecophysiological traits of multiple herb species in six monocot families from each of these two habitats in the wet tropical rainforest at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We found that a mixture of phylogenetic canalization and ecological selection for specific habitats helped explain patterns of functional traits. Understory herbs were significantly shorter and had smaller leaves than forest edge species. Although the mean number of leaves per plant and specific leaf area did not differ between the two groups, the larger leaf size of forest edge species gave them more than three times the mean plant leaf area. Measures of leaf water content and nitrogen content varied within both groups and mean values were not significantly different. Despite the high leaf nitrogen contents, the maximum photosynthetic rates of understory herbs were quite low. Measures of δ13C as an analog of water use efficiency found significantly lower (more negative) values in understory herbs compared to forest edge species. Clonality was strongly developed in several species but did not show strong phylogenetic patterns. This study highlights many functional traits that differ between broad-leaved monocot species characteristic of understory and forest edge habitats, as well as traits that vary primarily by phylogenetic relatedness. Overall, plant functional traits do not provide a simple explanation for the relative differences in abundance for individual understory and forest edge species with some occurring in great abundance while others are relatively rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip W Rundel
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Arielle M Cooley
- Biology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, United States of America
| | - Katharine L Gerst
- USA National Phenlogical Network, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - Erin C Riordan
- Laboratory of Tree Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America
| | - M Rasoul Sharifi
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer W Sun
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - J Alexandra Tower
- Biology, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA, United States of America
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34
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Volaire F, Gleason SM, Delzon S. What do you mean "functional" in ecology? Patterns versus processes. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11875-11885. [PMID: 33209257 PMCID: PMC7663066 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Use of the term "functional" trait has increased exponentially in ecology. Although accounting for numerous ecological questions, this concept raises several issues. We propose that the term "functional" could be misleading because (1) no rigorous criteria exist to identify "functional" traits and (2) it suggests that only some traits ("functional" ones) can inform our understanding of species functioning, whatever the scale or discipline. Hence, the concept of "functional" trait in ecology is starting to be challenged and it remains unclear why some traits should be considered functional, whereas other traits should not. We argue that the most used "functional" traits are meaningful because they reflect important differences between populations or species, based on synchronic comparisons, that is, irrespective of time (hereafter "pattern" traits). Hence, they are useful for identifying trade-offs and strategies across large numbers of observations, usually at rather coarse scales, and are most often used in analyses of "big data." However, given that many ecological processes occur across short time scales and narrow gradients of climate and resource availability, the efficacy of these traits to inform us about these ecological processes appears questionable. We show that trait measurements that take time explicitly into account (hereafter "process" traits) differ from pattern traits because they quantify the flows of material and energy within a given environment across a defined period of time. Although pattern traits and process traits are both functional, it is important to understand the differences between the approaches. Moreover, better accounting of ontogeny, life form, plasticity, and genetic variability is required to enhance the convergence between pattern and process approaches. This revised framework allows more explicit connections between trait ecology and other biological sciences. It should enhance the study of processes at all scales in order to investigate efficiently the adaptive responses of biological organisms to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Volaire
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Sean M. Gleason
- USDA ARS, Water Management and Systems Research UnitFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECOUniv. BordeauxPessacFrance
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Rosado BHP, Almeida LC. The Importance of Phyllosphere on Foliar Water Uptake. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:1058-1060. [PMID: 32951991 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno H P Rosado
- Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, Sala 220, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 2550900, Brazil.
| | - Lidiane C Almeida
- Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, Sala 220, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 2550900, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 2550900, Brazil
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Garbowski M, Avera B, Bertram JH, Courkamp JS, Gray J, Hein KM, Lawrence R, McIntosh M, McClelland S, Post AK, Slette IJ, Winkler DE, Brown CS. Getting to the root of restoration: considering root traits for improved restoration outcomes under drought and competition. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Magda Garbowski
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Bethany Avera
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Jonathan H Bertram
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Jacob S Courkamp
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Jesse Gray
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Kirsten M Hein
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Ryan Lawrence
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Mariah McIntosh
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT U.S.A
| | - Shelby McClelland
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Alison K Post
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Ingrid J Slette
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
| | - Daniel E Winkler
- U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center Moab UT U.S.A
| | - Cynthia S Brown
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
- Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO U.S.A
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Zhang B, Hautier Y, Tan X, You C, Cadotte MW, Chu C, Jiang L, Sui X, Ren T, Han X, Chen S. Species responses to changing precipitation depend on trait plasticity rather than trait means and intraspecific variation. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bingwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Ecology State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
- Zhuhai Branch of State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai Zhuhai China
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group Department of Biology Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Xingru Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Resources and Environment University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Cuihai You
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Resources and Environment University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto‐Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
| | - Chengjin Chu
- Department of Ecology State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA USA
| | - Xinghua Sui
- Department of Ecology State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences Sun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Tingting Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Resources and Environment University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Resources and Environment University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Shiping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Resources and Environment University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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Moreira X, Abdala-Roberts L, Hidalgo-Galvez MD, Vázquez-González C, Pérez-Ramos IM. Micro-climatic effects on plant phenolics at the community level in a Mediterranean savanna. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14757. [PMID: 32901084 PMCID: PMC7479144 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71782-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has shown that warming and drought change plant phenolics. However, much of this work has centered on the effects of individual abiotic stressors on single plant species rather than the concurrent effects of multiple stressors at the plant community level. To address this gap, we manipulated rainfall and air temperature to test for their individual and interactive effects on the expression of leaf phenolics at the community level for annual plant species occurring in two habitat types (under oak tree canopies or in open grasslands) in a Mediterranean savanna. We found that augmented temperature had a significant positive effect on the community-weighted mean of total phenolics whereas reduced rainfall had no effect. In addition, we found no evidence of interactive effects between climatic stressors and these patterns remained consistent across habitat types. Overall, this study points at increasing efforts to investigate the linkages between climate change and community-level shifts in plant secondary chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Department of Tropical Ecology, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Apartado Postal 4-116, 97000, Itzimna, Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - M Dolores Hidalgo-Galvez
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), 10 Reina Mercedes Avenue, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Ignacio M Pérez-Ramos
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), 10 Reina Mercedes Avenue, 41012, Seville, Spain.
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Finn DR, Yu J, Ilhan ZE, Fernandes VMC, Penton CR, Krajmalnik-Brown R, Garcia-Pichel F, Vogel TM. MicroNiche: an R package for assessing microbial niche breadth and overlap from amplicon sequencing data. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 96:5863182. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Niche is a fundamental concept in ecology. It integrates the sum of biotic and abiotic environmental requirements that determines a taxon's distribution. Microbiologists currently lack quantitative approaches to address niche-related hypotheses. We tested four approaches for the quantification of niche breadth and overlap of taxa in amplicon sequencing datasets, with the goal of determining generalists, specialists and environmental-dependent distributions of community members. We applied these indices to in silico training datasets first, and then to real human gut and desert biological soil crust (biocrust) case studies, assessing the agreement of the indices with previous findings. Implementation of each approach successfully identified a priori conditions within in silico training data, and we found that by including a limit of quantification based on species rank, one could identify taxa falsely classified as specialists because of their low, sparse counts. Analysis of the human gut study offered quantitative support for Bacilli, Gammaproteobacteria and Fusobacteria specialists enriched after bariatric surgery. We could quantitatively characterise differential niche distributions of cyanobacterial taxa with respect to precipitation gradients in biocrusts. We conclude that these approaches, made publicly available as an R package (MicroNiche), represent useful tools to assess microbial environment-taxon and taxon-taxon relationships in a quantitative manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Finn
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Écully 69134, France
| | - J Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Centre for Applied and Fundamental Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Z E Ilhan
- Centre for Applied and Fundamental Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Swette Centre for Environmental Biotechnology; Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - V M C Fernandes
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Centre for Applied and Fundamental Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - C R Penton
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85281, USA
| | - R Krajmalnik-Brown
- Centre for Applied and Fundamental Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Swette Centre for Environmental Biotechnology; Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - F Garcia-Pichel
- Centre for Applied and Fundamental Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - T M Vogel
- Environmental Microbial Genomics, Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Écully 69134, France
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Walter J, Buchmann CM, Schurr FM. Shifts in plant functional community composition under hydrological stress strongly decelerate litter decomposition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5712-5724. [PMID: 32607185 PMCID: PMC7319120 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Litter decomposition is a key process of nutrient and carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The decomposition process will likely be altered under ongoing climate change, both through direct effects on decomposer activity and through indirect effects caused by changes in litter quality. We studied how hydrological change indirectly affects decomposition via plant functional community restructuring caused by changes in plant species' relative abundances (community-weighted mean (CWM) traits and functional diversity). We further assessed how those indirect litter quality effects compare to direct effects. We set up a mesocosm experiment, in which sown grassland communities and natural turf pieces were subjected to different hydrological conditions (dryness and waterlogging) for two growing seasons. Species-level mean traits were obtained from trait databases and combined with species' relative abundances to assess functional community restructuring. We studied decomposition of mixed litter from these communities in a common "litterbed." These indirect effects were compared to effects of different hydrological conditions on soil respiration and on decomposition of standard litter (direct effects). Dryness reduced biomass production in sown communities and natural turf pieces, while waterlogging only reduced biomass in sown communities. Hydrological stress caused profound shifts in species' abundances and consequently in plant functional community composition. Hydrologically stressed communities had higher CMW leaf dry matter content, lower CMW leaf nitrogen content, and lower functional diversity. Lower CWM leaf N content and functional diversity were strongly related to slower decomposition. These indirect effects paralleled direct effects, but were larger and longer-lasting. Species mean traits from trait databases had therefore considerable predictive power for decomposition. Our results show that stressful soil moisture conditions, that are likely to occur more frequently in the future, quickly shift species' abundances. The resulting functional community restructuring will decelerate decomposition under hydrological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Walter
- Institute of Landscape and Plant EcologyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Carsten M. Buchmann
- Institute of Landscape and Plant EcologyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
| | - Frank M. Schurr
- Institute of Landscape and Plant EcologyUniversity of HohenheimStuttgartGermany
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Li Y, Reich PB, Schmid B, Shrestha N, Feng X, Lyu T, Maitner BS, Xu X, Li Y, Zou D, Tan Z, Su X, Tang Z, Guo Q, Feng X, Enquist BJ, Wang Z. Leaf size of woody dicots predicts ecosystem primary productivity. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1003-1013. [PMID: 32249502 PMCID: PMC7384143 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A key challenge in ecology is to understand the relationships between organismal traits and ecosystem processes. Here, with a novel dataset of leaf length and width for 10 480 woody dicots in China and 2374 in North America, we show that the variation in community mean leaf size is highly correlated with the variation in climate and ecosystem primary productivity, independent of plant life form. These relationships likely reflect how natural selection modifies leaf size across varying climates in conjunction with how climate influences canopy total leaf area. We find that the leaf size-primary productivity functions based on the Chinese dataset can predict productivity in North America and vice-versa. In addition to advancing understanding of the relationship between a climate-driven trait and ecosystem functioning, our findings suggest that leaf size can also be a promising tool in palaeoecology for scaling from fossil leaves to palaeo-primary productivity of woody ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoqi Li
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMN55108USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNSW2751Australia
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of GeographyRemote Sensing LaboratoriesUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 1908057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Nawal Shrestha
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
- Institute of Innovation EcologyLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Xiao Feng
- Institute of the EnvironmentUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona85721USA
| | - Tong Lyu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Brian S. Maitner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZ85721USA
| | - Xiaoting Xu
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Resource and Eco‐Environment of Ministry of EducationCollege of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengdu610065SichuanChina
| | - Yichao Li
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Dongting Zou
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Zheng‐Hong Tan
- College of Environment and EcologyHainan UniversityHaikouHainan570228China
| | - Xiangyan Su
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Qinghua Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100093China
| | - Xiaojuan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100093China
| | - Brian J. Enquist
- Institute of the EnvironmentUniversity of ArizonaTucsonArizona85721USA
- The Santa Fe InstituteSanta FeNM87501USA
| | - Zhiheng Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
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Powers JS, Vargas G G, Brodribb TJ, Schwartz NB, Pérez-Aviles D, Smith-Martin CM, Becknell JM, Aureli F, Blanco R, Calderón-Morales E, Calvo-Alvarado JC, Calvo-Obando AJ, Chavarría MM, Carvajal-Vanegas D, Jiménez-Rodríguez CD, Murillo Chacon E, Schaffner CM, Werden LK, Xu X, Medvigy D. A catastrophic tropical drought kills hydraulically vulnerable tree species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3122-3133. [PMID: 32053250 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Drought-related tree mortality is now a widespread phenomenon predicted to increase in magnitude with climate change. However, the patterns of which species and trees are most vulnerable to drought, and the underlying mechanisms have remained elusive, in part due to the lack of relevant data and difficulty of predicting the location of catastrophic drought years in advance. We used long-term demographic records and extensive databases of functional traits and distribution patterns to understand the responses of 20-53 species to an extreme drought in a seasonally dry tropical forest in Costa Rica, which occurred during the 2015 El Niño Southern Oscillation event. Overall, species-specific mortality rates during the drought ranged from 0% to 34%, and varied little as a function of tree size. By contrast, hydraulic safety margins correlated well with probability of mortality among species, while morphological or leaf economics spectrum traits did not. This firmly suggests hydraulic traits as targets for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Powers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - German Vargas G
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., Australia
| | - Naomi B Schwartz
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Pérez-Aviles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Chris M Smith-Martin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Filippo Aureli
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Roger Blanco
- Programa de Investigación, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, Liberia, Costa Rica
| | - Erick Calderón-Morales
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | | | | | - María Marta Chavarría
- Programa de Investigación, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, Liberia, Costa Rica
| | | | - César D Jiménez-Rodríguez
- Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
- Water Resources Section, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Evin Murillo Chacon
- Programa de Investigación, Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, Liberia, Costa Rica
| | - Colleen M Schaffner
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- Psychology Department, Adams State University, Alamosa, CO, USA
| | - Leland K Werden
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Xiangtao Xu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - David Medvigy
- Department of Biological Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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43
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J. Brodribb
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Jennifer Powers
- Departments of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Hervé Cochard
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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Fortunel C, Stahl C, Heuret P, Nicolini E, Baraloto C. Disentangling the effects of environment and ontogeny on tree functional dimensions for congeneric species in tropical forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:385-395. [PMID: 31872884 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Soil water and nutrient availability are key drivers of tree species distribution and forest ecosystem functioning, with strong species differences in water and nutrient use. Despite growing evidence for intraspecific trait differences, it remains unclear under which circumstances the effects of environmental gradients trump those of ontogeny and taxonomy on important functional dimensions related to resource use, particularly in tropical forests. Here, we explore how physiological, chemical, and morphological traits related to resource use vary between life stages in four species within the genus Micropholis that is widespread in lowland Amazonia. Specifically, we evaluate how environment, developmental stage, and taxonomy contribute to single-trait variation and multidimensional functional strategies. We find that environment, developmental stage, and taxonomy differentially contribute to functional dimensions. Habitats and seasons shape physiological and chemical traits related to water and nutrient use, whereas developmental stage and taxonomic identity impact morphological traits -especially those related to the leaf economics spectrum. Our findings suggest that combining environment, ontogeny, and taxonomy allows for a better understanding of important functional dimensions in tropical trees and highlights the need for integrating tree physiological and chemical traits with classically used morphological traits to improve predictions of tropical forests' responses to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Fortunel
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Clément Stahl
- UMR EcoFoG (Ecology of Guiana Forests), INRA, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, Université de Guyane, Université des Antilles, 97379, Kourou, France
| | - Patrick Heuret
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Eric Nicolini
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- UMR EcoFoG (Ecology of Guiana Forests), INRA, AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, Université de Guyane, Université des Antilles, 97379, Kourou, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33133, USA
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45
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Li M, Zhang X, Niu B, He Y, Wang X, Wu J. Changes in plant species richness distribution in Tibetan alpine grasslands under different precipitation scenarios. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
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Wang R, Chen H, Liu X, Wang Z, Wen J, Zhang S. Plant Phylogeny and Growth Form as Drivers of the Altitudinal Variation in Woody Leaf Vein Traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 10:1735. [PMID: 32117333 PMCID: PMC7012802 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Variation in leaf veins along environmental gradients reflects an important adaptive strategy of plants to the external habitats, because of their crucial roles in maintaining leaf water status and photosynthetic capacity. However, most studies concentrate on a few species and their vein variation across horizontal spatial scale, we know little about how vein traits shift along the vertical scale, e.g., elevational gradient along a mountain, and how such patterns are shaped by plant types and environmental factors. Here, we aimed to investigate the variation in leaf vein traits (i.e., vein density, VD; vein thickness, VT; and vein volume per unit leaf area, VV) of 93 woody species distributed along an elevational gradient (1,374-3,375 m) in a temperate mountain in China. Our results showed that altitude-related trends differed between growth forms. Tree plants from higher altitudes had lower VD but higher VT and VV than those from lower altitude; however, the opposite tend was observed in VD of shrubs, and no significant altitudinal changes in their VT or VV. Plant phylogenetic information at the clade level rather than climate explained most of variation in three leaf vein traits (17.1-86.6% vs. <0.011-6.3% explained variance), supporting the phylogenetic conservatism hypothesis for leaf vein traits. Moreover, the phylogenetic effects on vein traits differed between trees and shrubs, with the vein traits of trees being relatively more conserved. Together, our study provides new picture of leaf vein variation along the altitude, and highlights the importance of taking plant phylogeny into consideration when discussing trait variation from an ecological to a biogeographic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruili Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, China
| | - Haoxuan Chen
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xinrui Liu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhibo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
| | - Jingwen Wen
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Shuoxin Zhang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, China
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Bardgett RD, Caruso T. Soil microbial community responses to climate extremes: resistance, resilience and transitions to alternative states. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190112. [PMID: 31983338 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge for advancing our understanding of the functional role of soil microbial communities is to link changes in their structure and function under climate change. To address this challenge requires new understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the capacity of soil microbial communities to resist and recover from climate extremes. Here, we synthesize emerging understanding of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the resistance and resilience of soil microbial communities to climate extremes, with a focus on drought, and identify drivers that might trigger abrupt changes to alternative states. We highlight research challenges and propose a path for advancing our understanding of the resistance and resilience of soil microbial communities to climate extremes, and of their vulnerability to transitions to alternative states, including the use of trait-based approaches. We identify a need for new approaches to quantify resistance and resilience of soil microbial communities, and to identify thresholds for transitions to alternative states. We show how high-resolution time series coupled with gradient designs will enable detecting response patterns to interacting drivers. Finally, to account for extrinsic factors, we suggest that future studies should use environmental gradients to track soil microbial community responses to climate extremes in space and time. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D Bardgett
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Tancredi Caruso
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK.,School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Grossiord C, Christoffersen B, Alonso-Rodríguez AM, Anderson-Teixeira K, Asbjornsen H, Aparecido LMT, Carter Berry Z, Baraloto C, Bonal D, Borrego I, Burban B, Chambers JQ, Christianson DS, Detto M, Faybishenko B, Fontes CG, Fortunel C, Gimenez BO, Jardine KJ, Kueppers L, Miller GR, Moore GW, Negron-Juarez R, Stahl C, Swenson NG, Trotsiuk V, Varadharajan C, Warren JM, Wolfe BT, Wei L, Wood TE, Xu C, McDowell NG. Precipitation mediates sap flux sensitivity to evaporative demand in the neotropics. Oecologia 2019; 191:519-530. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04513-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Vitra A, Deléglise C, Meisser M, Risch AC, Signarbieux C, Lamacque L, Delzon S, Buttler A, Mariotte P. Responses of plant leaf economic and hydraulic traits mediate the effects of early- and late-season drought on grassland productivity. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz023. [PMID: 31065332 PMCID: PMC6499892 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Drought can occur at different times during the grassland growing season, likely having contrasting effects on forage production when happening early or later in the season. However, knowledge about the interacting effects of the timing of drought and the development stage of the vegetation during the growing season is still scarce, thus limiting our ability to accurately predict forage quantity losses. To investigate plant community responses to drought seasonality (early- vs. late-season), we established a drought experiment in two permanent grasslands of the Swiss Jura Mountains that are used for forage production. We measured three plant functional traits, including two leaf traits related to plant economics (specific leaf area, SLA; leaf dry matter content, LDMC) and one hydraulic trait related to physiological function (predicted percentage loss of hydraulic conductance, PLCp), of the most abundant species, and plant above-ground biomass production. Plant species composition was also determined to calculate community-weighted mean (CWM) traits. First, we observed that CWM trait values strongly varied during the growing season. Second, we found that late-season drought had stronger effects on CWM trait values than early-season drought and that the plant hydraulic trait was the most variable functional trait. Using a structural equation model, we also showed that reduction in soil moisture had no direct impacts on above-ground biomass production. Instead, we observed that the drought-induced decrease in above-ground biomass production was mediated by a higher CWM PLCp (i.e. higher risk of hydraulic failure) and lower CWM SLA under drought. Change in CWM SLA in response to drought was the best predictor of community above-ground biomass production. Our findings reveal the importance of drought timing together with the plant trait responses to assess drought impacts on grassland biomass production and suggest that incorporating these factors into mechanistic models could considerably improve predictions of climate change impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarante Vitra
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claire Deléglise
- Agroscope, Grazing Systems Group, Route de Duillier, Nyon, Switzerland
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, LESSEM, Grenoble, France
| | - Marco Meisser
- Agroscope, Grazing Systems Group, Route de Duillier, Nyon, Switzerland
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Community Ecology, Zuercherstrasse, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Constant Signarbieux
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lia Lamacque
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Switzerland
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRA, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- ITEIPMAI, Domaine de la Vesc, Montboucher-sur-Jabron, France
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- UMR BIOGECO, INRA–UB, University of Bordeaux 1, Bat, Talence, France
| | - Alexandre Buttler
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, UFR des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Pierre Mariotte
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Site Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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50
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Kohli BA, Rowe RJ. Beyond guilds: the promise of continuous traits for mammalian functional diversity. J Mammal 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brooks A Kohli
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Rebecca J Rowe
- Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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