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Freedman MG, Long RW, Ramírez SR, Strauss SY. Evidence for Reductions in Physical and Chemical Plant Defense Traits in Island Flora. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1026. [PMID: 38611555 PMCID: PMC11013342 DOI: 10.3390/plants13071026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Reduced defense against large herbivores has been suggested to be part of the "island syndrome" in plants. However, empirical evidence for this pattern is mixed. In this paper, we present two studies that compare putative physical and chemical defense traits from plants on the California Channel Islands and nearby mainland based on sampling of both field and common garden plants. In the first study, we focus on five pairs of woody shrubs from three island and three mainland locations and find evidence for increased leaf area, decreased marginal leaf spines, and decreased concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides in island plants. We observed similar increases in leaf area and decreases in defense traits when comparing island and mainland genotypes grown together in botanic gardens, suggesting that trait differences are not solely driven by abiotic differences between island and mainland sites. In the second study, we conducted a common garden experiment with a perennial herb-Stachys bullata (Lamiaceae)-collected from two island and four mainland locations. Compared to their mainland relatives, island genotypes show highly reduced glandular trichomes and a nearly 100-fold reduction in mono- and sesquiterpene compounds from leaf surfaces. Island genotypes also had significantly higher specific leaf area, somewhat lower rates of gas exchange, and greater aboveground biomass than mainland genotypes across two years of study, potentially reflecting a broader shift in growth habit. Together, our results provide evidence for reduced expression of putative defense traits in island plants, though these results may reflect adaptation to both biotic (i.e., the historical absence of large herbivores) and climatic conditions on islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah G. Freedman
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Randall W. Long
- Department of Biology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR 97219, USA
| | - Santiago R. Ramírez
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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2
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Pringle RM, Abraham JO, Anderson TM, Coverdale TC, Davies AB, Dutton CL, Gaylard A, Goheen JR, Holdo RM, Hutchinson MC, Kimuyu DM, Long RA, Subalusky AL, Veldhuis MP. Impacts of large herbivores on terrestrial ecosystems. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R584-R610. [PMID: 37279691 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Large herbivores play unique ecological roles and are disproportionately imperiled by human activity. As many wild populations dwindle towards extinction, and as interest grows in restoring lost biodiversity, research on large herbivores and their ecological impacts has intensified. Yet, results are often conflicting or contingent on local conditions, and new findings have challenged conventional wisdom, making it hard to discern general principles. Here, we review what is known about the ecosystem impacts of large herbivores globally, identify key uncertainties, and suggest priorities to guide research. Many findings are generalizable across ecosystems: large herbivores consistently exert top-down control of plant demography, species composition, and biomass, thereby suppressing fires and the abundance of smaller animals. Other general patterns do not have clearly defined impacts: large herbivores respond to predation risk but the strength of trophic cascades is variable; large herbivores move vast quantities of seeds and nutrients but with poorly understood effects on vegetation and biogeochemistry. Questions of the greatest relevance for conservation and management are among the least certain, including effects on carbon storage and other ecosystem functions and the ability to predict outcomes of extinctions and reintroductions. A unifying theme is the role of body size in regulating ecological impact. Small herbivores cannot fully substitute for large ones, and large-herbivore species are not functionally redundant - losing any, especially the largest, will alter net impact, helping to explain why livestock are poor surrogates for wild species. We advocate leveraging a broad spectrum of techniques to mechanistically explain how large-herbivore traits and environmental context interactively govern the ecological impacts of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Joel O Abraham
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - T Michael Anderson
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC 27109, USA
| | - Tyler C Coverdale
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Jacob R Goheen
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Matthew C Hutchinson
- Department of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Duncan M Kimuyu
- Department of Natural Resources, Karatina University, Karatina, Kenya
| | - Ryan A Long
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Amanda L Subalusky
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michiel P Veldhuis
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
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Mamut J, Huang DH, Qiu J, Tan DY. Stamen curvature and temporal flower closure assure reproductive success in an early-spring-flowering perennial in the cold desert of Middle Asia. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2023; 136:33-45. [PMID: 36471197 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-022-01428-2] [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: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Floral organ movements that ensure autonomous selfing are likely to occur in species that grow in habitats with pollinator scarcity and/or an unpredictable environment. Stamen curvature and temporal flower closure are two important floral behaviors that can influence plant pollination mode and reproductive success. However, both behaviors are rarely reported within a species, and little is known about how these two movements of floral organs ensure reproductive success in an unpredictable early spring environment with few pollinators. The aim of this study was to assess whether stamen curvature and temporal flower closure ensure successful reproduction of Leontice incerta in its cold desert habitat. Flowering phenology, floral traits, stamen curvature patterns and flower visitors were surveyed. The breeding system, capacity and timing for autonomous selfing were estimated by pollination manipulations. The timing of floral opening and closure, and benefits of temporal flower closure were determined. We found that flowering of L. incerta began in late March to early April in two populations in two years, and the yellow flowers had neither nectar nor scent. Floral visitation occurred very rarely, but bees (Colletes sp.) were potential pollinators. Fruit and seed set of open and bagged flowers did not differ significantly from that of self-pollinated or cross-pollinated flowers. However, removal of stamens significantly decreased seed set. Self-pollination occurs when the stamens curve and anthers touch the stigma autonomously, suggesting autonomous selfing assurance of seed production in this self-compatible species. Both fruit and seed set of flowers that were prevented from closing were significantly lower than those of control flowers and closed flowers treated with simulated rain treatment. Therefore, stamen curvature and temporal floral closure can ensure successful sexual reproduction of L. incerta in early spring in the cold desert, where lack of pollinators otherwise may lead to pollination failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannathan Mamut
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Western Arid Region Grassland Resources and Ecology, College of Grassland Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China
| | - Dai-Hong Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China
| | - Juan Qiu
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China
| | - Dun-Yan Tan
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China.
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Western Arid Region Grassland Resources and Ecology, College of Grassland Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi, 830052, China.
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Lefebvre T, Charles-Dominique T, Tomlinson KW. Trunk spines of trees: a physical defence against bark removal and climbing by mammals? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:541-554. [PMID: 35199147 PMCID: PMC9007100 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The defensive role of spines has previously been related to leaves, young shoots and reproductive organs. However, some woody species harbour spines on their trunks where none of those organs are present. Several explanations are plausible: they could be (1) climbing aids, (2) remnants from defence of leaves or reproductive organs during an earlier development phase, or (3) an as-yet undescribed defence. Here we investigate whether they could play a role against either bark feeding or preventing climbing animals accessing food resources in the tree canopy. METHODS We described 31 woody species with spines on their trunk, growing in a botanical garden, to test whether morphological strategies could be identified and suggest what could be their most likely function. As testing their function is difficult experimentally for large pools of species, we performed virtual experiments to evaluate the potential roles of trunk spines against bark removal and climbing animals of different sizes. We then compared for each species and their confamilial non-spiny species the nutritional profiles of leaf, bark and reproductive organs to test whether trunk spines were associated with a nutritious organ (more likely targeted by herbivores). KEY RESULTS We identified four morphological syndromes of trunk spines. Two corresponded to already known functions (anchorage for lianas and crown defence against large ground mammals), and two strategies are newly described trait syndromes with traits suggesting a defence against bark feeding and climbing mammals. By simulation, we show how each strategy could translate into defence against debarking and prevent herbivores from climbing. CONCLUSIONS We identified trunk spine strategies and the criteria to classify them, their most likely function and the likely feeding mode and size of animal against which different trunk spine strategies may be effective. We discuss further perspectives for testing their function and their ecological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théodore Lefebvre
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Kyle W Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
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5
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Biddick M. Scale-dependent trends in the investment of leaf domatia. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Theory predicts that plants invest in defences proportional to the value or amount of tissue at risk. Domatia-bearing plants house predatory arthropods that defend against insect and fungal attack. Though leaf domatia represent a direct investment in the defence of leaf tissues, it remains unknown whether domatia production scales with amount of tissue at risk. I investigated how domatia investment scales with leaf size in 20 species of trees and shrubs from the south-west Pacific. Large-leaved species produced more domatia than smaller leaved species. However, domatia production did not consistently scale with leaf area among individuals of the same species, illustrating that trends in domatia investment are scale-dependent. Overall results suggest the processes modulating the allocation of resources to defence at the interspecific level are distinct from those operating at the intraspecific level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Biddick
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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6
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Anest A, Charles-Dominique T, Maurin O, Millan M, Edelin C, Tomlinson KW. Evolving the structure: climatic and developmental constraints on the evolution of plant architecture. A case study in Euphorbia. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1278-1295. [PMID: 33629359 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant architecture strongly influences ecological performance, yet its role in plant evolution has not been explored in depth. By testing both phylogenetic and environmental signals, it is possible to separate architectural traits into four categories: development constraints (phylogenetic signal only); convergences (environmental dependency only); key confluences to the environmental driver (both); unknown (neither). We analysed the evolutionary history of the genus Euphorbia, a model clade with both high architectural diversity and a wide environmental range. We conducted comparative analyses of 193 Euphorbia species world-wide using 73 architectural traits, a dated phylogeny, and climate data. We identified 14 architectural types in Euphorbia based on trait combinations. We found 22 traits and three types representing convergences under climate groups, 21 traits and four types showing phylogenetic signal but no relation to climate, and 16 traits and five types with both climate and phylogenetic signals. Major drivers of architectural trait evolution likely include water stress in deserts (selected for succulence, continuous branching), frost disturbance in temperate systems (selected for simple, prostrate, short-lived shoots) and light competition (selected for arborescence). Simple architectures allowed resilience to disturbance, and frequent transitions into new forms. Complex architectures with functional specialisation developed under stable climates but have low evolvability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artémis Anest
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | | | - Olivier Maurin
- Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology, Plant and Fungal Trees of Life, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Mathieu Millan
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag X3, WITS, 2050, South Africa
- Global Change Biology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Claude Edelin
- French Institute of Pondicherry, No. 11, Post Box No. 33, Saint Louis Street, Pondicherry, 605 001, India
- UMR AMAP, CIRAD - TA A51/PS2, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34398, France
| | - Kyle W Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
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7
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Morán-Velázquez DC, Monribot-Villanueva JL, Bourdon M, Tang JZ, López-Rosas I, Maceda-López LF, Villalpando-Aguilar JL, Rodríguez-López L, Gauthier A, Trejo L, Azadi P, Vilaplana F, Guerrero-Analco JA, Alatorre-Cobos F. Unravelling Chemical Composition of Agave Spines: News from Agave fourcroydes Lem. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9121642. [PMID: 33255527 PMCID: PMC7759909 DOI: 10.3390/plants9121642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Spines are key plant modifications developed to deal against herbivores; however, its physical structure and chemical composition have been little explored in plant species. Here, we took advantage of high-throughput chromatography to characterize chemical composition of Agave fourcroydes Lem. spines, a species traditionally used for fiber extraction. Analyses of structural carbohydrate showed that spines have lower cellulose content than leaf fibers (52 and 72%, respectively) but contain more than 2-fold the hemicellulose and 1.5-fold pectin. Xylose and galacturonic acid were enriched in spines compared to fibers. The total lignin content in spines was 1.5-fold higher than those found in fibers, with elevated levels of syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) subunits but similar S/G ratios within tissues. Metabolomic profiling based on accurate mass spectrometry revealed the presence of phenolic compounds including quercetin, kaempferol, (+)-catechin, and (-)-epicatechin in A. fourcroydes spines, which were also detected in situ in spines tissues and could be implicated in the color of these plants' structures. Abundance of (+)-catechins could also explain proanthocyanidins found in spines. Agave spines may become a plant model to obtain more insights about cellulose and lignin interactions and condensed tannin deposition, which is valuable knowledge for the bioenergy industry and development of naturally dyed fibers, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia C. Morán-Velázquez
- Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltunchén-Edzná km 17.5, Sihochac, Campeche 24450, Mexico; (D.C.M.-V.); (L.F.M.-L.); (L.R.-L.)
| | - Juan L. Monribot-Villanueva
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAV), Instituto de Ecología A. C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa 91070, Mexico;
| | - Matthieu Bourdon
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK;
| | - John Z. Tang
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (J.Z.T.); (P.A.)
| | - Itzel López-Rosas
- CONACYT-Research Fellow Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltunchén-Edzná km 17.5, Sihochac, Campeche 24450, Mexico;
| | - Luis F. Maceda-López
- Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltunchén-Edzná km 17.5, Sihochac, Campeche 24450, Mexico; (D.C.M.-V.); (L.F.M.-L.); (L.R.-L.)
| | | | - Lorena Rodríguez-López
- Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltunchén-Edzná km 17.5, Sihochac, Campeche 24450, Mexico; (D.C.M.-V.); (L.F.M.-L.); (L.R.-L.)
| | - Adrien Gauthier
- UniLaSalle—AGHYLE Research Unit UP 2018.C101, 3 Rue du Tronquet—CS 40118-76134, 76134 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France;
| | - Laura Trejo
- CONACYT-Research Fellow Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Cultivo de Tejidos Vegetales, Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Santa Cruz, Tlaxcala 90640, Mexico;
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (J.Z.T.); (P.A.)
| | - Francisco Vilaplana
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - José A. Guerrero-Analco
- Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados (REMAV), Instituto de Ecología A. C. Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa 91070, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (J.A.G.-A.); (F.A.-C.)
| | - Fulgencio Alatorre-Cobos
- CONACYT-Research Fellow Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Campeche, Carretera Haltunchén-Edzná km 17.5, Sihochac, Campeche 24450, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (J.A.G.-A.); (F.A.-C.)
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8
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Zhou NN, Tang KX, Jeauffre J, Thouroude T, Arias DCL, Foucher F, Oyant LHS. Genetic determinism of prickles in rose. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2020; 133:3017-3035. [PMID: 32734323 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-020-03652-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE The genetic determinism of prickle in rose is complex, with a major locus on LG3 that controls the absence/presence of prickles on the rose stem. Rose is one of the major ornamental plants. The selection of glabrous cultivars is an important breeding target but remains a difficult task due to our limited genetic knowledge. Our objective was to understand the genetic and molecular determinism of prickles. Using a segregating diploid rose F1 population, we detected two types of prickles (glandular and non-glandular) in the progeny. We scored the number of non-glandular prickles on the floral and main stems for three years. We performed QTL analysis and detected four prickle loci on LG1, 3, 4 and 6. We determined the credible interval on the reference genome. The QTL on LG3 is a major locus that controls the presence of prickles, and three QTLs (LG3, 4 and 1) may be responsible for prickle density. We further revealed that glabrous hybrids are caused by the combination of the two recessive alleles from both parents. In order to test whether rose prickles could originate from a 'trichome-like structure,' we used a candidate approach to characterize rose gene homologues known in Arabidopsis, involved in trichome initiation. Four of these homologues were located within the overlapping credible interval of the detected QTLs. Transcript accumulation analysis weakly supports the involvement of trichome homologous genes, in the molecular control of prickle initiation. Our studies provide strong evidence for a complex genetic determinism of stem prickle and could help to establish guidelines for glabrous rose breeding. New insights into the relationship between prickles and trichomes constitute valuable information for reverse genetic research on prickles.
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Affiliation(s)
- N N Zhou
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France.
- National Engineering Research Center for Ornamental Horticulture; Flower Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, 650231, China.
| | - K X Tang
- National Engineering Research Center for Ornamental Horticulture; Flower Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, 650231, China
| | - J Jeauffre
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France
| | - T Thouroude
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France
| | - D C Lopez Arias
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France
| | - F Foucher
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France
| | - L Hibrand-Saint Oyant
- INRAE, GDO-IRHS (Genetics and Diversity of Ornamental Plants, Institut de Recherche en Horticulture Et Semences), Université D'Angers, Agrocampus-Ouest, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49071, Angers, France
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9
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Liu K, Mansor A, Ruppert N, Fadzly N. Rattan spines as deterrence? A spinescence study on different species of rattans. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1795393. [PMID: 32693670 PMCID: PMC8550532 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1795393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Rattan spines are most often regarded as an identification trait and perhaps as a physical protection structure. In this study, we study the spinescence traits from five different species rattan: Daemonorops lewisiana, Daemonorops geniculata, Calamus castaneus, Plectomia griffithii, and Korthalsia scortechinii. We tested length, width, angle, strength, spine density, cross-section surface, spine color, and leaf trichomes (only for D. lewisiana, C. castaneus and D. geniculata). We also tested whether the spines were capable of deterring small climbing mammals (for Plectomia griffithii and Calamus castaneus) by using a choice selection experiment. Due to a variety of spine traits, we could not categorize whether any species is more or less spinescent than the others. We suggest that spines have a much more significant role than merely as a physical defense and work together with other rattan characteristics. This is also evidenced by our choice selection experiment, in which the spines on a single stem donot deter small climbing mammals. However, this is a work in progress, and we have outlined several alternative methods to be used in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunpeng Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Asyraf Mansor
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Nik Fadzly
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
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10
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Ottaviani G, Keppel G, Götzenberger L, Harrison S, Opedal ØH, Conti L, Liancourt P, Klimešová J, Silveira FAO, Jiménez-Alfaro B, Negoita L, Doležal J, Hájek M, Ibanez T, Méndez-Castro FE, Chytrý M. Linking Plant Functional Ecology to Island Biogeography. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:329-339. [PMID: 31953170 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The study of insular systems has a long history in ecology and biogeography. Island plants often differ remarkably from their noninsular counterparts, constituting excellent models for exploring eco-evolutionary processes. Trait-based approaches can help to answer important questions in island biogeography, yet plant trait patterns on islands remain understudied. We discuss three key hypotheses linking functional ecology to island biogeography: (i) plants in insular systems are characterized by distinct functional trait syndromes (compared with noninsular environments); (ii) these syndromes differ between true islands and terrestrial habitat islands; and (iii) island characteristics influence trait syndromes in a predictable manner. We are convinced that implementing trait-based comparative approaches would considerably further our understanding of plant ecology and evolution in insular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gunnar Keppel
- School of Natural and Built Environments, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Lars Götzenberger
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Susan Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Øystein H Opedal
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luisa Conti
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic; Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jitka Klimešová
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fernando A O Silveira
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Luka Negoita
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Jiří Doležal
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Tree Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Michal Hájek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Ibanez
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA
| | | | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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11
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Fensham RJ, Laffineur B, Rhodes JR, Silcock JL. Rare plant species do not occupy water-remote refuges in arid environments subject to livestock grazing. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01911. [PMID: 31017349 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In many of the world's arid regions there has been a dramatic increase in grazing pressure with herds of livestock sustained by the provision of artificial water points. In these systems it has been suggested that grazing-sensitive plant species will have contracted to refuges distant from water points where grazing impacts are low. This association was tested using a large data set of presence/absence records for rare plant species throughout the northeastern Australian arid zone. The presence records of only one of 45 species were statistically associated with lower grazing activity, as a function of distance-to-water, than the absence records. The field observation that this species is rarely grazed suggests it is not susceptible to grazing pressure. In general, the study supports assertions that populations of short-lived plants in drylands are resilient in the face of exaggerated livestock grazing because herbivores are not in sufficient densities to have an impact during the sporadic periods of high rainfall when plants can complete their life cycles. However, long-lived palatable species may be extinction-prone in grazed landscapes over long time frames if recruitment is curtailed by grazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roderick J Fensham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
| | - Boris Laffineur
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jonathan R Rhodes
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Silcock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Department of Environment and Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, 4066, Queensland, Australia
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12
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Monroy P, García-Verdugo C. Testing the hypothesis of loss of defenses on islands across a wide latitudinal gradient of Periploca laevigata populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:303-312. [PMID: 30742704 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY We tested a hypothesis that predicts loss of chemical defenses on island plant populations (LCDIH) as an evolutionary response to limited herbivore pressures. METHODS Using a common garden approach, we grew 16 populations (N = 286 seedlings) of Periploca laevigata, a Mediterranean shrub for which previous studies suggested that animal browsing elicits defensive responses mediated by tannins. Our experimental setting represented a wide latitudinal gradient (37-15°N) encompassing three island systems, virtually free of large herbivores, and three mainland areas. Putative chemical defenses were estimated from tannin-protein precipitation assays, and inducible responses in growth and chemical traits were assessed between seasons and by subjecting plants to a pruning treatment. KEY RESULTS We failed to find support for the LCDIH, since island populations (Canary Islands, Cape Verde) had increasingly higher constitutive levels of tannins at lower latitudes. Seasonality, but not experimental pruning, induced variation in levels of tannins in a consistent pattern across populations. Thus, net differences in leaf tannin concentration remained similar among geographical areas regardless of the factor considered, with latitude being the best explanatory factor for this trait over seasonal growth patterns. CONCLUSIONS Geographical variation in total tannin pools appears to be mediated by factors other than herbivore pressure in P. laevigata. We hypothesize that abiotic correlates of latitude not considered in our study have promoted high constitutive levels of leaf tannins across Macaronesian populations, which ultimately may explain the pattern of seasonal variation and latitudinal increase from Mediterranean to subtropical Cape Verde populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Monroy
- Departamento de Biodiversidad Molecular y Banco de ADN, Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo' - Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Camino del Palmeral 15 de Tafira Alta, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Verdugo
- Departamento de Biodiversidad Molecular y Banco de ADN, Jardín Botánico Canario 'Viera y Clavijo' - Unidad Asociada CSIC, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Camino del Palmeral 15 de Tafira Alta, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
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13
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Silva-Luz CLD, Pirani JR, Mitchell JD, Daly D, Capelli NDV, Demarco D, Pell SK, Plunkett GM. Phylogeny of Schinus L. (Anacardiaceae) with a new infrageneric classification and insights into evolution of spinescence and floral traits. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018; 133:302-351. [PMID: 30326286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Schinus, best known by its few cultivated and invasive species, is the largest genus of Anacardiaceae in southern South America. It is remarkably diverse compared to closely related genera, with approximately 42 species, most of which occur in several arid vegetation types and extend into Andean and Atlantic moist forests. The most comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus dates to 1957, recognizing S. subg. Schinus and S. subg. Duvaua, the latter of which were further divided into two sections. Subsequent studies have highlighted morphological inconsistencies in this infrageneric classification, and species delimitation remains a challenge. Schinus has been poorly sampled in previous phylogenetic studies of Anacardiaceae, and thus any assumptions about its monophyly and relationships remain untested. We investigated the phylogenetic relationships of 44 Schinus taxa and sampled 122 specimens, including the outgroup, using nine nuclear and two plastid DNA sequence regions, most of them developed recently for Commiphora (Burseraceae, sister to Anacardiaceae). We used maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference to infer relationships among species. We also constructed a morphological dataset, including vegetative anatomical features, and compared these characters to hypotheses based on molecular evidence in order to achieve a better understanding of the relationships among the species of Schinus and to related genera, aiming also to identify morphological characters and putative synapomorphies for major clades, and to discuss hypotheses regarding the evolution of structural traits in the genus. Our analyses strongly support the monophyly of Schinus, but also indicate that S. subg. Schinus and the sections of S. subg. Duvaua are polyphyletic. The phylogenetic relationships that emerged from our analyses include eight relatively well-supported lineages, but relationships among closely related species remain unclear in some clades. Ancestral state reconstructions demonstrate that several morphological and leaf-anatomical characters are valuable in characterizing some lineages. By contrast, most of the traits that have traditionally been used to circumscribe groups in Schinus show high levels of homoplasy. In light of these results, we present a novel sectional classification of Schinus based on a combination of character states associated with geographic distribution, corresponding to lineages that are mostly allopatric or at least ecologically distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cíntia Luíza da Silva-Luz
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de São Paulo, Herbário SPF, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - José Rubens Pirani
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de São Paulo, Herbário SPF, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - John Daniel Mitchell
- Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Douglas Daly
- Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Natalie do Valle Capelli
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de São Paulo, Herbário SPF, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Diego Demarco
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de São Paulo, Herbário SPF, Rua do Matão 277, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Susan K Pell
- United States Botanic Garden, 245 First St. SW, Washington, DC 20515, USA
| | - Gregory M Plunkett
- Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
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14
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Galetti M, Moleón M, Jordano P, Pires MM, Guimarães PR, Pape T, Nichols E, Hansen D, Olesen JM, Munk M, de Mattos JS, Schweiger AH, Owen-Smith N, Johnson CN, Marquis RJ, Svenning JC. Ecological and evolutionary legacy of megafauna extinctions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:845-862. [PMID: 28990321 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
For hundreds of millions of years, large vertebrates (megafauna) have inhabited most of the ecosystems on our planet. During the late Quaternary, notably during the Late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, Earth experienced a rapid extinction of large, terrestrial vertebrates. While much attention has been paid to understanding the causes of this massive megafauna extinction, less attention has been given to understanding the impacts of loss of megafauna on other organisms with whom they interacted. In this review, we discuss how the loss of megafauna disrupted and reshaped ecological interactions, and explore the ecological consequences of the ongoing decline of large vertebrates. Numerous late Quaternary extinct species of predators, parasites, commensals and mutualistic partners were associated with megafauna and were probably lost due to their strict dependence upon them (co-extinctions). Moreover, many extant species have megafauna-adapted traits that provided evolutionary benefits under past megafauna-rich conditions, but are now of no or limited use (anachronisms). Morphological evolution and behavioural changes allowed some of these species partially to overcome the absence of megafauna. Although the extinction of megafauna led to a number of co-extinction events, several species that likely co-evolved with megafauna established new interactions with humans and their domestic animals. Species that were highly specialized in interactions with megafauna, such as large predators, specialized parasites, and large commensalists (e.g. scavengers, dung beetles), and could not adapt to new hosts or prey were more likely to die out. Partners that were less megafauna dependent persisted because of behavioural plasticity or by shifting their dependency to humans via domestication, facilitation or pathogen spill-over, or through interactions with domestic megafauna. We argue that the ongoing extinction of the extant megafauna in the Anthropocene will catalyse another wave of co-extinctions due to the enormous diversity of key ecological interactions and functional roles provided by the megafauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Galetti
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP Brazil.,Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-SCIC, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain.,Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, EBD-SCIC, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mathias M Pires
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Paulo R Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Brazil
| | - Thomas Pape
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Dennis Hansen
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jens M Olesen
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Michael Munk
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jacqueline S de Mattos
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP Brazil
| | - Andreas H Schweiger
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Norman Owen-Smith
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Robert J Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, U.S.A
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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16
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Charles‐Dominique T, Barczi J, Le Roux E, Chamaillé‐Jammes S. The architectural design of trees protects them against large herbivores. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Charles‐Dominique
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Centre for Integrated Conservation, Community Ecology and Conservation Menglun 666303 Yunnan China
| | | | - Elizabeth Le Roux
- Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth Province of Eastern Cape South Africa
| | - Simon Chamaillé‐Jammes
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Université de Montpellier Université Paul Valéry Montpellier Ecole Pratiques des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
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17
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Abstract
Savannas first began to spread across Africa during the Miocene. A major hypothesis for explaining this vegetation change is the increase in C4 grasses, promoting fire. We investigated whether mammals could also have contributed to savanna expansion by using spinescence as a marker of mammal herbivory. Looking at the present distribution of 1,852 tree species, we established that spinescence is mainly associated with two functional types of mammals: large browsers and medium-sized mixed feeders. Using a dated phylogeny for the same tree species, we found that spinescence evolved at least 55 times. The diversification of spiny plants occurred long after the evolution of Afrotherian proboscideans and hyracoids. However, it is remarkably congruent with diversification of bovids, the lineage including the antelope that predominantly browse these plants today. Our findings suggest that herbivore-adapted savannas evolved several million years before fire-maintained savannas and probably, in different environmental conditions. Spiny savannas with abundant mammal herbivores occur in drier climates and on nutrient-rich soils, whereas fire-maintained savannas occur in wetter climates on nutrient-poor soils.
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18
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Burns KC. Size changes in island plants: independent trait evolution inAlyxia ruscifolia(Apocynaceae) on Lord Howe Island. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. C. Burns
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; P.O. Box 600 Wellington 6140 New Zealand
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19
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Prokop P, Fedor P. Why do flowers close at night? Experiments with the Lesser celandineFicaria vernaHuds (Ranunculaceae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavol Prokop
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Education; Trnava University; Priemyselná 4 918 43 Trnava Slovakia
- Institute of Zoology; Slovak Academy of Sciences; Dúbravská cesta 9 845 06 Bratislava Slovakia
| | - Peter Fedor
- Department of Environmental Ecology; Faculty of Natural Sciences; Comenius University; Mlynská dolina; Ilkovičova 6 842 15 Bratislava Slovakia
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