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Functional Traits and Local Environmental Conditions Determine Tropical Rain Forest Types at Microscale Level in Southern Ecuador. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15030420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to determine the heterogeneity of tropical mountain rain forests along a micro-altitudinal gradient scale, integrating species functional traits in the separation of communities. To achieve this, a forest area of 13 ha in the Biological Reserve of San Francisco was monitored. First, we performed non-metric multidimensional analyses, and afterwards, we looked for correlations between plot altitude and characteristics of the forest (basal area, the number of species, the number of trees ≥20 cm diameter at breast height, per hectare, the forest canopy opening) were associated. To determine which characteristics significantly influence the separation of forest “communities”, we used a multivariate canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Finally, we carried out the “Four Corners” analysis, combining abundance matrices, traits and environmental variables. We confirmed that the altitude and some associated characteristics are the key factors for the formation of two forest types. In addition, we determined that the inclusion of species functional traits confirms the separation of forest communities, and that elevation and its associated environmental variables function over relatively small areas and scales.
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Fadrique B, Baraloto C, Bravo‐Avila CH, Feeley KJ. Bamboo climatic tolerances are decoupled from leaf functional traits across an Andean elevation gradient. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Belen Fadrique
- School of Geography, Univ. of Leeds Leeds UK
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
| | | | - Catherine H. Bravo‐Avila
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Miami Miami FL USA
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
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Köpp Hollunder R, Garbin ML, Rubio Scarano F, Mariotte P. Regional and local determinants of drought resilience in tropical forests. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8943. [PMID: 35646321 PMCID: PMC9130645 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The increase in severity of droughts associated with greater mortality and reduced vegetation growth is one of the main threats to tropical forests. Drought resilience of tropical forests is affected by multiple biotic and abiotic factors varying at different scales. Identifying those factors can help understanding the resilience to ongoing and future climate change. Altitude leads to high climate variation and to different forest formations, principally moist or dry tropical forests with contrasted vegetation structure. Each tropical forest can show distinct responses to droughts. Locally, topography is also a key factor controlling biotic and abiotic factors related to drought resilience in each forest type. Here, we show that topography has key roles controlling biotic and abiotic factors in each forest type. The most important abiotic factors are soil nutrients, water availability, and microclimate. The most important biotic factors are leaf economic and hydraulic plant traits, and vegetation structure. Both dry tropical forests and ridges (steeper and drier habitats) are more sensitive to droughts than moist tropical forest and valleys (flatter and wetter habitats). The higher mortality in ridges suggests that conservative traits are not sufficient to protect plants from drought in drier steeper habitats. Our synthesis highlights that altitude and topography gradients are essential to understand mechanisms of tropical forest's resilience to future drought events. We described important factors related to drought resilience, however, many important knowledge gaps remain. Filling those gaps will help improve future practices and studies about mitigation capacity, conservation, and restoration of tropical ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Köpp Hollunder
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Mário Luís Garbin
- Departamento de Biologia Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde Alto Universitário Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Alegre Brazil
| | - Fabio Rubio Scarano
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazil
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Huang C, Xu Y, Zang R. Variation Patterns of Functional Trait Moments Along Geographical Gradients and Their Environmental Determinants in the Subtropical Evergreen Broadleaved Forests. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:686965. [PMID: 34322143 PMCID: PMC8311185 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.686965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how environmental change alters the composition of plant assemblages is a major challenge in the face of global climate change. Researches accounting for site-specific trait values within forest communities help bridge plant economics theory and functional biogeography to better evaluate and predict relationships between environment and ecosystem functioning. Here, by measuring six functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration, leaf nitrogen/phosphorus, wood density) for 292 woody plant species (48,680 individuals) from 250 established permanent forest dynamics plots in five locations across the subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests (SEBLF) in China, we quantified functional compositions of communities by calculating four trait moments, i.e., community-weighted mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis. The geographical (latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevational) patterns of functional trait moments and their environmental drivers were examined. Results showed that functional trait moments shifted significantly along the geographical gradients, and trait moments varied in different ways across different gradients. Plants generally showed coordinated trait shifts toward more conservative growth strategies (lower specific leaf area, leaf N and P concentration while higher leaf nitrogen/phosphorus and wood density) along increasing latitude and longitude. However, trends opposite to the latitudinal and longitudinal patterns appeared in trait mean values along elevation. The three sets of environmental variables (climate, soil and topography) explained 35.0-69.0%, 21.0-56.0%, 14.0-31.0%, and 16.0-30.0% of the variations in mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis across the six functional traits, respectively. Patterns of shifts in functional trait moments along geographical gradients in the subtropical region were mainly determined by the joint effects of climatic and edaphic conditions. Climate regimes, especially climate variability, were the strongest driving force, followed by soil nutrients, while topography played the least role. Moreover, the relationship of variance, skewness and kurtosis with climate and their geographical patterns suggested that rare phenotypes at edges of trait space were selected in harsher environments. Our study suggested that environmental filtering (especially climate variability) was the dominant process of functional assembly for forest communities in the subtropical region along geographical gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caishuang Huang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Vélez-Mora DP, Trigueros-Alatorre K, Quintana-Ascencio PF. Evidence of Morphological Divergence and Reproductive Isolation in a Narrow Elevation Gradient. Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Pierick K, Leuschner C, Homeier J. Topography as a factor driving small-scale variation in tree fine root traits and root functional diversity in a species-rich tropical montane forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:129-138. [PMID: 33278844 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the variation in tree fine root traits and their functional diversity along a local topographic gradient in a Neotropical montane forest to test if fine root trait variation along the gradient is consistent with the predictions of the root economics spectrum on a shift from acquisitive to conservative traits with decreasing resource supply. We measured five fine root functional traits in 179 randomly selected tree individuals of 100 species and analysed the variation of single traits (using Bayesian phylogenetic multilevel models) and of functional trait diversity with small-scale topography. Fine roots exhibited more conservative traits (thicker diameters, lower specific root length and nitrogen concentration) at upper slope compared with lower slope positions, but the largest proportion of variation (40-80%) was explained by species identity and phylogeny. Fine root functional diversity decreased towards the upper slopes. Our results suggest that local topography and the related soil fertility and moisture gradients cause considerable small-scale variation in fine root traits and functional diversity along tropical mountain slopes, with conservative root traits and greater trait convergence being associated with less favourable soil conditions due to environmental filtering. We provide evidence of a high degree of phylogenetic conservation in fine root traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Pierick
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
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Both S, Riutta T, Paine CET, Elias DMO, Cruz RS, Jain A, Johnson D, Kritzler UH, Kuntz M, Majalap-Lee N, Mielke N, Montoya Pillco MX, Ostle NJ, Arn Teh Y, Malhi Y, Burslem DFRP. Logging and soil nutrients independently explain plant trait expression in tropical forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1853-1865. [PMID: 30238458 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits regulate ecosystem functions but little is known about how co-occurring gradients of land use and edaphic conditions influence their expression. We test how gradients of logging disturbance and soil properties relate to community-weighted mean traits in logged and old-growth tropical forests in Borneo. We studied 32 physical, chemical and physiological traits from 284 tree species in eight 1 ha plots and measured long-term soil nutrient supplies and plant-available nutrients. Logged plots had greater values for traits that drive carbon capture and growth, whilst old-growth forests had greater values for structural and persistence traits. Although disturbance was the primary driver of trait expression, soil nutrients explained a statistically independent axis of variation linked to leaf size and nutrient concentration. Soil characteristics influenced trait expression via nutrient availability, nutrient pools, and pH. Our finding, that traits have dissimilar responses to land use and soil resource availability, provides robust evidence for the need to consider the abiotic context of logging when predicting plant functional diversity across human-modified tropical forests. The detection of two independent axes was facilitated by the measurement of many more functional traits than have been examined in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Both
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - C E Timothy Paine
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Dafydd M O Elias
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - R S Cruz
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Annuar Jain
- The South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), Danum Valley Field Centre, PO Box 60282, 91112, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Ully H Kritzler
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marianne Kuntz
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Noreen Majalap-Lee
- Forest Research Centre, Peti Surat 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Nora Mielke
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Milenka X Montoya Pillco
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Nicholas J Ostle
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - David F R P Burslem
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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Moreno CE, Calderón-Patrón JM, Martín-Regalado N, Martínez-Falcón AP, Ortega-Martínez IJ, Rios-Díaz CL, Rosas F. Measuring species diversity in the tropics: a review of methodological approaches and framework for future studies. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia E. Moreno
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Jaime M. Calderón-Patrón
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
- Instituto Tecnológico del Valle de Oaxaca; Ex-Hacienda de Nazareno C.P. 71230 Xococotlán, Oaxaca Mexico
| | - Natalia Martín-Regalado
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Ana P. Martínez-Falcón
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Ilse J. Ortega-Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Cecilia L. Rios-Díaz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
| | - Fernando Rosas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas; Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km 4.5 C.P. 42184 Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo Mexico
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Saavedra F, Hensen I, Apaza Quevedo A, Neuschulz EL, Schleuning M. Seed-deposition and recruitment patterns of Clusia species in a disturbed tropical montane forest in Bolivia. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Soboleski VF, Higuchi P, Silva ACD, Loebens R, Souza K, Buzzi Junior F, Lima CL, Cruz AP, Silva MAFD, Dallabrida JP. Variação de atributos funcionais do componente arbóreo em função de gradientes edáficos em uma floresta nebular no sul do Brasil. RODRIGUÉSIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860201768201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Resumo Objetivou-se investigar como a heterogeneidade ambiental influencia as variações espaciais dos atributos funcionais e a diversidade funcional do componente arbóreo em uma floresta nebular no sul do Brasil. Foram selecionadas as 19 espécies arbóreas mais abundantes identificadas em um inventário realizado em um fragmento florestal. As variáveis ambientais utilizadas foram obtidas de um trabalho prévio realizado na mesma área. Dessas espécies, foram obtidas a densidade da madeira, área foliar, área foliar específica, altura máxima potencial, deciduidade e síndrome de dispersão. Foram determinados os valores médios dos atributos ponderados para a comunidade e de diversidade funcional. Os dados ambientais foram ordenados por meio de Análise de Componentes Principais e modelos lineares foram ajustados relacionando os Componentes Principais significativos e os valores de atributos funcionais e de diversidade funcional. Enquanto os locais com maior fertilidade do solo favoreceram espécies com estratégias aquisitivas, representadas pela menor densidade da madeira e maior área foliar, e apresentaram maior diversidade funcional; os ambientes menos férteis favoreceram estratégias conservativas, representadas pela maior densidade da madeira e menor área foliar, e apresentaram uma menor diversidade funcional. Conclui-se que a floresta estudada apresentou o particionamento de habitats, em função de variações edáficas, por espécies com estratégias ecológicas distintas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Karine Souza
- Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brazil
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