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Litchman E, Villéger S, Zinger L, Auguet JC, Thuiller W, Munoz F, Kraft NJB, Philippot L, Violle C. Refocusing the microbial rare biosphere concept through a functional lens. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00143-5. [PMID: 38987022 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.06.005] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The influential concept of the rare biosphere in microbial ecology has underscored the importance of taxa occurring at low abundances yet potentially playing key roles in communities and ecosystems. Here, we refocus the concept of rare biosphere through a functional trait-based lens and provide a framework to characterize microbial functional rarity, a combination of numerical scarcity across space or time and trait distinctiveness. We demonstrate how this novel interpretation of the rare biosphere, rooted in microbial functions, can enhance our mechanistic understanding of microbial community structure. It also sheds light on functionally distinct microbes, directing conservation efforts towards taxa harboring rare yet ecologically crucial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Litchman
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA; Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA.
| | | | - Lucie Zinger
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Université Paris, Paris, France; Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), UMR 5300, CNRS, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - François Munoz
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LIPhy, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Nathan J B Kraft
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurent Philippot
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, INRAE, Institut Agro Dijon, Agroecology, Dijon, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Université Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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2
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Zhang X, Chen X, Ji Y, Wang R, Gao J. Forest Age Drives the Resource Utilization Indicators of Trees in Planted and Natural Forests in China. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:806. [PMID: 38592834 PMCID: PMC10976008 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) are key leaf functional traits commonly used to reflect tree resource utilization strategies and predict forest ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Previous research on tree resource utilization strategies (SLA and LDMC) primarily focused on the species level within limited spatial scales, making it crucial to quantify the spatial variability and driving factors of these strategies. Whether there are discrepancies in resource utilization strategies between trees in planted and natural forests, and the dominant factors and mechanisms influencing them, remain unclear. This study, based on field surveys and the literature from 2008 to 2020 covering 263 planted and 434 natural forests in China, using generalized additive models (GAMs) and structural equation models (SEMs), analyzes the spatial differences and dominant factors in tree resource utilization strategies between planted and natural forests. The results show that the SLA of planted forests is significantly higher than that of natural forests (p < 0.01), and LDMC is significantly lower (p < 0.0001), indicating a "faster investment-return" resource utilization strategy. As the mean annual high temperature (MAHT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) steadily rise, trees have adapted their resource utilization strategies, transitioning from a "conservative" survival tactic to a "rapid investment-return" model. Compared to natural forests, planted forest trees exhibit stronger environmental plasticity and greater variability with forest age in their resource utilization strategies. Overall, forest age is the dominant factor influencing resource utilization strategies in both planted and natural forests, having a far greater direct impact than climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunlight) and soil nutrient factors. Additionally, as forest age increases, both planted and natural forests show an increase in SLA and a decrease in LDMC, indicating a gradual shift towards more efficient resource utilization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Zhang
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; (X.Z.); (X.C.); (Y.J.)
| | - Xiaohong Chen
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; (X.Z.); (X.C.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yuhui Ji
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; (X.Z.); (X.C.); (Y.J.)
| | - Ru Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; (X.Z.); (X.C.); (Y.J.)
| | - Jie Gao
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China; (X.Z.); (X.C.); (Y.J.)
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100863, China
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3
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Kambach S, Attorre F, Axmanová I, Bergamini A, Biurrun I, Bonari G, Carranza ML, Chiarucci A, Chytrý M, Dengler J, Garbolino E, Golub V, Hickler T, Jandt U, Jansen J, Jiménez-Alfaro B, Karger DN, Lososová Z, Rašomavičius V, Rūsiņa S, Sieber P, Stanisci A, Thuiller W, Welk E, Zimmermann NE, Bruelheide H. Climate regulation processes are linked to the functional composition of plant communities in European forests, shrublands, and grasslands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17189. [PMID: 38375686 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Terrestrial ecosystems affect climate by reflecting solar irradiation, evaporative cooling, and carbon sequestration. Yet very little is known about how plant traits affect climate regulation processes (CRPs) in different habitat types. Here, we used linear and random forest models to relate the community-weighted mean and variance values of 19 plant traits (summarized into eight trait axes) to the climate-adjusted proportion of reflected solar irradiation, evapotranspiration, and net primary productivity across 36,630 grid cells at the European extent, classified into 10 types of forest, shrubland, and grassland habitats. We found that these trait axes were more tightly linked to log evapotranspiration (with an average of 6.2% explained variation) and the proportion of reflected solar irradiation (6.1%) than to net primary productivity (4.9%). The highest variation in CRPs was explained in forest and temperate shrubland habitats. Yet, the strength and direction of these relationships were strongly habitat-dependent. We conclude that any spatial upscaling of the effects of plant communities on CRPs must consider the relative contribution of different habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Kambach
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Fabio Attorre
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Irena Axmanová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ariel Bergamini
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Idoia Biurrun
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Maria Laura Carranza
- Envixlab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Chiarucci
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jürgen Dengler
- Vegetation Ecology Research Group, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR), Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Wädenswil, Switzerland
- Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Hickler
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ute Jandt
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Jansen
- Department of Ecology and Physiology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
- IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (Univ. Oviedo-CSIC-Princ. Asturias), University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | | | - Zdeňka Lososová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Solvita Rūsiņa
- Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Petra Sieber
- Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Stanisci
- Envixlab, Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Erik Welk
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Helge Bruelheide
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Golivets M, Knapp S, Essl F, Lenzner B, Latombe G, Leung B, Kühn I. Future changes in key plant traits across Central Europe vary with biogeographical status, woodiness, and habitat type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167954. [PMID: 37866591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits covary with environmental gradients, reflecting shifts in adaptive strategies and thus informing about potential consequences of future environmental change for vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the evidence of trait-environment relationships (TERs) remains too heterogeneous for reliable predictions, partially due to insufficient consideration of trait syndromes specific to certain growth forms and habitats. Moreover, it is still unclear whether non-native and native plants' traits align similarly along environmental gradients, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of future plant invasions. Using a Bayesian multilevel modelling framework, we assess TERs for native and non-native woody and herbaceous plants across six broad habitat types in Central Europe at a resolution of c. 130 km2 and use them to project trait change under future environmental change scenarios until 2081-2100. We model TERs between three key plant traits (maximum height, Hmax; specific leaf area, SLA; seed mass, SM) and individual environmental factors (7 climate variables and % urban land cover) and estimate trait change summed across all environmental effects. We also quantify the change in the average trait difference between native and non-native plants. Our models depict multiple TERs, with important differences attributed to biogeographical status and woodiness within and across habitat types. The overall magnitude of trait change is projected to be greater for non-native than native taxa and to increase under more extreme scenarios. Native woody plant assemblages may generally experience a future increase across all three traits, whereas woody non-natives may decline in Hmax and increase in SLA and SM. Herbaceous Hmax is estimated to increase and SLA to decrease in most habitats. The obtained trait projections highlight conditions of competitive advantage of non-native plants over natives and vice versa and can serve as starting points for projecting future changes in ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Golivets
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Lenzner
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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5
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Mahanes SA, Sorte CJB, Bracken MES. The functional effects of a dominant consumer are altered following the loss of a dominant producer. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10342. [PMID: 37546568 PMCID: PMC10396790 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human impacts on ecosystems are resulting in unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss worldwide. The loss of species results in the loss of the multiple roles that each species plays or functions (i.e., "ecosystem multifunctionality") that it provides. A more comprehensive understanding of the effects of species on ecosystem multifunctionality is necessary for assessing the ecological impacts of species loss. We studied the effects of two dominant intertidal species, a primary producer (the seaweed Neorhodomela oregona) and a consumer (the shellfish Mytilus trossulus), on 12 ecosystem functions in a coastal ecosystem, both in undisturbed tide pools and following the removal of the dominant producer. We modified analytical methods used in biodiversity-multifunctionality studies to investigate the potential effects of individual dominant species on ecosystem function. The effects of the two dominant species from different trophic levels tended to differ in directionality (+/-) consistently (92% of the time) across the 12 individual functions considered. Using averaging and multiple threshold approaches, we found that the dominant consumer-but not the dominant producer-was associated with ecosystem multifunctionality. Additionally, the relationship between abundance and multifunctionality differed depending on whether the dominant producer was present, with a negative relationship between the dominant consumer and ecosystem function with the dominant producer present compared to a non-significant, positive trend where the producer had been removed. Our findings suggest that interactions among dominant species can drive ecosystem function. The results of this study highlight the utility of methods previously used in biodiversity-focused research for studying functional contributions of individual species, as well as the importance of species abundance and identity in driving ecosystem multifunctionality, in the context of species loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A. Mahanes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cascade J. B. Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Matthew E. S. Bracken
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
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6
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Da R, Fan C, Zhang C, Zhao X, von Gadow K. Are absorptive root traits good predictors of ecosystem functioning? A test in a natural temperate forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:75-86. [PMID: 36978285 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trait-based approaches provide a useful framework to predict ecosystem functions under intensifying global change. However, our current understanding of trait-functioning relationships mainly relies on aboveground traits. Belowground traits (e.g. absorptive root traits) are rarely studied although these traits are related to important plant functions. We analyzed four pairs of analogous leaf and absorptive root traits of woody plants in a temperate forest and examined how these traits are coordinated at the community-level, and to what extent the trait covariation depends on local-scale environmental conditions. We then quantified the contributions of leaf and absorptive root traits and the environmental conditions in determining two important forest ecosystem functions, aboveground carbon storage, and woody biomass productivity. The results showed that both morphological trait pairs and chemical trait pairs exhibited positive correlations at the community level. Absorptive root traits show a strong response to environmental conditions compared to leaf traits. We also found that absorptive root traits were better predictors of the two forest ecosystem functions than leaf traits and environmental conditions. Our study confirms the important role of belowground traits in modulating ecosystem functions and deepens our understanding of belowground responses to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rihan Da
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunyu Fan
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
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7
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Rey PL, Vittoz P, Petitpierre B, Adde A, Guisan A. Linking plant and vertebrate species to Nature's Contributions to People in the Swiss Alps. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7312. [PMID: 37147401 PMCID: PMC10163046 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the late 1990s, Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs; i.e. ecosystem services) were used as a putative leverage for fostering nature preservation. NCPs have largely been defined and mapped at the landscape level using land use and cover classifications. However, NCP mapping attempts based directly on individual species are still uncommon. Given that species shape ecosystems and ultimately deliver NCPs, mapping NCPs based on species distribution data should deliver highly meaningful results. This requires first establishing a census of the species-to-NCP relationships. However, datasets quantifying these relationships across several species and NCPs are rare. Here, we fill this gap by compiling literature and expert knowledge to establish the relationships of 1816 tracheophyte and 250 vertebrate species with 17 NCPs in the Swiss Alps. We illustrated the 31,098 identified species-NCP relationships for the two lineages and discuss why such a table is a key initial step in building spatial predictions of NCPs directly from species data, e.g. to ultimately complement spatial conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Louis Rey
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Pascal Vittoz
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Blaise Petitpierre
- Info Flora, c/o Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de Genève, Chambésy-Genève, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Adde
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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8
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Bektaş B, Thuiller W, Renaud J, Guéguen M, Calderón-Sanou I, Valay JG, Colace MP, Münkemüller T. A spatially explicit trait-based approach uncovers changes in assembly processes under warming. Ecol Lett 2023. [PMID: 37082882 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The re-assembly of plant communities during climate warming depends on several concurrent processes. Here, we present a novel framework that integrates spatially explicit sampling, plant trait information and a warming experiment to quantify shifts in these assembly processes. By accounting for spatial distance between individuals, our framework allows separation of potential signals of environmental filtering from those of different types of competition. When applied to an elevational transplant experiment in the French Alps, we found common signals of environmental filtering and competition in all communities. Signals of environmental filtering were generally stronger in alpine than in subalpine control communities, and warming reduced this filter. Competition signals depended on treatments and traits: Symmetrical competition was dominant in control and warmed alpine communities, while hierarchical competition was present in subalpine communities. Our study highlights how distance-dependent frameworks can contribute to a better understanding of transient re-assembly dynamics during environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Billur Bektaş
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Julien Renaud
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Maya Guéguen
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Irene Calderón-Sanou
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Marie-Pascale Colace
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Tamara Münkemüller
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
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9
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Wang X, Wang R, Gao J. Precipitation and soil nutrients determine the spatial variability of grassland productivity at large scales in China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:996313. [PMID: 36160972 PMCID: PMC9505511 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.996313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Changes in net primary productivity (NPP) to global change have been studied, yet the relative impacts of global change on grassland productivity at large scales remain poorly understood. Using 182 grassland samples established in 17 alpine meadows (AM) and 21 desert steppes (DS) in China, we show that NPP of AM was significantly higher than that of DS. NPP increased significantly with increasing leaf nitrogen content (LN) and leaf phosphorus content (LP) but decreased significantly with increasing leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Among all abiotic factors, soil nutrient factor was the dominant factor affecting the variation of NPP of AM, while the NPP of DS was mainly influenced by the changing of precipitation. All abiotic factors accounted for 62.4% of the spatial variation in the NPP of AM, which was higher than the ability to explain the spatial variation in the NPP of DS (43.5%). Leaf traits together with soil nutrients and climatic factors determined the changes of the grassland productivity, but the relative contributions varied somewhat among different grassland types. We quantified the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on grassland NPP, and provided theoretical guidance for predicting the impacts of global change on the NPP of grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianxian Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Ru Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
| | - Jie Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, China
- Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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10
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Functional Diversity in Woody Organs of Tropical Dry Forests and Implications for Restoration. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tropical dry forests (TDFs) represent one of the most diverse and, at the same time, most threatened ecosystems on earth. Restoration of TDFs is thus crucial but is hindered by a limited understanding of the functional diversity (FD) of original communities. We examine the FD of TDFs based on wood (vessel diameter and wood density) and bark traits (total, inner, and outer bark thicknesses) measured on ~500 species from 24 plant communities and compare this diversity with that of seven other major vegetation types. Along with other seasonally dry sites, TDFs had the highest FD, as indicated by the widest ranges, highest variances, and largest trait hypervolumes. Warm temperatures and seasonal drought seem to drive diverse ecological strategies in these ecosystems, which include a continuum from deciduous species with low-density wood, thick bark, and wide vessels to evergreen species with high-density wood, thin bark, and narrow vessels. The very high FD of TDFs represents a challenge to restoring the likely widest trait ranges of any habitat on earth. Understanding this diversity is essential for monitoring successional changes in minimal intervention restoration and guiding species selection for resilient restoration plantings in the context of climate change.
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11
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Oliveira BF, Moore FC, Dong X. Biodiversity mediates ecosystem sensitivity to climate variability. Commun Biol 2022; 5:628. [PMID: 35761028 PMCID: PMC9237054 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03573-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A rich body of evidence from local-scale experiments and observational studies has revealed stabilizing effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. However, whether these effects emerge across entire regions and continents remains largely overlooked. Here we combine data on the distribution of more than 57,500 plant species and remote-sensing observations throughout the entire Western Hemisphere to investigate the role of multiple facets of plant diversity (species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and functional diversity) in mediating the sensitivity of ecosystems to climate variability at the regional-scale over the past 20 years. We show that, across multiple biomes, regions of greater plant diversity exhibit lower sensitivity (more stable over time) to temperature variability at the interannual and seasonal-scales. While these areas can display lower sensitivity to interannual variability in precipitation, they emerge as highly sensitive to precipitation seasonality. Conserving landscapes of greater diversity may help stabilize ecosystem functioning under climate change, possibly securing the continuous provisions of productivity-related ecosystem service to people. With the help of spatial autoregressive models, the relationship between multiple facets of plant biodiversity and ecosystem sensitivity to climate variability is explored on a landscape-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brunno F Oliveira
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA. .,Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB), FRB, Montpellier, France.
| | - Frances C Moore
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoli Dong
- Environmental Science and Policy Department, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Wang J, Wang X, Ji Y, Gao J. Climate factors determine the utilization strategy of forest plant resources at large scales. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:990441. [PMID: 36035720 PMCID: PMC9399733 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.990441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits are a representation of plant resource utilization strategies. Plants with higher specific leaf area (SLA) and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC) exhibit faster investment-return resource utilization strategies. However, the distribution patterns and driving factors of plant resource utilization strategies at the macroscale are rarely studied. We investigated the relative importance of climatic and soil factors in shaping plant resource utilization strategies at different life forms in forests using data collected from 926 plots across 163 forests in China. SLA and LDMC of plants at different life forms (i.e., trees, shrubs, and herbs) differ significantly. Resource utilization strategies show significant geographical differences, with vegetation in the western arid regions adopting a slower investment-return survival strategy and vegetation in warmer and wetter areas adopting a faster investment-return survival strategy. SLA decreases significantly with increased temperature and reduced rainfall, and vegetation growing in these conditions exhibits conservative resource utilization. Mean annual precipitation (MAP) is a key climatic factor that controls the resource utilization strategies of plants at the macroscale. Plants use resources more conservatively as soil pH increases. The influence of climate and soil factors is coupled to determine the resource utilization strategies of plants occupying different life forms at the macroscale, but the relative contribution of each varies across life forms. Our findings provide a theoretical framework for understanding the potential impact of increasing global temperatures on plant resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfeng Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xianxian Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yuhui Ji
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Jie Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jie Gao,
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