1
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Liu Z, Wang X, Jia G, Jiang J, Liao B. Introduction of broadleaf tree species can promote the resource use efficiency and gross primary productivity of pure forests. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 39177516 DOI: 10.1111/pce.15096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Long-term pure forest (PF) management and successive planting has result resulted in "low-efficiency artificial forests" in large areas. However, controversy persists over the promoting effect of introduction of broadleaf tree species on production efficiency of PF. This study hypothesised that introduced broadleaf tree species can significantly promote both water-nutrient use efficiency and gross primary productivity (GPP)of PF. Tree ring chronologies, water source, water use efficiency and GPP were analysed in coniferous Cunninghamia lanceolata and broadleaved Phoebe zhennan growing over the past three decades. The introduction of P. zhennan into C. lanceolata plantations resulted in inter-specific competition for water, probably because of the similarity of the main water source of these two tree species. However, C. lanceolata absorbed more water with a higher nutrient level from the 40-60-cm soil layer in mixed forests (MF). Although the co-existing tree species limited the basal area increment and growth rates of C. lanceolata in MF plots, the acquisition of dissolved nutrients from the fertile topsoil layer were enhanced; this increased the water use efficiency and GPP of MF plots. To achieve better ecological benefits and GPP, MFs should be constructed in southern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Liu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaodi Wang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guodong Jia
- Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Jiang
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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2
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Ronk A, Boldgiv B, Casper BB, Liancourt P. Leaf trait plasticity reveals interactive effects of temporally disjunct grazing and warming on plant communities. Oecologia 2024; 204:833-843. [PMID: 38573499 PMCID: PMC11062997 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05540-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Changes in climate and grazing intensity influence plant-community compositions and their functional structure. Yet, little is known about their possible interactive effects when climate change mainly has consequences during the growing season and grazing occurs off growing season (dormant season grazing). We examined the contribution of trait plasticity to the immediate responses in the functional structure of plant community due to the interplay between these two temporally disjunct drivers. We conducted a field experiment in the northern Mongolian steppe, where climate was manipulated by open-top chambers (OTCs) for two growing seasons, increasing temperature and decreasing soil moisture (i.e., increased aridity), and grazing was excluded for one dormant season between these two growing seasons. We calculated the community-weighted mean (CWM) and the functional diversity (FD) of six leaf traits. Based on a variance partitioning approach, we evaluated how much of the responses in CWM and FD to OTCs and dormant season grazing occur through plasticity. The interactive effect of OTCs and the dormant season grazing were detected only after considering the role of trait plasticity. Overall, OTCs influenced the responses in CWM more than in FD, but the effects of OTCs were much less pronounced where dormant season grazing occurred. Thus, warming (together with decreased soil moisture) and the elimination of dormant season grazing could interact to impact the functional trait structure of plant communities through trait plasticity. Climate change effects should be considered in the context of altered land use, even if temporally disjunct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argo Ronk
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Bazartseren Boldgiv
- Department of Biology, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 14201, Mongolia
| | - Brenda B Casper
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Department of Botany, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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3
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Everingham SE, Offord CA, Sabot MEB, Moles AT. Leaf morphological traits show greater responses to changes in climate than leaf physiological traits and gas exchange variables. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10941. [PMID: 38510539 PMCID: PMC10951557 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10941] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to changing conditions is one of the strategies plants may use to survive in the face of climate change. We aimed to determine whether plants' leaf morphological and physiological traits/gas exchange variables have changed in response to recent, anthropogenic climate change. We grew seedlings from resurrected historic seeds from ex-situ seed banks and paired modern seeds in a common-garden experiment. Species pairs were collected from regions that had undergone differing levels of climate change using an emerging framework-Climate Contrast Resurrection Ecology, allowing us to hypothesise that regions with greater changes in climate (including temperature, precipitation, climate variability and climatic extremes) would be greater trait responses in leaf morphology and physiology over time. Our study found that in regions where there were greater changes in climate, there were greater changes in average leaf area, leaf margin complexity, leaf thickness and leaf intrinsic water use efficiency. Changes in leaf roundness, photosynthetic rate, stomatal density and the leaf economic strategy of our species were not correlated with changes in climate. Our results show that leaves do have the ability to respond to changes in climate, however, there are greater inherited responses in morphological leaf traits than in physiological traits/variables and greater responses to extreme measures of climate than gradual changes in climatic means. It is vital for accurate predictions of species' responses to impending climate change to ensure that future climate change ecology studies utilise knowledge about the difference in both leaf trait and gas exchange responses and the climate variables that they respond to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E. Everingham
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Australian Institute of Botanical Science, The Australian PlantBank, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Australian Botanic Garden Mount AnnanMount AnnanNew South WalesAustralia
- Institute of Plant SciencesUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change ResearchUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Catherine A. Offord
- The Australian Institute of Botanical Science, The Australian PlantBank, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Australian Botanic Garden Mount AnnanMount AnnanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Manon E. B. Sabot
- Climate Change Research CentreUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate ExtremesUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Angela T. Moles
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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4
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Lawrence-Paul EH, Poethig RS, Lasky JR. Vegetative phase change causes age-dependent changes in phenotypic plasticity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:613-625. [PMID: 37571856 PMCID: PMC10551844 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to optimize traits for their environment. As organisms age, they experience diverse environments that benefit from varying degrees of phenotypic plasticity. Developmental transitions can control these age-dependent changes in plasticity, and as such, the timing of these transitions can determine when plasticity changes in an organism. Here, we investigate how the transition from juvenile-to adult-vegetative development known as vegetative phase change (VPC) contributes to age-dependent changes in phenotypic plasticity and how the timing of this transition responds to environment using both natural accessions and mutant lines in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the adult phase of vegetative development has greater plasticity in leaf morphology than the juvenile phase and confirmed that this difference in plasticity is caused by VPC using mutant lines. Furthermore, we found that the timing of VPC, and therefore the time when increased plasticity is acquired, varies significantly across genotypes and environments. The consistent age-dependent changes in plasticity caused by VPC suggest that VPC may be adaptive. This genetic and environmental variation in the timing of VPC indicates the potential for population-level adaptive evolution of VPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica H. Lawrence-Paul
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA 16802
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - R. Scott Poethig
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Jesse R. Lasky
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, PA 16802
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5
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Manitašević Jovanović S, Hočevar K, Vuleta A, Tucić B. Predicting the Responses of Functional Leaf Traits to Global Warming: An In Situ Temperature Manipulation Design Using Iris pumila L. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3114. [PMID: 37687360 PMCID: PMC10490406 DOI: 10.3390/plants12173114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is widely acknowledged as one of the most common solutions for coping with novel environmental conditions following climate change. However, it is less known whether the current amounts of trait plasticity, which is sufficient for matching with the contemporary climate, will be adequate when global temperatures exceed historical levels. We addressed this issue by exploring the responses of functional and structural leaf traits in Iris pumila clonal individuals to experimentally increased temperatures (~1.5 °C) using an open top chamber (OTC) design. We determined the phenotypic values of the specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf water content, and leaf thickness in the leaves sampled from the same clone inside and outside of the OTC deployed on it, over seasons and years within two natural populations. We analyzed the data using a repeated multivariate analysis of variance, which primarily focusses on the profiles (reaction norms (RNs)) of a variable gathered from the same individual at several different time points. We found that the mean RNs of all analyzed traits were parallel regardless of experienced temperatures, but differed in the level and the shape. The populations RNs were similar as well. As the amount of plasticity in the analyzed leaf trait was adequate for coping with elevated temperatures inside the OTCs, we predict that it will be also sufficient for responding to increased temperatures if they exceed the 1.5 °C target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanja Manitašević Jovanović
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11108 Belgrade, Serbia; (K.H.); (A.V.)
| | - Katarina Hočevar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11108 Belgrade, Serbia; (K.H.); (A.V.)
| | - Ana Vuleta
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11108 Belgrade, Serbia; (K.H.); (A.V.)
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6
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Grazing and light modify Silene latifolia responses to nutrients and future climate. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276789. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered climate, nutrient enrichment and changes in grazing patterns are important environmental and biotic changes in temperate grassland systems. Singly and in concert these factors can influence plant performance and traits, with consequences for species competitive ability, and thus for species coexistence, community composition and diversity. However, we lack experimental tests of the mechanisms, such as competition for light, driving plant performance and traits under nutrient enrichment, grazer exclusion and future climate. We used transplants of Silene latifolia, a widespread grassland forb in Europe, to study plant responses to interactions among climate, nutrients, grazing and light. We recorded transplant biomass, height, specific leaf area (SLA) and foliar carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) in full-factorial combinations of future climate treatment, fertilization, grazer exclusion and light addition via LED-lamps. Future climate and fertilization together increased transplant height but only in unlighted plots. Light addition increased SLA in ambient climate, and decreased C:N in unfertilized plots. Further, transplants had higher biomass in future climatic conditions when protected from grazers. In general, grazing had a strong negative effect on all measured variables regardless of added nutrients and light. Our results show that competition for light may lead to taller individuals and interacts with climate and nutrients to affect traits related to resource-use. Furthermore, our study suggests grazing may counteract the benefits of future climate on the biomass of species such as Silene latifolia. Consequently, grazers and light may be important modulators of individual plant performance and traits under nutrient enrichment and future climatic conditions.
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7
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McWilliam M, Madin JS, Chase TJ, Hoogenboom MO, Bridge TCL. Intraspecific variation reshapes coral assemblages under elevated temperature and acidity. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2513-2524. [PMID: 36209480 PMCID: PMC9828647 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Insights into assemblages that can persist in extreme environments are still emerging. Ocean warming and acidification select against species with low physiological tolerance (trait-based 'filtering'). However, intraspecific trait variation can promote species adaptation and persistence, with potentially large effects on assemblage structure. By sampling nine coral traits (four morphological, four tissue and one skeletal) along an offshore-inshore gradient in temperature and pH, we show that distantly related coral species undergo consistent intraspecific changes as they cross into warm, acidic environments. Intraspecific variation and species turnover each favoured colonies with greater tissue biomass, higher symbiont densities and reduced skeletal investments, indicating strong filtering on colony physiology within and across species. Physiological tissue traits were highly variable within species and were independent of morphology, enabling morphologically diverse species to cross into sites of elevated temperature and acidity. Widespread intraspecific change can therefore counter the loss of biodiversity and morphological structure across a steep environmental gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike McWilliam
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaKāne'oheHawaiiUSA,Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaKāne'oheHawaiiUSA
| | - Tory J. Chase
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,Department of Geography and the EnvironmentVillanova UniversityVillanovaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Mia O. Hoogenboom
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,Biodiversity and Geosciences ProgramMuseum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland MuseumTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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8
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Weemstra M, Roumet C, Cruz-Maldonado N, Anthelme F, Stokes A, Freschet GT. Environmental variation drives the decoupling of leaf and root traits within species along an elevation gradient. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:419-430. [PMID: 35405006 PMCID: PMC9486920 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant performance is enhanced by balancing above- and below-ground resource uptake through the intraspecific adjustment of leaf and root traits. It is assumed that these organ adjustments are at least partly coordinated, so that analogous leaf and root traits broadly covary. Understanding the extent of such intraspecific leaf-root trait covariation would strongly contribute to our understanding of how plants match above- and below-ground resource use strategies as their environment changes, but comprehensive studies are lacking. METHODS We measured analogous leaf and root traits from 11 species, as well as climate, soil and vegetation properties along a 1000-m elevation gradient in the French Alps. We determined how traits varied along the gradient, to what extent this variation was determined by the way different traits respond to environmental cues acting at different spatial scales (i.e. within and between elevations), and whether trait pairs covaried within species. KEY RESULTS Leaf and root trait patterns strongly diverged: across the 11 species along the gradient, intraspecific leaf trait patterns were largely consistent, whereas root trait patterns were highly idiosyncratic. We also observed that, when compared with leaves, intraspecific variation was greater in root traits, due to the strong effects of the local environment (i.e. at the same elevation), while landscape-level effects (i.e. at different elevations) were minor. Overall, intraspecific trait correlations between analogous leaf and root traits were nearly absent. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that environmental gradients at the landscape level, as well as local heterogeneity in soil properties, are the drivers of a strong decoupling between analogous leaf and root traits within species. This decoupling of plant resource acquisition strategies highlights how plants can exhibit diverse whole-plant acclimation strategies to modify above- and below-ground resource uptake, improving their resilience to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - C Roumet
- CEFE, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - N Cruz-Maldonado
- AMAP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - F Anthelme
- AMAP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - A Stokes
- AMAP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - G T Freschet
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France
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9
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Kramp RE, Liancourt P, Herberich MM, Saul L, Weides S, Tielbörger K, Májeková M. Functional traits and their plasticity shift from tolerant to avoidant under extreme drought. Ecology 2022; 103:e3826. [PMID: 35857330 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Under climate change, extreme droughts will limit water availability for plants. However, the species-specific responses make it difficult to draw general conclusions. We hypothesized that changes in species' abundance in response to extreme drought can be best explained by a set of water economic traits under ambient conditions in combination with the ability to adjust these traits towards higher drought resistance. We conducted a four-year field experiment in temperate grasslands using rainout shelters with 30% and 50% rainfall reduction. We quantified the response as the change in species abundance between ambient conditions and the rainfall reduction. Abundance response to extreme drought was best explained by a combination of traits in ambient conditions and their functional adjustment, most likely reflecting plasticity. Smaller leaved species decreased less in abundance under drought. With increasing drought intensity, we observed a shift from drought tolerance, i.e. an increase in leaf dry matter content, to avoidance, i.e. a less negative turgor loss point (TLP) in ambient conditions and a constancy in TLP under drought. We stress the importance of using a multidimensional approach of variation in multiple traits and the importance of considering a range of drought intensities to improve predictions of species' response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa E Kramp
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany.,Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany.,Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic
| | | | - Lara Saul
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sophie Weides
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland
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10
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Rodríguez‐Alarcón S, Tamme R, P.Carmona C. Intraspecific trait changes in response to drought lead to trait convergence between‐ but not within species. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Riin Tamme
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2 Tartu Estonia
| | - Carlos P.Carmona
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2 Tartu Estonia
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11
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Guo A, Zuo X, Hu Y, Yue P, Li X, Lv P, Zhao S. Two Dominant Herbaceous Species Have Different Plastic Responses to N Addition in a Desert Steppe. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:801427. [PMID: 35557730 PMCID: PMC9087737 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.801427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition rates are increasing in the temperate steppe due to human activities. Understanding the plastic responses of plant dominant species to increased N deposition through the lens of multiple traits is crucial for species selection in the process of vegetation restoration. Here, we measured leaf morphological, physiological, and anatomical traits of two dominant species (Stipa glareosa and Peganum harmala) after 3-year N addition (0, 1, 3, and 6 g N m-2 year-1, designated N0, N1, N3, and N6, respectively) in desert steppe of Inner Mongolia. We separately calculated the phenotypic plasticity index (PI) of each trait under different N treatments and the mean phenotypic plasticity index (MPI) of per species. The results showed that N addition increased the leaf N content (LNC) in both species. N6 increased the contents of soluble protein and proline, and decreased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the peroxidase (POD) activities of S. glareosa, while increased POD and catalase (CAT) activities of P. harmala. N6 increased the palisade tissue thickness (PT), leaf thickness (LT), and palisade-spongy tissue ratio (PT/ST) and decreased the spongy tissue-leaf thickness ratio (ST/LT) of S. glareosa. Furthermore, we found higher physiological plasticity but lower morphological and anatomical plasticity in both species, with greater anatomical plasticity and MPI in S. glareosa than P. harmala. Overall, multi-traits comparison reveals that two dominant desert-steppe species differ in their plastic responses to N addition. The higher plasticity of S. glareosa provides some insight into why S. glareosa has a broad distribution in a desert steppe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aixia Guo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Peng Lv
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shenglong Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tianshui Normal University, Tianshui, China
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12
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Zettlemoyer MA. Leaf traits mediate herbivory across a nitrogen gradient differently in extirpated vs. extant prairie species. Oecologia 2022; 198:711-720. [PMID: 35192065 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Increasing nitrogen deposition threatens many grassland species with local extinction. In addition to the direct effects of nitrogen deposition, nitrogen can indirectly affect plant populations via phenotypic shifts in plant traits that influence plant susceptibility to herbivory. Here, I test how herbivory varies across an experimental nitrogen gradient and whether differences in susceptibility to herbivory might explain patterns of local species loss. Specifically, I examine how increasing nitrogen availability in a restored prairie influences leaf traits and subsequent herbivory (by leaf-chewers like insects/small mammals versus deer) and the severity of herbivore damage on confamiliar pairs of extirpated versus extant species from Michigan prairies. Nitrogen increased herbivory by both leaf-chewers and deer as well as herbivore damage (proportion of leaves damaged). Leaf hairiness and specific leaf area affected patterns of herbivory following nitrogen addition, although patterns varied between extirpated vs. extant taxa and herbivory type. Nitrogen increased leaf hairiness. At high levels of nitrogen addition, hairy extant plants experienced less herbivory and damage than smooth-leaved plants. In contrast, hairy extirpated plants were more likely to experience leaf-chewer herbivory. Extirpated plants with thin leaves (high specific leaf area) were less likely to experience leaf-chewer herbivory; the opposite was true for extant species. Generally, extant species experienced more herbivory than locally extirpated species, particularly at high levels of nitrogen addition, suggesting that increasing herbivory under nutrient addition likely does not influence extirpation in this system. This study suggests that trait-mediated responses to nitrogen addition and herbivory differ between extant and extirpated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Zettlemoyer
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060-9505, USA. .,Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-5004, USA.
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13
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Yao L, Wang D, Wang D, Li S, Chen Y, Guo Y. Phenotypic Plasticity and Local Adaptation of Leaf Cuticular Waxes Favor Perennial Alpine Herbs under Climate Change. PLANTS 2021; 11:plants11010120. [PMID: 35009124 PMCID: PMC8747477 DOI: 10.3390/plants11010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Six perennial herbs (Plantago asiatica, Polygonum viviparum, Anaphalis lactea, Kobresia humilis, Leontopodium nanum and Potentilla chinensis) widely distributed in alpine meadows were reciprocally transplanted at two sites in eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Hongyuan (3434 m, 2.97 °C, 911 mm) and Qilian (3701 m, 2.52 °C, 472 mm), aiming to evaluate the responses of alpine plants to changing environments. When plants were transplanted from Hongyuan to Qilian, most plant species showed a decrease of total wax coverage in first year and reverse trend was observed for some plant species in second year. However, when plants were transplanted from Qilian to Hongyuan, the response of total wax coverage differed greatly between plant species. When compared with those in first year, plasticity index of average chain length of alkane decreased whereas carbon preference index of alkane increased at both Hongyuan and Qilian in second year. The total wax coverage differed between local and transplanted plants, suggesting both environmental and genetic factors controlled the wax depositions. Structural equation modeling indicated that co-variations existed between leaf cuticular waxes and leaf functional traits. These results suggest that alpine herbs adjust both wax depositions and chain length distributions to adapt to changing environment, showing climate adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luhua Yao
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (D.W.); (D.W.)
| | - Dengke Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (D.W.); (D.W.)
| | - Dangjun Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; (D.W.); (D.W.)
| | - Shixiong Li
- Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Xining 810016, China;
| | - Youjun Chen
- Institute of Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China;
| | - Yanjun Guo
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
- Correspondence:
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Leaf Vein Morphological Variation in Four Endangered Neotropical Magnolia Species along an Elevation Gradient in the Mexican Tropical Montane Cloud Forests. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10122595. [PMID: 34961066 PMCID: PMC8703730 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Climatic variations influence the adaptive capacity of trees within tropical montane cloud forests species. Phenology studies have dominated current studies on tree species. Leaf vein morphology has been related to specific climatic oscillations and varies within species along altitudinal gradients. We tested that certain Neotropical broad leaf Magnolia species might be more vulnerable to leaf vein adaptation to moisture than others, as they would be more resilient to the hydric deficit. We assessed that leaf vein trait variations (vein density, primary vein size, vein length, and leaf base angle) among four Magnolia species (Magnolia nuevoleonensis, M. alejandrae, M. rzedowskiana, and Magnolia vovidesii) through the Mexican Tropical montane cloud forest with different elevation gradient and specific climatic factors. The temperature, precipitation, and potential evaporation differed significantly among Magnolia species. We detected that M. rzedowskiana and M. vovidesii with longer leaves at higher altitude sites are adapted to higher humidity conditions, and that M. nuevoleonensis and M. alejandrae inhabiting lower altitude sites are better adjusted to the hydric deficit. Our results advance efforts to identify the Magnolia species most vulnerable to climate change effects, which must focus priorities for conservation of this ecosystem, particularly in the Mexican tropical montane cloud forests.
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15
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Puy J, Carmona CP, Dvořáková H, Latzel V, de Bello F. Diversity of parental environments increases phenotypic variation in Arabidopsis populations more than genetic diversity but similarly affects productivity. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:425-436. [PMID: 32463878 PMCID: PMC7988527 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The observed positive diversity effect on ecosystem functioning has rarely been assessed in terms of intraspecific trait variability within populations. Intraspecific phenotypic variability could stem both from underlying genetic diversity and from plasticity in response to environmental cues. The latter might derive from modifications to a plant's epigenome and potentially last multiple generations in response to previous environmental conditions. We experimentally disentangled the role of genetic diversity and diversity of parental environments on population productivity, resistance against environmental fluctuations and intraspecific phenotypic variation. METHODS A glasshouse experiment was conducted in which different types of Arabidopsis thaliana populations were established: one population type with differing levels of genetic diversity and another type, genetically identical, but with varying diversity levels of the parental environments (parents grown in the same or different environments). The latter population type was further combined, or not, with experimental demethylation to reduce the potential epigenetic diversity produced by the diversity of parental environments. Furthermore, all populations were each grown under different environmental conditions (control, fertilization and waterlogging). Mortality, productivity and trait variability were measured in each population. KEY RESULTS Parental environments triggered phenotypic modifications in the offspring, which translated into more functionally diverse populations when offspring from parents grown under different conditions were brought together in mixtures. In general, neither the increase in genetic diversity nor the increase in diversity of parental environments had a remarkable effect on productivity or resistance to environmental fluctuations. However, when the epigenetic variation was reduced via demethylation, mixtures were less productive than monocultures (i.e. negative net diversity effect), caused by the reduction of phenotypic differences between different parental origins. CONCLUSIONS A diversity of environmental parental origins within a population could ameliorate the negative effect of competition between coexisting individuals by increasing intraspecific phenotypic variation. A diversity of parental environments could thus have comparable effects to genetic diversity. Disentangling the effect of genetic diversity and that of parental environments appears to be an important step in understanding the effect of intraspecific trait variability on coexistence and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Puy
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Carlos P Carmona
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Department of Botany, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hana Dvořáková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vít Latzel
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
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16
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Driscoll AW, Bitter NQ, Ehleringer JR. Interactions among intrinsic water-use efficiency and climate influence growth and flowering in a common desert shrub. Oecologia 2021; 197:1027-1038. [PMID: 33387007 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04825-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Plants make leaf-level trade-offs between photosynthetic carbon assimilation and water loss, and the optimal balance between the two is dependent, in part, on water availability. "Conservative" water-use strategies, in which minimizing water loss is prioritized over assimilating carbon, tend to be favored in arid environments, while "aggressive" water-use strategies, in which carbon assimilation is prioritized over water conservation, are often favored in mesic environments. When derived from foliar carbon isotope ratios, intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) serves as a seasonally integrated indicator of the balance of carbon assimilation to water loss at the leaf level. Here, we used a multi-decadal record of annual iWUE, growth, and flowering from a single population of Encelia farinosa in the Mojave Desert to evaluate the effect of iWUE on plant performance across interannual fluctuations in water availability. We identified substantial variability in iWUE among individuals and found that iWUE interacted with water availability to significantly influence growth and flowering. However, the relationships between iWUE, water availability, and plant performance did not universally suggest that "conservative" water-use strategies were advantageous in dry years or that "aggressive" strategies were advantageous in wet years. iWUE was positively related to the odds of growth regardless of water availability and to the odds of flowering in dry years, but negatively related to growth rates in dry years. In addition, we found that leaf nitrogen content affected interannual plant performance and that an individual's iWUE plasticity in response to fluctuations in aridity was negatively related to early life drought survival and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery W Driscoll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| | - Nicholas Q Bitter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - James R Ehleringer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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17
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Arab L, Seegmueller S, Dannenmann M, Eiblmeier M, Albasher G, Alfarraj S, Rennenberg H. Foliar traits of sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl) seedlings are largely determined by site properties rather than seed origin. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:1648-1667. [PMID: 32705139 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa094] [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: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Due to climate change, sessile oak (Quercus petraea) seedlings experience an increasing risk of drought during regeneration of forest stands by management practices. The present study was aimed at elucidating the potential of sessile oak seedlings originating from sites with different aridity and nitrogen (N) supply to acclimate to contrasting water availability. For this purpose, a free-air cross-exchange experiment was conducted between a dry and a humid forest stand with high and low soil N contents, respectively, during two consecutive years differing in aridity before harvest. Almost all structural and physiological foliar traits analyzed did not differ consistently between seed origins during both years, when cultivated at the same site. As an exception, the arid provenance upregulated foliar ascorbate contents under drought, whereas the humid provenance accumulated the phenolic antioxidants vescalagin and castalagin (VC) under favorable weather conditions and consumed VC upon drought. Apparently, differences in long-term aridity at the forest sites resulted in only few genetically fixed differences in foliar traits between the provenances. However, structural and physiological traits strongly responded to soil N contents and weather conditions before harvest. Foliar N contents and their partitioning were mostly determined by the differences in soil N availability at the sites, but still were modulated by weather conditions before harvest. In the first year, differences in aridity before harvest resulted in differences between most foliar traits. In the second year, when weather conditions at both sites were considerably similar and more arid compared to the first year, differences in foliar traits were almost negligible. This pattern was observed irrespective of seed origin. These results support the view that leaves of sessile oak seedlings generally possess a high plasticity to cope with extreme differences in aridity by immediate acclimation responses that are even better developed in plants of arid origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Arab
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 53/54, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Seegmueller
- Zentralstelle der Forstverwaltung, Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft, Hauptstraße 16, 67705 Trippstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Dannenmann
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 82467, Germany
| | - Monika Eiblmeier
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 53/54, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ghada Albasher
- King Saud University, PO Box 2454, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Alfarraj
- King Saud University, PO Box 2454, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 53/54, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
- King Saud University, PO Box 2454, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Molecular Ecophysiology (CMEP), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei District, 400715 Chongqing, P.R. China
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18
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Jessen MT, Kaarlejärvi E, Olofsson J, Eskelinen A. Mammalian herbivory shapes intraspecific trait responses to warmer climate and nutrient enrichment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6742-6752. [PMID: 33020977 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Variation in intraspecific traits is one important mechanism that can allow plant species to respond to global changes. Understanding plant trait responses to environmental changes such as grazing patterns, nutrient enrichment and climate warming is, thus, essential for predicting the composition of future plant communities. We measured traits of eight common tundra species in a fully factorial field experiment with mammalian herbivore exclusion, fertilization, and passive warming, and assessed how trait responsiveness to the treatments was associated with abundance changes in those treatments. Herbivory exhibited the strongest impact on traits. Exclusion of herbivores increased vegetative plant height by 50% and specific leaf area (SLA) by 19%, and decreased foliar C:N by 11%; fertilization and warming also increased height and SLA but to a smaller extent. Herbivory also modulated intraspecific height, SLA and foliar C:N responses to fertilization and warming, and these interactions were species-specific. Furthermore, herbivory affected how trait change translated into relative abundance change: increased height under warming and fertilization was more positively related to abundance change inside fences than in grazed plots. Our findings highlight the key role of mammalian herbivory when assessing intraspecific trait change in tundra and its consequences for plant performance under global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Theresa Jessen
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umea University, Umea, Sweden
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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19
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Caminha-Paiva D, Negreiros D, Barbosa M, Fernandes GW. Functional trait coordination in the ancient and nutrient-impoverished campo rupestre: soil properties drive stem, leaf and architectural traits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Old, climatically buffered and infertile landscapes (OCBILs) are remarkably species-diverse, but the assembly of their ecological communities is largely unknown. Our goal was to understand how edaphic filters drive the functional structure of plant communities in an ancient and nutrient-impoverished ecosystem. We carried out a functional screening across four types of campo rupestre habitats with different edaphic conditions. We investigated trait–soil relationships for ironstone and quartzitic substrate to obtain the optimal trait values of each condition. In addition, we built unipartite networks to explore trait–trait relationships to assess functional coordination among organs. Lower soil pH and less soil water retention potential increased the proportion of smaller leaves, tissue dry mass and tissue density, resulting in more resource-conservative plant species and communities. Trait functions were tightly correlated among organs at both the plot and the individual level, indicating a trend of phenotypic integration. Architectural traits were central to coordination, suggesting their key role in integrating sap transport, mechanical support and leaf display. We conclude that the trait adjustments in response to soil parameters are important for the coexistence of a large number of species in the campo rupestre ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Caminha-Paiva
- Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Daniel Negreiros
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Saúde, Centro Universitário UNA, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Milton Barbosa
- Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - G Wilson Fernandes
- Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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20
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Hu Y, Zuo X, Yue P, Zhao S, Guo X, Li X, Medina-Roldán E. Increased Precipitation Shapes Relationship between Biochemical and Functional Traits of Stipa glareosa in Grass-Dominated Rather than Shrub-Dominated Community in a Desert Steppe. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9111463. [PMID: 33138183 PMCID: PMC7692965 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of precipitation variations on plant biochemical and functional traits is crucial to predict plant adaptation to future climate changes. The dominant species, Stipa glareosa, plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of plant communities in the desert steppe, Inner Mongolia. However, little is known about how altered precipitation affects biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa in different communities in the desert steppe. Here, we examined the responses of biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa in shrub- and grass-dominated communities to experimentally increased precipitation (control, +20%, +40%, and +60%). We found that +40% and +60% increased plant height and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and decreased specific leaf area (SLA) of S. glareosa in grass community. For biochemical traits in grass community, +60% decreased the contents of protein and chlorophyll b (Cb), while +40% increased the relative electrical conductivity and superoxide dismutase. Additionally, +20% increased LDMC and malondialaenyde, and decreased SLA and protein in shrub community. Chlorophyll a, Cb, carotenoids, protein and superoxide dismutase in the grass community differed with shrub community, while +60% caused differences in SLA, LDMC, leaf carbon content, malondialaenyde and peroxidase between two communities. The positive or negative linear patterns were observed between different functional and biochemical traits in grass- rather than shrub-community. Soil water content explained changes in some biochemical traits in the grass community, but not for functional traits. These results suggest that increased precipitation can affect functional traits of S. glareosa in the grass community by altering biochemical traits caused by soil water content. The biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa were more sensitive to extreme precipitation in grass- than shrub-community in the desert steppe. Our study highlights the important differences in adaptive strategies of S. glareosa in different plant communities at the same site to precipitation changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-139-1931-6226
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
| | - Shenglong Zhao
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinxin Guo
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Y.H.); (P.Y.); (S.Z.); (X.G.); (X.L.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Eduardo Medina-Roldán
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215000, China;
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21
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Liancourt P, Song X, Macek M, Santrucek J, Dolezal J. Plant's-eye view of temperature governs elevational distributions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4094-4103. [PMID: 32320507 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Explaining species geographic distributions by macroclimate variables is the most common approach for getting mechanistic insights into large-scale diversity patterns and range shifts. However, species' traits influencing biophysical processes can produce a large decoupling from ambient air temperature, which can seriously undermine biogeographical inference. We combined stable oxygen isotope theory with a trait-based approach to assess leaf temperature during carbon assimilation (TL ) and its departure (ΔT) from daytime free air temperature during the growing season (Tgs ) for 158 plant species occurring from 3,400 to 6,150 m a.s.l. in Western Himalayas. We uncovered a general extent of temperature decoupling in the region. The interspecific variation in ΔT was best explained by the combination of plant height and δ13 C, and leaf dry matter content partly captured the variation in TL . The combination of TL and ΔT, with ΔT contributing most, explained the interspecific difference in elevational distributions. Stable oxygen isotope theory appears promising for investigating how plants perceive temperatures, a pivotal information to species biogeographic distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xin Song
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Martin Macek
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Santrucek
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Dolezal
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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22
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Trindade DPF, Carmona CP, Pärtel M. Temporal lags in observed and dark diversity in the Anthropocene. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3193-3201. [PMID: 32282128 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding biodiversity changes in the Anthropocene (e.g. due to climate and land-use change) is an urgent ecological issue. This important task is challenging because global change effects and species responses are dependent on the spatial scales considered. Furthermore, responses are often not immediate. However, both scale and time delay issues can be tackled when, at each study site, we consider dynamics in both observed and dark diversity. Dark diversity includes those species in the region that can potentially establish and thrive in the local sites' conditions but are currently locally absent. Effectively, dark diversity connects biodiversity at the study site to the regional scales and defines the site-specific species pool (observed and dark diversity together). With dark diversity, it is possible to decompose species gains and losses into two space-related components: one associated with local dynamics (species moving from observed to dark diversity and vice versa) and another related to gains and losses of site-specific species pool (species moving to and from the pool after regional immigration, regional extinction or change in local ecological conditions). Extinction debt and immigration credit are useful to understand dynamics in observed diversity, but delays might happen in species pool changes as well. In this opinion piece we suggest that considering both observed and dark diversity and their temporal dynamics provides a deeper understanding of biodiversity changes. Considering both observed and dark diversity creates opportunities to improve conservation by allowing to identify species that are likely to go regionally extinct as well as foreseeing which of the species that newly arrive to the region are more likely to colonize local sites. Finally, by considering temporal lags and species gains and losses in observed and dark diversity, we combine phenomena at both spatial and temporal scales, providing a novel tool to examine biodiversity change in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego P F Trindade
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Carlos P Carmona
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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23
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Changes in Water Surface Area of the Lake in the Steppe Region of Mongolia: A Case Study of Ugii Nuur Lake, Central Mongolia. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12051470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Ugii Nuur Lake is not only one of the small hydrologically closed lakes located in the Orkhon River Basin in Central Mongolia but also the most vulnerable area for global climate change. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impacts of recent global climate change on the water surface area. The data we analyzed were various measured hydro-meteorological variables of the lake basin and the lake surface area, which was estimated from Landsat series satellite data from 1986 to 2018. The methods we used were Mann-Kendall (MK), Innovative trend analysis method (ITAM), Sen’s slope estimator test, correlation, and regression analysis. The variation of lake water surface area has a strong positive correlation with the change of the lake water level (r = 0.95). The Mann-Kendall trend analysis has indicated that under a significant decrease in total annual precipitation ( Z = −0.902) and inflow river discharge ( Z = −5.392) and a considerable increase in total annual evaporation ( Z = 4.385) and annual average air temperature ( Z = 4.595), the surface area of the Ugii Nuur Lake has decreased sharply ( Z = −6.021). The total annual evaporation (r = −0.64) and inflow river discharge (r = 0.67) were the essential hydro-meteorological factors affecting the surface area of the Ugii Nuur Lake. The lake surface area decreased by 13.5% in 2018 compared with 1986. In the near future, it is vital to conduct scientific studies considering the volume of lake water, groundwater, and the anthropogenic impact.
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Harrison S, LaForgia M. Seedling traits predict drought-induced mortality linked to diversity loss. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:5576-5581. [PMID: 30833396 PMCID: PMC6431227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1818543116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trait-based approaches are increasingly used to predict ecological consequences of climate change, yet seldom have solid links been established between plant traits and observed climate-driven community changes. Most analyses have focused on aboveground adult plant traits, but in warming and drying climates, root traits may be critical, and seedlings may be the vulnerable stage. Relationships of seedling and root traits to more commonly measured traits and ecological outcomes are poorly known. In an annual grassland where winter drought-induced seedling mortality is driving a long-term decline in native diversity, using a field experiment during the exceptionally dry winter of 2017-2018, we found that seedling mortality was higher and growth of seedlings and adults were lower in unwatered than watered sites. Mortality of unwatered seedlings was higher in species with shorter seedling roots, and also in species with the correlated traits of small seeds, high seedling specific leaf area (SLA), and tall seedlings. Adult traits varied along an axis from short-stature, high SLA and foliar N, and early flowering to the opposite values, and were only weakly correlated with seedling traits and seedling mortality. No evidence was found for adaptive plasticity, such as longer roots or lower SLA in unwatered plants. Among these species, constitutive variation in seedling root length explained most of the variation in survival of a highly vulnerable life stage under winter drought. Selective loss of species with high adult SLA, observed in this community and others under drought stress, may be the byproduct of other correlated traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Harrison
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616;
| | - Marina LaForgia
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
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Tonin R, Gerdol R, Tomaselli M, Petraglia A, Carbognani M, Wellstein C. Intraspecific Functional Trait Response to Advanced Snowmelt Suggests Increase of Growth Potential but Decrease of Seed Production in Snowbed Plant Species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:289. [PMID: 30923530 PMCID: PMC6426784 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In ecological theory, it is currently unclear if intraspecific trait responses to environmental variation are shared across plant species. We use one of the strongest environmental variations in alpine ecosystems, i.e., advanced snowmelt due to climate warming, to answer this question for alpine snowbed plants. Snowbeds are extreme habitats where long-lasting snow cover represents the key environmental factor affecting plant life. Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits is a key to understanding the performance and vulnerability of species in a rapidly changing environment. We sampled snowbed species after an above-average warm winter to assess their phenotypic adjustment to advanced snowmelt, based on differences in the natural snowmelt dynamics with magnitudes reflecting predicted future warming. We measured nine functional traits related to plant growth and reproduction in seven vascular species, comparing snowbeds of early and late snowmelt across four snowbed sites in the southern Alps in Italy. The early snowbeds provide a proxy for the advanced snowmelt caused by climatic warming. Seed production was reduced under advanced snowmelt in all seed-forming snowbed species. Higher specific leaf area (SLA) and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC) were indicative of improved growth potential in most seed-forming species under advanced snowmelt. We conclude, first, that in the short term, advanced snowmelt can improve snowbed species' growth potential. However, in the long term, results from other studies hint at increasing competition in case of ongoing improvement of conditions for plant growth under continued future climate warming, representing a risk for snowbed species. Second, a lower seed production can negatively affect the seed rain. A reduction of propagule pressure can be crucial in a context of loss of the present snowbed sites and the formation of new ones at higher altitudes along with climate warming. Finally, our findings encourage using plant functional traits at the intraspecific level across species as a tool to understand the future ecological challenges of plants in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Tonin
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Renato Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marcello Tomaselli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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Bachle S, Griffith DM, Nippert JB. Intraspecific Trait Variability in Andropogon gerardii, a Dominant Grass Species in the US Great Plains. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Cowles J, Boldgiv B, Liancourt P, Petraitis PS, Casper BB. Effects of increased temperature on plant communities depend on landscape location and precipitation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5267-5278. [PMID: 29938051 PMCID: PMC6010887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Global climate change is affecting and will continue to affect ecosystems worldwide. Specifically, temperature and precipitation are both expected to shift globally, and their separate and interactive effects will likely affect ecosystems differentially depending on current temperature, precipitation regimes, and other biotic and environmental factors. It is not currently understood how the effects of increasing temperature on plant communities may depend on either precipitation or where communities lie on soil moisture gradients. Such knowledge would play a crucial role in increasing our predictive ability for future effects of climate change in different systems. To this end, we conducted a multi-factor global change experiment at two locations, differing in temperature, moisture, aspect, and plant community composition, on the same slope in the northern Mongolian steppe. The natural differences in temperature and moisture between locations served as a point of comparison for the experimental manipulations of temperature and precipitation. We conducted two separate experiments, one examining the effect of climate manipulation via open-top chambers (OTCs) across the two different slope locations, the other a factorial OTC by watering experiment at one of the two locations. By combining these experiments, we were able to assess how OTCs impact plant productivity and diversity across a natural and manipulated range of soil moisture. We found that warming effects were context dependent, with the greatest negative impacts of warming on diversity in the warmer, drier upper slope location and in the unwatered plots. Our study is an important step in understanding how global change will affect ecosystems across multiple scales and locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Cowles
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & BehaviorUniversity of Minnesota Twin CitiesSaint PaulMNUSA
| | | | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of BotanyAcademy of Sciences of the Czech RepublicTřeboňCzech Republic
| | | | - Brenda B. Casper
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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The International Long-Term Ecological Research–East Asia–Pacific Regional Network (ILTER-EAP): history, development, and perspectives. Ecol Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-017-1523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Carmona CP, de Bello F, Mason NWH, Lepš J. Traits Without Borders: Integrating Functional Diversity Across Scales. Trends Ecol Evol 2017; 31:382-394. [PMID: 26924737 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 01/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Owing to the conceptual complexity of functional diversity (FD), a multitude of different methods are available for measuring it, with most being operational at only a small range of spatial scales. This causes uncertainty in ecological interpretations and limits the potential to generalize findings across studies or compare patterns across scales. We solve this problem by providing a unified framework expanding on and integrating existing approaches. The framework, based on trait probability density (TPD), is the first to fully implement the Hutchinsonian concept of the niche as a probabilistic hypervolume in estimating FD. This novel approach could revolutionize FD-based research by allowing quantification of the various FD components from organismal to macroecological scales, and allowing seamless transitions between scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P Carmona
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jan Lepš
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Liancourt P, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y, Rixen C, Dolezal J. SGH: stress or strain gradient hypothesis? Insights from an elevation gradient on the roof of the world. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 120:29-38. [PMID: 28444363 PMCID: PMC5737727 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH), the view that competition prevails in undisturbed and productive environments, and shifts to facilitation in disturbed or stressful environments, has become a central paradigm in ecology. However, an alternative view proposes that the relationship between biotic interactions and environmental severity should be unimodal instead of monotonic. Possible causes of discrepancies between these two views were examined in the high elevation desert of the arid Trans-Himalayas. METHODS A putative nurse species and its associated plant community was surveyed over its entire elevation range, spanning from alpine to desert vegetation belts. The results were analysed at the community level (vegetation cover and species richness), considering the distinction between the intensity and the importance of biotic interactions. Interactions at the species level (pairwise interactions) were also considered, i.e. the variation of biotic interactions within the niche of a species, for which the abundance (species cover) and probability of occurrence (presence/absence) for the most widespread species along the gradient were distinguished. KEY RESULTS Overall, facilitation was infrequent in our study system; however, it was observed for the two most widespread species. At the community level, the intensity and importance of biotic interactions showed a unimodal pattern. The departure from the prediction of the SGH happened abruptly where the nurse species entered the desert vegetation belt at the lowest elevation. This abrupt shift was attributed to the turnover of species with contrasting tolerances. At the species level, however, facilitation increased consistently as the level of stress increases and individuals deviate from their optimum (increasing strain). CONCLUSION While the stress gradient hypothesis was not supported along our elevation gradient at the community level, the strain gradient hypothesis, considering how species perceive the ambient level of stress and deviate from their optimum, provided a parsimonious explanation for the outcome of plant-plant interactions at both scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82 Trebon, Czech Republic
| | - Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Christian Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
| | - Jiri Dolezal
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82 Trebon, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlate stoce 1, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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Wellstein C, Poschlod P, Gohlke A, Chelli S, Campetella G, Rosbakh S, Canullo R, Kreyling J, Jentsch A, Beierkuhnlein C. Effects of extreme drought on specific leaf area of grassland species: A meta-analysis of experimental studies in temperate and sub-Mediterranean systems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2473-2481. [PMID: 28208238 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of experimental drought manipulation studies using rainout shelters in five sites of natural grassland ecosystems of Europe. The single studies assess the effects of extreme drought on the intraspecific variation of the specific leaf area (SLA), a proxy of plant growth. We evaluate and compare the effect size of the SLA response for the functional groups of forbs and grasses in temperate and sub-Mediterranean systems. We hypothesized that the functional groups of grasses and forbs from temperate grassland systems have different strategies in short-term drought response, measured as adjustment of SLA, with SLA-reduction in grasses and SLA-maintenance in forbs. Second, we hypothesized that grasses and forbs from sub-Mediterranean systems do not differ in their drought response as both groups maintain their SLA. We found a significant decrease of SLA in grasses of the temperate systems in response to drought while SLA of forbs showed no significant response. Lower SLA is associated with enhanced water-use efficiency under water stress and thus can be seen as a strategy of phenotypic adjustment. By contrast, in the sub-Mediterranean systems, grasses significantly increased their SLA in the drought treatment. This result points towards a better growth performance of these grasses, which is most likely related to their strategy to allocate resources to belowground parts. The observed SLA reduction of forbs is most likely a direct drought response given that competitive effect of grasses is unlikely due to the scanty vegetation cover. We point out that phenotypic adjustment is an important driver of short-term functional plant response to climatic extremes such as drought. Differential reactions of functional groups have to be interpreted against the background of the group's evolutionary configuration that can differ between climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter Poschlod
- Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Sergey Rosbakh
- Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Jürgen Kreyling
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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Baruah G, Molau U, Bai Y, Alatalo JM. Community and species-specific responses of plant traits to 23 years of experimental warming across subarctic tundra plant communities. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2571. [PMID: 28566722 PMCID: PMC5451416 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02595-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To improve understanding of how global warming may affect competitive interactions among plants, information on the responses of plant functional traits across species to long-term warming is needed. Here we report the effect of 23 years of experimental warming on plant traits across four different alpine subarctic plant communities: tussock tundra, Dryas heath, dry heath and wet meadow. Open-top chambers (OTCs) were used to passively warm the vegetation by 1.5-3 °C. Changes in leaf width, leaf length and plant height of 22 vascular plant species were measured. Long-term warming significantly affected all plant traits. Overall, plant species were taller, with longer and wider leaves, compared with control plots, indicating an increase in biomass in warmed plots, with 13 species having significant increases in at least one trait and only three species having negative responses. The response varied among species and plant community in which the species was sampled, indicating community-warming interactions. Thus, plant trait responses are both species- and community-specific. Importantly, we show that there is likely to be great variation between plant species in their ability to maintain positive growth responses over the longer term, which might cause shifts in their relative competitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Baruah
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurrerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ulf Molau
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 461, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yang Bai
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - Juha M Alatalo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
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Losapio G, Schöb C. Resistance of plant–plant networks to biodiversity loss and secondary extinctions following simulated environmental changes. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH‐8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Christian Schöb
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH‐8057 Zurich Switzerland
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Rull V, Vegas-Vilarrúbia T. Potential Responses of Vascular Plants from the Pristine "Lost World" of the Neotropical Guayana Highlands to Global Warming: Review and New Perspectives. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:81. [PMID: 28179913 PMCID: PMC5263137 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The neotropical Guayana Highlands (GH) are one of the few remaining pristine environments on Earth, and they host amazing biodiversity with a high degree endemism, especially among vascular plants. Despite the lack of direct human disturbance, GH plants and their communities are threatened with extinction from habitat loss due to global warming (GW). Geographic information systems simulations involving the entire known vascular GH flora (>2430 species) predict potential GW-driven extinctions on the order of 80% by the end of this century, including nearly half of the endemic species. These estimates and the assessment of an environmental impact value for each species led to the hierarchization of plants by their risk of habitat loss and the definition of priority conservation categories. However, the predictions assume that all species will respond to GW by migrating upward and at equal rates, which is unlikely, so current estimates should be considered preliminary and incomplete (although they represent the best that can be done with the existing information). Other potential environmental forcings (i.e., precipitation shifts, an increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration) and idiosyncratic plant responses (i.e., resistance, phenotypic acclimation, rapid evolution) should also be considered, so detailed eco-physiological studies of the more threatened species are urgently needed. The main obstacles to developing such studies are the remoteness and inaccessibility of the GH and, especially, the difficulty in obtaining official permits for fieldwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentí Rull
- Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera (ICTJA-CSIC)Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Vegas-Vilarrúbia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
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Funk JL, Larson JE, Ames GM, Butterfield BJ, Cavender‐Bares J, Firn J, Laughlin DC, Sutton‐Grier AE, Williams L, Wright J. Revisiting the
H
oly
G
rail: using plant functional traits to understand ecological processes. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1156-1173. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University 1 University Drive Orange CA 92866 USA
| | - Julie E. Larson
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University 1 University Drive Orange CA 92866 USA
| | - Gregory M. Ames
- Department of Biology Duke University Box 90338 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Bradley J. Butterfield
- Merriam‐Powell Center for Environmental Research and Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University Box 5640 Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
| | - Jeannine Cavender‐Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota 1475 Gortner Avenue St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Jennifer Firn
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Brisbane Queensland 4000 Australia
| | - Daniel C. Laughlin
- Environmental Research Institute and School of Science University of Waikato Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3240 New Zealand
| | - Ariana E. Sutton‐Grier
- National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1305 East‐West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland 5825 University Research Ct #4001 College Park MD 20740 USA
| | - Laura Williams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota 1475 Gortner Avenue St. Paul MN 55108 USA
| | - Justin Wright
- Department of Biology Duke University Box 90338 Durham NC 27708 USA
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