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Wang C, Yap ZY, Wan P, Chen K, Folk RA, Damrel DZ, Barger W, Diamond A, Horn C, Landry GP, Samarakoon T, Harvey S, Morgan DR, Qiu Y, Li P. Molecular phylogeography and historical demography of a widespread herbaceous species from eastern North America, Podophyllum peltatum. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16254. [PMID: 37938809 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Glacial/interglacial cycles and topographic complexity are both considered to have shaped today's diverse phylogeographic patterns of taxa from unglaciated eastern North America (ENA). However, few studies have focused on the phylogeography and population dynamics of wide-ranging ENA herbaceous species occurring in forest understory habitat. We examined the phylogeographic pattern and evolutionary history of Podophyllum peltatum L., a widely distributed herb inhabiting deciduous forests of ENA. METHODS Using chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci, we investigated the population structure and genetic diversity of the species. Molecular dating, demographic history analyses, and ecological niche modeling were also performed to illustrate the phylogeographic patterns. RESULTS Our cpDNA results identified three main groups that are largely congruent with boundaries along the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, two major geographic barriers in ENA. Populations located to the east of the Appalachians and along the central Appalachians exhibited relatively higher levels of genetic diversity. Extant lineages may have diverged during the late Miocene, and range expansions of different groups may have happened during the Pleistocene glacial/interglacial cycles. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that geographic barriers may have started to facilitate the population divergence in P. peltatum before the Pleistocene. Persistence in multiple refugia, including areas around the central Appalachians during the Quaternary glacial period, and subsequent expansions under hospitable climatic condition, especially westward expansion, are likely responsible for the species' contemporary genetic structure and phylogeographic pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Wang
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Zhao-Yan Yap
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Penglei Wan
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Kuangqi Chen
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Ryan A Folk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, 39762, USA
| | - Dixie Z Damrel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, 29634-0314, USA
| | - Wayne Barger
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Natural Heritage Section, Montgomery, Alabama, 36130, USA
| | - Alvin Diamond
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Troy University, Troy, Alabama, 36082, USA
| | - Charles Horn
- Department of Sciences and Mathematics, Newberry College, Newberry, South Carolina, 29108, USA
| | | | | | - Stephanie Harvey
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, Georgia, 31709-4376, USA
| | - David R Morgan
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia, 30118-2220, USA
| | - Yingxiong Qiu
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
- Plant Biodiversity Research Centre, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
| | - Pan Li
- Systematic & Evolutionary Botany and Biodiversity group, MOE Laboratory of Biosystem Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
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Centenaro G, Petraglia A, Carbognani M, Piotti A, Hudek C, Büntgen U, Crivellaro A. The oldest known clones of Salix herbacea growing in the Northern Apennines, Italy are at least 2000 years old. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16243. [PMID: 37755870 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16243] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Dominant in many ecosystems around the world, clonal plants can reach considerable ages and sizes. Due to their modular growth patterns, individual clonal plants (genets) can consist of many subunits (ramets). Since single ramets do not reflect the actual age of genets, the ratio between genet size (radius) and longitudinal annual growth rate (LAGR) of living ramets is often used to approximate the age of clonal plants. However, information on how the LAGR changes along ramets and how LAGR variability may affect age estimates of genets is still limited. METHODS We assessed the variability of LAGR based on wood-section position along the ramets and on the duration of the growing season on three genetically distinct genets of Salix herbacea growing in the Northern Apennines (Italy). We compared genet ages estimated by dividing genet radius by the LAGRs of its ramets. RESULTS LAGR increased significantly from the stem apex to the root collar; indicating that ramet growth rate decreased with time. Furthermore, a difference of ca. 2 weeks in the onset of the growing period did not impact LAGR. Considering the high LAGR variability, we estimated that the three genets started to grow between ~2100 and ~7000 years ago, which makes them the oldest known clones of S. herbacea even considering the most conservative age estimate. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that analyzing ramets at the root collar provides an integrative measurement of their overall LAGR, which is crucial for estimating the age of genets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Centenaro
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Joint Research Unit CTFC - AGROTECNIO - CERCA, Solsona, Spain
| | - 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
| | - Andrea Piotti
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Firenze, Italy
| | - Csilla Hudek
- Lancaster University, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Global Change Research Centre (CzechGlobe), Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Geography, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alan Crivellaro
- Forest Biometrics Laboratory, Faculty of Forestry, "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania
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Körner C. Concepts in Alpine Plant Ecology. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2666. [PMID: 37514280 PMCID: PMC10386573 DOI: 10.3390/plants12142666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The alpine life zone is perhaps the only biome that occurs globally where mountains are high enough. At latitudinally varying elevation, the alpine belt hosts small stature plants that vary greatly in morphology, anatomy and physiology. In this contribution, I summarize a number of principles that govern life in what is often considered a cold and hostile environment. The 12 conceptual frameworks depicted include the key role of aerodynamic decoupling from free atmospheric climatic conditions, the problematic concepts of limitation and stress in an evolutionary context, and the role of developmental flexibility and functional diversity. With its topography driven habitat diversity, alpine plant diversity is buffered against environmental change, and the multitude of microclimatic gradients offers 'experiments by nature', the power of which awaits multidisciplinary exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Körner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Botany, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Möhl P, von Büren RS, Hiltbrunner E. Growth of alpine grassland will start and stop earlier under climate warming. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7398. [PMID: 36456572 PMCID: PMC9715633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpine plants have evolved a tight seasonal cycle of growth and senescence to cope with a short growing season. The potential growing season length (GSL) is increasing because of climate warming, possibly prolonging plant growth above- and belowground. We tested whether growth dynamics in typical alpine grassland are altered when the natural GSL (2-3 months) is experimentally advanced and thus, prolonged by 2-4 months. Additional summer months did not extend the growing period, as canopy browning started 34-41 days after the start of the season, even when GSL was more than doubled. Less than 10% of roots were produced during the added months, suggesting that root growth was as conservative as leaf growth. Few species showed a weak second greening under prolonged GSL, but not the dominant sedge. A longer growing season under future climate may therefore not extend growth in this widespread alpine community, but will foster species that follow a less strict phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Möhl
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Raphael S von Büren
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Climatic Signals on Growth Ring Variation in Salix herbacea: Comparing Two Contrasting Sites in Iceland. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13050718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Salix herbacea, being such an adaptive species, has never been studied for its climatic response. The main purpose of this study is to examine the dendrochronological potential of S. herbacea. Furthermore, it aims to identify the main environmental factors that are influencing its growth. We selected two sampling sites that are different in terms of morphology and climate. Overall, 40 samples of dwarf willow were collected from two research sites and were analyzed by following the standard dendrochronological methods. The ring width chronology of the dwarf willow from the Afrétt site spans 1953–2017, i.e., 64 years. The correlations between air temperature and the ring width of dwarf willow indicate that this species responds positively to spring and summer temperatures for the Myrdal site. For the Afrétt site, this species responds positively to winter and summer precipitation. These effects may be related to tundra browning, a process that has appeared since the beginning of the 21st century. Our work is the first attempt to create a growth ring chronology of S. herbacea and to investigate its climate sensitivity. Despite the differences in local climate in both sites, this species shows its potentiality and a direct imprint of recent environmental changes in its ring width growth pattern.
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Arnberg MP, Frank SC, Blaalid R, Davey ML, Eycott AE, Steyaert SMJG. Directed endozoochorous dispersal by scavengers facilitate sexual reproduction in otherwise clonal plants at cadaver sites. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8503. [PMID: 35127028 PMCID: PMC8794756 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The regeneration niche of many plant species involves spatially and temporally unpredictable disturbances, called recruitment windows of opportunity. However, even species with clear dispersal adaptations such as fleshy berries may not successfully reach such elusive regeneration microsites. Ericaceous, berry-producing species in the northern hemisphere demonstrate this dispersal limitation. They are said to display a reproductive paradox owing to their lack of regeneration in apparently suitable microsites despite considerable investment in producing large quantities of berries.Cadavers generate vegetation-denuded and nutrient-rich disturbances termed cadaver decomposition islands (CDIs). Cadavers attract facultative scavengers with considerable capacity for endozoochorous seed dispersal. We hypothesize that CDIs facilitate recruitment in berry-producing ericaceous species due to endozoochorous dispersal directed toward favorable microsites with low competition.We examined seedling establishment within a permanent, semi-regular 10 × 10 m grid across an ungulate mass die-off on the Hardangervidda plateau in southeastern Norway. Competing models regarding the relative importance of factors governing recruitment were evaluated, specifically cadaver location (elevated seed rain) and microsite conditions (competition).We found that CDIs did facilitate seedling establishment, as cadaver density was the best predictor of seedling distribution. Other important factors governing seedling establishment such as percentage cover of soil and vascular plants alone were inadequate to explain seedling establishment. Synthesis: This study provides a novel understanding of sexual reproduction in species with cryptic generative reproduction. The directed nature of endozoochorous dispersal combined with long-distance dispersal abilities of medium to large vertebrate scavengers toward cadavers allows plants to exploit the advantageous but ephemeral resource provided by CDIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mie Prik Arnberg
- Faculty of Biosciences and AquacultureNord UniversitySteinkjerNorway
| | | | - Rakel Blaalid
- Department of Natural HistoryUniversity Museum of BergenBergenNorway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchTrondheimNorway
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Abstract
The alpine belt hosts the treeless vegetation above the high elevation climatic treeline. The way alpine plants manage to thrive in a climate that prevents tree growth is through small stature, apt seasonal development, and ‘managing’ the microclimate near the ground surface. Nested in a mosaic of micro-environmental conditions, these plants are in a unique position by a close-by neighborhood of strongly diverging microhabitats. The range of adjacent thermal niches that the alpine environment provides is exceeding the worst climate warming scenarios. The provided mountains are high and large enough, these are conditions that cause alpine plant species diversity to be robust against climatic change. However, the areal extent of certain habitat types will shrink as isotherms move upslope, with the potential areal loss by the advance of the treeline by far outranging the gain in new land by glacier retreat globally.
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Huang R, Wang Y, Li K, Wang YQ. Genetic variation and population structure of clonal Zingiber zerumbet at a fine geographic scale: a comparison with two closely related selfing and outcrossing Zingiber species. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:116. [PMID: 34107885 PMCID: PMC8191059 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01853-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has always been controversy over whether clonal plants have lower genetic diversity than plants that reproduce sexually. These conflicts could be attributed to the fact that few studies have taken into account the mating system of sexually reproducing plants and their phylogenetic distance. Moreover, most clonal plants in these previous studies regularly produce sexual progeny. Here, we describe a study examining the levels of genetic diversity and differentiation within and between local populations of fully clonal Zingiber zerumbet at a microgeographical scale and compare the results with data for the closely related selfing Z. corallinum and outcrossing Z. nudicarpum. Such studies could disentangle the phylogenetic and sexually reproducing effect on genetic variation of clonal plants, and thus contribute to an improved understanding in the clonally reproducing effects on genetic diversity and population structure. RESULTS The results revealed that the level of local population genetic diversity of clonal Z. zerumbet was comparable to that of outcrossing Z. nudicarpum and significantly higher than that of selfing Z. corallinum. However, the level of microgeographic genetic diversity of clonal Z. zerumbet is comparable to that of selfing Z. corallinum and even slightly higher than that of outcrossing Z. nudicarpum. The genetic differentiation among local populations of clonal Z. zerumbet was significantly lower than that of selfing Z. corallinum, but higher than that of outcrossing Z. nudicarpum. A stronger spatial genetic structure appeared within local populations of Z. zerumbet compared with selfing Z. corallinum and outcrossing Z. nudicarpum. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that fully clonal plants are able not only to maintain a high level of within-population genetic diversity like outcrossing plants, but can also maintain a high level of microgeographic genetic diversity like selfing plant species, probably due to the accumulation of somatic mutations and absence of a capacity for sexual reproduction. We suggest that conservation strategies for the genetic diversity of clonal and selfing plant species should be focused on the protection of all habitat types, especially fragments within ecosystems, while maintenance of large populations is a key to enhance the genetic diversity of outcrossing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Kuan Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Ying-Qiang Wang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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Nomoto HA, Alexander JM. Drivers of local extinction risk in alpine plants under warming climate. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1157-1166. [PMID: 33780124 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The scarcity of local plant extinctions following recent climate change has been explained by demographic inertia and lags in the displacement of resident species by novel species, generating an 'extinction debt'. We established a transplant experiment to disentangle the contribution of these processes to the local extinction risk of four alpine plants in the Swiss Alps. Projected population growth (λ) derived from integral projection models was reduced by 0.07/°C of warming on average, whereas novel species additionally decreased λ by 0.15 across warming levels. Effects of novel species on predicted extinction time were greatest at warming < 2 °C for two species. Projected population declines under both warming and with novel species were primarily driven by increased mortality. Our results suggest that extinction debt can be explained by a combination of demographic inertia and lags in novel species establishment, with the latter being particularly important for some species under low levels of warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna A Nomoto
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Jake M Alexander
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
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10
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Venn SE, Gallagher RV, Nicotra AB. Germination at Extreme Temperatures: Implications for Alpine Shrub Encroachment. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:327. [PMID: 33572051 PMCID: PMC7915672 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, shrub cover is increasing across alpine and tundra landscapes in response to warming ambient temperatures and declines in snowpack. With a changing climate, shrub encroachment may rely on recruitment from seed occurring outside of the optimum temperature range. We used a temperature gradient plate in order to determine the germination niche of 14 alpine shrub species. We then related the range in laboratory germination temperatures of each species to long-term average temperature conditions at: (1) the location of the seed accession site and (2) across each species geographic distribution. Seven of the species failed to germinate sufficiently to be included in the analyses. For the other species, the germination niche was broad, spanning a range in temperatures of up to 17 °C, despite very low germination rates in some species. Temperatures associated with the highest germination percentages were all above the range of temperatures present at each specific seed accession site. Optimum germination temperatures were consistently within or higher than the range of maximum temperatures modelled across the species' geographic distribution. Our results indicate that while some shrub species germinate well at high temperatures, others are apparently constrained by an inherent seed dormancy. Shrub encroachment in alpine areas will likely depend on conditions that affect seed germination at the microsite-scale, despite overall conditions becoming more suitable for shrubs at high elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna E. Venn
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2600, Australia;
| | - Rachael V. Gallagher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia;
| | - Adrienne B. Nicotra
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2600, Australia;
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Wójcik T, Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt K. Trait Variability in the Rare Plant Species Arum alpinum in Carpathian Beech Forest Dentario glandulosae-fagetum (Western Carpathians, Poland). POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2020.68.1.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wójcik
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Land Management and Environmental Protection, University of Rzeszów, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland, ORCID: 0000-0003-0990-5132
| | - Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt
- Department of Tourism Geography and Ecology, Institute of Tourism, Faculty of Tourism and Recreation, University of Physical Education in Krakow, Jana Pawła II 78, 31-571 Kraków, Poland, ORCID: 0000-0001-5967-3873
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12
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Möhl P, Hiltbrunner E, Körner C. Halving sunlight reveals no carbon limitation of aboveground biomass production in alpine grassland. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1857-1872. [PMID: 31799736 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In temperate alpine environments, the short growing season, low temperature and a slow nutrient cycle may restrict plant growth more than carbon (C) assimilation does. To test whether C is a limiting resource, we applied a shade gradient from ambient light to 44% (maximum shade) of incident photon flux density (PFD) in late successional, Carex curvula-dominated alpine grassland at 2,580 m elevation in the Swiss central Alps for 3 years (2014-2016). Total aboveground biomass did not significantly decrease under reduced PFD, with a confidence interval ranging from +4% to -15% biomass in maximum shade. Belowground biomass, of which more than 80% were fine roots, was significantly reduced by a mean of 17.9 ± 4.6% (±SE), corresponding to 228 g/m2 , in maximum shade in 2015 and 2016. This suggests reduced investments into water and nutrient acquisition according to the functional equilibrium concept. Specific leaf area (SLA) and maximum leaf length of the most abundant species increased with decreasing PFD. Foliar concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) was reduced by 12.5 ± 4.3% under maximum shade (mean of eight tested species), while NSC concentration of belowground storage organs were unchanged in the four most abundant forbs. Furthermore, maximum shade lowered foliar δ13 C by 1.56 ± 0.35‰ and increased foliar nitrogen concentrations per unit dry mass by 18.8 ± 4.1% across six species in 2015. However, based on unit leaf area, N concentrations were lower in shade (effect of higher SLA). Thus, while we found typical morphological and physiological plant responses to lower light, shading did not considerably affect seasonal aboveground biomass production of this alpine plant community within a broad range of PFD. This suggests that C is not a growth-limiting resource, matching the unresponsiveness to in situ CO2 enrichment previously reported for this type of grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Möhl
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Körner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Tsujimoto M, Araki KS, Honjo MN, Yasugi M, Nagano AJ, Akama S, Hatakeyama M, Shimizu-Inatsugi R, Sese J, Shimizu KK, Kudoh H. Genet assignment and population structure analysis in a clonal forest-floor herb, Cardamine leucantha, using RAD-seq. AOB PLANTS 2020; 12:plz080. [PMID: 32002176 PMCID: PMC6983914 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To study the genetic structure of clonal plant populations, genotyping and genet detection using genetic markers are necessary to assign ramets to corresponding genets. Assignment is difficult as it involves setting a robust threshold of genetic distance for genet distinction as neighbouring genets in a plant population are often genetically related. Here, we used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) for a rhizomatous clonal herb, Cardamine leucantha [Brassicaceae] to accurately determine genet structure in a natural population. We determined a draft genome sequence of this species for the first time, which resulted in 66 617 scaffolds with N50 = 6086 bp and an estimated genome size of approximately 253 Mbp. Using genetic distances based on the RAD-seq analysis, we successfully distinguished ramets that belonged to distinct genets even from a half-sib family. We applied these methods to 372 samples of C. leucantha collected at 1-m interval grids within a 20 × 20 m plot in a natural population in Hokkaido, Japan. From these samples, we identified 61 genets with high inequality in terms of genet size and patchy distribution. Spatial autocorrelation analyses indicated significant aggregation within 7 and 4 m at ramet and genet levels, respectively. An analysis of parallel DNA microsatellite loci (simple sequence repeats) suggested that RAD-seq can provide data that allows robust genet assignment. It remains unclear whether the large genets identified here became dominant stochastically or deterministically. Precise identification of genets will assist further study and characterization of dominant genets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kiwako S Araki
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano Otsu, Japan
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Nojihigashi, Kusatsu, Japan
| | - Mie N Honjo
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano Otsu, Japan
| | - Masaki Yasugi
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano Otsu, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, Yoto, Utsunomiya, Japan
| | - Atsushi J Nagano
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano Otsu, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University, Yokatani, Seta Ohe-cho, Otsu, Japan
| | - Satoru Akama
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaomi Hatakeyama
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jun Sese
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Humanome Lab., Inc. 2-4-10-2F, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro K Shimizu
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Maioka, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kudoh
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano Otsu, Japan
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14
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Carbognani M, Piotti A, Leonardi S, Pasini L, Spanu I, Vendramin GG, Tomaselli M, Petraglia A. Reproductive and genetic consequences of extreme isolation in Salix herbacea L. at the rear edge of its distribution. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:849-860. [PMID: 31361802 PMCID: PMC6868362 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS At the rear edge of the distribution of species, extreme isolation and small population size influence the genetic diversity and differentiation of plant populations. This may be particularly true for Arctic-alpine species in mid-latitude mountains, but exactly how peripherality has shaped their genetic and reproductive characteristics is poorly investigated. The present study, focused on Salix herbacea, aims at providing new insights into the causes behind ongoing demographic dynamics and their consequences for peripheral populations of Arctic-alpine species. METHODS We performed a whole-population, highly detailed sampling of the only two S. herbacea populations in the northern Apennines, comparing their clonal and genetic diversity, sex ratio and spatial genetic structure with a reference population from the Alps. After inspecting ~1800 grid intersections in the three populations, 563 ramets were genotyped at 11 nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs). Past demography and mating patterns of Apennine populations were investigated to elucidate the possible causes of altered reproductive dynamics. KEY RESULTS Apennine populations, which experienced a Holocene bottleneck and are highly differentiated (FST = 0.15), had lower clonal and genetic diversity compared with the alpine population (RMLG = 1 and HE = 0.71), with the smaller population exhibiting the lowest diversity (RMLG = 0.03 and HE = 0.24). An unbalanced sex ratio was found in the larger (63 F:37 M) and the smaller (99 F:1 M) Apennine population. Both were characterized by the presence of extremely large clones (up to 2500 m2), which, however, did not play a dominant role in local reproductive dynamics. CONCLUSIONS Under conditions of extreme isolation and progressive size reduction, S. herbacea has experienced an alteration of genetic characteristics produced by the prevalence of clonal growth over sexual reproduction. However, our results showed that the larger Apennine population has maintained levels of sexual reproduction enough to counteract a dramatic loss of genetic and clonal diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - A Piotti
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - S Leonardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - L Pasini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - I Spanu
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - G G Vendramin
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - M Tomaselli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - A Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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15
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Schwarzer C, Joshi J. Ecotypic differentiation, hybridization and clonality facilitate the persistence of a cold-adapted sedge in European bogs. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Recent research has shown that many cold-adapted species survived the last glacial maximum (LGM) in northern refugia. Whether this evolutionary history has had consequences for their genetic diversity and adaptive potential remains unknown. We sampled 14 populations of Carex limosa, a sedge specialized to bog ecosystems, along a latitudinal gradient from its Scandinavian core to the southern lowland range-margin in Germany. Using microsatellite and experimental common-garden data, we evaluated the impacts of global climate change along this gradient and assessed the conservation status of the southern marginal populations. Microsatellite data revealed two highly distinct genetic groups and hybrid individuals. In our common-garden experiment, the two groups showed divergent responses to increased nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) availability, suggesting ecotypic differentiation. Each group formed genetically uniform populations at both northern and southern sampling areas. Mixed populations occurred throughout our sampling area, an area that was entirely glaciated during the LGM. The fragmented distribution implies allopatric divergence at geographically separated refugia that putatively differed in N/P availability. Molecular data and an observed low hybrid fecundity indicate the importance of clonal reproduction for hybrid populations. At the southern range-margin, however, all populations showed effects of clonality, lowered fecundity and low competitiveness, suggesting abiotic and biotic constraints to population persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schwarzer
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- University of Potsdam, Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469 Potsdam, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Hochschule für Technik HSR Rapperswil, Institute for Landscape and Open Space, Oberseestrasse 10, 8640 Rapperswil, Switzerland
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16
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Liu Y, Harris AJ, Gao Q, Su X, Ren Z. A population genetics perspective on the evolutionary histories of three clonal, endemic, and dominant grass species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Orinus (Poaceae). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6014-6037. [PMID: 31161016 PMCID: PMC6540705 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We performed analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in order to characterize the evolutionary history of Orinus according to its population genetic structure, as well as to investigate putative hybrid origins of O. intermedius and to provide additional insights into relationships among species. The genus Orinus comprises three clonal grasses that are dominant species within xeric alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Here, we used eight selectively obtained primer pairs of EcoRI/MseI to perform amplifications in 231 individuals of Orinus representing 48 populations and all three species. We compared our resulting data to genetic models of hybridization using a Bayesian algorithm within NewHybrids software. We determined that genetic variation in Orinus was 56.65% within populations while the among-species component was 30.04% using standard population genetics statistics. Nevertheless, we detected that species of Orinus were clustered into three highly distinct genetic groups corresponding to classic species identities. Our results suggest that there is some introgression among species. Thus, we tested explicit models of hybridization using a Bayesian approach within NewHybrids software. However, O. intermedius likely derives from a common ancestor with O. kokonoricus and is probably not the result of hybrid speciation between O. kokonoricus and O. thoroldii. We suspect that recent isolation of species of Orinus in allopatry via vicariance may explain the patterns in diversity that we observed, and this is corroborated by a Mantel test that showed significant positive correlation between geographic and genetic distance (r = 0.05, p < 0.05). Recent isolation may explain why Orinus differs from many other clonal species by exhibiting the highest diversity within populations rather than among them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant and Animal Resources of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau in Qinghai Province, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
- Key Laboratory of Physical Geography and Environmental Process in Qinghai Province, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of Environments and Resources in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
| | - AJ Harris
- Department of BiologyOberlin College and ConservatoryOberlinOhio
| | - Qingbo Gao
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, Northwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXiningChina
| | - Xu Su
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant and Animal Resources of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau in Qinghai Province, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
- Key Laboratory of Physical Geography and Environmental Process in Qinghai Province, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of Environments and Resources in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, School of Life ScienceQinghai Normal UniversityXiningChina
| | - Zhumei Ren
- School of Life ScienceShanxi UniversityTaiyuanChina
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Wang X, Zhao W, Li L, You J, Ni B, Chen X. Clonal plasticity and diversity facilitates the adaptation of Rhododendron aureum Georgi to alpine environment. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197089. [PMID: 29746526 PMCID: PMC5944948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Four small oval populations and five large intensive populations of Rhododendron aureum growing at the alpine in Changbai Mountain (China) were studied in two types of habitat (in the tundra and in Betula ermanii forest). Identification and delimitation of genets were inferred from excavation in small populations and from amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers by the standardized sampling design in large populations. Clonal architecture and clonal diversity were then estimated. For the four small populations, they were monoclonal, the spacer length (18.6 ± 5.6 in tundra, 29.7 ± 9.7 in Betula ermanii forest, P < 0.05) was shorter and branching intensity (136.7 ± 32.9 in tundra, 43.4 ± 12.3 in Betula ermanii forest, P < 0.05) was higher in the tundra than that in Betula ermanii forest. For the five large populations, they were composed of multiple genets with high level of clonal diversity (Simpson’s index D = 0.84, clonal richness R = 0.25, Fager's evenness E = 0.85); the spatial distribution of genets showed that the clonal growth strategy of R. aureum exhibits both guerilla and phalanx. Our results indicate that the clonal plasticity of R. aureum could enhance exploitation of resource heterogeneity and in turn greatly contribute to maintenance or improvement of fitness and the high clonal diversity of R. aureum increase the evolutionary rates to adapt the harsh alpine environment in Changbai Mountain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Wang
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Biochemistry, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Li
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Biochemistry, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, China
| | - Jian You
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Biao Ni
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xia Chen
- National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Herbal Medicine Breeding and Cultivation, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin province, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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18
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Habitat conditions, stage structure and vegetation associations of geographically isolated subalpine populations of Salix lapponum L. (Salicaceae) in the Krkonoše Mts (Czech Republic). Biologia (Bratisl) 2018. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-018-0051-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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19
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Molina-Montenegro MA, Acuña-Rodríguez IS, Flores TSM, Hereme R, Lafon A, Atala C, Torres-Díaz C. Is the Success of Plant Invasions the Result of Rapid Adaptive Evolution in Seed Traits? Evidence from a Latitudinal Rainfall Gradient. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:208. [PMID: 29535741 PMCID: PMC5835042 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
It has been widely suggested that invasion success along broad environmental gradients may be partially due to phenotypic plasticity, but rapid evolution could also be a relevant factor for invasions. Seed and fruit traits can be relevant for plant invasiveness since they are related to dispersal, germination, and fitness. Some seed traits vary along environmental gradients and can be heritable, with the potential to evolve by means of natural selection. Utilizing cross-latitude and reciprocal-transplant experiments, we evaluated the adaptive value of seed thickness as assessed by survival and biomass accumulation in Taraxacum officinale plants. In addition, thickness of a seed and Endosperm to Seed Coat Proportion (ESCP) in a second generation (F2) was measured to evaluate the heritability of this seed trait. On the other hand, we characterized the genetic variability of the sampled individuals with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, analyzing its spatial distribution and population structure. Overall, thickness of seed coat (plus wall achene) decreases with latitude, indicating that individuals of T. officinale from northern populations have a thicker seed coat than those from southern populations. Germination increased with greater addition of water and seeds from southern localities germinated significantly more than those from the north. Additionally, reciprocal transplants showed significant differences in survival percentage and biomass accumulation among individuals from different localities and moreover, the high correlation between maternal plants and their offspring can be suggesting a high grade of heritability of this trait. Although genetic differentiation was found when was considered all populations, there was no significant differentiation when only was compared the northernmost populations which inhabit in the driest climate conditions. Our results suggest that climatic conditions could affect both, the ESCP and the genetic variability in the invasive T. officinale, suggesting that this seed trait could be indicative of adaptive selection. Thus, colonization along broad geographical gradients in many cases may be the result -in part- for the presence of functional traits as shown in invasive plant species with rapid adaptive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología Molecular y Funcional, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
- Research Program “Adaptation of the Agriculture to Climate Change” PIEI A2C2, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Ian S. Acuña-Rodríguez
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología Molecular y Funcional, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Tomás S. M. Flores
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Rasme Hereme
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ecología Molecular y Funcional, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Alejandra Lafon
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia, Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Cristian Atala
- Laboratorio de Anatomía y Ecología Funcional de Plantas, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Cristian Torres-Díaz
- Grupo de Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillan, Chile
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20
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Alexander JM, Chalmandrier L, Lenoir J, Burgess TI, Essl F, Haider S, Kueffer C, McDougall K, Milbau A, Nuñez MA, Pauchard A, Rabitsch W, Rew LJ, Sanders NJ, Pellissier L. Lags in the response of mountain plant communities to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:563-579. [PMID: 29112781 PMCID: PMC5813787 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Rapid climatic changes and increasing human influence at high elevations around the world will have profound impacts on mountain biodiversity. However, forecasts from statistical models (e.g. species distribution models) rarely consider that plant community changes could substantially lag behind climatic changes, hindering our ability to make temporally realistic projections for the coming century. Indeed, the magnitudes of lags, and the relative importance of the different factors giving rise to them, remain poorly understood. We review evidence for three types of lag: "dispersal lags" affecting plant species' spread along elevational gradients, "establishment lags" following their arrival in recipient communities, and "extinction lags" of resident species. Variation in lags is explained by variation among species in physiological and demographic responses, by effects of altered biotic interactions, and by aspects of the physical environment. Of these, altered biotic interactions could contribute substantially to establishment and extinction lags, yet impacts of biotic interactions on range dynamics are poorly understood. We develop a mechanistic community model to illustrate how species turnover in future communities might lag behind simple expectations based on species' range shifts with unlimited dispersal. The model shows a combined contribution of altered biotic interactions and dispersal lags to plant community turnover along an elevational gradient following climate warming. Our review and simulation support the view that accounting for disequilibrium range dynamics will be essential for realistic forecasts of patterns of biodiversity under climate change, with implications for the conservation of mountain species and the ecosystem functions they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake M. Alexander
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Chalmandrier
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UR « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés » (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRS-UPJV), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, 80000 Amiens, France
| | - Treena I. Burgess
- Centre for Phytophthora Science and Management, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, 6150, Australia
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Conservation, Landscape and Vegetation Ecology, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvia Haider
- Institute of Biology / Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Kueffer
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Keith McDougall
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, PO Box 821, Wodonga, Victoria, 3689, Australia
| | - Ann Milbau
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martin A. Nuñez
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, INIBIOMA, CONICET, Av. Pionero, 2335 C.P. 8400, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Aníbal Pauchard
- Laboratorio de Invasiones Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Wolfgang Rabitsch
- Environment Agency Austria, Department Biodiversity & Nature Conservation, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa J. Rew
- Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Nathan J. Sanders
- The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark 2100
| | - Loïc Pellissier
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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21
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De Boeck HJ, Hiltbrunner E, Verlinden M, Bassin S, Zeiter M. Legacy Effects of Climate Extremes in Alpine Grassland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1586. [PMID: 30425726 PMCID: PMC6218882 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is particularly apparent in many mountainous regions, with warming rates of more than twice the global average being reported for the European Alps. As a result, the probability of climate extremes has increased and is expected to rise further. In an earlier study, we looked into immediate impacts of experimentally imposed heat waves in alpine grassland, and found that these systems were able to cope with heat as long as enough water was available. However, concomitant drought led to increased stress, and reduced aboveground biomass production and green plant cover. Here, we studied the legacy effects (lag-effects) of the imposed climate extreme to see whether delayed responses occurred and how fast the alpine grassland could rebound from the initial changes. Green cover continued to be suppressed the two following years in communities that had been exposed to the most intense hot drought, while aboveground biomass production had returned to control levels by year 2. The initial lower resistance of the forb fraction in the communities was not compensated by faster recovery later on. This resulted in alpine communities that became (and remained) relatively enriched with graminoids, which resisted the original extreme better. The responses of alpine grassland to heat extremes with or without drought observed in this study resemble those typically found in lowland grassland in the short term. However, alpine grassland exhibited longer legacy effects from an annual perspective, with delayed recovery of aboveground production and persistent changes in community composition. This suggests that once initial resistance thresholds are exceeded, impacts may be longer-lasting in alpine grassland, where recovery is constrained by both the short growing season and difficult seedling establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans J. De Boeck
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen (Campus Drie Eiken), Wilrijk, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Hans J. De Boeck
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maya Verlinden
- Centre of Excellence PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen (Campus Drie Eiken), Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Seraina Bassin
- Agroscope, Climate and Agriculture Group, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michaela Zeiter
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen, Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Ropars P, Angers-Blondin S, Gagnon M, Myers-Smith IH, Lévesque E, Boudreau S. Different parts, different stories: climate sensitivity of growth is stronger in root collars vs. stems in tundra shrubs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3281-3291. [PMID: 28107770 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Shrub densification has been widely reported across the circumpolar arctic and subarctic biomes in recent years. Long-term analyses based on dendrochronological techniques applied to shrubs have linked this phenomenon to climate change. However, the multi-stemmed structure of shrubs makes them difficult to sample and therefore leads to non-uniform sampling protocols among shrub ecologists, who will favor either root collars or stems to conduct dendrochronological analyses. Through a comparative study of the use of root collars and stems of Betula glandulosa, a common North American shrub species, we evaluated the relative sensitivity of each plant part to climate variables and assessed whether this sensitivity is consistent across three different types of environments in northwestern Québec, Canada (terrace, hilltop and snowbed). We found that root collars had greater sensitivity to climate than stems and that these differences were maintained across the three types of environments. Growth at the root collar was best explained by spring precipitation and summer temperature, whereas stem growth showed weak and inconsistent responses to climate variables. Moreover, sensitivity to climate was not consistent among plant parts, as individuals having climate-sensitive root collars did not tend to have climate-sensitive stems. These differences in sensitivity of shrub parts to climate highlight the complexity of resource allocation in multi-stemmed plants. Whereas stem initiation and growth are driven by microenvironmental variables such as light availability and competition, root collars integrate the growth of all plant parts instead, rendering them less affected by mechanisms such as competition and more responsive to signals of global change. Although further investigations are required to determine the degree to which these findings are generalizable across the tundra biome, our results indicate that consistency and caution in the choice of plant parts are a key consideration for the success of future dendroclimatological studies on shrubs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Ropars
- Chaire de recherche du Canada en biodiversité nordique and Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
- Centre d'études nordiques, 2405 av. de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Sandra Angers-Blondin
- Centre d'études nordiques, 2405 av. de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Marianne Gagnon
- Centre d'études nordiques, 2405 av. de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | - Esther Lévesque
- Centre d'études nordiques, 2405 av. de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département des sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5H7, Canada
| | - Stéphane Boudreau
- Centre d'études nordiques, 2405 av. de la Terrasse, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
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Assessing genetic diversity for the USA endemic carnivorous plant Pinguicula ionantha R.K. Godfrey (Lentibulariaceae). CONSERV GENET 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-016-0891-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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24
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Villeneuve-Simard MP, Boudreau S. Dynamique reproductive de la camarine noire ( Empetrum nigrum L.) le long d’une chronoséquence de feu à la limite des arbres. ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2016.1232578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stéphane Boudreau
- Département de biologie et Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, 1045 Av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6
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Matteodo M, Ammann K, Verrecchia EP, Vittoz P. Snowbeds are more affected than other subalpine-alpine plant communities by climate change in the Swiss Alps. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6969-6982. [PMID: 28725374 PMCID: PMC5513224 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
While the upward shift of plant species has been observed on many alpine and nival summits, the reaction of the subalpine and lower alpine plant communities to the current warming and lower snow precipitation has been little investigated so far. To this aim, 63 old, exhaustive plant inventories, distributed along a subalpine–alpine elevation gradient of the Swiss Alps and covering different plant community types (acidic and calcareous grasslands; windy ridges; snowbeds), were revisited after 25–50 years. Old and recent inventories were compared in terms of species diversity with Simpson diversity and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity indices, and in terms of community composition with principal component analysis. Changes in ecological conditions were inferred from the ecological indicator values. The alpha‐diversity increased in every plant community, likely because of the arrival of new species. As observed on mountain summits, the new species led to a homogenization of community compositions. The grasslands were quite stable in terms of species composition, whatever the bedrock type. Indeed, the newly arrived species were part of the typical species pool of the colonized community. In contrast, snowbed communities showed pronounced vegetation changes and a clear shift toward dryer conditions and shorter snow cover, evidenced by their colonization by species from surrounding grasslands. Longer growing seasons allow alpine grassland species, which are taller and hence more competitive, to colonize the snowbeds. This study showed that subalpine–alpine plant communities reacted differently to the ongoing climate changes. Lower snow/rain ratio and longer growing seasons seem to have a higher impact than warming, at least on plant communities dependent on long snow cover. Consequently, they are the most vulnerable to climate change and their persistence in the near future is seriously threatened. Subalpine and alpine grasslands are more stable, and, until now, they do not seem to be affected by a warmer climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magalì Matteodo
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST) University of Lausanne Géopolis Building 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Klaus Ammann
- Prof. Emeritus University of Bern Monruz 202000 Neuchâtel Switzerland
| | - Eric Pascal Verrecchia
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST) University of Lausanne Géopolis Building 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Pascal Vittoz
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST) University of Lausanne Géopolis Building 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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Sedlacek J, Cortés AJ, Wheeler J, Bossdorf O, Hoch G, Klápště J, Lexer C, Rixen C, Wipf S, Karrenberg S, van Kleunen M. Evolutionary potential in the Alpine: trait heritabilities and performance variation of the dwarf willow Salix herbacea from different elevations and microhabitats. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:3940-52. [PMID: 27516856 PMCID: PMC4972222 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpine ecosystems are seriously threatened by climate change. One of the key mechanisms by which plants can adapt to changing environmental conditions is through evolutionary change. However, we still know little about the evolutionary potential in wild populations of long-lived alpine plants. Here, we investigated heritabilities of phenological traits, leaf size, and performance traits in natural populations of the long-lived alpine dwarf shrub Salix herbacea using relatedness estimates inferred from SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) markers. Salix herbacea occurs in early- and late-snowmelt microhabitats (ridges and snowbeds), and we assessed how performance consequences of phenological traits and leaf size differ between these microhabitats in order to infer potential for evolutionary responses. Salix herbacea showed low, but significant, heritabilities of leaf size, clonal and sexual reproduction, and moderate heritabilities of phenological traits. In both microhabitats, we found that larger leaves, longer intervals between snowmelt and leaf expansion, and longer GDD (growing-degree days) until leaf expansion resulted in a stronger increase in the number of stems (clonal reproduction). In snowbeds, clonal reproduction increased with a shorter GDD until flowering, while the opposite was found on ridges. Furthermore, the proportion of flowering stems increased with GDD until flowering in both microhabitats. Our results suggest that the presence of significant heritable variation in morphology and phenology might help S. herbacea to adapt to changing environmental conditions. However, it remains to be seen if the rate of such an evolutionary response can keep pace with the rapid rate of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janosch Sedlacek
- EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstraße 1078457KonstanzGermany
| | - Andrés J. Cortés
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsUppsala UniversityNorbyvägen 18 D75236UppsalaSweden
- Present address: Department of Plant BiologySwedish Agricultural UniversityUndervisningsplan 7E75007UppsalaSweden
| | - Julia Wheeler
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFFlüelastrasse 117260DavosSwitzerland
- Institute of BotanyUniversity of BaselSchönbeinstrasse 64056BaselSwitzerland
- Present address: Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusetts01003
| | - Oliver Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary EcologyInstitute of Evolution and EcologyAuf der Morgenstelle 5University of Tübingen72076TübingenGermany
| | - Guenter Hoch
- Institute of BotanyUniversity of BaselSchönbeinstrasse 64056BaselSwitzerland
| | - Jaroslav Klápště
- Department of Forest and Conservation SciencesFaculty of ForestryUniversity of British Columbia2424 Main MallVancouverBritish ColumbiaV6T 1Z4Canada
- Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest TreesFaculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life Sciences in PragueKamýcká 129165 21Prague 6Czech Republic
- Present address: Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd.)49 Sala StreetWhakarewarewa3046RotoruaNew Zealand
| | - Christian Lexer
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaRennweg 14A‐1030ViennaAustria
| | - Christian Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFFlüelastrasse 117260DavosSwitzerland
| | - Sonja Wipf
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFFlüelastrasse 117260DavosSwitzerland
| | - Sophie Karrenberg
- Department of Ecology and GeneticsUppsala UniversityNorbyvägen 18 D75236UppsalaSweden
| | - Mark van Kleunen
- EcologyDepartment of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzUniversitätsstraße 1078457KonstanzGermany
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Pellissier L, Litsios G, Fishbein M, Salamin N, Agrawal AA, Rasmann S. Different rates of defense evolution and niche preferences in clonal and nonclonal milkweeds (Asclepias spp.). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:1230-1239. [PMID: 26379106 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Given the dual role of many plant traits to tolerate both herbivore attack and abiotic stress, the climatic niche of a species should be integrated into the study of plant defense strategies. Here we investigate the impact of plant reproductive strategy and components of species' climatic niche on the rate of chemical defense evolution in the milkweeds using a common garden experiment of 49 species. We found that across Asclepias species, clonal reproduction repeatedly evolved in lower temperature conditions, in species generally producing low concentrations of a toxic defense (cardenolides). Additionally, we found that rates of cardenolide evolution were lower for clonal than for nonclonal species. We thus conclude that because the clonal strategy is based on survival, long generation times, and is associated with tolerance of herbivory, it may be an alternative to toxicity in colder ecosystems. Taken together, these results indicate that the rate of chemical defense evolution is influenced by the intersection of life-history strategy and climatic niches into which plants radiate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Pellissier
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Glenn Litsios
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Génopode Building, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mark Fishbein
- Department of Botany, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078-3013, USA
| | - Nicolas Salamin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Génopode Building, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anurag A Agrawal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Department of Entomology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Sergio Rasmann
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Geremia RA, Pușcaș M, Zinger L, Bonneville JM, Choler P. Contrasting microbial biogeographical patterns between anthropogenic subalpine grasslands and natural alpine grasslands. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:1196-1207. [PMID: 26443332 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The effect of plant species composition on soil microbial communities was studied at the multiregional level. We compared the soil microbial communities of alpine natural grasslands dominated by Carex curvula and anthropogenic subalpine pastures dominated by Nardus stricta. We conducted paired sampling across the Carpathians and the Alps and used Illumina sequencing to reveal the molecular diversity of soil microbes. We found that bacterial and fungal communities exhibited contrasting regional distributions and that the distribution in each grassland is well discriminated. Beta diversity of microbial communities was much higher in C. curvula grasslands due to a marked regional effect. The composition of grassland-type core microbiomes suggest that C. curvula, and N. stricta to a lesser extent, tend to select a cohort of microbes related to antibiosis/exclusion, pathogenesis and endophytism. We discuss these findings in light of the postglacial history of the studied grasslands, the habitat connectivity and the disturbance regimes. Human-induced disturbance in the subalpine belt of European mountains has led to homogeneous soil microbial communities at large biogeographical scales. Our results confirm the overarching role of the dominant grassland plant species in the distribution of microbial communities and highlight the relevance of biogeographical history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto A Geremia
- Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Mihai Pușcaș
- 'A. Borza' Botanical Garden, Babeș-Bolyai University, 42 Republicii Street, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lucie Zinger
- Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, ENFA, UMR 5174 EDB, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Marc Bonneville
- Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Choler
- Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, Lab Ecol Alpine LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
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29
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De Boeck HJ, Bassin S, Verlinden M, Zeiter M, Hiltbrunner E. Simulated heat waves affected alpine grassland only in combination with drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2016; 209:531-41. [PMID: 26267066 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The Alpine region is warming fast, and concurrently, the frequency and intensity of climate extremes are increasing. It is currently unclear whether alpine ecosystems are sensitive or resistant to such extremes. We subjected Swiss alpine grassland communities to heat waves with varying intensity by transplanting monoliths to four different elevations (2440-660 m above sea level) for 17 d. Half of these were regularly irrigated while the other half were deprived of irrigation to additionally induce a drought at each site. Heat waves had no significant impacts on fluorescence (Fv /Fm , a stress indicator), senescence and aboveground productivity if irrigation was provided. However, when heat waves coincided with drought, the plants showed clear signs of stress, resulting in vegetation browning and reduced phytomass production. This likely resulted from direct drought effects, but also, as measurements of stomatal conductance and canopy temperatures suggest, from increased high-temperature stress as water scarcity decreased heat mitigation through transpiration. The immediate responses to heat waves (with or without droughts) recorded in these alpine grasslands were similar to those observed in the more extensively studied grasslands from temperate climates. Responses following climate extremes may differ in alpine environments, however, because the short growing season likely constrains recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans J De Boeck
- Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen (Campus Drie Eiken), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Seraina Bassin
- Climate/Air Pollution Group, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maya Verlinden
- Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen (Campus Drie Eiken), Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Michaela Zeiter
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Länggasse 85, CH-3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Peng Y, Macek P, Macková J, Romoleroux K, Hensen I. Clonal Diversity and Fine-scale Genetic Structure in a High Andean Treeline Population. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yanling Peng
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle/Saale Germany
| | - Petr Macek
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branisovska 31 Ceske Budejovice CZ-37005 Czech Republic
- LINCGlobal; Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; Ctra. Sacramento s/n La Canada de San Urbano E-04120 Almeria Spain
| | - Jana Macková
- Biology Centre AS CR; Institute of Soil Biology; Na Sadkach 7 Ceske Budejovice CZ-37005 Czech Republic
| | - Katya Romoleroux
- Herbario QCA; Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas; Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Av. 12 de Octubre y Roca Apdo. 2184 Quito Ecuador
| | - Isabell Hensen
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden; Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg; Am Kirchtor 1 D-06108 Halle/Saale Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Deutscher Platz 5e D-04103 Leipzig Germany
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31
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Hodd RL, Bourke D, Skeffington MS. Projected range contractions of European protected oceanic montane plant communities: focus on climate change impacts is essential for their future conservation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95147. [PMID: 24752011 PMCID: PMC3994024 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate is rapidly changing and while many studies have investigated the potential impacts of this on the distribution of montane plant species and communities, few have focused on those with oceanic montane affinities. In Europe, highly sensitive bryophyte species reach their optimum occurrence, highest diversity and abundance in the north-west hyperoceanic regions, while a number of montane vascular plant species occur here at the edge of their range. This study evaluates the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of these species and assesses the implications for EU Habitats Directive-protected oceanic montane plant communities. We applied an ensemble of species distribution modelling techniques, using atlas data of 30 vascular plant and bryophyte species, to calculate range changes under projected future climate change. The future effectiveness of the protected area network to conserve these species was evaluated using gap analysis. We found that the majority of these montane species are projected to lose suitable climate space, primarily at lower altitudes, or that areas of suitable climate will principally shift northwards. In particular, rare oceanic montane bryophytes have poor dispersal capacity and are likely to be especially vulnerable to contractions in their current climate space. Significantly different projected range change responses were found between 1) oceanic montane bryophytes and vascular plants; 2) species belonging to different montane plant communities; 3) species categorised according to different biomes and eastern limit classifications. The inclusion of topographical variables in addition to climate, significantly improved the statistical and spatial performance of models. The current protected area network is projected to become less effective, especially for specialised arctic-montane species, posing a challenge to conserving oceanic montane plant communities. Conservation management plans need significantly greater focus on potential climate change impacts, including models with higher-resolution species distribution and environmental data, to aid these communities' long-term survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory L. Hodd
- Plant Ecology Research Unit (PERU), Botany and Plant Science, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - David Bourke
- Department of Botany, and Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Micheline Sheehy Skeffington
- Plant Ecology Research Unit (PERU), Botany and Plant Science, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Cortés AJ, Waeber S, Lexer C, Sedlacek J, Wheeler JA, van Kleunen M, Bossdorf O, Hoch G, Rixen C, Wipf S, Karrenberg S. Small-scale patterns in snowmelt timing affect gene flow and the distribution of genetic diversity in the alpine dwarf shrub Salix herbacea. Heredity (Edinb) 2014; 113:233-9. [PMID: 24619183 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Current threats to biodiversity, such as climate change, are thought to alter the within-species genetic diversity among microhabitats in highly heterogeneous alpine environments. Assessing the spatial organization and dynamics of genetic diversity within species can help to predict the responses of organisms to environmental change. In this study, we evaluated whether small-scale heterogeneity in snowmelt timing restricts gene flow between microhabitats in the common long-lived dwarf shrub Salix herbacea L. We surveyed 273 genets across 12 early- and late-snowmelt sites (that is, ridges and snowbeds) in the Swiss Alps for phenological variation over 2 years and for genetic variation using seven SSR markers. Phenological differentiation triggered by differences in snowmelt timing did not correlate with genetic differentiation between microhabitats. On the contrary, extensive gene flow appeared to occur between microhabitats and slightly less extensively among adjacent mountains. However, ridges exhibited significantly lower levels of genetic diversity than snowbeds, and patterns of effective population size (Ne) and migration (Nem) between microhabitats were strongly asymmetric, with ridges acting as sources and snowbeds as sinks. As no recent genetic bottlenecks were detected in the studied sites, this asymmetry is likely to reflect current meta-population dynamics of the species dominated by gene flow via seeds rather than ancient re-colonization after the last glacial period. Overall, our results suggest that seed dispersal prevents snowmelt-driven genetic isolation, and snowbeds act as sinks of genetic diversity. We discuss the consequences of such small-scale variation in gene flow and diversity levels for population responses to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Cortés
- Unit of Plant Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Center, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Waeber
- Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - C Lexer
- Unit of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - J Sedlacek
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - J A Wheeler
- 1] WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland [2] Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M van Kleunen
- Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - O Bossdorf
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - G Hoch
- Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - C Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland
| | - S Wipf
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland
| | - S Karrenberg
- Unit of Plant Ecology and Evolution, Evolutionary Biology Center, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Carlson BZ, Randin CF, Boulangeat I, Lavergne S, Thuiller W, Choler P. Working toward integrated models of alpine plant distribution. ALPINE BOTANY 2013; 123:41-53. [PMID: 24790594 PMCID: PMC4001085 DOI: 10.1007/s00035-013-0117-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) have been frequently employed to forecast the response of alpine plants to global changes. Efforts to model alpine plant distribution have thus far been primarily based on a correlative approach, in which ecological processes are implicitly addressed through a statistical relationship between observed species occurrences and environmental predictors. Recent evidence, however, highlights the shortcomings of correlative SDMs, especially in alpine landscapes where plant species tend to be decoupled from atmospheric conditions in micro-topographic habitats and are particularly exposed to geomorphic disturbances. While alpine plants respond to the same limiting factors as plants found at lower elevations, alpine environments impose a particular set of scale-dependent and hierarchical drivers that shape the realized niche of species and that require explicit consideration in a modelling context. Several recent studies in the European Alps have successfully integrated both correlative and process-based elements into distribution models of alpine plants, but for the time being a single integrative modelling framework that includes all key drivers remains elusive. As a first step in working toward a comprehensive integrated model applicable to alpine plant communities, we propose a conceptual framework that structures the primary mechanisms affecting alpine plant distributions. We group processes into four categories, including multi-scalar abiotic drivers, gradient dependent species interactions, dispersal and spatial-temporal plant responses to disturbance. Finally, we propose a methodological framework aimed at developing an integrated model to better predict alpine plant distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Z Carlson
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe F Randin
- Botanisches Institut der Universität Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Boulangeat
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Sébastien Lavergne
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Choler
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France; Station Alpine J. Fourier, UMS CNRS-UJF 3370, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38041 Grenoble, France
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Miller A. Out in the cold--how big and how old? Genetic fingerprinting reveals long-lived individuals withstand climatic oscillations in the arctic-alpine. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:1036-7. [PMID: 22360454 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2012.05467.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In long-lived, clonally reproducing species, assessing organism size is a nontrivial endeavour because each genetically distinct entity (genet) may comprise multiple modular units (ramets). Attributes of clonally reproducing populations, such as genet size, longevity and clonal diversity (the number of genets in a population), have significant implications for the persistence of populations over time. In the context of climate change, population persistence contributes to community stability and ecosystem resilience. Do clonal individuals persist through periods of climatic oscillations? Are clonal populations composed of a few large and persistent clones, or do they include clones of different sizes and ages? In this issue, de Witte et al. (2012) present an exciting analysis of clonal diversity and genet longevity in populations of four arctic-alpine plant species with contrasting life histories: Carex curvula, Dryas octopetala, Salix herbacea and Vaccinium uliginosum. Using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data, the authors demonstrate that genet size ranged from a few centimetres to 18 metres and age estimates for the largest genets ranged from 500 to 4900 years. These data reveal that clonally reproducing populations include individuals that have outlived significant changes in climate. Despite the longevity of some individuals, clonal diversity within populations was high, with most individuals existing as small, relatively young genets. Long-lived individuals, together with high numbers of younger plants, ensure repeated recruitment and population persistence over time. This study represents a novel and timely contribution to a growing body of work aimed at understanding population persistence in changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Miller
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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