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Muñoz-Gallego R, Wiegand T, Traveset A, Fedriani JM. Sex-driven neighborhood effects on herbivory in the dioecious Mediterranean palm Chamaerops humilis L. Oecologia 2023; 203:151-165. [PMID: 37794240 PMCID: PMC10615982 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05457-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Although it is well recognized that the strength of plant-herbivore interactions can vary with the plant sex, the distance, and the density of conspecific neighbors, no study has yet assessed their combined influence. Here, we filled this knowledge gap by focusing on the dioecious palm Chamaerops humilis L., and its two main herbivores, the invasive moth Paysandisia archon Burmeister and the feral goat Capra hircus L. We evaluated levels and spatial patterns of herbivory, as well as those of plant size and number of inflorescences in two palm populations in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Our spatial point pattern analyses revealed that palms not affected by moth herbivory or goat florivory were spatially aggregated, goats fed more strongly upon inflorescences in palms with more neighbors, but they consumed more leaves in isolated palms. Interestingly, we could reveal for the first time that plant sex is a key plant trait modulating neighborhood effects. For instance, whereas aggregated female palms experienced lower intensity of goat florivory than isolated ones, male palms showed the opposite pattern. Palm size and number of inflorescences also showed sex-related differences, suggesting that sexual dimorphism is a key driver of the observed neighborhood effects on herbivory. Our study highlights the importance of considering relevant plant traits such as sex when investigating plant neighborhood effects, calling for further research to fully understand the dynamics governing plant-herbivore interactions in dioecious systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Muñoz-Gallego
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMCDEA, CSIC-UIB), C/ Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain.
| | - Thorsten Wiegand
- Department of Ecological Modelling, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (IMCDEA, CSIC-UIB), C/ Miquel Marquès, 21, 07190, Esporles, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Jose M Fedriani
- Desertification Research Centre (CIDE, CSIC), Crta. Moncada-Náquera, Km 4.5, 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain.
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD, CSIC), C/Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain.
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He Q, Queenborough SA, Zhang Y, Wang W, Li B, Zhao K, Luo W, Tang H, Lin W, Chu C. Effects of tree sex, maturity, local abiotic, and biotic neighborhoods on the growth of a subtropical dioecious tree species Diospyros morrisiana. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16124. [PMID: 36652334 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding the drivers of the growth in long-lived woody trees is the key to predicting their responses to and maintaining their populations under global change. However, the role of tree sex and differential investment to reproduction are often not considered in models of individual tree growth, despite many gymnosperm and angiosperm species having separate male and female sexes. Thus, better models of tree growth should include tree sex and life stage along with the abiotic and biotic neighborhoods. METHODS We used a sex-specific molecular marker to determine the sex of 2188 individual trees >1 cm DBH of the dioecious tree species Diospyros morrisiana in a 50-ha subtropical forest plot in China. We used long-term census data from about 300,000 trees, together with 625 soil samples and 2352 hemispherical photographs to characterize the spatially explicit biotic and abiotic neighborhoods. RESULTS We found a male-biased effective sex ratio and a female-biased overall population sex ratio of D. morrisiana. No sex spatial segregation was detected for the overall population, mature, or immature trees. Immature trees grew faster than mature trees and females grew slower than males. Further, conspecific neighbors significantly decreased tree growth, while the abiotic neighborhood showed no significant effect. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that variation in resource allocation patterns within and across individual trees of different sexes and life-history stages should be more widely accounted for in models of tree growth. In addition, our study highlights the importance of sex-specific molecular markers for studying populations of long-lived dioecious tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Simon A Queenborough
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, USA
| | - Yonghua Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Weitao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Buhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Kangning Zhao
- School of Architecture, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Wenqi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Hui Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Wei Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Chengjin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences and School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
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3
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Sex ratios, damage and distribution of Myrianthus holstii Engl.: a dioecious afromontane forest tree. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Male and female dioecious tropical trees are subjected to distinct demands that may influence their ecology. An example is Myrianthus holstii Engl. that produces persistent fruit eaten by elephants and other large mammals that frequently damage the trees. Myrianthus holstii populations were assessed with 24 2-km transects, spanning an elevation range of 1435–2495 m in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Of 1089 stems ≥ 5 cm diameter 449 were female, 383 were male and the rest were non-fertile. We also noted one apparently monoecious individual. Males produced flowers at smaller sizes than did females (minimum recorded diameters 5.5 cm and 6.8 cm, respectively). Both sexes had similar distributions, favouring moderately closed forest and mid-slope locations. Female trees were more frequently damaged and typically slightly shorter than males at large diameters. Seedling densities were positively associated with the presence of larger female trees. Our results are consistent with a life history where both sexes have similar requirements, but fruiting females experience a greater frequency of severe damage.
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Guo Q, Liu L, Liu J, Korpelainen H, Li C. Plant sex affects plant-microbiome assemblies of dioecious Populus cathayana trees under different soil nitrogen conditions. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:191. [PMID: 36333709 PMCID: PMC9636617 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01387-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioecious plants have coevolved with diverse plant microbiomes, which are crucial for the fitness and productivity of their host. Sexual dimorphism in morphology, physiology, or gene expression may relate to different microbial compositions that affect male and female fitness in different environments. However, sex-specific impacts on ecological processes that control the microbiome assembly are not well known. In this study, Populus cathayana males and females were planted in different nitrogen conditions. It was hypothesized that males and females differently affect bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere soil, roots, old leaves, and young leaves. Physiological traits and transcriptome profiles of male and female plants were investigated to reveal potential mechanisms that control the microbiome assembly. RESULTS Our results showed strong niche differentiation that shapes microbial communities leading to a rapid loss of diversity along a decreasing pH gradient from the rhizosphere soil to leaves. Sex had different impacts on the microbial assembly in each niche. Especially fungal endophytes showed great differences in the community structure, keystone species, and community complexity between P. cathayana males and females. For example, the fungal co-occurrence network was more complex and the alpha diversity was significantly higher in young female leaves compared to young male leaves. Transcriptome profiles revealed substantial differences in plant-pathogen interactions and physiological traits that clearly demonstrated divergent internal environments for endophytes inhabiting males and females. Starch and pH of young leaves significantly affected the abundance of Proteobacteria, while tannin and pH of roots showed significant effects on the abundance of Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, and on the bacterial Shannon diversity. CONCLUSION Our results provided important knowledge for understanding sexual dimorphism that affects microbial assemblies, thus advancing our understanding of plant-microbiome interactions. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxue Guo
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Lin Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Jiantong Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Helena Korpelainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chunyang Li
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Keefover-Ring K, Carlson CH, Hyden B, Azeem M, Smart LB. Genetic mapping of sexually dimorphic volatile and non-volatile floral secondary chemistry of a dioecious willow. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:6352-6366. [PMID: 35710312 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Secondary chemistry often differs between sexes in dioecious plant species, a pattern attributed to its possible role in the evolution and/or maintenance of dioecy. We used GC-MS to measure floral volatiles emitted from, and LC-MS to quantitate non-volatile secondary compounds contained in, female and male Salix purpurea willow catkins from an F2 family. Using the abundance of these chemicals, we then performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to locate them on the genome, identified biosynthetic candidate genes in the QTL intervals, and examined expression patterns of candidate genes using RNA-seq. Male flowers emitted more total terpenoids than females, but females produced more benzenoids. Male tissue contained greater amounts of phenolic glycosides, but females had more chalcones and flavonoids. A flavonoid pigment and a spermidine derivative were found only in males. Male catkins were almost twice the mass of females. Forty-two QTL were mapped for 25 chemical traits and catkin mass across 16 of the 19 S. purpurea chromosomes. Several candidate genes were identified, including a chalcone isomerase associated with seven compounds. A better understanding of the genetic basis of the sexually dimorphic chemistry of a dioecious species may shed light on how chemically mediated ecological interactions may have helped in the evolution and maintenance of dioecy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Keefover-Ring
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Craig H Carlson
- Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY, USA
| | - Brennan Hyden
- Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY, USA
| | - Muhammad Azeem
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Lawrence B Smart
- Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY, USA
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Sargent RD, McKeough AD. New evidence suggests no sex bias in herbivory or plant defense. Am Nat 2022; 200:435-447. [DOI: 10.1086/720366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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Markó G, Németh I, Gyuricza V, Altbäcker V. Sex-specific differences in Juniperus communis: essential oil yield, growth-defence conflict and population sex ratio. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab021. [PMID: 34122786 PMCID: PMC8192244 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In plants, biomass and nutrient allocation often generate trade-offs between the different biochemical pathways conflicting the utilization of the common source among growth, reproduction and chemical defence. However, in dioecious plant species, these trade-off patterns could appear as a more contrasted problem between males and females due to the dissimilar reproduction investment. Generally, the growth ratio is higher in males than females, while females have a stronger defence than males. To understand the possible role of the sex-specific dissimilarities within the growth-defence conflict framework, we investigated the possible causes of the high variance of the essential oil yield in a dioecious evergreen species, Juniperus communis. Specifically, we tested the correlations between the essential oil yield with other individual-specific traits (e.g. sex, age), the presence of the growth-defence trade-off, and the differential growth and survival patterns between males and females through an extensive field survey with sample collection in three natural populations (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary). The individual-specific essential oil yield was also measured and served as a proxy to describe the degree of chemical defence. We found that the essential oil yield showed strong and consistent sex-specific patterns decreasing with age in adults. Contrary to the predictions, the males showed a consistently higher yield than the females. We also observed a growth-defence trade-off in males but not in females. Consistently with the growth-defence conflict hypothesis, the populations' sex ratio was male-biased, and this pattern was more evident with ageing modifying the demographic structure due to the sexually dissimilar lifespan. Our juniper study revealed a contrasting and unique essential oil accumulation driven by the complex allocation trade-off mechanisms within individuals, which could be a flexible and adaptive defence response against the increasing biotic and abiotic environmental stresses exacerbated under global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Markó
- Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Ménesi út 44, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Németh
- Biotech Biostatistics and Programming, Parexel International, Hermina út 17, H-1146 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Veronika Gyuricza
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vilmos Altbäcker
- Department of Nature Conservation, Institute of Game Management and Nature Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Guba Sándor utca 40, H-7400 Kaposvár, Hungary
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8
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Sobuj N, Virjamo V, Nissinen K, Sivadasan U, Mehtätalo L, Nybakken L, Peltola H, Julkunen-Tiitto R. Responses in growth and phenolics accumulation to lateral bud removal in male and female saplings of Populus tremula (L.) under simulated climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 704:135462. [PMID: 31810671 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The responses in growth and defense after tissue damage are highly variable in plants depending on species, damaged-tissue type and the intensity of damage. The prevailing abiotic conditions can also influence these responses. In this study, our aim was to examine how the removal of lateral vegetative buds affects the growth and accumulation of phenolics in saplings of the dioecious Populus tremula grown under simulated climate change. For three growing seasons, the saplings were grown under ambient conditions (control), elevated temperature (+2°C) and elevated UV radiation (30%) (UVB and UVA as its control), or a combination of these. In the fourth growing season, all saplings were grown under ambient conditions. The bud removal was performed twice - in summer and autumn - in the third year. The responses of growth and the accumulation of phenolics to the bud removal were measured at the end of the fourth growing season. Removal of 5% of the lateral buds resulted in higher leaf, stem and total plant biomass in both sexes of P. tremula saplings, compared to intact plants. The effects were greater in the temperature-treated plants, especially in the temperature-treated females. The concentrations of flavonoids and condensed tannins were higher in the bud-removed individuals. The concentration of condensed tannins was also higher in the males than in the females, opposite to the concentration of phenolic acids. There was no significant interaction between bud removal and UVB treatment on either growth or phenolics. Our results suggest that plants can allocate resources to both growth and defense simultaneously in response to tissue loss, and that global warming can modify the responses to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norul Sobuj
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland.
| | - Virpi Virjamo
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Katri Nissinen
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Unnikrishnan Sivadasan
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Lauri Mehtätalo
- School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Line Nybakken
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Heli Peltola
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
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9
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Moreira X, Abdala-Roberts L, Nell CS, Vázquez-González C, Pratt JD, Keefover-Ring K, Mooney KA. Sexual and genotypic variation in terpene quantitative and qualitative profiles in the dioecious shrub Baccharis salicifolia. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14655. [PMID: 31602001 PMCID: PMC6787053 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51291-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Terpenoids are secondary metabolites produced in most plant tissues and are often considered toxic or repellent to plant enemies. Previous work has typically reported on intra-specific variation in terpene profiles, but the effects of plant sex, an important axis of genetic variation, have been less studied for chemical defences in general, and terpenes in particular. In a prior study, we found strong genetic variation (but not sexual dimorphism) in terpene amounts in leaves of the dioecious shrub Baccharis salicifolia. Here we build on these findings and provide a more in-depth analysis of terpene chemistry on these same plants from an experiment consisting of a common garden with male (N = 19) and female (N = 20) genotypes sourced from a single population. Our goal in the present study was to investigate quantitative and qualitative differences in terpene profiles associated with plant sex and genotypic variation. For this, we quantified leaf mono- and sesquiterpene amount, richness, and diversity (quantitative profile), as well as the composition of compounds (qualitative profile). We found no evidence of sexual dimorphism in monoterpene or sesquiterpene profiles. We did, however, find significant genotypic variation in amount, diversity, and composition of monoterpenes, but no effects on sesquiterpenes. These findings indicated that genotypic variation in terpene profiles largely surpassed variation due to sexual dimorphism for the studied population of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Luis Abdala-Roberts
- Department of Tropical Ecology, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Apartado Postal 4-116, Itzimna. 97000, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - Colleen S Nell
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | | | - Jessica D Pratt
- University of California, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Irvine, California, 92697, USA
| | - Ken Keefover-Ring
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Departments of Botany and Geography, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Kailen A Mooney
- University of California, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Irvine, California, 92697, USA.
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10
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Tonnabel J, David P, Klein EK, Pannell JR. Sex‐specific selection on plant architecture through “budget” and “direct” effects in experimental populations of the wind‐pollinated herb,
Mercurialis annua. Evolution 2019; 73:897-912. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Patrice David
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | | | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of Lausanne CH‐1015 Lausanne Switzerland
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11
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Stark S, Martz F. Gender Dimorphism Does Not Affect Secondary Compound Composition in Juniperus communis After Shoot Cutting in Northern Boreal Forests. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1910. [PMID: 30622553 PMCID: PMC6308805 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Due to a difference in plant resource allocation to reproduction, the males of dioecious plants may be more growth-orientated, whereas females may allocate more resources for synthesizing secondary compounds. This mechanism is considered to cause gender-specific differences in the plant responses to the loss of plant biomass. Here, we tested gender dimorphism in the responses of common juniper (Juniperus communis) to shoot cutting in four juniper populations located in northern boreal forests in Finland. We collected shoots from uncut junipers and from junipers subjected to shoot cutting in the previous year, and analyzed them for their shoot growth as well as phenolic and terpenoid concentrations. There were no differences in foliar phenolic or terpenoid concentrations between the males and the females. Shoot cutting increased phenolic but not terpenoid concentrations, similarly, in both males and females. Our study reveals that the nature of gender dimorphism may differ among species and locations, which should be considered in theories on plant gender dimorphism. Given the similar phenolic and terpene concentrations in both genders, the different sexes in the northern juniper populations might experience equal levels of herbivory. This lack of gender dimorphism in biotic interactions could result from the high need of plant secondary metabolites (PSM) against abiotic stresses, which is typical for juniper at high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Stark
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Production System Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Françoise Martz
- Production System Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Rovaniemi, Finland
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12
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Rivkin LR, Barrett SCH, Johnson MTJ. The effects of plant sexual system and latitude on resistance to herbivores. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:977-985. [PMID: 29917233 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The strength of plant-herbivore interactions varies in space and time, but the factors that explain this variation are poorly understood. Several lines of research suggest that variation in plant reproductive systems and latitude may explain resistance against herbivores, but how these factors jointly affect plant-herbivore interactions has not been investigated in detail. We examined the effects of latitude, sexual system, and plant gender on herbivory in Sagittaria latifolia, an aquatic plant in which populations are typically monoecious (separate female and male flowers) or dioecious (separate female and male plants). METHODS We surveyed 43 populations of S. latifolia between 42 and 48° N in Ontario, Canada. In each population, we recorded the sexual system and obtained estimates of herbivore damage to ramets of known gender (i.e. female, male, or hermaphrodite) by the weevil Listronotus appendiculatus, the principal herbivore of S. latifolia. Herbivore damage was quantified as the percent leaf area removed by adult L. appendiculatus weevils, and the abundance of larvae feeding within flowering stalks, which was correlated with the amount of damage by herbivores to the inflorescence. KEY RESULTS Leaf herbivory significantly decreased with increasing latitude but did not vary with sexual system or plant gender. By contrast, larvae were more abundant in dioecious populations and on female plants, corresponding to increased stem damage, providing evidence for sex-biased larval abundance in S. latifolia. These effects of sexual system and gender on larval abundance were strongest at lower latitudes. CONCLUSIONS Our study found latitudinal variation in leaf herbivory and sex-biased resistance to weevil larvae that feed on the reproductive tissues of S. latifolia, which is predicted to be a necessary condition for herbivory to influence the evolution of dioecy.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Spencer C H Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Marc T J Johnson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada
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13
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Tonnabel J, David P, Pannell JR. Sex-specific strategies of resource allocation in response to competition for light in a dioecious plant. Oecologia 2017; 185:675-686. [PMID: 29043498 PMCID: PMC5681607 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3966-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The differential plasticity hypothesis suggests that sexual dimorphism in dioecious plants could evolve in response to sex-specific resource requirements for reproduction (i.e., high carbon requirements for ovules and high nitrogen demands for pollen). When resources become limiting during growth, males and females should, therefore, adjust their allocation to resource-harvesting organs differently. To investigate the potential for plants to respond to resource limitation late in life and to test the differential plasticity hypothesis, we grew male and female individuals of the annual wind-pollinated plant Mercurialis annua in a common garden. Late in the growth season, we simulated a change in competition by decreasing plant density in half of the replicates. We measured both allocation to vegetative and reproductive traits and analyzed the relative allocation to reproduction vs. growth. Males and females differentially adjusted their resource allocation in response to varying plant densities, despite the fact that they were reproductively mature. Males maintained the same relative allocation of resource to reproductive vs. vegetative tissues at both densities. In contrast, females reduced vegetative growth proportionally less than seed production at the higher density. Our results highlight the dynamic nature of allocation decisions taken by plants, which respond quickly and in a sexually dimorphic way to changes in their competitive circumstances. The existence of resource 'currencies' limiting male and female functions differently have potentially led to the evolution of sex-specific strategies of resource acquisition and deployment, with females conserving resources for vegetative organs to ensure their future carbon-rich reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tonnabel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Patrice David
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Johnson MT, Campbell SA, Barrett SC. Evolutionary Interactions Between Plant Reproduction and Defense Against Herbivores. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2015. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-112414-054215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc T.J. Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6 Canada;
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2 Canada; ,
| | - Stuart A. Campbell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2 Canada; ,
| | - Spencer C.H. Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2 Canada; ,
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Lucero García-García P, Cano-Santana Z. Nutritional ecology, growth and density of Acronyctodes mexicanaria(Lepidoptera: Geometridae) on a dioecious plant Buddleja cordata(Scrophulariaceae). REV MEX BIODIVERS 2015. [DOI: 10.7550/rmb.44382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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16
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Kabir MF, Moritz KK, Stenberg JA. Plant-sex-biased tritrophic interactions on dioecious willow. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00356.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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17
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Janczur MK, León Solano HJ, Solache Rámos LT, Mendoza Reyes CH, Oro Cerro MDC, Mariezcurrena Berasain MD, Rivas Manzano IV, Manjarrez J, Villareal Benitez JL, Czarnoleski M. Chemical and physical defense traits in two sexual forms of Opuntia robusta in Central Eastern Mexico. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89535. [PMID: 24599143 PMCID: PMC3943789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic plants provide an excellent opportunity for examining the differences in the extent of their defense against herbivores because they exhibit sex-related differences in reproductive investment. Such differences enable comparison of the sex with high reproduction expenses with the sex that expends less. The more costly sex is usually also better defended against herbivores. Generally, females are considered more valuable than hermaphrodites in terms of fitness; however, hermaphrodites are more valuable if they can produce seed by autonomous selfing, provided that the inbreeding depression is low and pollen is limited. We studied a gynodioecious population of Opuntia robusta from Central-Eastern Mexico, which has been reported to be trioecious, dioecious, or hermaphrodite, and addressed the following questions: 1) Is the hermaphrodite's reproductive output higher than the female's, and are hermaphrodites thus better defended? 2) Are plant tissues differentially defended? 3) Do trade-offs exist among different physical defense traits? and 4) among physical and chemical defense traits? We found that 1) hermaphrodites had a higher seed output and more spines per areola than females and that their spines contained less moisture. Non-reproductive hermaphrodite cladodes contained more total phenolic compounds (TPCs) than female ones. In addition, 2) hermaphrodite reproductive cladodes bore more spines than female cladodes, and 3) and 4) we found a negative relationship between spine number per areola and areola number per cladode and a positive relationship between spine number per areola per plant and TPC concentration per plant. Non-reproductive hermaphrodite cladodes contained a higher concentration of TPCs than female cladodes, and parental cladodes contained fewer TPCs than both reproductive and empty cladodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Krzysztof Janczur
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
- Research Group in Life History Evolution, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Héctor Javier León Solano
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Lupita Tzenyatze Solache Rámos
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Citlalli Hypatia Mendoza Reyes
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - María del Carmen Oro Cerro
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - María Dolores Mariezcurrena Berasain
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Irma Victoria Rivas Manzano
- Research Group in Flora Composition, and Ecology of Tropical and Template Systems, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Javier Manjarrez
- Research Group in Behavioral Biology and Conservation, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico, Carretera Toluca-Tlachaloya, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - José Luis Villareal Benitez
- Division of Computing Service, Information and Communication Technology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico Distrito Federal, Mexico
| | - Marcin Czarnoleski
- Research Group in Life History Evolution, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Buckley NE, Avila-Sakar G. Reproduction, growth, and defense trade-offs vary with gender and reproductive allocation in Ilex glabra (Aquifoliaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:357-64. [PMID: 23328690 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Male-biased herbivory in dioecious species is expected as a consequence of selection for increased resistance (reduced attack) in the sex with higher reproductive costs-females. Empirical support of this prediction is taxonomically restricted and fraught with exceptions. Phenological changes in resource allocation to reproduction may change the trade-offs among functions in a sex-specific fashion, and may eliminate male-biased herbivory. METHODS We investigated variation in trade-offs among reproduction, growth, and defense in relation to the reproductive period, and whether females were more resistant and less tolerant (maintaining fitness upon damage) than males in a natural population of Ilex glabra in Nova Scotia. We subjected plants to partial or full defoliation treatments during and after flowering in 2006 and before flowering in 2007, and measured their growth and reproductive output in 2007. We assessed resistance to herbivory using the proportion of leaf damage found on leaves obtained from the defoliation treatment. KEY RESULTS Contrary to theoretical predictions, we did not find male-biased herbivory. Males were more tolerant than females to being partially defoliated before or after flowering. Regardless of sex, plants either fully or overcompensated after partial defoliation, and under-compensated in response to full defoliation, except when defoliated before flowering. Rather than a trade-off, we found a weak, positive correlation between resistance and tolerance. CONCLUSION The timing of damage in relation to reproductive phenology influences both resistance and tolerance to herbivory, which must be considered when assessing predictions about gender dimorphism of biotic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Buckley
- Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6 Canada
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