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Haldan K, Kuprina K, Haase MI, Kieckhäfer F, Schade L, Schmoldt J, Schock LS, Stein M, Wille A, Schnittler M, Bog M, Kreyling J. Choose Wisely: Great Variation among Genotypes of Promising Paludiculture Crop Phragmites australis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1045. [PMID: 36903906 PMCID: PMC10004764 DOI: 10.3390/plants12051045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Measures mitigating the climate crisis, such as paludiculture, which is the agriculture on rewetted peatlands, are urgently needed. The cosmopolitan species Phragmites australis has the potential to be used in paludiculture worldwide but is known for its high intraspecific variation. This raises the questions of whether (i) P. australis genotypes differ even at a regional scale, making them differently well suited for paludiculture and (ii) P. australis performance can be predicted by linking the variation in genotypes to strategies in the plant economics spectrum. Five P. australis genotypes from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were cultivated in two 10-month mesocosm experiments along gradients of water level and nutrient addition. We compared growth, morphology (height, growing density), above- and belowground biomass, functional and ecophysiological traits (SLA, LDMC, SRL, RDMC, root porosity, photosynthetic rate) as well as gene expression. Our results demonstrate a high variability of P. australis genotypes even at a regional scale, revealing genotype-specific productivity, morphology, and gene expression and implying that the selection of suitable genotypes will be crucial for the success of a paludiculture. However, trait covariation did not indicate distinct plant economic strategies to predict genotype performance. Instead, large-scale genotype trials are needed to select suitable genotypes for paludiculture.
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Li TX, Shen-Tu XL, Xu L, Zhang WJ, Duan JP, Song YB, Dong M. Intraspecific and sex-dependent variation of leaf traits along altitude gradient in the endangered dioecious tree Taxus fuana Nan Li & R.R. Mill. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:996750. [PMID: 36325570 PMCID: PMC9618961 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.996750] [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: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plant intraspecific trait variation (ITV) including sex-dependent differences are matters of many ecological consequences, from individual to ecosystem, especially in endangered and rare species. Taxus fuana is an endangered dioecious species with small and isolated populations endemic to the Himalayas region. Little is known about its trait variation between sexes, and among populations. In this study, 18 leaf traits from 179 reproductive trees (males and females) along the altitude (2600-3200m a.s.l.) of the T. fuana populations distributed in Gyirong County, Tibet, China, were measured. ITV and sources of variation in leaf traits were assessed. The relationship between leaf traits of males and females and altitude was analyzed separately. Variations in leaf traits of T. fuana ranged from 3.1% to 24.2%, with the smallest in leaf carbon content and the largest in leaf thickness to area ratio. On average 78.13% of the variation in leaf traits was from within populations and 21.87% among populations. The trends in leaf width, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus ratio, leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio, leaf carbon isotope ratio, and leaf nitrogen isotope ratio in relation to altitude were the same for males and females. Leaf length to width ratio varied significantly with altitude only in males, while leaf phosphorus content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf carbon to phosphorus ratio varied significantly with altitude only in females. The correlation coefficients of most leaf traits of females with altitude were larger than that of males. In the relationship between leaf traits, there was a high similarity among males and females, but the altitude accounted for more explanation in females than in males. Our results suggested that the variation in leaf traits of T. fuana was small and did not dominate the interspecific competition in the local communities. Adaptation to the altitude gradient of T. fuana might be through altering nutrient storage processes and water use efficiency. Adaptation of male and female T. fuana to environmental changes showed differences, where the males were more tolerant and the females responded greatly to altitude. The differences in adaptation strategies between male and female T. fuana may be detrimental to the maintenance of their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ming Dong
- *Correspondence: Yao-Bin Song, ; Ming Dong,
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Gorné LD, Díaz S, Minden V, Onoda Y, Kramer K, Muir C, Michaletz ST, Lavorel S, Sharpe J, Jansen S, Slot M, Chacon E, Boenisch G. The acquisitive-conservative axis of leaf trait variation emerges even in homogeneous environments. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 129:709-722. [PMID: 33245747 PMCID: PMC9113165 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The acquisitive-conservative axis of plant ecological strategies results in a pattern of leaf trait covariation that captures the balance between leaf construction costs and plant growth potential. Studies evaluating trait covariation within species are scarcer, and have mostly dealt with variation in response to environmental gradients. Little work has been published on intraspecific patterns of leaf trait covariation in the absence of strong environmental variation. METHODS We analysed covariation of four leaf functional traits [specific leaf area (SLA) leaf dry matter content (LDMC), force to tear (Ft) and leaf nitrogen content (Nm)] in six Poaceae and four Fabaceae species common in the dry Chaco forest of Central Argentina, growing in the field and in a common garden. We compared intraspecific covariation patterns (slopes, correlation and effect size) of leaf functional traits with global interspecific covariation patterns. Additionally, we checked for possible climatic and edaphic factors that could affect the intraspecific covariation pattern. KEY RESULTS We found negative correlations for the LDMC-SLA, Ft-SLA, LDMC-Nm and Ft-Nm trait pairs. This intraspecific covariation pattern found both in the field and in the common garden and not explained by climatic or edaphic variation in the field follows the expected acquisitive-conservative axis. At the same time, we found quantitative differences in slopes among different species, and between these intraspecific patterns and the interspecific ones. Many of these differences seem to be idiosyncratic, but some appear consistent among species (e.g. all the intraspecific LDMC-SLA and LDMC-Nm slopes tend to be shallower than the global pattern). CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates that the acquisitive-conservative leaf functional trait covariation pattern occurs at the intraspecific level even in the absence of relevant environmental variation in the field. This suggests a high degree of variation-covariation in leaf functional traits not driven by environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas D Gorné
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, IMBiV, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, IMBiV, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Vanessa Minden
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yusuke Onoda
- Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koen Kramer
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sean T Michaletz
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martijn Slot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama
| | - Eduardo Chacon
- School of Biology, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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Morrow CJ, Jaeger SJ, Lindroth RL. Intraspecific variation in plant economic traits predicts trembling aspen resistance to a generalist insect herbivore. Oecologia 2022; 199:119-128. [PMID: 35449362 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05158-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of trait expression within some plant species have recently been shown to align with the leaf economics spectrum paradigm. Resistance to herbivores is also expected to covary with leaf economics traits. We selected 36 mature Populus tremuloides genotypes in a common garden to assess whether aspen leaf economics patterns follow those observed among species globally. We also evaluated leaf economics strategies in the context of insect resistance by conducting bioassays to determine the effects of plant traits on preference and performance of Lymantria dispar. We found that: (1) intraspecific trait patterns of P. tremuloides parallel those exhibited by the interspecific leaf economics spectrum, (2) herbivores preferred leaves from genotypes with resource-acquisitive strategies, and (3) herbivores also performed best on genotypes with resource-acquisitive strategies. We conclude that a leaf economics spectrum that incorporates defense traits is a useful tool for explaining intraspecific patterns of variation in plant strategies, including resistance to herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clay J Morrow
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 226 Russell Laboratories, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Samuel J Jaeger
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 237 Russell Laboratories, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- CEMML, Colorado State University, 200 W. Lake ST, 1490 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Richard L Lindroth
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 237 Russell Laboratories, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas D. Gorné
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, IMBiV Córdoba Argentina
- Univ. Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales Córdoba Argentina
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, IMBiV Córdoba Argentina
- Univ. Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales Córdoba Argentina
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Ren L, Huang Y, Pan Y, Xiang X, Huo J, Meng D, Wang Y, Yu C. Differential Investment Strategies in Leaf Economic Traits Across Climate Regions Worldwide. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:798035. [PMID: 35356106 PMCID: PMC8959930 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.798035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The leaf economics spectrum (LES) is the leading theory of plant ecological strategies based on functional traits, which explains the trade-off between dry matter investment in leaf structure and the potential rate of resource return, revealing general patterns of leaf economic traits investment for different plant growth types, functional types, or biomes. Prior work has revealed the moderating role of different environmental factors on the LES, but whether the leaf trait bivariate relationships are shifted across climate regions or across continental scales requires further verification. Here we use the Köppen-Geiger climate classification, a very widely used and robust criterion, as a basis for classifying climate regions to explore climatic differences in leaf trait relationships. We compiled five leaf economic traits from a global dataset, including leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA), photosynthesis per unit of leaf dry mass (Amass), leaf nitrogen concentration (Nmass), and leaf phosphorus concentration (Pmass). Moreover, we primarily used the standardized major axis (SMA) analysis to establish leaf trait bivariate relationships and to explore differences in trait relationships across climate regions as well as intercontinental differences within the same climate type. Leaf trait relationships were significantly correlated across almost all subgroups (P < 0.001). However, there was no common slope among different climate zones or climate types and the slopes of the groups fluctuated sharply up and down from the global estimates. The range of variation in the SMA slope of each leaf relationship was as follows: LDMC-SLA relationships (from -0.84 to -0.41); Amass-SLA relationships (from 0.83 to 1.97); Amass-Nmass relationships (from 1.33 to 2.25); Nmass-Pmass relationships (from 0.57 to 1.02). In addition, there was significant slope heterogeneity among continents within the Steppe climate (BS) or the Temperate humid climate (Cf). The shifts of leaf trait relationships in different climate regions provide evidence for environmentally driven differential plant investment in leaf economic traits. Understanding these differences helps to better calibrate various plant-climate models and reminds us that smaller-scale studies may need to be carefully compared with global studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongmei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingping Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxuan Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Dehui Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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An N, Lu N, Fu B, Chen W, Keyimu M, Wang M. Evidence of Differences in Covariation Among Root Traits Across Plant Growth Forms, Mycorrhizal Types, and Biomes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:785589. [PMID: 35154176 PMCID: PMC8836870 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.785589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Fine roots play an important role in plant ecological strategies, adaptation to environmental constraints, and ecosystem functions. Covariation among root traits influence the physiological and ecological processes of plants and ecosystems. Root trait covariation in multiple dimensions at the global scale has been broadly discussed. How fine-root traits covary at the regional scale and whether the covariation is generalizable across plant growth forms, mycorrhizal types, and biomes are largely unknown. Here, we collected six key traits - namely root diameter (RD), specific root length (SRL), root tissue density (RTD), root C content (RCC), root N content (RNC), and root C:N ratio (RCN) - of first- and second-order roots of 306 species from 94 sampling sites across China. We examined the covariation in root traits among different plant growth forms, mycorrhizal types, and biomes using the phylogenetic principal component analysis (pPCA). Three independent dimensions of the covariation in root traits were identified, accounting for 39.0, 26.1, and 20.2% of the total variation, respectively. The first dimension was represented by SRL, RNC, RTD, and RCN, which was in line with the root economics spectrum (RES). The second dimension described a negative relationship between RD and SRL, and the third dimension was represented by RCC. These three main principal components were mainly influenced by biome and mycorrhizal type. Herbaceous and ectomycorrhizal species showed a more consistent pattern with the RES, in which RD, RTD, and RCN were negatively correlated with SRL and RNC within the first axis compared with woody and arbuscular mycorrhizal species, respectively. Our results highlight the roles of plant growth form, mycorrhizal type, and biome in shaping root trait covariation, suggesting that root trait relationships in specific regions may not be generalized from global-scale analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan An
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Weiliang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Maierdang Keyimu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Mengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Villa P, Bolpagni R, Pinardi M, Tóth VR. Leaf reflectance can surrogate foliar economics better than physiological traits across macrophyte species. PLANT METHODS 2021; 17:115. [PMID: 34758853 PMCID: PMC8582205 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-021-00816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macrophytes are key players in aquatic ecosystems diversity, but knowledge on variability of their functional traits, among and within species, is still limited. Remote sensing is a high-throughput, feasible option for characterizing plant traits at different scales, provided that reliable spectroscopy models are calibrated with congruous empirical data, but existing applications are biased towards terrestrial plants. We sampled leaves from six floating and emergent macrophyte species common in temperate areas, covering different phenological stages, seasons, and environmental conditions, and measured leaf reflectance (400-2500 nm) and leaf traits (dealing with photophysiology, pigments, and structure). We explored optimal spectral band combinations and established non-parametric reflectance-based models for selected traits, eventually showing how airborne hyperspectral data could capture spatial-temporal macrophyte variability. RESULTS Our key finding is that structural-leaf dry matter content, leaf mass per area-and biochemical-chlorophyll-a content and chlorophylls to carotenoids ratio-traits can be surrogated by leaf reflectance with normalized error under 17% across macrophyte species. On the other hand, the performance of reflectance-based models for photophysiological traits substantively varies, depending on macrophyte species and target parameters. CONCLUSIONS Our main results show the link between leaf reflectance and leaf economics (structure and biochemistry) for aquatic plants, thus envisioning a crucial role for remote sensing in enhancing the level of detail of macrophyte functional diversity analysis to intra-site and intra-species scales. At the same time, we highlighted some difficulties in establishing a general link between reflectance and photosynthetic performance under high environmental heterogeneity, potentially opening further investigation directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Villa
- Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IREA), Milan, Italy.
| | - Rossano Bolpagni
- Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IREA), Milan, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Monica Pinardi
- Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IREA), Milan, Italy
| | - Viktor R Tóth
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary.
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Jevon F, Lang A, Ayres M, Matthes JH. Limited evidence that larger acorns buffer Quercus rubra seedlings from density-dependent biotic stressors. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:1861-1872. [PMID: 34596895 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1740] [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: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Plant performance and functional traits vary considerably within species, particularly in response to environmental variation. Plant responses may reflect life-history trade-offs, such as between resource acquisition and resource conservation. Larger seeds may buffer young plants from the negative effects of environmental variation, such as limitations in nutrients or water. However, whether seed size plays a similar role in how plants respond to variation in their biotic environment, including competition and soil microbial communities, remains poorly understood. METHODS We used a greenhouse experiment to test the interactive effects of intraspecific competition, the origin of the soil microbial community, and seed size on performance and functional traits in Quercus rubra L. seedlings. RESULTS Intraspecific variation in seedling traits weakly aligned with a resource acquisition-conservation trade-off. Across the wide range of initial acorn mass, competition decreased seedling biomass by about 35%. Competition directly decreased the root mass ratio and indirectly increased specific leaf area and specific root length, via the negative effects on total biomass. In contrast, soil microbial communities had minor effects on seedlings, and we found no differences between plants receiving soil originating from a conspecific adult and plants receiving soil originating from a heterospecific adult. CONCLUSIONS Competition is a more important driver of intraspecific variation in young Quercus rubra seedling performance and traits, both directly and by delaying ontogenetic development, than soil microbial communities. Seed size is an important predictor of seedling biomass, but a larger seed does not necessarily buffer seedlings from the effects of competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Jevon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Ashley Lang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Matthew Ayres
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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Jiang F, Cadotte MW, Jin G. Individual-level leaf trait variation and correlation across biological and spatial scales. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5344-5354. [PMID: 34026011 PMCID: PMC8131770 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Even with increasing interest in the ecological importance of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) for better understanding ecological processes, few studies have quantified ITV in seedlings and assessed constraints imposed by trade-offs and correlations among individual-level leaf traits. Estimating the amount and role of ITV in seedlings is important to understand tree recruitment and long-term forest dynamics. We measured ten different size, economics, and whole leaf traits (lamina and petiole) for more than 2,800 seedlings (height ≥ 10 cm and diameter at breast height < 1 cm) in 283 seedling plots and then quantified the amount of ITV and trait correlations across two biological (intraspecific and interspecific) and spatial (within and among plots) scales. Finally, we explored the effects of trait variance and sample size on the strength of trait correlations. We found about 40% (6%-63%) variation in leaf-level traits was explained by ITV across all traits. Lamina and petiole traits were correlated across biological and spatial scales, whereas leaf size traits (e.g., lamina area) were weakly correlated with economics traits (e.g., specific lamina area); lamina mass ratio was strongly related to the petiole length. Trait correlations varied among species, plots, and different scales but there was no evidence that the strength of trait relationships was stronger at broader than finer biological and spatial scales. While larger trait variance increased the strength of correlations, the sample size was the most important factor that was negatively related to the strength of trait correlations. Our results showed that a large amount of trait variation was explained by ITV, which highlighted the importance of considering ITV when using trait-based approaches in seedling ecology. In addition, sample size was an important factor that influenced the strength of trait correlations, which suggests that comparing trait correlations across studies should consider the differences in sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Jiang
- Center for Ecological ResearchNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Guangze Jin
- Center for Ecological ResearchNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management‐Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
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11
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Khan A, Wang Z, Xu K, Li L, He L, Hu H, Wang G. Validation of an Enzyme-Driven Model Explaining Photosynthetic Rate Responses to Limited Nitrogen in Crop Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:533341. [PMID: 33101324 PMCID: PMC7546270 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.533341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The limited availability of nitrogen (N) is a fundamental challenge for many crop plants. We have hypothesized that the relative crop photosynthetic rate (P) is exponentially constrained by certain plant-specific enzyme activities, such as ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP-G3PDH), 3-phosphoglyceric acid (PGA) kinase, and chloroplast fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (cpFBPase), in Triticum aestivum and Oryza sativa. We conducted a literature search to compile information from previous studies on C3 and C4 crop plants, to examine the photosynthetic rate responses to limited leaf [N] levels. We found that in Zea mays, NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), PEP carboxykinase (PCK), and Rubisco activities were positively correlated with P. A positive correlation was also observed between both phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and Rubisco activity with leaf [N] in Sorghum bicolor. Key enzyme activities responded differently to P in C3 and C4 plants, suggesting that other factors, such as leaf [N] and the stage of leaf growth, also limited specific enzyme activities. The relationships followed the best fitting exponential relationships between key enzymes and the P rate in both C3 and C4 plants. It was found that C4 species absorbed less leaf [N] but had higher [N] assimilation rates (A rate) and higher maximum photosynthesis rates (Pmax ), i.e., they were able to utilize and invest more [N] to sustain higher carbon gains. All C3 species studied herein had higher [N] storage (Nstore) and higher absorption of [N], when compared with the C4 species. Nstore was the main [N] source used for maintaining photosynthetic capacity and leaf expansion. Of the nine C3 species assessed, rice had the greatest Pmax , thereby absorbing more leaf [N]. Elevated CO2 (eCO2) was also found to reduce the leaf [N] and Pmax in rice but enhanced the leaf [N] and N use efficiency of photosynthesis in maize. We concluded that eCO2 affects [N] allocation, which directly or indirectly affects Pmax . These results highlight the need to further study these physiological and biochemical processes, to better predict how crops will respond to eCO2 concentrations and limited [N].
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Genxuan Wang
- Plant Physiology and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Abundance-weighted plant functional trait variation differs between terrestrial and wetland habitats along wide climatic gradients. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 64:593-605. [PMID: 32975721 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1766-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of plant trait variation across spatial scales are important for understanding ecosystem functioning and services. However, habitat-related drivers of these patterns are poorly understood. In a conceptual model, we ask whether and how the patterns of within- and among-site plant trait variation are driven by habitat type (terrestrial vs. wetland) across large climatic gradients. We tested these through spatial-hierarchical-sampling of leaves in herbaceous-dominated terrestrial and wetland communities within each of 26 sites across China. For all 13 plant traits, within-site variation was larger than among-site variation in both terrestrial and wetland habitats. Within-site variation was similar in most leaf traits related to carbon and nutrient economics but larger in specific leaf area and size-related traits (plant height, leaf area and thickness) in wetland compared to terrestrial habitats. Among-site variation was larger in terrestrial than wetland habitats for 10 leaf traits but smaller for plant height, leaf area and leaf nitrogen. Our results indicate the important role of local ecological processes in driving plant trait variation among coexisting species and the dependence of functional variation across habitats on traits considered. These findings will help to understand and predict the effects of climatic or land-use changes on ecosystem functioning and services.
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DeLeo VL, Menge DNL, Hanks EM, Juenger TE, Lasky JR. Effects of two centuries of global environmental variation on phenology and physiology of Arabidopsis thaliana. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:523-538. [PMID: 31665819 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific trait variation is caused by genetic and plastic responses to environment. This intraspecific diversity is captured in immense natural history collections, giving us a window into trait variation across continents and through centuries of environmental shifts. Here we tested if hypotheses based on life history and the leaf economics spectrum explain intraspecific trait changes across global spatiotemporal environmental gradients. We measured phenotypes on a 216-year time series of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions from across its native range and applied spatially varying coefficient models to quantify region-specific trends in trait coordination and trait responses to climate gradients. All traits exhibited significant change across space or through time. For example, δ15 N decreased over time across much of the range and leaf C:N increased, consistent with predictions based on anthropogenic changes in land use and atmosphere. Plants were collected later in the growing season in more recent years in many regions, possibly because populations shifted toward more spring germination and summer flowering as opposed to fall germination and spring flowering. When climate variables were considered, collection dates were earlier in warmer years, while summer rainfall had opposing associations with collection date depending on regions. There was only a modest correlation among traits, indicating a lack of a single life history/physiology axis. Nevertheless, leaf C:N was low for summer- versus spring-collected plants, consistent with a life history-physiology axis from slow-growing winter annuals to fast-growing spring/summer annuals. Regional heterogeneity in phenotype trends indicates complex responses to spatiotemporal environmental gradients potentially due to geographic genetic variation and climate interactions with other aspects of environment. Our study demonstrates how natural history collections can be used to broadly characterize trait responses to environment, revealing heterogeneity in response to anthropogenic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L DeLeo
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Duncan N L Menge
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ephraim M Hanks
- Department of Statistics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jesse R Lasky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Hu Y, Pan X, Yang X, Liu G, Liu X, Song Y, Zhang M, Cui L, Dong M. Is there coordination of leaf and fine root traits at local scales? A test in temperate forest swamps. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8714-8723. [PMID: 31410274 PMCID: PMC6686282 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Examining the coordination of leaf and fine root traits not only aids a better understanding of plant ecological strategies from a whole-plant perspective, but also helps improve the prediction of belowground properties from aboveground traits. The relationships between leaf and fine root traits have been extensively explored at global and regional scales, but remain unclear at local scales. Here, we measured six pairs of analogous leaf and fine root traits related to resource economy and organ size for coexisting dominant and subordinate vascular plants at three successional stages of temperate forest swamps in Lingfeng National Nature Reserve in the Greater Hinggan Mountains, NE China. Leaf and fine root traits related to resource acquisition (e.g., specific leaf area [SLA], leaf N, leaf P, root water content, and root P) decreased with succession. Overall, we found strong linear relationships between leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and root water content, and between leaf and root C, N, and P concentrations, but only weak correlations were observed between leaf area and root diameter, and between SLA and specific root length (SRL). The strong relationships between LDMC and root water content and between leaf and root C, N, and P held at the early and late stages, but disappeared at the middle stage. Besides, C and P of leaves were significantly correlated with those of roots for woody plants, while strong linkages existed between LDMC and root water content and between leaf N and root N for herbaceous species. These results provided evidence for the existence of strong coordination between leaf and root traits at the local scale. Meanwhile, the leaf-root trait relationships could be modulated by successional stage and growth form, indicating the complexity of coordination of aboveground and belowground traits at the local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐Kun Hu
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xu Pan
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Xue‐Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Guo‐Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of BotanyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xu‐Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources ResearchChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yao‐Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Man‐Yin Zhang
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Li‐Juan Cui
- Institute of Wetland ResearchChinese Academy of ForestryBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and RestorationBeijingChina
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental SciencesHangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhouChina
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Sartori K, Vasseur F, Violle C, Baron E, Gerard M, Rowe N, Ayala-Garay O, Christophe A, Jalón LGD, Masclef D, Harscouet E, Granado MDR, Chassagneux A, Kazakou E, Vile D. Leaf economics and slow-fast adaptation across the geographic range of Arabidopsis thaliana. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10758. [PMID: 31341185 PMCID: PMC6656729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46878-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Life history strategies of most organisms are constrained by resource allocation patterns that follow a 'slow-fast continuum'. It opposes slow growing and long-lived organisms with late investment in reproduction to those that grow faster, have earlier and larger reproductive effort and a short longevity. In plants, the Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES) depicts a leaf-level trade-off between the rate of carbon assimilation and leaf lifespan, as stressed in functional ecology from interspecific comparative studies. However, it is still unclear how the LES is connected to the slow-fast syndrome. Interspecific comparisons also impede a deep exploration of the linkage between LES variation and adaptation to climate. Here, we measured growth, morpho-physiological and life-history traits, at both the leaf and whole-plant levels, in 378 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the LES is tightly linked to variation in whole-plant functioning, and aligns with the slow-fast continuum. A genetic analysis further suggested that phenotypic differentiation results from the selection of different slow-fast strategies in contrasted climates. Slow growing and long-lived plants were preferentially found in cold and arid habitats while fast growing and short-lived ones in more favorable habitats. Our findings shed light on the role of the slow-fast continuum for plant adaptation to climate. More broadly, they encourage future studies to bridge functional ecology, genetics and evolutionary biology to improve our understanding of plant adaptation to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Sartori
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France.
| | - François Vasseur
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Etienne Baron
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Marianne Gerard
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Nick Rowe
- Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Oscar Ayala-Garay
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
- Programa de Recursos Genéticos y Productividad (RGP)-Fisiología Vegetal, Colegio de Postgraduados, 56230, Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Ananda Christophe
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Laura Garcia de Jalón
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Diane Masclef
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Erwan Harscouet
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Maria Del Rey Granado
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Agathe Chassagneux
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE Unité, Ongulés sauvages, Birieux, France
| | - Elena Kazakou
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Denis Vile
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
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Zhang YL, Li HB, Xu L, Pan X, Li WB, Liu J, Jiang YP, Song YB, Dong M. Pond-bottom decomposition of leaf litters canopied by free-floating vegetation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:8248-8256. [PMID: 30701469 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-04145-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In wetland ecosystems, vegetation can float freely on water surface, forming dense canopy which may play important ecological roles. This is especially true in many urban wetlands in which fluidity is low and nutrient level is high. So far, effects of free-floating vegetation on abiotic and biotic factors of wetlands have been known, while little on wetland ecosystem functions such as litter decomposition. To examine whether the canopy of free-floating vegetation on water surface will influence litter decomposition in wetlands or not, we conducted a 50-day in situ decomposition experiment in a subtropical urban pond wetland, in which litter bags of nine combinations of three mesh sizes and three litter species were put on the bottoms of total 22 ponds which were half with and half without free-floating vegetation canopy on the water surface. The ponds with and without the canopy had different water physicochemical properties. Overall, the canopy, the species identity, and the mesh size significantly decelerated mass loss and carbon loss of leaf litters while slightly on nitrogen loss. Effects of the canopy on leaf litter decomposition also showed species- and mesh size-dependent. Our results suggest that free-floating vegetation on water surface can alter water environmental factors and consequently change ecosystem functioning in wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Environmental Research, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hong-Bin Li
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xu Pan
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Bing Li
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Institute of Environmental Research, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yue-Ping Jiang
- Hangzhou Xixi National Wetland Park Research Centre for Ecological Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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17
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Hayes FJ, Buchanan SW, Coleman B, Gordon AM, Reich PB, Thevathasan NV, Wright IJ, Martin AR. Intraspecific variation in soy across the leaf economics spectrum. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:107-120. [PMID: 30107396 PMCID: PMC6344108 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is an important dimension of plant ecological diversity, particularly in agroecosystems, where phenotypic ITV (within crop genotypes) is an important correlate of key agroecosystem processes including yield. There are few studies that have evaluated whether plants of the same genotype vary along well-defined axes of biological variation, such as the leaf economics spectrum (LES). There is even less information disentangling environmental and ontogenetic determinants of crop ITV along an intraspecific LES, and whether or not a plant's position along an intraspecific LES is correlated with reproductive output. Methods We sought to capture the extent of phenotypic ITV within a single cultivar of soy (Glycine max) - the world's most commonly cultivated legume - using a data set of nine leaf traits measured on 402 leaves, sampled from 134 plants in both agroforestry and monoculture management systems, across three distinct whole-plant ontogenetic stages (while holding leaf age and canopy position stable). Key Results Leaf traits covaried strongly along an intraspecific LES, in patterns that were largely statistically indistinguishable from the 'universal LES' observed across non-domesticated plants. Whole-plant ontogenetic stage explained the highest proportion of phenotypic ITV in LES traits, with plants progressively expressing more 'resource-conservative' LES syndromes throughout development. Within ontogenetic stages, leaf traits differed systematically across management systems, with plants growing in monoculture expressing more 'resource-conservative' trait syndromes: trends largely owing to an approximately ≥50% increases in leaf mass per area (LMA) in high-light monoculture vs. shaded agroforestry systems. Certain traits, particularly LMA, leaf area and maximum photosynthetic rates, correlated closely with plant-level reproductive output. Conclusions Phenotypic ITV in soy is governed by constraints in trait trade-offs along an intraspecific LES, which in turn (1) underpins plant responses to managed environmental gradients, and (2) reflects shifts in plant functional biology and resource allocation that occur throughout whole-plant ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fallon J Hayes
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
| | - Serra W Buchanan
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
| | - Brent Coleman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew M Gordon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Ian J Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
- Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
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Rathore N, Thakur D, Chawla A. Seasonal variations coupled with elevation gradient drives significant changes in eco-physiological and biogeochemical traits of a high altitude evergreen broadleaf shrub, Rhododendron anthopogon. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2018; 132:708-719. [PMID: 30150110 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Higher elevations and, early as well as late phase of growing season are expected to be more stressful for plants in high altitudes. The present study was carried out on Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don, an evergreen shrub of Himalaya to understand variation in eco-physiological and biogeochemical traits due to combined effect of elevation gradient and growing season. We conducted our study at Rohtang, India (32°22'04″ N 77°15'17″ E) and undertook random sampling of leaves at four elevations (3200 m, 3600 m, 4000 m and 4250 m), and three time periods (late June, early August and late September) during growing season. We assessed 12 eco-physiological and biogeochemical variables and analysed results through ANOVA and multivariate analysis. It was found that leaf relative water content, nitrogen percentage (N%), carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio), total chlorophyll, malondialdehyde equivalents and proline content varied along two gradients (factors) with their interaction being statistically significant. Variance partitioning analysis of studied traits revealed that both factors contribute significantly, with 'season' component ranging between 55.75 % and 94.03 % for most of the parameters, whereas, 'elevation' component contributed more for leaf area, N% and C/N ratio (48.08 %-75.03 %). Our results suggest that eco-physiology of R. anthopogon is significantly influenced by interaction of seasonal variations coupled with elevation gradient. The study highlights the importance of examining both seasonal and elevational gradients in understanding plant adaptation strategies. Overall, our findings revealed that plasticity in eco-physiological and biogeochemical traits underline the wide distribution of R. anthopogon in the high altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Rathore
- High Altitude Biology Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur, H.P, 176061, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur, H.P, 176061, India
| | - Dinesh Thakur
- High Altitude Biology Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur, H.P, 176061, India
| | - Amit Chawla
- High Altitude Biology Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur, H.P, 176061, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Palampur, H.P, 176061, India.
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Xing K, Zhao M, Chen C, Wang Y, Xue F, Zhang Y, Dong X, Jiang Y, Chen HYH, Kang M. Leaf phosphorus content of Quercus wutaishanica increases with total soil potassium in the Loess Plateau. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201350. [PMID: 30071040 PMCID: PMC6072014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is arguably more limiting than nitrogen for forest ecosystems being free of disturbances for lengthy time periods. The elucidation of multivariate relationships between foliar P and its primary drivers for dominant species is an urgent issue and formidable challenge for ecologists. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of primary drivers on foliar P of Quercus wutaishanica, the dominant species in broadleaved deciduous forest at the Loess Plateau, China. We sampled the leaves of 90 Q. wutaishanica individuals across broad climate and soil nutrient gradients at the Loess Plateau, China, and employed structural equation models (SEM) to evaluate multiple causal pathways and the relative importance of the drivers for foliar P per unit mass (Pmass) and per unit area (Parea). Our SEMs explained 73% and 81% of the variations in Pmass and Parea, respectively. Pmass was negatively correlated to leaf mass per area, positively correlated to leaf area, and increased with mean annual precipitation and total soil potassium. Parea was positively correlated to leaf mass per area, leaf dry weight, and increased significantly with total soil potassium. Our results demonstrated that leaf P content of Q. wutaishanica increased with total soil potassium in the Loess Plateau accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixiong Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Mingfei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaobin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Muyi Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Haidian District, Beijing, China
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20
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Coordination and Determinants of Leaf Community Economics Spectrum for Canopy Trees and Shrubs in a Temperate Forest in Northeastern China. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8060202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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May RL, Warner S, Wingler A. Classification of intra-specific variation in plant functional strategies reveals adaptation to climate. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:1343-1352. [PMID: 28369157 PMCID: PMC5604582 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims In plants, extensive intra-specific variation exists in the allocation of resources between vegetative growth and reproduction, reflecting different functional strategies. A simple method for the classification of intra-specific variation in these strategies would enable characterization of evolutionary and ecological processes. Methods C-S-R theory can be applied to classify functional strategies (competitive C; stress tolerant, S; ruderal, R) in different plant species. Using a diverse set of arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) accessions grown under common conditions, it was tested whether a simple approach designed for allocating C-S-R strategies at the species level can also be used to analyse intra-specific variation. Key Results Substantial intra-specific variation between arabidopsis accessions was found along the S-R axis. There was a positive correlation of temperature at the geographical origin with the dimension of S and a negative correlation with the dimension of R. Flowering time in a natural annual cycle and leaf dry matter content were identified as the main determinants of this adaptation, with plants originating from warmer climates having a higher leaf dry matter content and flowering earlier in a common garden. Conclusions It was shown that functional strategies reflect adaptation to climate, with consequences for important traits such as fecundity and total plant dry weight. The approach could be used in genome-wide association studies to determine the genetic basis of functional strategies in wild species or crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose-Lucy May
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Stuart Warner
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - Astrid Wingler
- Research Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
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Muir CD, Conesa MÀ, Roldán EJ, Molins A, Galmés J. Weak coordination between leaf structure and function among closely related tomato species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:1642-1653. [PMID: 28164333 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Theory predicts that natural selection should favor coordination between leaf physiology, biochemistry and anatomical structure along a functional trait spectrum from fast, resource-acquisitive syndromes to slow, resource-conservative syndromes. However, the coordination hypothesis has rarely been tested at a phylogenetic scale most relevant for understanding rapid adaptation in the recent past or for the prediction of evolutionary trajectories in response to climate change. We used a common garden to examine genetically based coordination between leaf traits across 19 wild and cultivated tomato taxa. We found weak integration between leaf structure (e.g. leaf mass per area) and physiological function (photosynthetic rate, biochemical capacity and CO2 diffusion), even though all were arrayed in the predicted direction along a 'fast-slow' spectrum. This suggests considerable scope for unique trait combinations to evolve in response to new environments or in crop breeding. In particular, we found that partially independent variation in stomatal and mesophyll conductance may allow a plant to improve water-use efficiency without necessarily sacrificing maximum photosynthetic rates. Our study does not imply that functional trait spectra, such as the leaf economics spectrum, are unimportant, but that many important axes of variation within a taxonomic group may be unique and not generalizable to other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Muir
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Botany Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Miquel À Conesa
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 E-07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Emilio J Roldán
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 E-07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Arántzazu Molins
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 E-07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Jeroni Galmés
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 E-07122, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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23
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Hu YK, Zhang YL, Liu GF, Pan X, Yang X, Li WB, Dai WH, Tang SL, Xiao T, Chen LY, Xiong W, Song YB, Dong M. Intraspecific N and P stoichiometry of Phragmites australis: geographic patterns and variation among climatic regions. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43018. [PMID: 28233774 PMCID: PMC5324045 DOI: 10.1038/srep43018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographic patterns in leaf stoichiometry reflect plant adaptations to environments. Leaf stoichiometry variations along environmental gradients have been extensively studied among terrestrial plants, but little has been known about intraspecific leaf stoichiometry, especially for wetland plants. Here we analyzed the dataset of leaf N and P of a cosmopolitan wetland species, Phragmites australis, and environmental (geographic, climate and soil) variables from literature and field investigation in natural wetlands distributed in three climatic regions (subtropical, temperate and highland) across China. We found no clear geographic patterns in leaf nutrients of P. australis across China, except for leaf N:P ratio increasing with altitude. Leaf N and N:P decreased with mean annual temperature (MAT), and leaf N and P were closely related to soil pH, C:N ratio and available P. Redundancy analysis showed that climate and soil variables explained 62.1% of total variation in leaf N, P and N:P. Furthermore, leaf N in temperate region and leaf P in subtropical region increased with soil available P, while leaf N:P in subtropical region decreased with soil pH. These patterns in P. australis different from terrestrial plants might imply that changes in climate and soil properties can exert divergent effects on wetland and terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Kun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Pan
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Xuejun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Bing Li
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Hong Dai
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuang-Li Tang
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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