1
|
An N, Lu N, Wang M, Chen Y, Wu F, Fu B. Plant size traits are key contributors in the spatial variation of net primary productivity across terrestrial biomes in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171412. [PMID: 38447733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171412] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial variability of ecosystem functions is an important step forward in predicting changes in ecosystems under global transformations. Plant functional traits are important drivers of ecosystem functions such as net primary productivity (NPP). Although trait-based approaches have advanced rapidly, the extent to which specific plant functional traits are linked to the spatial diversity of NPP at a regional scale remains uncertain. Here, we used structural equation models (SEMs) to disentangle the relative effects of abiotic variables (i.e., climate, soil, nitrogen deposition, and human footprint) and biotic variables (i.e., plant functional traits and community structure) on the spatial variation of NPP across China and its eight biomes. Additionally, we investigated the indirect influence of climate and soil on the spatial variation of NPP by directly affecting plant functional traits. Abiotic and biotic variables collectively explained 62.6 % of the spatial differences of NPP within China, and 28.0 %-69.4 % across the eight distinct biomes. The most important abiotic factors, temperature and precipitation, had positive effects for NPP spatial variation. Interestingly, plant functional traits associated with the size of plant organs (i.e., plant height, leaf area, seed mass, and wood density) were the primary biotic drivers, and their positive effects were independent of biome type. Incorporating plant functional traits improved predictions of NPP by 6.7 %-50.2 %, except for the alpine tundra on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our study identifies the principal factors regulating NPP spatial variation and highlights the importance of plant size traits in predictions of NPP variation at a large scale. These results provide new insights for involving plant size traits in carbon process models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nannan An
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Nan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
| | - Mengyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Library, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Yongzhe Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hongkong 999077, China
| | - Fuzhong Wu
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Singh R, Pandey R. Underlying plant trait strategies for understanding the carbon sequestration in Banj oak Forest of Himalaya. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170681. [PMID: 38325486 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Plant functional attributes are subjected to environmental adjustments, which lead to modulations in forest processes under environmental changes. However, a comprehensive assessment of the relationships between plant traits and carbon stock remains subtle. The present study attempted to accomplish the gap of knowledge by examining the linkages between forest carbon with plant traits within the Banj Oak forest in the Garhwal Himalaya. Twelve individuals from three major species in the Banj Oak forest were randomly selected for trait measurements, and soil samples were collected randomly across the area for evaluation of soil nutrients and carbon. Forest biomass and soil carbon were estimated following standard protocols. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to establish the relationship between above ground carbon (AGC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) with leaf and stem traits, and soil nutrients. Stem traits were tree height and tree diameter; whereas leaf morphological traits were leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content; leaf physiological traits were photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate; and leaf biochemical traits were leaf carbon concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, and leaf phosphorus concentration. Soil nutrients were available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium. Based on SEM results, AGC of the forest was positively correlated with stem traits and leaf physiological traits, while negatively correlated with leaf morphological traits. SOC was positively correlated with soil nutrients and leaf biochemical traits, whereas negatively correlated with stem traits. These findings may support for precise quantification of forest carbon and modeling of forest carbon stocks besides providing inputs to forest managers for devising effective forest management strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajiv Pandey
- Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yao J, Huang J, Zang R. Alpha and beta diversity jointly drive the aboveground biomass in temperate and tropical forests. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10487. [PMID: 37664512 PMCID: PMC10468913 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in biodiversity often affect ecosystem functioning. However, most previous biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) studies have generally been limited to very small spatial grains. Thus, knowledge regarding the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships across spatial scales is lacking. Moreover, the multiscale nature of biodiversity, and specifically β diversity (i.e., spatial heterogeneity in species composition) was still largely missing in BEF studies. Here, using the vegetation and functional trait data collected from four 6-ha forest dynamics plots (FDPs) in temperate and tropical forests in China, we examine the scale-dependent relationships between tree diversity and the aboveground biomass (AGB), as well as the roles of species spatial heterogeneity in determining the AGB. In tropical forests, the effect of species richness on AGB decreased with spatial grains, while functional dominance played a stronger role at larger spatial grains. In temperate forests, positive relationship between diversity and AGB occurred at all spatial grains, especially on smaller scales. In both temperate and tropical forests, β diversity was positively correlated with AGB, but weaker than α diversity in determining AGB. Overall, complementarity and selection hypothesis play dominant role in determining AGB in temperate and tropical forests, respectively. The roles of these underlying mechanisms are more pronounced with increasing spatial scales. β diversity, a hitherto underexplored facet of biodiversity, is likely to increase ecosystem functions by species spatial turnover and should not be neglected in BEF explorations. Our findings have practical implications for forest management and demonstrate that biotic heterogeneity plays an important positive role in ecosystem functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yao
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jihong Huang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Runguo Zang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mensah S, Noulèkoun F, Dimobe K, Seifert T, Glèlè Kakaï R. Climate and soil effects on tree species diversity and aboveground carbon patterns in semi-arid tree savannas. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11509. [PMID: 37460693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38225-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Climatic and edaphic effects are increasingly being discussed in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. Here we use data from West African semi-arid tree savannas and contrasting climatic conditions (lower vs. higher mean annual precipitation-MAP and mean annual temperature-MAT) to (1) determine how climate modulates the effects of species richness on aboveground carbon (AGC); (2) explore how species richness and AGC relate with soil variables in these contrasting climatic conditions; and (3) assess how climate and soil influence directly, and/or indirectly AGC through species richness and stand structural attributes such as tree density and size variation. We find that greater species richness is generally associated with higher AGC, but more strongly in areas with higher MAP, which also have greater stem density. There is a climate-related influence of soils on AGC, which decreases from lower to higher MAP conditions. Variance partitioning analyses and structural equation modelling show that, across all sites, MAP, relative to soils, has smaller effect on AGC, mediated by stand structural attributes whereas soil texture and fertility explain 14% of variations in AGC and influence AGC directly and indirectly via species richness and stand structural attributes. Our results highlight coordinated effects of climate and soils on AGC, which operated primarily via the mediation role of species diversity and stand structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanus Mensah
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d'Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
- Chair of Forest Growth, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
| | - Florent Noulèkoun
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anamro, Seongbukgu, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Kangbéni Dimobe
- Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement et du Développement Rural, Université de Dédougou, BP 176, Dédougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Thomas Seifert
- Chair of Forest Growth, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | - Romain Glèlè Kakaï
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d'Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iordache V, Neagoe A. Conceptual methodological framework for the resilience of biogeochemical services to heavy metals stress. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 325:116401. [PMID: 36279774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116401] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The idea of linking stressors, services providing units (SPUs), and ecosystem services (ES) is ubiquitous in the literature, although is currently not applied in areas contaminated with heavy metals (HMs), This integrative literature review introduces the general form of a deterministic conceptual model of the cross-scale effect of HMs on biogeochemical services by SPUs with a feedback loop, a cross-scale heuristic concept of resilience, and develops a method for applying the conceptual model. The objectives are 1) to identify the clusters of existing research about HMs effects on ES, biodiversity, and resilience to HMs stress, 2) to map the scientific fields needed for the conceptual model's implementation, identify institutional constraints for inter-disciplinary cooperation, and propose solutions to surpass them, 3) to describe how the complexity of the cause-effect chain is reflected in the research hypotheses and objectives and extract methodological consequences, and 4) to describe how the conceptual model can be implemented. A nested analysis by CiteSpace of a set of 16,176 articles extracted from the Web of Science shows that at the highest level of data aggregation there is a clear separation between the topics of functional traits, stoichiometry, and regulating services from the typical issues of the literature about HMs, biodiversity, and ES. Most of the resilience to HMs stress agenda focuses on microbial communities. General topics such as the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship in contaminated areas are no longer dominant in the current research, as well as large-scale problems like watershed management. The number of Web of Science domains that include the analyzed articles is large (26 up to 87 domains with at least ten articles, depending on the sub-set), but thirteen domains account for 70-80% of the literature. The complexity of approaches regarding the cause-effect chain, the stressors, the biological and ecological hierarchical level and the management objectives was characterized by a detailed analysis of 60 selected reviews and 121 primary articles. Most primary articles approach short causal chains, and the number of hypotheses or objectives by article tends to be low, pointing out the need for portfolios of complementary research projects in coherent inter-disciplinary programs and innovation ecosystems to couple the ES and resilience problems in areas contaminated with HMs. One provides triggers for developing innovation ecosystems, examples of complementary research hypotheses, and an example of technology transfer. Finally one proposes operationalizing the conceptual methodological model in contaminated socio-ecological systems by a calibration, a sensitivity analysis, and a validation phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virgil Iordache
- University of Bucharest, Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability, and "Dan Manoleli" Research Centre for Ecological Services - CESEC, Romania.
| | - Aurora Neagoe
- University of Bucharest, "Dan Manoleli" Research Centre for Ecological Services - CESEC and "Dimitrie Brândză" Botanical Garden, Romania.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Prigioniero A, Zuzolo D, Niinemets Ü, Postiglione A, Mercurio M, Izzo F, Trifuoggi M, Toscanesi M, Scarano P, Tartaglia M, Sciarrillo R, Guarino C. Particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon uptake in relation to leaf surface functional traits in Mediterranean evergreens: Potentials for air phytoremediation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 435:129029. [PMID: 35525010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129029] [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: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We explored relationships between particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) leaf concentrations, uptake rates and leaf surface functional traits in four Mediterranean evergreen trees (Chamaerops humilis, Citrus × aurantium, Magnolia grandiflora, and Quercus ilex) during a dry month. Pollutant leaf concentration at different dates and uptake rate were correlated. We quantified PM by gravimetric analysis, PAHs were extracted from intact and dewaxed leaves and analyzed by GC-MS, and cuticle thickness, number and surface of stomata (Ns and SS) and trichomes (Nt and St) were determined by optical microscopy. Infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the leaves surfaces composition and assess esterification index (E). Studied species were characterized by unique combinations of functional traits and pollutant uptake capacities. PM10 uptake scaled positively with SS, St and upper cuticle thickness (Tc,u) across species. PM2.5 uptake scaled positively with Tc,u, and thicker cuticles were also associated with greater shares of uptake of hydrophobic PM fractions. Uptakes of different fractions of PAH were generally weakly related to different leaf functional traits, except for some correlations with E and SS. We conclude that both plant surface morphological and chemical leaf traits influence PM and PAH retention, unveiling their potential role in air phytoremediation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonello Prigioniero
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Daniela Zuzolo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy.
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Fr. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51006, Estonia
| | - Alessia Postiglione
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Mariano Mercurio
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Francesco Izzo
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Marco Trifuoggi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Maria Toscanesi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cintia, Naples 80126, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Scarano
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Maria Tartaglia
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Rosaria Sciarrillo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| | - Carmine Guarino
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via de Sanctis snc, Benevento 82100, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhao X, Liu P, Feng Y, Zhang W, Njoroge B, Long F, Zhou Q, Qu C, Gan X, Liu X. Changes in Soil Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Properties During Natural Succession: A Case Study in Lower Subtropical China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:878908. [PMID: 35720552 PMCID: PMC9204105 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.878908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation succession can change the function and quality of the soil. Exploring the changes in soil properties during secondary forest restoration is of great significance to promote forest restoration and improve the ecological service function of subtropical ecosystems in South China. In this study, we chose three typical forests in subtropical China as restoration sequences, broadleaf-conifer mixed forest (EF), broad-leaved forest (MF), and old-growth forest (LF), to study the changes in soil physico-chemical and biological properties and the changes of soil comprehensive quality during the secondary succession of subtropical forest. The results showed that the soil physical structure was optimized with the progress of forest succession. The soil bulk density decreased gradually with the progress of forest restoration, which was significantly affected by soil organic carbon (p < 0.01). In LF, the soil moisture increased significantly (p < 0.05), and its value can reach 47.85 ± 1.93%, which is consistent with the change of soil porosity. With the recovery process, soil nutrients gradually accumulated. Except for total phosphorus (TP), there was obvious surface enrichment of soil nutrients. Soil organic carbon (15.43 ± 2.28 g/kg), total nitrogen (1.08 ± 0.12 g/kg), and total phosphorus (0.43 ± 0.03 g/kg) in LF were significantly higher than those in EF (p < 0.05). The soil available nutrients, that is, soil available phosphorus and available potassium decreased significantly in LF (p < 0.05). In LF, more canopy interception weakened the P limitation caused by atmospheric acid deposition, so that the soil C:P (37.68 ± 4.76) and N:P (2.49 ± 0.24) in LF were significantly lower than those in EF (p < 0.05). Affected by TP and moisture, microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N increased significantly in LF, and the mean values were 830.34 ± 30.34 mg/kg and 46.60 ± 2.27 mg/kg, respectively. Further analysis showed that total soil porosity (TSP) and TP (weighted value of 0.61) contributed the most to the final soil quality index (SQI). With the forest restoration, the SQI gradually increased, especially in LF the value of SQI was up to 0.84, which was significantly higher than that in EF and MF (p < 0.05). This result is of great significance to understanding the process of restoration of subtropical forests and improving the management scheme of subtropical secondary forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhao
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiling Liu
- South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingjie Feng
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiqiang Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Brian Njoroge
- South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengling Long
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Qu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianhua Gan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Simulated Gradient Warming and Grazing. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11111428. [PMID: 35684201 PMCID: PMC9182780 DOI: 10.3390/plants11111428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions and their relationship with environmental response constitute a major topic of ecological research. However, the changes in and impact mechanisms of multi-dimensional biodiversity and ecosystem functions in continuously changing environmental gradients and anthropogenic activities remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze the effects of multi-gradient warming and grazing on relationships between the biodiversity of plant and soil microbial with productivity/community stability through a field experiment simulating multi-gradient warming and grazing in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. We show the following results: (i) Plant biodiversity, soil microbial diversity and community productivity in alpine grasslands show fluctuating trends with temperature gradients, and a temperature increase below approximately 1 °C is beneficial to alpine grasslands; moderate grazing only increases the fungal diversity of the soil surface layer. (ii) The warming shifted plant biomass underground in alpine grasslands to obtain more water in response to the decrease in soil moisture caused by the temperature rise. Community stability was not affected by warming or grazing. (iii) Community stability was not significantly correlated with productivity, and environmental factors, rather than biodiversity, influenced community stability and productivity.
Collapse
|
9
|
Salicornia europaea L. Functional Traits Indicate Its Optimum Growth. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11081051. [PMID: 35448779 PMCID: PMC9033102 DOI: 10.3390/plants11081051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Salicornia europaea L. grows in areas periodically flooded by salty or brackish water. It has potential economic value, because it can be used as food, forage, or biofuel, and has potential in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Increasing interest in S. europaea is due to its extreme salt tolerance and well growth in marginal saline soils. However, the variation in its functional traits in response to environmental conditions is still poorly studied. There are still questions regarding the optimal level of salinity for different traits. Therefore, we worked to address the question if S. europaea traits from different scales are controlled by salinity level. Based on performed pot experiment, we found that almost all traits are salinity dependent but affected in different ways. We demonstrated that morphological, biomass, and anatomical properties indicate optimum growth between 200 and 400 mM NaCl and growth limitations at 0, 800, and 1000 mM NaCl. Moreover, we found the most affected traits which include photosynthetic pigments and protein content, plant surface area, peroxidase activity, and anatomic traits related to cell shape. Our results significantly expanded the knowledge about S. europaea functional traits variation in response to salinity, which can be important for discovering regulating processes and for possible future agricultural applications.
Collapse
|
10
|
Advances in the regulation of plant salt-stress tolerance by miRNA. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:5041-5055. [PMID: 35381964 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07179-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Salt stress significantly affects the growth, development, yield, and quality of plants. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in various stress responses via target gene regulation. Their role in regulating salt stress has also received significant attention from researchers. Various transcription factor families are the common target genes of plant miRNAs. Thus, regulating the expression of miRNAs is a novel method for developing salt-tolerant crops. This review summarizes plant miRNAs that mediate salt tolerance, specifically miRNAs that have been utilized in genetic engineering to modify plant salinity tolerance. The molecular mechanism by which miRNAs mediate salt stress tolerance merits elucidation, and this knowledge will promote the development of miRNA-mediated salt-tolerant crops and provide new strategies against increasingly severe soil salinization.
Collapse
|
11
|
The Functional Structure of Tropical Plant Communities and Soil Properties Enhance Ecosystem Functioning and Multifunctionality in Different Ecosystems in Ghana. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits are useful in tracking changes in the environment, and play an important role in determining ecosystem functioning. The relationship between plant functional traits and ecosystem functioning remains unclear, although there is growing evidence on this relationship. In this study, we tested whether the functional structure of vegetation has significant effects on the provision of ecosystem services. We analysed plant trait composition (specific leaf area, leaf carbon and nitrogen ratio, isotopic carbon fraction, stem dry matter content, seed mass and plant height), soil parameters (nutrients, pH, bulk density) and proxies of ecosystem services (carbon stock, decomposition rate, invertebrate activity) in twenty-four plots in three tropical ecosystems (active restored and natural forests and an agroforestry system) in Ghana. For each plot, we measured above-ground biomass, decomposition rates of leaves and invertebrate activity as proxies for the provision of ecosystem services to evaluate (i) whether there were differences in functional composition and soil properties and their magnitude between ecosystem types. We further aimed to (ii) determine whether the functional structure and/or soil parameters drove ecosystem functions and multifunctionality in the three ecosystem types. For functional composition, both the leaf economic spectrum and seed mass dimension clearly separated the ecosystem types. The natural forest was more dominated by acquisitive plants than the other two ecosystem types, while the non-natural forests (agroforest and restored forest) showed higher variation in the functional space. The natural forest had higher values of soil properties than the restored forest and the agroforestry system, with the differences between the restored and agroforestry systems driven by bulk density. Levels of ecosystem service proxies and multifunctionality were positively related to the functional richness of forest plots and were mainly explained by the differences in site conditions. Our study demonstrated the effects of functional forest structure on ecosystem services in different forest ecosystems located in the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana.
Collapse
|
12
|
Plant Functional Diversity Is Linked to Carbon Storage in Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest Edges in Northern Thailand. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132011416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Studies of carbon storage using functional traits have shown that it is strongly affected by functional diversity. We explored the effects of functional diversity on carbon storage at the edge of a deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF) ecosystem in Thailand. Aboveground biomass carbon (AGBC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and total ecosystem carbon (TEC) were used as indicators of carbon storage. Five functional traits were measured in 49 plant species to calculate the community-weighted mean (CWM) and Rao’s quadratic diversity (FQ). We assessed which functional diversity metrics best-explained carbon storage. The results indicated that AGBC had a significant, positive relationship with the FQ of wood density, and a negative relationship with the CWM of leaf thickness. SOC had a significant, negative association with the FQ of leaf thickness and a positive relationship with the CWM of specific leaf area (SLA). TEC was best predicted by increases in the FQ of wood density and the CWM of SLA. These findings indicate that CWM and FQ are important for understanding how plant traits influence carbon storage in DDF edge ecosystems and suggest that promoting a high diversity of species with dissimilar wood density and high SLA may increase carbon storage in chronically disturbed DDF ecosystems.
Collapse
|
13
|
Salazar Zarzosa P, Diaz Herraiz A, Olmo M, Ruiz-Benito P, Barrón V, Bastias CC, de la Riva EG, Villar R. Linking functional traits with tree growth and forest productivity in Quercus ilex forests along a climatic gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 786:147468. [PMID: 33975100 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits are highly plastic to changes in climatic factors and nutrient availability. However, the intraspecific plant response to abiotic factors and the overall effect on tree growth and productivity is still under debate. We studied forest productivity for 30 Quercus ilex subsp. ballota forests in Spain along a broad climatic gradient of aridity (mean annual precipitation from 321 to 858 mm). We used linear mixed models to quantify the effect of climatic and edaphic (soil nutrients, topography, and texture) factors on tree functional traits (leaf and branch traits), and subsequently, the effect of such functional traits and abiotic factors on the relative growth rate (RGR) of adult trees. We used piecewise structural equation models (SEMs) to determine the causal effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on forest productivity. Our results showed that tree functional traits were mainly explained by climatic and edaphic factors. Functional traits and tree biomass explained forest biomass and RGR, respectively, which ultimately explained forest productivity. In conclusion, intraspecific variability of functional traits has a significant effect on plant biomass and growth, which ultimately may explain forest productivity in Quercus ilex forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Salazar Zarzosa
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Aurelio Diaz Herraiz
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; Instituto Federal de Ciência e Tecnologia do Amazonas, Campus Humaitá, 69800.000, Brazil
| | - Manuel Olmo
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Ecology and Forest Restoration Group, Life Science Department, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Km. 33,600, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Remote Sensing Research Group, Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, University of Alcalá, Calle Colegios 2, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Vidal Barrón
- Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos y de Montes, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cristina C Bastias
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France; Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Enrique G de la Riva
- Department of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology, 03046 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Rafael Villar
- Área de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Favoreto Campanharo Í, Martins SV, Villa PM, Correa Kruschewsky G, Aparecida Dias A, Haruki Nabeta F. Functional composition enhances aboveground biomass stock undergoing active forest restoration on mining tailings in Mariana, Brazil. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ítalo Favoreto Campanharo
- Forest Restoration Laboratory, Department of Forest Engineering Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa Brazil
| | - Sebastião V. Martins
- Forest Restoration Laboratory, Department of Forest Engineering Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa Brazil
| | - Pedro M. Villa
- Forest Restoration Laboratory, Department of Forest Engineering Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa Brazil
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Disentangling the Contributions of Plant Taxonomic and Functional Diversities in Shaping Aboveground Biomass of a Restored Forest Landscape in Southern China. PLANTS 2019; 8:plants8120612. [PMID: 31888237 PMCID: PMC6963651 DOI: 10.3390/plants8120612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Restoration is essential for supporting key ecosystem functions such as aboveground biomass production. However, the relative importance of functional versus taxonomic diversity in predicting aboveground biomass during restoration is poorly studied. Here, we used a trait-based approach to test for the importance of multiple plant diversity attributes in regulating aboveground biomass in a 30-years-old restored subtropical forest in southern China. We show that both taxonomic and functional diversities are significant and positive regulators of aboveground biomass; however, functional diversity (FD) was more important than taxonomic diversity (species richness) in controlling aboveground biomass. FD had the strongest direct effect on aboveground biomass compared with species richness, soil nutrients, and community weighted mean (CWM) traits. Our results further indicate that leaf and root morphological traits and traits related to the nutrient content in plant tissues represent the existence of a leaf and root economic spectrum, and the acquisitive resource use strategy influenced aboveground biomass. Our results suggest that both taxonomic and FD play a role in shaping aboveground biomass, but FD is more important in supporting aboveground biomass in this type of environments. These results imply that enhancing FD is important to restoring and managing degraded forest landscapes.
Collapse
|
16
|
Foxx AJ, Fort F. Root and shoot competition lead to contrasting competitive outcomes under water stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220674. [PMID: 31825953 PMCID: PMC6905553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Competition is a critical process that shapes plant communities and interacts with environmental constraints. There are surprising knowledge gaps related to mechanisms that belie competitive processes, though important to natural communities and agricultural systems: the contribution of different plant parts on competitive outcomes and the effect of environmental constraints on these outcomes. OBJECTIVE Studies that partition competition into root-only and shoot-only interactions assess whether plant parts impose different competitive intensities using physical partitions and serve as an important way to fill knowledge gaps. Given predicted drought escalation due to climate change, we focused a systematic review-including a meta-analysis on the effects of water supply and competitive outcomes. METHODS We searched ISI Web of Science for peer-reviewed studies and found 2042 results. From which eleven suitable studies, five of which had extractable information of 80 effect sizes on 10 species to test these effects. We used a meta-analysis to compare the log response ratios (lnRR) on biomass for responses to competition between roots, shoots, and full plants at two water levels. RESULTS Water availability treatment and competition treatment (root-only, shoot-only, and full plant competition) significantly interacted to affect plant growth responses (p < 0.0001). Root-only and full plant competition are more intense in low water availability (-1.2 and -0.9 mean lnRR, respectively) conditions than shoot-only competition (-0.2 mean lnRR). However, shoot-only competition in high water availability was the most intense (- 0.78 mean lnRR) compared to root-only and full competition (-0.5 and 0.61 mean lnRR, respectively) showing the opposite pattern to low water availability. These results also show that the intensity of full competition is similar to root-only competition and that low water availability intensifies root competition while weakening shoot competition. CONCLUSIONS The outcome that competition is most intense between roots at low water availability emphasizes the importance of root competition and these patterns of competition may shift in a changing climate, creating further urgency for further studies to fil knowledge gaps addressing issues of drought on plant interactions and communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia J. Foxx
- Plant Biology and Conservation; Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Plant Science and Conservation, The Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Florian Fort
- CEFE, Montpellier SupAgro, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Paganová V, Jureková Z, Lichtnerová H. The nature and way of root adaptation of juvenile woody plants Sorbus and Pyrus to drought. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:714. [PMID: 31677044 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7878-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The functional root traits of Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd. and Sorbus domestica L. during early growth stages were evaluated. The aim of the study was to identify the functional traits of root systems that determine the adaptability of these woody species to drought conditions. The experiment was carried out under the controlled environment of a growth chamber. The root systems were analyzed using WinRhizo software. Several functional root traits were identified, including specific root length, root surface area, root length, root volume, root-to-shoot mass ratio (R:S), fine root (ϕ ˂ 2 mm) volume, coarse root (ϕ > 2 mm) volume, and fine-to-coarse root volume ratio (F/C). In drought, P. pyraster maintained the absorptive root surface unchanged, when increased the volume of the fine root fraction. The different strategy of adaptation to drought has been confirmed for S. domestica, which accumulated more dry mass in the root system in comparison to aboveground organs (significant increase of R:S ratio). The functional root traits analyzed here were species-dependent. The key functional traits that indicate the responses of studied tree taxa to drought conditions include root thickening, F/C, and R:S. Increased values of these parameters indicate the investment of the plant towards root extension. A higher proportion of fine roots increases the absorbing surface of the root system, thereby promoting water uptake from the soil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viera Paganová
- Department of Planting Design and Maintenance, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia.
| | - Zuzana Jureková
- Department of Regional Bioenergy, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Helena Lichtnerová
- Department of Planting Design and Maintenance, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|