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Ayebare S, Doser JW, Plumptre AJ, Owiunji I, Mugabe H, Zipkin EF. An environmental habitat gradient and within-habitat segregation enable co-existence of ecologically similar bird species. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230467. [PMID: 37583324 PMCID: PMC10427832 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Niche theory predicts that ecologically similar species can coexist through multidimensional niche partitioning. However, owing to the challenges of accounting for both abiotic and biotic processes in ecological niche modelling, the underlying mechanisms that facilitate coexistence of competing species are poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated potential mechanisms underlying the coexistence of ecologically similar bird species in a biodiversity-rich transboundary montane forest in east-central Africa by computing niche overlap indices along an environmental elevation gradient, diet, forest strata, activity patterns and within-habitat segregation across horizontal space. We found strong support for abiotic environmental habitat niche partitioning, with 55% of species pairs having separate elevation niches. For the remaining species pairs that exhibited similar elevation niches, we found that within-habitat segregation across horizontal space and to a lesser extent vertical forest strata provided the most likely mechanisms of species coexistence. Coexistence of ecologically similar species within a highly diverse montane forest was determined primarily by abiotic factors (e.g. environmental elevation gradient) that characterize the Grinnellian niche and secondarily by biotic factors (e.g. vertical and horizontal segregation within habitats) that describe the Eltonian niche. Thus, partitioning across multiple levels of spatial organization is a key mechanism of coexistence in diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Ayebare
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Uganda Programme, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Jeffrey W. Doser
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Andrew J. Plumptre
- KBA Secretariat, c/o BirdLife International, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
- Conservation Science Group, Zoology Department, Cambridge University, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK
| | | | - Hamlet Mugabe
- Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Uganda Programme, PO Box 7487, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Elise F. Zipkin
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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2
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Zieschank V, Junker RR. Digital whole-community phenotyping: tracking morphological and physiological responses of plant communities to environmental changes in the field. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1141554. [PMID: 37229120 PMCID: PMC10203609 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1141554] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Plant traits are informative for ecosystem functions and processes and help to derive general rules and predictions about responses to environmental gradients, global change and perturbations. Ecological field studies often use 'low-throughput' methods to assess plant phenotypes and integrate species-specific traits to community-wide indices. In contrast, agricultural greenhouse or lab-based studies often employ 'high-throughput phenotyping' to assess plant individuals tracking their growth or fertilizer and water demand. In ecological field studies, remote sensing makes use of freely movable devices like satellites or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which provide large-scale spatial and temporal data. Adopting such methods for community ecology on a smaller scale may provide novel insights on the phenotypic properties of plant communities and fill the gap between traditional field measurements and airborne remote sensing. However, the trade-off between spatial resolution, temporal resolution and scope of the respective study requires highly specific setups so that the measurements fit the scientific question. We introduce small-scale, high-resolution digital automated phenotyping as a novel source of quantitative trait data in ecological field studies that provides complementary multi-faceted data of plant communities. We customized an automated plant phenotyping system for its mobile application in the field for 'digital whole-community phenotyping' (DWCP), capturing the 3-dimensional structure and multispectral information of plant communities. We demonstrated the potential of DWCP by recording plant community responses to experimental land-use treatments over two years. DWCP captured changes in morphological and physiological community properties in response to mowing and fertilizer treatments and thus reliably informed about changes in land-use. In contrast, manually measured community-weighted mean traits and species composition remained largely unaffected and were not informative about these treatments. DWCP proved to be an efficient method for characterizing plant communities, complements other methods in trait-based ecology, provides indicators of ecosystem states, and may help to forecast tipping points in plant communities often associated with irreversible changes in ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Zieschank
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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3
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Jarzyna MA, Stagge JH. Decoupled spatiotemporal patterns of avian taxonomic and functional diversity. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1153-1161.e4. [PMID: 36822204 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Each year, seasonal bird migration leads to an immense redistribution of species occurrence and abundances,1,2,3 with pervasive, though unclear, consequences for patterns of multi-faceted avian diversity. Here, we uncover stark disparities in spatiotemporal variation between avian taxonomic diversity (TD) and functional diversity (FD) across the continental US. We show that the seasonality of species richness expectedly3 follows a latitudinal gradient, whereas seasonality of FD instead manifests a distinct east-west gradient. In the eastern US, the temporal patterns of TD and FD are diametrically opposed. In winter, functional richness is highest despite seasonal species loss, and the remaining most abundant species are amassed in fewer regions of the functional space relative to the rest of the year, likely reflecting decreased resource availability. In contrast, temporal signatures for TD and FD are more congruent in the western US. There, both species and functional richness peak during the breeding season, and species' abundances are more regularly distributed and widely spread across the functional space than during winter. Our results suggest that migratory birds in the western US disproportionately contribute to avian FD by possessing more unique trait characteristics than resident birds,4,5 while the primary contribution of migrants in the eastern US is through increasing the regularity of abundances within the functional space relative to the rest of the year. We anticipate that the uncovered complexity of spatiotemporal associations among measures of avian diversity will be the catalyst for adopting an explicitly temporal framework for multi-faceted biodiversity analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta A Jarzyna
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - James H Stagge
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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4
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E-Vojtkó A, Junker RR, de Bello F, Götzenberger L. Floral and reproductive traits are an independent dimension within the plant economic spectrum of temperate central Europe. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1964-1975. [PMID: 35842785 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Major dimensions of plant ecological strategies have been widely studied bringing forward the concept of 'economic spectra' of plants. Sexual reproductive traits, 'floral traits', have been largely neglected in this context, despite their strong link to fitness. Here, we aimed at integrating floral traits into the dimensionality of plant form and function so far dominated by vegetative traits. We used principal component analyses and constructed trait networks to assess the correlation structure of leaf, belowground, plant size-related, and floral traits. We studied forbs within two independent datasets; one compiled from central European trait databases and one sampled in the Austrian Alps. Floral traits defined the second dimension of trait variability within both datasets, while plant size determined the first dimension. Floral traits were largely independent from the leaf economic spectrum. Flower size, however, positively scaled with plant size and leaf size. Mating system was the most well-connected trait across modules of plant tissue/organ types. The independence of floral traits was consistent also after accounting for phylogenetic relationships between species. Floral traits explained a unique part of the variation in plant form and function and thus, likely play a distinctive ecological role within the whole plant economic spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E-Vojtkó
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Robert R Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- CIDE-UV-CSIC, 46113, Montcada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lars Götzenberger
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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5
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García-Ulloa M, Souza V, Esquivel-Hernández DA, Sánchez-Pérez J, Espinosa-Asuar L, Viladomat M, Marroquín-Rodríguez M, Navarro-Miranda M, Ruiz-Padilla J, Monroy-Guzmán C, Madrigal-Trejo D, Rosas-Barrera M, Vázquez-Rosas-Landa M, Eguiarte LE. Recent Differentiation of Aquatic Bacterial Communities in a Hydrological System in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, After a Natural Perturbation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:825167. [PMID: 35572686 PMCID: PMC9097865 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.825167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pozas Rojas is a hydrological system comprising nine isolated shallow ponds and a deep lagoon, which were temporally merged in 2010 by increased rainfall due to a tropical cyclone. In this work, we assess which components, biotic interactions, or environment filtering effects, drive the assembly of microbial communities after a natural perturbation. Arsenic, pH, and temperature are among the most significant environmental variables between each pond, clustering the samples in two main groups, whereas microbial composition is diverse and unique to each site, with no core at the operational taxonomic unit level and only 150 core genera when studied at the genus level. Los Hundidos lagoon has the most differentiated community, which is highly similar to the epipelagic Mediterranean Sea communities. On the other hand, the shallow ponds at the Pozas Rojas system resemble more to epicontinental hydrological systems, such as some cold rivers of the world and the phreatic mantle from Iowa. Overall, despite being a sole of water body 2 years prior to the sampling, interspecific interactions, rather than environmental selection, seem to play a more important role in Pozas Rojas, bolstered by founder effects on each poza and subsequent isolation of each water body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel García-Ulloa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Centro de Estudios del Cuaternario de Fuego-Patagonia y Antártica (CEQUA), Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Diego A Esquivel-Hernández
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jazmín Sánchez-Pérez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Laura Espinosa-Asuar
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mariette Viladomat
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Montserrat Marroquín-Rodríguez
- Facultad de Medicina, Licenciatura en Investigación Biomédica Básica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Marisol Navarro-Miranda
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Jair Ruiz-Padilla
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Camila Monroy-Guzmán
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - David Madrigal-Trejo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Manuel Rosas-Barrera
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mirna Vázquez-Rosas-Landa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Luis E Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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6
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de Melo DB, Dolbeth M, Paiva FF, Molozzi J. Extreme drought scenario shapes different patterns of Chironomid coexistence in reservoirs in a semi-arid region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 821:153053. [PMID: 35038537 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Semi-arid regions are particularly prone to extreme climate events such as droughts, which result in drastic fluctuations in the water volume of aquatic ecosystems, including artificial ones. As these climate extremes intensify, species must adapt, however, not all species can persist under new climate regimes in such a short period of time. In this study, we evaluated how fluctuations in the water levels of reservoirs, caused by drought, affect Chironomidae diversity patterns in a semi-arid region. We studied six reservoirs (256 sites) in two basins in Northeastern Brazil, exposed to different levels of anthropic impact. Sampling was carried out in 2014, 2015 (both extremely dry years) and 2019. A dead water volume was attained during the extreme drought in 2015, consequently affecting the reservoir and resulting in a low diversity, abundance, and functional redundancy of the Chironomidae assemblages. Despite precipitation increases in 2019, some reservoirs continued to be water deficient. These drastic water fluctuations led to different patterns in Chironomidae taxonomic and functional diversity, which were also influenced by anthropic stressors. Thus, the most impacted basin presented lower diversity, with some species and trait turnover between reservoirs. The opposite trend was observed in the least impacted basin. Overall, taxonomic and functional diversity decreased with decreasing water volume, resulting in a community dominated by small-medium sized individuals with multivoltine cycles and hemoglobin and diapause resistant forms, conferring higher tolerance to water stress. The drought and consequent water volume fluctuations throughout the years seemed to exacerbate the water quality due to pre-existing exposure to anthropic impacts (e.g., domestic discharge, fishing activity, agriculture, livestock). This resulted in biotic homogenization, with an observed loss of taxa and traits. This study reinforced the need to implement habitat conservation and water quality improvement strategies to prevent further ecosystem damage in the face of climate change uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalescka Barbosa de Melo
- Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campus I, Departamento de Biologia - Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Av. Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, CEP: 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.
| | - Marina Dolbeth
- CIIMAR- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Universidade do Porto, Novo Edifício do Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - Franciely Ferreira Paiva
- Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campus I, Departamento de Biologia - Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Av. Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, CEP: 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.
| | - Joseline Molozzi
- Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campus I, Departamento de Biologia - Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Av. Baraúnas, 351, Bairro Universitário, CEP: 58429-500, Campina Grande, Brazil.
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7
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Junker RR, Albrecht J, Becker M, Keuth R, Farwig N, Schleuning M. Towards an animal economics spectrum for ecosystem research. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert R. Junker
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity University of Salzburg 5020 Salzburg Austria
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Marcel Becker
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Raya Keuth
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology Department of Biology University of Marburg 35043 Marburg Germany
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 60325 Frankfurt am Main Germany
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8
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Matich P, Bizzarro JJ, Shipley ON. Are stable isotope ratios suitable for describing niche partitioning and individual specialization? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02392. [PMID: 34164866 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As concerns about anthropogenic and natural disturbance grow, understanding animal resource use patterns has been increasingly prioritized to predict how changes in environmental conditions, food web structure, and population dynamics will affect biological resilience. Among the tools used to assess resource use, stable isotope analysis has proliferated in ecological studies, particularly in relation to describing intra- and interspecific variation in trophic interactions. Despite a growing need to disseminate scientific information, the inherent limitations of stable isotope ratios and inappropriate synonymizing of distinct evolutionary and ecological processes may mislead ecological inferences in natural systems. This situation necessitates a re-evaluation of the utility of stable isotope ratios to address certain ecological questions. Here, we assess the efficacy of stable isotope ratios to describe two fundamental ecological processes, niche partitioning and individual specialization. Investigation of these processes has increased substantially in accordance with increased access to stable isotope data. This article discusses the circumstances and approaches that are necessary to evaluate niche partitioning and individual specialization, and outlines key considerations for the associated application of stable isotope ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Matich
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, 77553, USA
| | - Joseph J Bizzarro
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California State University, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, California, 95039, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystems and Climate, University of California, Santa Cruz, 110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Oliver N Shipley
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
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Han X, Huang J, Zang R. Shifts in ecological strategy spectra of typical forest vegetation types across four climatic zones. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14127. [PMID: 34239014 PMCID: PMC8266834 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93722-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological strategy spectrum is the relative proportion of species in different categories of ecological strategies in a biotic community. Here, we explored ecological strategy spectra in typical forest vegetation types across four climatic zones in China. We classified ecological strategy categories by using the "StrateFy" ordination method based on three leaf functional traits. Results showed that the predominant ecological strategies of species in the tropical rainforest were CS-selected, and the predominant categories in the evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forest and warm-temperate coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest were CSR and S/CSR categories respectively, whereas those in the cold-temperate coniferous forest were the S-selected ones. Ecological strategy richness of forest vegetation decreased significantly with the increase of latitude. The categories of ecological strategies with more component S increased while those with more component C decreased with the change of typical forest vegetation types from tropical rainforest through evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forest and warm-temperate coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest to cool-temperate coniferous forest. Our findings highlight the usefulness of Grime's C-S-R scheme for predicting the responses of vegetation to environmental changes, and the results are helpful in further elucidating species coexistence and community assembly in varied climatic and geographic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Han
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China.,Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jihong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China.,Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China. .,Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, China.
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10
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Jarzyna MA, Quintero I, Jetz W. Global functional and phylogenetic structure of avian assemblages across elevation and latitude. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:196-207. [PMID: 33124188 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mountain systems are exceptionally species rich, yet the associated elevational gradients in functional and phylogenetic diversity and their consistency across latitude remain little understood. Here, we document how avian functional and phylogenetic diversity and structure vary along all major elevational gradients worldwide and uncover strong latitudinal differences. Assemblages in warm tropical lowlands and cold temperate highlands are marked by high functional overdispersion and distinctiveness, whereas tropical highlands and temperate lowlands appear strongly functionally clustered and redundant. We additionally find strong geographic variation in the interplay of phylogenetic and functional structure, with strongest deviations between the two in temperate highlands. This latitudinal and elevational variation in assemblage functional structure is underpinned by nuanced shifts in the position, shape and composition of multivariate trait space. We find that, independent of latitude, high-elevation assemblages emerge as exceptionally susceptible to functional change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta A Jarzyna
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Avenue, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, 1760 Neil Avenue, 175 Pomerene Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Ignacio Quintero
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), Département de biologie, École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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11
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Yu R, Huang J, Xu Y, Ding Y, Zang R. Plant Functional Niches in Forests Across Four Climatic Zones: Exploring the Periodic Table of Niches Based on Plant Functional Traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:841. [PMID: 32625227 PMCID: PMC7311788 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have indicated that a niche variation scheme, similar to the periodic table of elements, can be constructed based on functional traits. The periodic table of niches for species is defined as a multidimensional ordination scheme of niche relationships and their orders in a specific biotic community. Comparing functional trait-based niches is extremely useful in theoretical studies of plant ecological strategies, community assembly, and the geographic differentiation of biomes across different climatic zones. Here, data for 11 functional traits belonging to three fundamental niche dimensions (leaf economy, mechanical support, and reproductive phenology) were compiled for 215 woody species from forests across four climatic zones (tropical, subtropical, warm-temperate, and cold-temperate). We constructed the periodic table of niches based on the functional traits of plants in different communities and explored their variations among biomes. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to derive the dominant gradients of trait combinations for each individual niche dimensional dataset. Then species scores for the first two axes (PC1 and PC2) were used as inputs for a second PCA to ordinate species in the continuous niche space constrained by the three niche dimensions. Changes in the functional niches of plants from the four biomes along the PC1 and PC2 of niche space were examined based on species scores. Leaf economy was the dominant functional dimension in the plant niche space, followed by mechanical support. Considerable niche convergences among different species were found in the niche space for each biome, except cold-temperate forest. The species niches varied mainly with the increasing specific leaf area/decreasing stem tissue density along PC1, and with the decrease of leaf area/plant size along PC2 from tropical to temperate forests, suggesting that the ecological strategies of plants in the four biomes changed from conservative to acquisitive with an increase in latitude. Our results confirmed that the periodic table of niches does exist and can be constructed by major functional dimensions composed of dominant functional traits. The periodic table of niches effectively reflects the changes of ecological strategies of plant species in biomes across different climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jihong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Ohler LM, Lechleitner M, Junker RR. Microclimatic effects on alpine plant communities and flower-visitor interactions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1366. [PMID: 31992825 PMCID: PMC6987155 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
High-alpine ecosystems are commonly assumed to be particularly endangered by climate warming. Recent research, however, suggests that the heterogeneous topography of alpine landscapes provide microclimatic niches for alpine plants (i.e. soil temperatures that support the establishment and reproduction of species). Whether the microclimatic heterogeneity also affects diversity or species interactions on higher trophic levels remains unknown. Here we show that variation in mean seasonal soil temperature within an alpine pasture is within the same range as in plots differing in nearly 500 m in elevation. This pronounced heterogeneity of soil temperature among plots affected the spatial distribution of flowering plant species in our study area with a higher plant richness and cover in warmer plots. This increased plant productivity in warmer plots positively affected richness of flower visitor taxa as well as interaction frequency. Additionally, flower-visitor networks were more generalized in plots with higher plant cover. These results suggest that soil temperature directly affects plant diversity and productivity and indirectly affects network stability. The strong effect of heterogeneous soil temperature on plant communities and their interaction partners may also mitigate climate warming impacts by enabling plants to track their suitable temperature niches within a confined area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Maria Ohler
- Department of Biosciences, University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Robert R Junker
- Department of Biosciences, University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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