Old fronds serve as a vernal carbon source in the wintergreen fern Dryopteris intermedia (Aspleniaceae)

The economy of reproduction in dimorphic ferns

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Organisms often balance among reproduction, growth and survival. When these processes are in competition, selection may act to drive functional dimorphism. Unlike seed plants, ferns use their foliar surfaces for reproduction and carbon fixation. Across species, ferns exhibit a gradient of fertile-sterile dimorphy: from the production of highly reduced fertile fronds (holodimorphic) to no reduction (monomorphic) in laminar area between fronds. Here the physiological impacts of fertile-sterile dimorphy were investigated through a series of observational and experimental field manipulations.

METHODS

Temporal shifts in photosynthesis, respiration and percent nitrogen (%N) were examined to evaluate changes in physiological behaviour over the growing season of two species of fern of similar ecological niche, yet of different degrees of fertile-sterile frond dimorphism: Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (holodimorphic) and Osmunda regalis (hemidimorphic). These data are combined with experimental fertile and sterile frond removal to evaluate relative costs of reproduction in both species. Finally, labelled δ13C gas was used to follow carbon allocation across the growing season.

KEY RESULTS

The data demonstrate that reproductive structures in the holodimorphic O. cinnamomeum come at more significant carbon and nitrogen costs relative to those in the hemidimorphic O. regalis Excision experiments demonstrate that investment in fertile fronds strongly impacted future allocation to reproduction in the holodimorphic species but had a lesser effect on the hemidimorphic species. The labelling experiments showed that fixed carbon is translocated to the rhizomes only, but at different times in the two species. Investment in underground resources probably allows these plants to manage the costs of reproduction associated with increased dimorphy.

CONCLUSIONS

Fertile-sterile dimorphy has evolved multiple times in ferns in spite of the apparent physiological costs associated with a reduction in photosynthetically active tissues. These apparent costs may be offset by an increase in potential spore dispersal distance and/or increased spore production. The phenomenon may further influence species ecology as dimorphic taxa often occupy resource-rich environments.

Reduced winter snowfall damages the structure and function of wintergreen ferns

• Premise of the study: The full impact of climate change on ecosystems and the humans that depend on them is uncertain. Anthropogenic climate change is resulting in winters with less snow than is historically typical. This deficit may have an impact on wintergreen ferns whose fronds lie prostrate under the snowpack and are thereby protected from frost.• Methods: Frost damage and ecophysiological traits were quantified for three species of wintergreen fern (Dryopteris intermedia, Dryopteris marginalis, and Polystichum acrostichoides) near Delhi, NY following the winters of 2012 (which had very little snowfall) and 2013 (which had typical snowfall).• Key results: Dryopteris intermedia was the most common species and had the highest percentage of frost-damaged fronds and the highest percentage of its cover damaged in 2012. Frost damage was significantly less in 2013 for all species. Polystichum acrostichoides had the highest vernal photosynthetic rate in undamaged fronds, and all three species had a negative net photosynthetic rate in frost-damaged fronds. The wintergreen fern community lost 36.69 ± 2.80% of its productive surface area to frost damage in 2012. Dryopteris intermedia had the thinnest leaves and this trait may have made it the most susceptible to frost damage.• Conclusions: These results demonstrate that repeated winters of little snow may have a significant impact on the structure and functioning of the wintergreen fern community, and species will respond to a reduced snowpack on an individual basis.

Exploring bud dormancy completion with a combined architectural and phenological analysis: the case of apple trees in contrasting winter temperature conditions

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

The branching pattern and phenology of trees result from interactions between the tree's genetic constitution and environmental conditions. Temperature strongly affects the duration of bud dormancy and further shoot growth. Our hypothesis was that shoot architecture is strongly affected by winter temperatures determining both the position and budburst of vegetative laterals with a lower effect on their outgrowth.

METHODS

The study was conducted on four apple cultivars characterized by various chilling requirements and grown in two contrasting winter temperature conditions. A two-step approach was designed to quantify at the shoot scale first the branching pattern and second two phenological stages of vegetative laterals, budburst and outgrowth. A categorical variable, the branching zone, was built to summarize the lateral position along the shoot. It was integrated into the phenological analysis as a factor together with the cultivar and the winter temperature.

KEY RESULTS

Temperature had a main effect on the distribution of vegetative laterals along the shoot. It also strongly affected budburst, which was also affected by the cultivar and the branching zone. The outgrowth of the lateral was not significantly affected by temperature but was significantly affected by the cultivar and the branching zone. Furthermore, the delayed senescence and subsequent leaf persistence during winter, characterizing the apple tree in the mild winter temperature condition, had only a weak effect on the distribution of vegetative laterals and on budburst and lateral outgrowth.

CONCLUSIONS

The actual shoot architecture and budburst result from an ordered sequence of events with a pivotal role of winter temperatures on the dormancy completion of individual lateral buds. Endogenous factors related to the cultivar branching pattern overtake the temperature effect on the lateral outgrowth.

Variation in ploidy level and phenology can result in large and unexpected differences in demography and climatic sensitivity between closely related ferns

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

Current environmental changes may affect the dynamics and viability of plant populations. This environmental sensitivity may differ between species of different ploidy level because polyploidization can influence life history traits. We compared the demography and climatic sensitivity of two closely related ferns: the tetraploid Polystichum aculeatum and one of its diploid parents, Polystichum setiferum.

METHODS

Matrix models were used to assess the effects of life history variation on population dynamics under varying winter conditions. We analyzed the contributions of all key aspects of the fern life cycle to population growth. Our study is the first to also include the gametophyte generation.

KEY RESULTS

Projected population growth rate (λ) was much higher for the tetraploid P. aculeatum (1.516) than for P. setiferum (1.071) under normal winter conditions. During a year with harsh winter conditions, population growth of P. aculeatum was strongly reduced. This finding contradicts our expectation that the winter-hardy fronds of this species would allow high survival of harsh winters. Differences in λ between species and between years with different winter conditions were mostly caused by variation in gametophyte-related recruitment rates, a finding that shows the importance of including gametophytes in fern demographic studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that populations of closely related ferns can show large differences in population performance, mainly related to recruitment rates and frond phenology, and that these differences may depend greatly on climatic conditions. Our findings provide a first indication that (allo)polyploidization in ferns can have a significant effect on population dynamics.

Differential influence of clonal integration on morphological and growth responses to light in two invasive herbs

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In contrast to seeds, high sensitivity of vegetative fragments to unfavourable environments may limit the expansion of clonal invasive plants. However, clonal integration promotes the establishment of propagules in less suitable habitats and may facilitate the expansion of clonal invaders into intact native communities. Here, we examine the influence of clonal integration on the morphology and growth of ramets in two invasive plants, Alternanthera philoxeroides and Phyla canescens, under varying light conditions.

METHODS

In a greenhouse experiment, branches, connected ramets and severed ramets of the same mother plant were exposed under full sun and 85% shade and their morphological and growth responses were assessed.

KEY RESULTS

The influence of clonal integration on the light reaction norm (connection×light interaction) of daughter ramets was species-specific. For A. philoxeroides, clonal integration evened out the light response (total biomass, leaf mass per area, and stem number, diameter and length) displayed in severed ramets, but these connection×light interactions were largely absent for P. canescens. Nevertheless, for both species, clonal integration overwhelmed light effect in promoting the growth of juvenile ramets during early development. Also, vertical growth, as an apparent shade acclimation response, was more prevalent in severed ramets than in connected ramets. Finally, unrooted branches displayed smaller organ size and slower growth than connected ramets, but the pattern of light reaction was similar, suggesting mother plants invest in daughter ramets prior to their own branches.

CONCLUSIONS

Clonal integration modifies light reaction norms of morphological and growth traits in a species-specific manner for A. philoxeroides and P. canescens, but it improves the establishment of juvenile ramets of both species in light-limiting environments by promoting their growth during early development. This factor may be partially responsible for their ability to successfully colonize native plant communities.