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Rasmussen LV, Grass I, Mehrabi Z, Smith OM, Bezner-Kerr R, Blesh J, Garibaldi LA, Isaac ME, Kennedy CM, Wittman H, Batáry P, Buchori D, Cerda R, Chará J, Crowder DW, Darras K, DeMaster K, Garcia K, Gómez M, Gonthier D, Hidayat P, Hipólito J, Hirons M, Hoey L, James D, John I, Jones AD, Karp DS, Kebede Y, Kerr CB, Klassen S, Kotowska M, Kreft H, Llanque R, Levers C, Lizcano DJ, Lu A, Madsen S, Marques RN, Martins PB, Melo A, Nyantakyi-Frimpong H, Olimpi EM, Owen JP, Pantevez H, Qaim M, Redlich S, Scherber C, Sciligo AR, Snapp S, Snyder WE, Steffan-Dewenter I, Stratton AE, Taylor JM, Tscharntke T, Valencia V, Vogel C, Kremen C. Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture. Science 2024; 384:87-93. [PMID: 38574149 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural simplification continues to expand at the expense of more diverse forms of agriculture. This simplification, for example, in the form of intensively managed monocultures, poses a risk to keeping the world within safe and just Earth system boundaries. Here, we estimated how agricultural diversification simultaneously affects social and environmental outcomes. Drawing from 24 studies in 11 countries across 2655 farms, we show how five diversification strategies focusing on livestock, crops, soils, noncrop plantings, and water conservation benefit social (e.g., human well-being, yields, and food security) and environmental (e.g., biodiversity, ecosystem services, and reduced environmental externalities) outcomes. We found that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies alone. To realize these benefits, well-designed policies are needed to incentivize the adoption of multiple diversification strategies in unison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vang Rasmussen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy (KomBioTa), University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zia Mehrabi
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Better Planet Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Mortenson Center for Global Engineering and Resilience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Olivia M Smith
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Blesh
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lucas Alejandro Garibaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Department of Global Development Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Hannah Wittman
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Péter Batáry
- Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Damayanti Buchori
- Department of Plant Protection, Bogor Agricultural University, Jalan Kamper, Kampus Darmaga, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Rolando Cerda
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE), Turri Alba, Costa Rica
| | - Julián Chará
- Center for Research on Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CIPAV), Cali, Colombia
| | - David W Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn DeMaster
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karina Garcia
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Manuel Gómez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - David Gonthier
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Purnama Hidayat
- Department of Plant Protection, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Juliana Hipólito
- Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Biology Institute, Salvador, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Conselho de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
- Brazil Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, INPA, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Mark Hirons
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lesli Hoey
- Urban and Regional Planning Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dana James
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Innocensia John
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Andrew D Jones
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel S Karp
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Yodit Kebede
- Eco&Sols, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Susanna Klassen
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Martyna Kotowska
- Department of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Christian Levers
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Environmental Geography, Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute - Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry, and Fisheries, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diego J Lizcano
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | - Adrian Lu
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sidney Madsen
- Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Rosebelly Nunes Marques
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Buss Martins
- Applied Ecology Graduate Program, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - America Melo
- The Nature Conservancy, Latin America North Andes and Central America Region, Bogota, Columbia
| | | | | | - Jeb P Owen
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Heiber Pantevez
- Federación Colombiana de Ganaderos (FEDEGAN), Bogotá, Columbia
| | - Matin Qaim
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Redlich
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Scherber
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum Koenig, Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Science, Bonn, Germany
- Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Sieglinde Snapp
- Sustainable Agrifood Systems, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan, Mexico
| | - William E Snyder
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anne Elise Stratton
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Department, Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Joseph M Taylor
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Department of Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Vivian Valencia
- Farming Systems Ecology Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Department of Environment, Agriculture and Geography at Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Cassandra Vogel
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claire Kremen
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Lemoine T, Violle C, Montazeaud G, Isaac ME, Rocher A, Fréville H, Fort F. Plant trait relationships are maintained within a major crop species: lack of artificial selection signal and potential for improved agronomic performance. New Phytol 2023; 240:2227-2238. [PMID: 37771248 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The exploration of phenotypic spaces of large sets of plant species has considerably increased our understanding of diversification processes in the plant kingdom. Nevertheless, such advances have predominantly relied on interspecific comparisons that hold several limitations. Here, we grew in the field a unique set of 179 inbred lines of durum wheat, Triticum turgidum spp. durum, characterized by variable degrees of artificial selection. We measured aboveground and belowground traits as well as agronomic traits to explore the functional and agronomic trait spaces and to investigate trait-to-agronomic performance relationships. We showed that the wheat functional trait space shared commonalities with global cross-species spaces previously described, with two main axes of variation: a root foraging axis and a slow-fast trade-off axis. Moreover, we detected a clear signature of artificial selection on the variation of agronomic traits, unlike functional traits. Interestingly, we identified alternative phenotypic combinations that can optimize crop performance. Our work brings insightful knowledge about the structure of phenotypic spaces of domesticated plants and the maintenance of phenotypic trade-offs in response to artificial selection, with implications for trade-off-free and multi-criteria selection in plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taïna Lemoine
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34000, France
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, 34000, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34000, France
| | - Germain Montazeaud
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, M1C 1A4, ON, Canada
| | - Aline Rocher
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, 34000, France
| | - Hélène Fréville
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, 34000, France
| | - Florian Fort
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, Institut Agro, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34000, France
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Nimmo V, Violle C, Entz M, Rolhauser AG, Isaac ME. Changes in crop trait plasticity with domestication history: Management practices matter. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10690. [PMID: 38020689 PMCID: PMC10651313 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Crop domestication has led to the development of distinct trait syndromes, a series of constrained plant trait trade-offs to maximize yield in high-input agricultural environments, and potentially constrained trait plasticity. Yet, with the ongoing transition to organic and diversified agroecosystems, which create more heterogeneous nutrient availability, this constrained plasticity, especially in root functional traits, may be undesirable for nutrient acquisition. Such agricultural systems require a nuanced understanding of the soil-crop continuum under organic amendments and with intercropping, and the role crop genetic resources play in governing nutrient management and design. In this study, we use a functional traits lens to determine if crops with a range of domestication histories express different functional trait plasticity and how this expression changes with soil amendments and intercropping. We utilize a common garden experiment including five wheat (Triticum aestivum) varietals with a range of domestication histories planted in a factorial combination with amendment type (organic and inorganic) and cropping design (monoculture or intercropped with soybean). We use bivariate, multivariate and trait space analyses to quantify trait variation and plasticity in five leaf and five root functional traits. Almost all leaf and root traits varied among varieties. Yet, amendment type was nearly inconsequential for explaining trait expression across varieties. However, intercropping was linked to significant differences in root acquisitive strategies, regardless of the varietals' distinct history. Our findings show substantial leaf and root trait plasticity, with roots expressing greater trait space occupation with domestication, but also the strong role of management in crop trait expression. We underscore the utility of a functional trait-based approach to understand plant-soil dynamics with organic amendments, as well as the role of crop genetic histories in the successful transition to low-input and diversified agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Martin Entz
- University of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Andres G. Rolhauser
- University of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de AgronomíaUniversidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
- IFEVA, CONICET, Facultad de AgronomíaUniversidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- University of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- University of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
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Avelino J, Gagliardi S, Perfecto I, Isaac ME, Liebig T, Vandermeer J, Merle I, Hajian-Forooshani Z, Motisi N. Tree Effects on Coffee Leaf Rust at Field and Landscape Scales. Plant Dis 2023; 107:247-261. [PMID: 35698251 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-08-21-1804-fe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although integrating trees into agricultural systems (i.e., agroforestry systems) provides many valuable ecosystem services, the trees can also interact with plant diseases. We demonstrate that a detailed understanding of how plant diseases interact with trees in agroforestry systems is necessary to identify key tree canopy characteristics, leaf traits, spatial arrangements, and management options that can help control plant diseases at different spatial scales. We focus our analysis on how trees affect coffee leaf rust, a major disease affecting one of the world's most significant crop commodities. We show that trees can both promote and discourage the development of coffee leaf rust at the plot scale via microclimate modifications in the understory. Based on our understanding of the role of tree characteristics in shaping the microclimate, we identify several canopy characteristics and leaf traits that can help manage coffee leaf rust at the plot scale: namely, thin canopies with high openness, short base height, horizontal branching, and small, dentate leaves. In contrast, at the edge of coffee farms, having large trees with high canopy volume and small, thick, waxy leaves is more useful to reduce throughflow wind speeds and intercept the airborne dispersal of urediniospores, an important consideration to control disease at the landscape scale. Seasonal pruning can help shape trees into the desired form, and trees can be spatially arranged to optimize desired effects. This case study demonstrates the added value of combining process-based epidemiology studies with functional trait ecology to improve disease management in agroforestry systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Avelino
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, F-34398 Montpellier, France
- PHIM, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Ivette Perfecto
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, U.S.A
| | - Marney E Isaac
- University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Theresa Liebig
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security, 00054 Rome, Italy
| | - John Vandermeer
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, U.S.A
| | - Isabelle Merle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, IRD, UMR Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Natacha Motisi
- PHIM, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
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Gagliardi S, Avelino J, Martin AR, Cadotte M, Virginio Filho EDM, Isaac ME. Leaf functional traits and pathogens: Linking coffee leaf rust with intraspecific trait variation in diversified agroecosystems. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284203. [PMID: 37053244 PMCID: PMC10101423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Research has demonstrated that intraspecific functional trait variation underpins plant responses to environmental variability. However, few studies have evaluated how trait variation shifts in response to plant pathogens, even though pathogens are a major driver of plant demography and diversity, and despite evidence of plants expressing distinct strategies in response to pathogen pressures. Understanding trait-pathogen relationships can provide a more realistic understanding of global patterns of functional trait variation. We examined leaf intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in response to foliar disease severity, using Coffea arabica cv. Caturra as a model species. We quantified coffee leaf rust (CLR) severity-a fungal disease prominent in coffee systems-and measured key coffee leaf functional traits under contrasting, but widespread, management conditions in an agroforestry system. We found that coffee plants express significant ITV, which is largely related to shade tree treatment and leaf position within coffee canopy strata. Yet within a single plant canopy stratum, CLR severity increased with increasing resource conserving trait values. However, coffee leaves with visible signs of disease expressed overall greater resource acquiring trait values, as compared to plants without visible signs of disease. We provide among the first evidence that leaf traits are correlated with foliar disease severity in coffee, and that functional trait relationships and syndromes shift in response to increased disease prevalence in this plant-pathogen system. In doing so, we address a vital gap in our understanding of global patterns of functional trait variation and highlight the need to further explore the potential role of pathogens within established global trait relationships and spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Gagliardi
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacques Avelino
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM, Montpellier, France
- Institute Agro, PHIM, University Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Blesh J, Isaac ME, Schipanski ME, Vanek SJ. Editorial: Ecological Nutrient Management as a pathway to Zero Hunger. Front Sustain Food Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1079973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Rolhauser AG, Windfeld E, Hanson S, Wittman H, Thoreau C, Lyon A, Isaac ME. A trait-environment relationship approach to participatory plant breeding for organic agriculture. New Phytol 2022; 235:1018-1031. [PMID: 35510804 PMCID: PMC9322327 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The extent of intraspecific variation in trait-environment relationships is an open question with limited empirical support in crops. In organic agriculture, with high environmental heterogeneity, this knowledge could guide breeding programs to optimize crop attributes. We propose a three-dimensional framework involving crop performance, crop traits, and environmental axes to uncover the multidimensionality of trait-environment relationships within a crop. We modeled instantaneous photosynthesis (Asat ) and water-use efficiency (WUE) as functions of four phenotypic traits, three soil variables, five carrot (Daucus carota) varieties, and their interactions in a national participatory plant breeding program involving a suite of farms across Canada. We used these interactions to describe the resulting 12 trait-environment relationships across varieties. We found one significant trait-environment relationship for Asat (taproot tissue density-soil phosphorus), which was consistent across varieties. For WUE, we found that three relationships (petiole diameter-soil nitrogen, petiole diameter-soil phosphorus, and leaf area-soil phosphorus) varied significantly across varieties. As a result, WUE was maximized by different combinations of trait values and soil conditions depending on the variety. Our three-dimensional framework supports the identification of functional traits behind the differential responses of crop varieties to environmental variation and thus guides breeding programs to optimize crop attributes from an eco-evolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés G. Rolhauser
- Department of Physical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONM1C 1A4Canada
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de InformaciónFacultad de AgronomíaUniversidad de Buenos AiresBuenos AiresC1417DSEArgentina
- Facultad de AgronomíaIFEVAUniversidad de Buenos AiresCONICETBuenos AiresC1417DSEArgentina
| | - Emma Windfeld
- Department of GeographyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONM5S 3G3Canada
- School of Public PolicySimpson CentreUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABT2P 1H9Canada
| | - Solveig Hanson
- Center for Sustainable Food SystemsUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z2Canada
| | - Hannah Wittman
- Center for Sustainable Food SystemsUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z2Canada
| | - Chris Thoreau
- Center for Sustainable Food SystemsUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z2Canada
| | - Alexandra Lyon
- Center for Sustainable Food SystemsUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCV6T 1Z2Canada
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Food SystemsKwantlen Polytechnic UniversityRichmondBCV6X 3X7Canada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoONM1C 1A4Canada
- Department of GeographyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONM5S 3G3Canada
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Gagliardi S, Avelino J, Fulthorpe R, Virginio Filho EDM, Isaac ME. No evidence of foliar disease impact on crop root functional strategies and soil microbial communities: what does this mean for organic coffee? OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacques Avelino
- CIRAD, UMR PHIM Montpellier France
- PHIM, Univ. Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Inst. Agro, IRD Montpellier France
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Mafa‐Attoye TG, Borden KA, Alvarez DO, Thevathasan N, Isaac ME, Dunfield KE. Roots alter soil microbial diversity and interkingdom interactions in diversified agricultural landscapes. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kira A. Borden
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Univ. of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | | | | | - Marney E. Isaac
- Dept of Physical&Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough Toronto ON Canada
| | - Kari E. Dunfield
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
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10
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Buchanan SW, Mafa-Attoye T, Dunfield K, Thevathasan NV, Isaac ME. The role of plant functional traits and diversity in soil carbon dynamics within riparian agroforests. J Environ Qual 2022; 51:33-43. [PMID: 34693532 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Restoration of agricultural riparian buffers with trees (agroforestry) provides an elegant solution to enhance carbon storage while also augmenting local biodiversity. Yet the scope and role of riparian plant community diversity in key soil dynamics remain unresolved. Operationalizing riparian age (young [<10 yr] and mature [>30 yr] since establishment] and forest stand type (coniferous and deciduous dominant) to capture the potential extent of plant diversity, we measured plant functional trait diversity and community weighted mean trait values, microbial composition, abiotic soil conditions, and rates of soil CO2 efflux (mg CO2 -C m-2 h-1 ). We used piecewise structural equation modeling (SEM) to further refine the role of biotic indices (leaf, root, and microbial characteristics), and abiotic factors (soil physio-chemical metrics) on soil C cycling processes in riparian systems. We found significantly lower rates of CO2 efflux (F = 8.47; p < .01) over one growing season and higher total soil C (F = 3.46; p = .03) in mature buffers compared with young buffers. Using SEM, we describe influences on soil C content (marginal r2 = 61) and soil CO2 efflux (marginal r2 = 53). Within young buffers, soil C content was significantly predicted by fungal/bacterial ratio and root length density, whereas in mature buffers, tree leaf characteristics were associated with soil C content. Soil CO2 efflux was predicted by soil moisture, soil carbon content, and herbaceous root characteristics. Evidently, leaf and root functional traits in combination with broad soil parameters significantly describe soil C dynamics in the field; however, significant pathways are not the same throughout the life cycle of a riparian agroforest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serra Willow Buchanan
- Dep. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Kari Dunfield
- School of Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Marney E Isaac
- Dep. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Betley EC, Sigouin A, Pascua P, Cheng SH, MacDonald KI, Arengo F, Aumeeruddy‐Thomas Y, Caillon S, Isaac ME, Jupiter SD, Mawyer A, Mejia M, Moore AC, Renard D, Sébastien L, Gazit N, Sterling EJ. Assessing human well‐being constructs with environmental and equity aspects: A review of the landscape. People and Nature 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. Betley
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Amanda Sigouin
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Pua’ala Pascua
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Samantha H. Cheng
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | | | - Felicity Arengo
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Yildiz Aumeeruddy‐Thomas
- CEFE CNRS Université de Montpellier University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 EPHE IRD Montpellier France
| | - Sophie Caillon
- CEFE CNRS Université de Montpellier University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 EPHE IRD Montpellier France
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexandria C. Moore
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Delphine Renard
- CEFE CNRS Université de Montpellier University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 EPHE IRD Montpellier France
| | - Lea Sébastien
- Toulouse II University CNRS Geode research center Toulouse France
| | - Nadav Gazit
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Eleanor J. Sterling
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
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Isaac ME, Nimmo V, Gaudin ACM, Leptin A, Schmidt JE, Kallenbach CM, Martin A, Entz M, Carkner M, Rajcan I, Boyle TD, Lu X. Crop Domestication, Root Trait Syndromes, and Soil Nutrient Acquisition in Organic Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review. Front Sustain Food Syst 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.716480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Selecting crops that express certain reproductive, leaf, and root traits has formed detectable, albeit diverse, crop domestication syndromes. However, scientific and informal on-farm research has primarily focused on understanding and managing linkages between only certain domestication traits and yield. There is strong evidence suggesting that functional traits can be used to hypothesize and detect trade-offs, constraints, and synergies among crop yield and other aspects of crop biology and agroecosystem function. Comparisons in the functional traits of crops vs. wild plants has emerged as a critical avenue that has helped inform a better understanding of how plant domestication has reshaped relationships among yield and traits. For instance, recent research has shown domestication has led important economic crops to express extreme functional trait values among plants globally, with potentially major implications for yield stability, nutrient acquisition strategies, and the success of ecological nutrient management. Here, we present an evidence synthesis of domestication effects on crop root functional traits, and their hypothesized impact on nutrient acquisition strategies in organic and low input agroecosystems. Drawing on global trait databases and published datasets, we show detectable shifts in root trait strategies with domestication. Relationships between domestication syndromes in root traits and nutrient acquisition strategies in low input systems underscores the need for a shift in breeding paradigms for organic agriculture. This is increasingly important given efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets of Zero Hunger via resilient agriculture practices such as ecological nutrient management and maintenance of genetic diversity.
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Borden KA, Mafa-Attoye TG, Dunfield KE, Thevathasan NV, Gordon AM, Isaac ME. Root Functional Trait and Soil Microbial Coordination: Implications for Soil Respiration in Riparian Agroecosystems. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:681113. [PMID: 34305979 PMCID: PMC8296843 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.681113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Predicting respiration from roots and soil microbes is important in agricultural landscapes where net flux of carbon from the soil to the atmosphere is of large concern. Yet, in riparian agroecosystems that buffer aquatic environments from agricultural fields, little is known on the differential contribution of CO2 sources nor the systematic patterns in root and microbial communities that relate to these emissions. We deployed a field-based root exclusion experiment to measure heterotrophic and autotrophic-rhizospheric respiration across riparian buffer types in an agricultural landscape in southern Ontario, Canada. We paired bi-weekly measurements of in-field CO2 flux with analysis of soil properties and fine root functional traits. We quantified soil microbial community structure using qPCR to estimate bacterial and fungal abundance and characterized microbial diversity using high-throughput sequencing. Mean daytime total soil respiration rates in the growing season were 186.1 ± 26.7, 188.7 ± 23.0, 278.6 ± 30.0, and 503.4 ± 31.3 mg CO2-C m-2 h-1 in remnant coniferous and mixed forest, and rehabilitated forest and grass buffers, respectively. Contributions of autotrophic-rhizospheric respiration to total soil CO2 fluxes ranged widely between 14 and 63% across the buffers. Covariation in root traits aligned roots of higher specific root length and nitrogen content with higher specific root respiration rates, while microbial abundance in rhizosphere soil coorindated with roots that were thicker in diameter and higher in carbon to nitrogen ratio. Variation in autotrophic-rhizospheric respiration on a soil area basis was explained by soil temperature, fine root length density, and covariation in root traits. Heterotrophic respiration was strongly explained by soil moisture, temperature, and soil carbon, while multiple factor analysis revealed a positive correlation with soil microbial diversity. This is a first in-field study to quantify root and soil respiration in relation to trade-offs in root trait expression and to determine interactions between root traits and soil microbial community structure to predict soil respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira A. Borden
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Kari E. Dunfield
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Andrew M. Gordon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Gagliardi S, Avelino J, Virginio Filho EDM, Isaac ME. Shade tree traits and microclimate modifications: Implications for pathogen management in biodiverse coffee agroforests. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacques Avelino
- CIRAD UMR PHIM Turrialba Costa Rica
- PHIM Plant Health Institute Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD Montpellier France
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) Turrialba Costa Rica
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15
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Martin AR, Isaac ME. The leaf economics spectrum's morning coffee: plant size-dependent changes in leaf traits and reproductive onset in a perennial tree crop. Ann Bot 2021; 127:483-493. [PMID: 33502446 PMCID: PMC7988517 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Size-dependent changes in plant traits are an important source of intraspecific trait variation. However, there are few studies that have tested if leaf trait co-variation and/or trade-offs follow a within-genotype leaf economics spectrum (LES) related to plant size and reproductive onset. To our knowledge, there are no studies on any plant species that have tested whether or not the shape of a within-genotype LES that describes how traits covary across whole plant sizes, is the same as the shape of a within-genotype LES that represents environmentally driven trait plasticity. METHODS We quantified size-dependent variation in eight leaf traits in a single coffee genotype (Coffea arabica var. Caturra) in managed agroecosystems with different environmental conditions (light and fertilization treatments), and evaluated these patterns with respect to reproductive onset. We also evaluated if trait covariation along a within-genotype plant-size LES differed from a within-genotype environmental LES defined with trait data from coffee growing in different environmental conditions. KEY RESULTS Leaf economics traits related to resource acquisition - maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations - declined linearly with plant size. Structural traits - leaf mass, leaf thickness, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) - and leaf area increased with plant size beyond reproductive onset, then declined in larger plants. Three primary LES traits (mass-based A, leaf N and LMA) covaried across a within-genotype plant-size LES, with plants moving towards the 'resource-conserving' end of the LES as they grow larger; in coffee these patterns were nearly identical to a within-genotype environmental LES. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that a plant-size LES exists within a single genotype. Our findings indicate that in managed agroecosystems where resource availability is high the role of reproductive onset in driving within-genotype trait variability, and the strength of covariation and trade-offs among LES traits, are less pronounced compared with plants in natural systems. The consistency in trait covariation in coffee along both plant-size and environmental LES axes indicates strong constraints on leaf form and function that exist within plant genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- For correspondence. E-mail
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16
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Livingstone SW, Isaac ME, Cadotte MW. Invasive dominance and resident diversity: unpacking the impact of plant invasion on biodiversity and ecosystem function. ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stuart W. Livingstone
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto OntarioM1C 1A4Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto OntarioM5S 3B2Canada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto OntarioM1C 1A4Canada
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto OntarioM5S 3B2Canada
- Department of Biology University of Toronto Scarborough Toronto OntarioM1C 1A4Canada
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17
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Martin AR, Cadotte MW, Isaac ME, Milla R, Vile D, Violle C. Regional and global shifts in crop diversity through the Anthropocene. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209788. [PMID: 30726231 PMCID: PMC6364885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The Anthropocene epoch is partly defined by anthropogenic spread of crops beyond their centres of origin. At global scales, evidence indicates that species-level taxonomic diversity of crops being cultivated on large-scale agricultural lands has increased linearly over the past 50 years. Yet environmental and socio-economic differences support expectations that temporal changes in crop diversity vary across regions. Ecological theory also suggests that changes in crop taxonomic diversity may not necessarily reflect changes in the evolutionary diversity of crops. We used data from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to assess changes in crop taxonomic- and phylogenetic diversity across 22 subcontinental-scale regions from 1961–2014. We document certain broad consistencies across nearly all regions: i) little change in crop diversity from 1961 through to the late 1970s; followed by ii) a 10-year period of sharp diversification through the early 1980s; followed by iii) a “levelling-off” of crop diversification beginning in the early 1990s. However, the specific onset and duration of these distinct periods differs significantly across regions and are unrelated to agricultural expansion, indicating that unique policy or environmental conditions influence the crops being grown within a given region. Additionally, while the 1970s and 1980s are defined by region-scale increases in crop diversity this period marks the increasing dominance of a small number of crop species and lineages; a trend resulting in detectable increases in the similarity of crops being grown across regions. Broad similarities in the species-level taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of crops being grown across regions, primarily at large industrial scales captured by FAO data, represent a unique feature of the Anthropocene epoch. Yet nuanced asymmetries in regional-scale trends suggest that environmental and socio-economic factors play a key role in shaping observed macro-ecological changes in the plant diversity on agricultural lands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and The Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Canada
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Canada
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and The Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, Canada
| | - Rubén Milla
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Denis Vile
- Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress Environnementaux (LEPSE, UMR759), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- UMR 5175, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry, EPHE, Montpellier, France
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences; and the Centre for Critical Development of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences; and the Centre for Critical Development of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Geography; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
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19
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Isaac ME, Cerda R, Rapidel B, Martin AR, Dickinson AK, Sibelet N. Farmer perception and utilization of leaf functional traits in managing agroecosystems. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies; University of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Geography; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Rolando Cerda
- CATIE; Programa de Agricultura y Agroforestería Sostenible; Turrialba Costa Rica
- CIRAD; UMR SYSTEM; Turrialba Costa Rica
| | - Bruno Rapidel
- CATIE; Programa de Agricultura y Agroforestería Sostenible; Turrialba Costa Rica
- CIRAD; UMR SYSTEM; Turrialba Costa Rica
- SYSTEM; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
| | - Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies; University of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Adam K. Dickinson
- Department of Geography; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Nicole Sibelet
- INNOVATION; Univ Montpellier; CIRAD; INRA; Montpellier SupAgro; Montpellier France
- CATIE; IDEA; Turrialba Costa Rica
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20
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Isaac ME, Martin AR, de Melo Virginio Filho E, Rapidel B, Roupsard O, Van den Meersche K. Intraspecific Trait Variation and Coordination: Root and Leaf Economics Spectra in Coffee across Environmental Gradients. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:1196. [PMID: 28747919 PMCID: PMC5506091 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Hypotheses on the existence of a universal "Root Economics Spectrum" (RES) have received arguably the least attention of all trait spectra, despite the key role root trait variation plays in resource acquisition potential. There is growing interest in quantifying intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in plants, but there are few studies evaluating (i) the existence of an intraspecific RES within a plant species, or (ii) how a RES may be coordinated with other trait spectra within species, such as a leaf economics spectrum (LES). Using Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) as a model species, we measured seven morphological and chemical traits of intact lateral roots, which were paired with information on four key LES traits. Field collections were completed across four nested levels of biological organization. The intraspecific trait coefficient of variation (cv) ranged from 25 to 87% with root diameter and specific root tip density showing the lowest and highest cv, respectively. Between 27 and 68% of root ITV was explained by site identity alone for five of the seven traits measured. A single principal component explained 56.2% of root trait covariation, with plants falling along a RES from resource acquiring to conserving traits. Multiple factor analysis revealed significant orthogonal relationships between root and leaf spectra. RES traits were strongly orthogonal with respect to LES traits, suggesting these traits vary independently from one another in response to environmental cues. This study provides among the first evidence that plants from the same species differentiate from one another along an intraspecific RES. We find that in one of the world's most widely cultivated crops, an intraspecific RES is orthogonal to an intraspecific LES, indicating that above and belowground responses of plants to managed (or natural) environmental gradients are likely to occur independently from one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, TorontoON, Canada
| | - Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, TorontoON, Canada
| | | | - Bruno Rapidel
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR SYSTEMMontpellier, France
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
| | - Karel Van den Meersche
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialba, Costa Rica
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&SolsMontpellier, France
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21
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Furze JR, Martin AR, Nasielski J, Thevathasan NV, Gordon AM, Isaac ME. Resistance and resilience of root fungal communities to water limitation in a temperate agroecosystem. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3443-3454. [PMID: 28515880 PMCID: PMC5433968 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding crop resilience to environmental stress is critical in predicting the consequences of global climate change for agricultural systems worldwide, but to date studies addressing crop resiliency have focused primarily on plant physiological and molecular responses. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form mutualisms with many crop species, and these relationships are key in mitigating the effects of abiotic stress in many agricultural systems. However, to date there is little research examining whether (1) fungal community structure in agroecosystems is resistant to changing environmental conditions, specifically water limitation and (2) resilience of fungal community structure is moderated by agricultural management systems, namely the integration of trees into cropping systems. Here, we address these uncertainties through a rainfall reduction field experiment that manipulated short-term water availability in a soybean-based (Glycine max L. Merr.) agroforest in Southern Ontario, Canada. We employed terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to determine the molecular diversity of both general fungal and AMF communities in soybean roots under no stress, stress (rainfall shelters added), and poststress (rainfall shelters removed). We found that general fungal and AMF communities sampled from soybean roots were resistant to rainfall reduction in a monoculture, but not in an agroforest. While AMF communities were unchanged after stress removal, general fungal communities were significantly different poststress in the agroforest, indicating a capacity for resiliency. Our study indicates that generalist fungi and AMF are responsive to changes in environmental conditions and that agroecosystem management plays a key role in the resistance and resilience of fungal communities to water limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie R. Furze
- Department of Physical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and the Centre for Critical Development StudiesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Joshua Nasielski
- Department of GeographyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | - Andrew M. Gordon
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and the Centre for Critical Development StudiesUniversity of Toronto ScarboroughTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of GeographyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
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22
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Martin AR, Rapidel B, Roupsard O, Van den Meersche K, Melo Virginio Filho E, Barrios M, Isaac ME. Intraspecific trait variation across multiple scales: the leaf economics spectrum in coffee. Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences & Centre for Critical Development Studies University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ONM1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Bruno Rapidel
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) 7170 Turrialba 30501 Costa Rica
- CIRAD UMR SYSTEM 2 Place Viala 34060 Montpellier France
| | - Olivier Roupsard
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) 7170 Turrialba 30501 Costa Rica
- CIRAD UMR Eco&Sols (Ecologie Fonctionnelle & Biogéochimie des Sols et des Agroécosystèmes) 34060 Montpellier France
| | - Karel Van den Meersche
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) 7170 Turrialba 30501 Costa Rica
- CIRAD UMR Eco&Sols (Ecologie Fonctionnelle & Biogéochimie des Sols et des Agroécosystèmes) 34060 Montpellier France
| | | | - Mirna Barrios
- Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) A.P. 4830 KM 8.5 Carretera a Masaya Edificio MAGFOR Managua Nicaragua
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences & Centre for Critical Development Studies University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ONM1C 1A4 Canada
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23
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Fitzpatrick CR, Agrawal AA, Basiliko N, Hastings AP, Isaac ME, Preston M, Johnson MTJ. The importance of plant genotype and contemporary evolution for terrestrial ecosystem processes. Ecology 2016; 96:2632-42. [PMID: 26649385 DOI: 10.1890/14-2333.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Plant genetic variation and evolutionary dynamics are predicted to impact ecosystem processes but these effects are poorly understood. Here we test the hypothesis that plant genotype and contemporary evolution influence the flux of energy and nutrients through soil, which then feedback to affect seedling performance in subsequent generations. We conducted a multiyear field evolution experiment using the native biennial plant Oenothera biennis. This experiment was coupled with experimental assays to address our hypothesis and quantify the relative importance of evolutionary and ecological factors on multiple ecosystem processes. Plant genotype, contemporary evolution, spatial variation, and herbivory affected ecosystem processes (e.g., leaf decay, soil respiration, seedling performance, N cycling), but their relative importance varied between specific ecosystem variables. Insect herbivory and evolution also contributed to a feedback that affected seedling biomass of O. biennis in the next generation. Our results show that heritable variation among plant genotypes can be an important factor affecting local ecosystem processes, and while effects of contemporary evolution were detectable and sometimes strong, they were often contingent on other ecological, factors.
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies; University of Toronto Scarborough; 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Marney E. Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Critical Development Studies; University of Toronto Scarborough; 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
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25
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Isaac ME, Anglaaere LCN. An in situ approach to detect tree root ecology: linking ground-penetrating radar imaging to isotope-derived water acquisition zones. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:1330-9. [PMID: 23762519 PMCID: PMC3678487 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree root distribution and activity are determinants of belowground competition. However, studying root response to environmental and management conditions remains logistically challenging. Methodologically, nondestructive in situ tree root ecology analysis has lagged. In this study, we tested a nondestructive approach to determine tree coarse root architecture and function of a perennial tree crop, Theobroma cacao L., at two edaphically contrasting sites (sandstone and phyllite–granite derived soils) in Ghana, West Africa. We detected coarse root vertical distribution using ground-penetrating radar and root activity via soil water acquisition using isotopic matching of δ18O plant and soil signatures. Coarse roots were detected to a depth of 50 cm, however, intraspecifc coarse root vertical distribution was modified by edaphic conditions. Soil δ18O isotopic signature declined with depth, providing conditions for plant–soil δ18O isotopic matching. This pattern held only under sandstone conditions where water acquisition zones were identifiably narrow in the 10–20 cm depth but broader under phyllite–granite conditions, presumably due to resource patchiness. Detected coarse root count by depth and measured fine root density were strongly correlated as were detected coarse root count and identified water acquisition zones, thus validating root detection capability of ground-penetrating radar, but exclusively on sandstone soils. This approach was able to characterize trends between intraspecific root architecture and edaphic-dependent resource availability, however, limited by site conditions. This study successfully demonstrates a new approach for in situ root studies that moves beyond invasive point sampling to nondestructive detection of root architecture and function. We discuss the transfer of such an approach to answer root ecology questions in various tree-based landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M1C 1A4 ; Department of Geography, University of Toronto Ontario, Canada
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Isaac ME, Hinsinger P, Harmand JM. Nitrogen and phosphorus economy of a legume tree-cereal intercropping system under controlled conditions. Sci Total Environ 2012; 434:71-8. [PMID: 22446108 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Revised: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/16/2011] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Considerable amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers have been mis-used in agroecosystems, with profound alteration to the biogeochemical cycles of these two major nutrients. To reduce excess fertilizer use, plant-mediated nutrient supply through N(2)-fixation, transfer of fixed N and mobilization of soil P may be important processes for the nutrient economy of low-input tree-based intercropping systems. In this study, we quantified plant performance, P acquisition and belowground N transfer from the N(2)-fixing tree to the cereal crop under varying root contact intensity and P supplies. We cultivated Acacia senegal var senegal in pot-culture containing 90% sand and 10% vermiculite under 3 levels of exponentially supplied P. Acacia plants were then intercropped with durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum) in the same pots with variable levels of adsorbed P or transplanted and intercropped with durum wheat in rhizoboxes excluding direct root contact on P-poor red Mediterranean soils. In pot-culture, wheat biomass and P content increased in relation to the P gradient. Strong isotopic evidence of belowground N transfer, based on the isotopic signature (δ(15)N) of tree foliage and wheat shoots, was systematically found under high P in pot-culture, with an average N transfer value of 14.0% of wheat total N after 21 days of contact between the two species. In the rhizoboxes, we observed limitations on growth and P uptake of intercropped wheat due to competitive effects on soil resources and minimal evidence of belowground N transfer of N from acacia to wheat. In this intercrop, specifically in pot-culture, facilitation for N transfer from the legume tree to the crop showed to be effective especially when crop N uptake was increased (or stimulated) as occurred under high P conditions and when competition was low. Understanding these processes is important to the nutrient economy and appropriate management of legume-based agroforestry systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Isaac
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, 34060 Montpellier, France.
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Isaac ME, Harmand JM, Drevon JJ. Growth and nitrogen acquisition strategies of Acacia senegal seedlings under exponential phosphorus additions. J Plant Physiol 2011; 168:776-781. [PMID: 21211863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2010.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Revised: 10/27/2010] [Accepted: 10/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
There remains conflicting evidence on the relationship between P supply and biological N(2)-fixation rates, particularly N(2)-fixing plant adaptive strategies under P limitation. This is important, as edaphic conditions inherent to many economically and ecologically important semi-arid leguminous tree species, such as Acacia senegal, are P deficient. Our research objective was to verify N acquisition strategies under phosphorus limitations using isotopic techniques. Acacia senegal var. senegal was cultivated in sand culture with three levels of exponentially supplied phosphorus [low (200 μmol of P seedling(-1) over 12 weeks), mid (400 μmol) and high (600 μmol)] to achieve steady-state nutrition over the growth period. Uniform additions of N were also supplied. Plant growth and nutrition were evaluated. Seedlings exhibited significantly greater total biomass under high P supply compared to low P supply. Both P and N content significantly increased with increasing P supply. Similarly, N derived from solution increased with elevated P availability. However, both the number of nodules and the N derived from atmosphere, determined by the (15)N natural abundance method, did not increase along the P gradient. Phosphorus stimulated growth and increased mineral N uptake from solution without affecting the amount of N derived from the atmosphere. We conclude that, under non-limiting N conditions, A. senegal N acquisition strategies change with P supply, with less reliance on N(2)-fixation when the rhizosphere achieves a sufficient N uptake zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Isaac
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols-Ecologie Fonctionnelle & Biogéochimie des Sols & Agroécosystèmes (SupAgro-CIRAD-INRA-IRD), Place Viala, F34060 Montpellier, France.
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Abstract
Agricultural intensification has had unintended environmental consequences, including increased nutrient leaching and surface runoff and other agrarian-derived pollutants. Improved diagnosis of on-farm nutrient dynamics will have the advantage of increasing yields and will diminish financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific rapid evaluation of nutrient production imbalances and subsequent management prescriptions is needed for agroecological design. Vector diagnosis, a bivariate model to depict changes in yield and nutritional response simultaneously in a single graph, facilitates identification of nutritional status such as growth dilution, deficiency, sufficiency, luxury uptake, and toxicity. Quantitative data from cocoa agroforestry systems and pigeonpea intercropping trials in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively, were re-evaluated with vector analysis. Relative to monoculture, biomass increase in cocoa ( L.) under shade (35-80%) was accompanied by a 17 to 25% decline in P concentration, the most limiting nutrient on this site. Similarly, increasing biomass with declining P concentrations was noted for pigeonpea [ (L). Millsp.] in response to soil moisture availability under intercropping. Although vector analysis depicted nutrient responses, the current vector model does not consider non-nutrient resource effects on growth, such as ameliorated light and soil moisture, which were particularly active in these systems. We revisit and develop vector analysis into a framework for diagnosing nutrient and non-nutrient interactions in agroforestry systems. Such a diagnostic technique advances management decision-making by increasing nutrient precision and reducing environmental issues associated with agrarian-derived soil contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Isaac ME, Dawoe E, Sieciechowicz K. Assessing local knowledge use in agroforestry management with cognitive maps. Environ Manage 2009; 43:1321-1329. [PMID: 18820966 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-008-9201-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2008] [Revised: 07/23/2008] [Accepted: 08/16/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Small-holder farmers often develop adaptable agroforestry management techniques to improve and diversify crop production. In the cocoa growing region of Ghana, local knowledge on such farm management holds a noteworthy role in the overall farm development. The documentation and analysis of such knowledge use in cocoa agroforests may afford an applicable framework to determine mechanisms driving farmer preference and indicators in farm management. This study employed 12 in-depth farmer interviews regarding variables in farm management as a unit of analysis and utilized cognitive mapping as a qualitative method of analysis. Our objectives were (1) to illustrate and describe agroforestry management variables and associated farm practices, (2) to determine the scope of decision making of individual farmers, and (3) to investigate the suitability of cognitive mapping as a tool for assessing local knowledge use. Results from the cognitive maps revealed an average of 16 +/- 3 variables and 19 +/- 3 links between management variables in the farmer cognitive maps. Farmer use of advantageous ecological processes was highly central to farm management (48% of all variables), particularly manipulation of organic matter, shade and food crop establishment, and maintenance of a tree stratum as the most common, highly linked variables. Over 85% of variables included bidirectional arrows, interpreted as farm management practices dominated by controllable factors, insofar as farmers indicated an ability to alter most farm characteristics. Local knowledge use on cocoa production revealed detailed indicators for site evaluation, thus affecting farm preparation and management. Our findings suggest that amid multisourced information under conditions of uncertainty, strategies for adaptable agroforestry management should integrate existing and localized management frameworks and that cognitive mapping provides a tool-based approach to advance such a management support system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marney E Isaac
- Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Earth Science Centre, Toronto, Canada, M5S 3B3.
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