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Rubio VE, Swenson NG. On functional groups and forest dynamics. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:23-30. [PMID: 37673714 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.008] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Functional trait variation measured on continuous scales has helped ecologists to unravel important ecological processes. However, forest ecologists have recently moved back toward using functional groups. There are pragmatic and biological rationales for focusing on functional groups. Both of these approaches have inherent limitations including binning clearly continuous distributions, poor trait-group matching, and narrow conceptual frameworks for why groups exist and how they evolved. We believe the pragmatic use of functional groups due to data deficiencies will eventually erode. Conversely, we argue that existing conceptual frameworks for why a limited number of tree functional groups may exist is a useful, but flawed, starting point for modeling forests that can be improved through the consideration of unmeasured axes of functional variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa E Rubio
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
| | - Nathan G Swenson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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Wang Y, Wang C, Ren F, Jing X, Ma W, He JS, Jiang L. Asymmetric response of aboveground and belowground temporal stability to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in a Tibetan alpine grassland. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:7072-7084. [PMID: 37795748 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16967] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic eutrophication is known to impair the stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), but its effects on the stability of belowground (BNPP) and total (TNPP) net primary productivity remain poorly understood. Based on a nitrogen and phosphorus addition experiment in a Tibetan alpine grassland, we show that nitrogen addition had little impact on the temporal stability of ANPP, BNPP, and TNPP, whereas phosphorus addition reduced the temporal stability of BNPP and TNPP, but not ANPP. Significant interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition were observed on the stability of ANPP because of the opposite phosphorus effects under ambient and enriched nitrogen conditions. We found that the stability of TNPP was primarily driven by that of BNPP rather than that of ANPP. The responses of BNPP stability cannot be predicted by those of ANPP stability, as the variations in responses of ANPP and BNPP to enriched nutrient, with ANPP increased while BNPP remained unaffected, resulted in asymmetric responses in their stability. The dynamics of grasses, the most abundant plant functional group, instead of community species diversity, largely contributed to the ANPP stability. Under the enriched nutrient condition, the synchronization of grasses reduced the grass stability, while the latter had a significant but weak negative impact on the BNPP stability. These findings challenge the prevalent view that species diversity regulates the responses of ecosystem stability to nutrient enrichment. Our findings also suggest that the ecological consequences of nutrient enrichment on ecosystem stability cannot be accurately predicted from the responses of aboveground components and highlight the need for a better understanding of the belowground ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghui Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), Beijing, China
| | - Fei Ren
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Xin Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Wenhong Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Lv G, He M, Wang C, Wang Z. The stability of perennial grasses mediates the negative impacts of long-term warming and increasing precipitation on community stability in a desert steppe. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1235510. [PMID: 37575909 PMCID: PMC10415016 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1235510] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Background Desert steppe, as an ecotone between desert and grassland, has few species and is sensitive to climate change. Climate change alters species diversity and the stability of functional groups, which may positively or negatively affect community stability. However, the response of plant community stability in the desert steppe to experimental warming and increasing precipitation remains largely unexplored. Methods In a factorial experiment of warming and increasing precipitation for five to seven years (ambient precipitation (P0), ambient precipitation increased by 25% and 50% (P1 and P2), ambient temperature (W0), ambient temperature increased by 2°C and 4°C (W1 and W2)), we estimated the importance value (IV) of four functional groups (perennial grasses, semi-shrubs, perennial forbs and annual herbs), species diversity and community stability. Results Compared to W0P0, the IV of perennial grasses was reduced by 37.66% in W2P2, whereas the IV of perennial forbs increased by 48.96%. Although increasing precipitation and experimental warming significantly altered species composition, the effect on species diversity was insignificant (P > 0.05). In addition, increasing precipitation and experimental warming had a significant negative impact on community stability. The stability of perennial grasses significantly explained community stability. Conclusion Our results suggest that the small number of species in desert steppe limits the contribution of species diversity to regulating community stability. By contrast, maintaining high stability of perennial grasses can improve community stability in the desert steppe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chengjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education/College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zhanyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education/College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
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You C, Li J, Yang K, Tan B, Yin R, Li H, Zhang L, Cui X, Liu S, Wang L, Liu Y, Chen L, Yuan Y, Li J, Sardans J, Zhang J, Xu Z, Peñuelas J. Variations and patterns of C and N stoichiometry in the first five root branch orders across 218 woody plant species. New Phytol 2023; 238:1838-1848. [PMID: 36891665 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18870] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite the vital role in carbon (C) sequestration and nutrient retention, variations and patterns in root C and nitrogen (N) stoichiometry of the first five root orders across woody plant species remains unclear. We compiled a dataset to explore variations and patterns of root C and N stoichiometry in the first five orders of 218 woody plant species. Across the five orders, root N concentrations were greater in deciduous, broadleaf, and arbuscular mycorrhizal species than in evergreen, coniferous species, and ectomycorrhizal association species, respectively. Contrasting trends were found for root C : N ratios. Most root branch orders showed clear latitudinal and altitudinal trends in root C and N stoichiometry. There were opposite patterns in N concentrations between latitude and altitude. Such variations were mainly driven by plant species, and climatic factors together. Our results indicate divergent C and N use strategies among plant types and convergence and divergence in the patterns of C and N stoichiometry between latitude and altitude across the first five root orders. These findings provide important data on the root economics spectrum and biogeochemical models to improve understanding and prediction of climate change effects on C and nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengming You
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jihong Li
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Kaijun Yang
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, CSIC, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Bo Tan
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Rui Yin
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Han Li
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xinglei Cui
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Sining Liu
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lixia Wang
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lianghua Chen
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yaling Yuan
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jiao Li
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jordi Sardans
- Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, CSIC, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jian Zhang
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhenfeng Xu
- Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, CSIC, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Zhang A, Li X, Zeng F, Jiang Y, Wang R. Variation characteristics of different plant functional groups in alpine desert steppe of the Altun Mountains, northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:961692. [PMID: 36176676 PMCID: PMC9513480 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.961692] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In grassland ecosystems, the plant functional group (PFG) is an important bridge connecting individual plants to the community system. The grassland ecosystem is the main ecosystem type on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Altun Mountain is located in the key grassland transcontinental belt of the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The composition and changes in the PFG in this ecosystem reflect the community characteristics in the arid and semi-arid extreme climate regions of the Plateau. The main PFGs were forbs and grasses, and the importance values (IVs) accounted for more than 50%. Plant species diversity of the community was influenced by the IV of the legumes, and the increase in legumes would promote the increase in plant community diversity. The C, N, and P contents of plant communities were mainly influenced by forbs and grasses, and the relationship between forbs and C, N, and P was opposite to that of grasses. However, under the influence of different hydrothermal conditions, forbs and grasses as dominant functional groups had a stronger correlation with community and soil nutrients. This indicates that the dominant PFGs (forbs and grasses) can dominate the C, N, and P contents of the community and soil, and legumes affect community composition and succession. In this study, we analyzed the changing characteristics of functional groups in dry and cold extreme environments and the difference in their impacts on community development compared with other grassland ecosystem functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ürümqi, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ürümqi, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fanjiang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ürümqi, China
- Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert Grassland Ecosystems, Cele, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Ruzhen Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
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Churchill AC, Zhang H, Fuller KJ, Amiji B, Anderson IC, Barton CVM, Carrillo Y, Catunda KLM, Chandregowda MH, Igwenagu C, Jacob V, Kim GW, Macdonald CA, Medlyn BE, Moore BD, Pendall E, Plett JM, Post AK, Powell JR, Tissue DT, Tjoelker MG, Power SA. Pastures and Climate Extremes: Impacts of Cool Season Warming and Drought on the Productivity of Key Pasture Species in a Field Experiment. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:836968. [PMID: 35321443 PMCID: PMC8937038 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.836968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Shifts in the timing, intensity and/or frequency of climate extremes, such as severe drought and heatwaves, can generate sustained shifts in ecosystem function with important ecological and economic impacts for rangelands and managed pastures. The Pastures and Climate Extremes experiment (PACE) in Southeast Australia was designed to investigate the impacts of a severe winter/spring drought (60% rainfall reduction) and, for a subset of species, a factorial combination of drought and elevated temperature (ambient +3°C) on pasture productivity. The experiment included nine common pasture and Australian rangeland species from three plant functional groups (C3 grasses, C4 grasses and legumes) planted in monoculture. Winter/spring drought resulted in productivity declines of 45% on average and up to 74% for the most affected species (Digitaria eriantha) during the 6-month treatment period, with eight of the nine species exhibiting significant yield reductions. Despite considerable variation in species' sensitivity to drought, C4 grasses were more strongly affected by this treatment than C3 grasses or legumes. Warming also had negative effects on cool-season productivity, associated at least partially with exceedance of optimum growth temperatures in spring and indirect effects on soil water content. The combination of winter/spring drought and year-round warming resulted in the greatest yield reductions. We identified responses that were either additive (Festuca), or less-than-additive (Medicago), where warming reduced the magnitude of drought effects. Results from this study highlight the sensitivity of diverse pasture species to increases in winter and spring drought severity similar to those predicted for this region, and that anticipated benefits of cool-season warming are unlikely to be realized. Overall, the substantial negative impacts on productivity suggest that future, warmer, drier climates will result in shortfalls in cool-season forage availability, with profound implications for the livestock industry and natural grazer communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber C. Churchill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Kathryn J. Fuller
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Burhan Amiji
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian C. Anderson
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Craig V. M. Barton
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Yolima Carrillo
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Karen L. M. Catunda
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Chioma Igwenagu
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Vinod Jacob
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Gil Won Kim
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Catriona A. Macdonald
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Belinda E. Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Ben D. Moore
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Elise Pendall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Jonathan M. Plett
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Alison K. Post
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- The Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Jeff R. Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - David T. Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Mark G. Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | - Sally A. Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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Xiao Y, Liu S, Zhang M, Tong F, Xu Z, Ford R, Zhang T, Shi X, Wu Z, Luo T. Plant Functional Groups Dominate Responses of Plant Adaptive Strategies to Urbanization. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:773676. [PMID: 34917107 PMCID: PMC8669269 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.773676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization causes alteration in atmospheric, soil, and hydrological factors and substantially affects a range of morphological and physiological plant traits. Correspondingly, plants might adopt different strategies to adapt to urbanization promotion or pressure. Understanding of plant traits responding to urbanization will reveal the capacity of plant adaptation and optimize the choice of plant species in urbanization green. In this study, four different functional groups (herbs, shrubs, subcanopies, and canopies, eight plant species totally) located in urban, suburban, and rural areas were selected and eight replicated plants were selected for each species at each site. Their physiological and photosynthetic properties and heavy metal concentrations were quantified to reveal plant adaptive strategies to urbanization. The herb and shrub species had significantly higher starch and soluble sugar contents in urban than in suburban areas. Urbanization decreased the maximum photosynthetic rates and total chlorophyll contents of the canopies (Engelhardtia roxburghiana and Schima superba). The herbs (Lophatherum gracile and Alpinia chinensis) and shrubs (Ardisia quinquegona and Psychotria rubra) species in urban areas had significantly lower nitrogen (N) allocated in the cell wall and leaf δ15N values but higher heavy metal concentrations than those in suburban areas. The canopy and subcanopy (Diospyros morrisiana and Cratoxylum cochinchinense) species adapt to the urbanization via reducing resource acquisition but improving defense capacity, while the herb and shrub species improve resource acquisition to adapt to the urbanization. Our current studies indicated that functional groups affected the responses of plant adaptive strategies to the urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihua Xiao
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shirong Liu
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Manyun Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Fuchun Tong
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhihong Xu
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Rebecca Ford
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tianlin Zhang
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Shi
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongmin Wu
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tushou Luo
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
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Xing K, Niinemets Ü, Rengel Z, Onoda Y, Xia J, Chen HYH, Zhao M, Han W, Li H. Global patterns of leaf construction traits and their covariation along climate and soil environmental gradients. New Phytol 2021; 232:1648-1660. [PMID: 34418102 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Leaf functional traits and their covariation underlie plant ecological adaptations along environmental gradients, but there is limited information on the global covariation patterns of key leaf construction traits. To explore how leaf construction traits co-vary across diverse climate and soil environmental conditions, we compiled a global dataset including cell wall mass per unit leaf mass (CWmass ), leaf carbon (C) and calcium (Ca) concentrations, and specific leaf area (SLA) for 2348 angiosperm species from 340 sites world-wide. Our results demonstrated negative correlations between leaf C and Ca concentrations and between leaf C and SLA across diverse nongraminoid angiosperms. Leaf C concentration increased with increasing mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) and with decreasing soil pH and calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) concentration, whereas leaf Ca concentration and SLA exhibited the opposite responses to these environmental variables. The covariations of leaf Ca-C and of leaf SLA-C were stronger in habitats with lower MAT and MAP, and/or higher soil CaCO3 content. This global-scale analysis demonstrates that the leaf C and Ca concentrations and SLA together govern the C and biomass investment strategies in leaves of nongraminoids. We conclude that environmental conditions strongly shape leaf construction traits and their covariation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixiong Xing
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Center for Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Ecological Station, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, 51006, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, Tallinn, 10130, Estonia
| | - Zed Rengel
- Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000, Split, Croatia
| | - Yusuke Onoda
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Jiangzhou Xia
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Han Y H Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Mingfei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Wenxuan Han
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hongbo Li
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
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Rita A, Camarero JJ, Nolè A, Borghetti M, Brunetti M, Pergola N, Serio C, Vicente-Serrano SM, Tramutoli V, Ripullone F. The impact of drought spells on forests depends on site conditions: The case of 2017 summer heat wave in southern Europe. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:851-863. [PMID: 31486191 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A major component of climate change is an increase in temperature and precipitation variability. Over the last few decades, an increase in the frequency of extremely warm temperatures and drought severity has been observed across Europe. These warmer and drier conditions may reduce productivity and trigger compositional shifts in forest communities. However, we still lack a robust, biogeographical characterization of the negative impacts of climate extremes, such as droughts on forests. In this context, we investigated the impact of the 2017 summer drought on European forests. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used as a proxy of forest productivity and was related to the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, which accounts for the temperature effects of the climate water balance. The spatial pattern of NDVI reduction in 2017 was largely driven by the extremely warm summer for parts of the central and eastern Mediterranean Basin (Italian and Balkan Peninsulas). The vulnerability to the 2017 summer drought was heterogeneously distributed over Europe, and topographic factors buffered some of the negative impacts. Mediterranean forests dominated by oak species were the most negatively impacted, whereas Pinus pinaster was the most resilient species. The impact of drought on the NDVI decreased at high elevations and mainly on east and north-east facing slopes. We illustrate how an adequate characterization of the coupling between climate conditions and forest productivity (NDVI) allows the determination of the most vulnerable areas to drought. This approach could be widely used for other extreme climate events and when considering other spatially resolved proxies of forest growth and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Rita
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Nolè
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Marco Borghetti
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Michele Brunetti
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicola Pergola
- Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (IMAA), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
| | - Carmine Serio
- Scuola di Ingegneria, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Ripullone
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
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10
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Thomas HJD, Myers‐Smith IH, Bjorkman AD, Elmendorf SC, Blok D, Cornelissen JHC, Forbes BC, Hollister RD, Normand S, Prevéy JS, Rixen C, Schaepman‐Strub G, Wilmking M, Wipf S, Cornwell WK, Kattge J, Goetz SJ, Guay KC, Alatalo JM, Anadon‐Rosell A, Angers‐Blondin S, Berner LT, Björk RG, Buchwal A, Buras A, Carbognani M, Christie K, Siegwart Collier L, Cooper EJ, Eskelinen A, Frei ER, Grau O, Grogan P, Hallinger M, Heijmans MMPD, Hermanutz L, Hudson JMG, Hülber K, Iturrate‐Garcia M, Iversen CM, Jaroszynska F, Johnstone JF, Kaarlejärvi E, Kulonen A, Lamarque LJ, Lévesque E, Little CJ, Michelsen A, Milbau A, Nabe‐Nielsen J, Nielsen SS, Ninot JM, Oberbauer SF, Olofsson J, Onipchenko VG, Petraglia A, Rumpf SB, Semenchuk PR, Soudzilovskaia NA, Spasojevic MJ, Speed JDM, Tape KD, te Beest M, Tomaselli M, Trant A, Treier UA, Venn S, Vowles T, Weijers S, Zamin T, Atkin OK, Bahn M, Blonder B, Campetella G, Cerabolini BEL, Chapin III FS, Dainese M, de Vries FT, Díaz S, Green W, Jackson RB, Manning P, Niinemets Ü, Ozinga WA, Peñuelas J, Reich PB, Schamp B, Sheremetev S, van Bodegom PM. Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 2019; 28:78-95. [PMID: 31007605 PMCID: PMC6472633 DOI: 10.1111/geb.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
AIM Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits. LOCATION Tundra biome. TIME PERIOD Data collected between 1964 and 2016. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED 295 tundra vascular plant species. METHODS We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits. RESULTS Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra vegetation change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon storage. We argue that alternative classifications or direct use of specific plant traits could provide new insights for ecological prediction and modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. J. D. Thomas
- School of GeosciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | | | - A. D. Bjorkman
- School of GeosciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F)FrankfurtGermany
| | - S. C. Elmendorf
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of ColoradoBoulderColorado
| | - D. Blok
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund UniversityLundSweden
| | | | - B. C. Forbes
- Arctic Centre, University of LaplandRovaniemiFinland
| | - R. D. Hollister
- Biology Department, Grand Valley State UniversityAllendaleMichigan
| | - S. Normand
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - J. S. Prevéy
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - C. Rixen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - G. Schaepman‐Strub
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - M. Wilmking
- Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald UniversityGreifswaldGermany
| | - S. Wipf
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
| | - W. K. Cornwell
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - J. Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
| | - S. J. Goetz
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizona
| | - K. C. Guay
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean SciencesBoothbayMaine
| | - J. M. Alatalo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar UniversityDohaQatar
| | - A. Anadon‐Rosell
- Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald UniversityGreifswaldGermany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | | | - L. T. Berner
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizona
| | - R. G. Björk
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity CentreGothenburgSweden
| | - A. Buchwal
- Institute of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznanPoland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorageAlaska
| | - A. Buras
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management, Wageningen University and Research, WageningenNetherlands
| | - M. Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of ParmaParmaItaly
| | - K. Christie
- The Alaska Department of Fish and GameJuneauAlaska
| | - L. Siegwart Collier
- Department of Biology, Memorial UniversitySt John’s, Newfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - E. J. Cooper
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT‐The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
| | - A. Eskelinen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigGermany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - E. R. Frei
- Department of Geography, University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - O. Grau
- Global Ecology Unit, CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB‐UBBellaterraSpain
| | - P. Grogan
- Department of Biology, Queen's UniversityKingston, OntarioCanada
| | - M. Hallinger
- Biology Department, Swedish Agricultural University (SLU)UppsalaSweden
| | - M. M. P. D. Heijmans
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - L. Hermanutz
- Department of Biology, Memorial UniversitySt John’s, Newfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | | | - K. Hülber
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - M. Iturrate‐Garcia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - C. M. Iversen
- Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | | | - J. F. Johnstone
- Department of Biology, University of SaskatchewanSaskatoonCanada
| | - E. Kaarlejärvi
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå UniversityUmeåSweden
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)BrusselsBelgium
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - A. Kulonen
- WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLFDavosSwitzerland
- Department of Biology, University of BergenBergenNorway
| | - L. J. Lamarque
- Département des Sciences de l'Environnement and Centres d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Trois‐RivièresTrois‐RivièresQuebecCanada
| | - E. Lévesque
- Département des Sciences de l'Environnement and Centres d'études nordiques, Université du Québec à Trois‐RivièresTrois‐RivièresQuebecCanada
| | - C. J. Little
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & TechnologyDubendorfSwitzerland
| | - A. Michelsen
- Department of Biology, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - A. Milbau
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)BrusselsBelgium
| | - J. Nabe‐Nielsen
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - S. S. Nielsen
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - J. M. Ninot
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- Biodiversity Research InstituteUniversity of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - S. F. Oberbauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International UniversityMiamiFlorida
| | - J. Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - V. G. Onipchenko
- Department of Geobotany, Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityMoscowRussia
| | - A. Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of ParmaParmaItaly
| | - S. B. Rumpf
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - P. R. Semenchuk
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT‐The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - N. A. Soudzilovskaia
- Environmental Biology, Department Institute of Environmental Sciences, CML, Leiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - M. J. Spasojevic
- Department of Biology, University of California RiversideRiversideCalifornia
| | - J. D. M. Speed
- NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | - K. D. Tape
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of AlaskaFairbanksAlaska
| | - M. te Beest
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå UniversityUmeåSweden
- Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - M. Tomaselli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of ParmaParmaItaly
| | - A. Trant
- Department of Biology, Memorial UniversitySt John’s, Newfoundland and LabradorCanada
- School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of WaterlooWaterlooOntarioCanada
| | - U. A. Treier
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - S. Venn
- Research School of Biology, Australian National UniversityActon, ACTAustralia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin UniversityBurwoodVictoriaAustralia
| | - T. Vowles
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - S. Weijers
- Department of Geography, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - T. Zamin
- Department of Biology, Queen's UniversityKingston, OntarioCanada
| | - O. K. Atkin
- Research School of Biology, Australian National UniversityActon, ACTAustralia
| | - M. Bahn
- Department of Ecology, University of InnsbruckInnsbruckAustria
| | - B. Blonder
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Rocky Mountain Biological LaboratoryCrested ButteColorado
| | - G. Campetella
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine ‐ Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of CamerinoCamerinoItaly
| | | | - F. S. Chapin III
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of AlaskaFairbanksAlaska
| | - M. Dainese
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - F. T. de Vries
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of ManchesterManchesterUnited Kingdom
| | - S. Díaz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de CórdobaCórdobaArgentina
| | - W. Green
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - R. B. Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford UniversityStanford, California
| | - P. Manning
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F)FrankfurtGermany
| | - Ü. Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life SciencesTartuEstonia
| | - W. A. Ozinga
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - J. Peñuelas
- Global Ecology Unit, CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB‐UBBellaterraSpain
- CREAFCerdanyola del VallèsSpain
| | - P. B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of MinnesotaSt. Paul, MinneapolisMinnesota
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney UniversityPenrith, NSWAustralia
| | - B. Schamp
- Department of Biology, Algoma UniversitySault Ste. MarieOntarioCanada
| | | | - P. M. van Bodegom
- Environmental Biology, Department Institute of Environmental Sciences, CML, Leiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
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11
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Varma V, Catherin AM, Sankaran M. Effects of increased N and P availability on biomass allocation and root carbohydrate reserves differ between N-fixing and non-N-fixing savanna tree seedlings. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8467-8476. [PMID: 30250716 PMCID: PMC6144997 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In mixed tree-grass ecosystems, tree recruitment is limited by demographic bottlenecks to seedling establishment arising from inter- and intra-life-form competition, and disturbances such as fire. Enhanced nutrient availability resulting from anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition can alter the nature of these bottlenecks by changing seedling growth and biomass allocation patterns, and lead to longer-term shifts in tree community composition if different plant functional groups respond differently to increased nutrient availability. However, the extent to which tree functional types characteristic of savannas differ in their responses to increased N and P availability remains unclear. We quantified differences in above- and belowground biomass, and root carbohydrate contents in seedlings of multiple N-fixing and non-N-fixing tree species characteristic of Indian savanna and dry forest ecosystems in response to experimental N and P additions. These parameters are known to influence the ability of plants to compete, as well as survive and recover from fires. N-fixers in our study were co-limited by N and P availability, while non-N-fixers were N limited. Although both functional groups increased biomass production following fertilization, non-N-fixers were more responsive and showed greater relative increases in biomass with fertilization than N-fixers. N-fixers had greater baseline investment in belowground resources and root carbohydrate stocks, and while fertilization reduced root:shoot ratios in both functional groups, root carbohydrate content only reduced with fertilization in non-N-fixers. Our results indicate that, even within a given system, plants belonging to different functional groups can be limited by, and respond differentially to, different nutrients, suggesting that long-term consequences of nutrient deposition are likely to vary across savannas contingent on the relative amounts of N and P being deposited in sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Varma
- Ecology and Evolution GroupNational Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)BangaloreIndia
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Arockia M. Catherin
- Ecology and Evolution GroupNational Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)BangaloreIndia
| | - Mahesh Sankaran
- Ecology and Evolution GroupNational Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)BangaloreIndia
- School of BiologyUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
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12
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Canarini A, Mariotte P, Ingram L, Merchant A, Dijkstra FA. Mineral-Associated Soil Carbon is Resistant to Drought but Sensitive to Legumes and Microbial Biomass in an Australian Grassland. Ecosystems 2018. [PMID: 29540992 PMCID: PMC5840236 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0152-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Drought is predicted to increase in many areas of the world with consequences for soil carbon (C) dynamics. Plant litter, root exudates and microbial biomass can be used as C substrates to form organo-mineral complexes. Drought effects on plants and microbes could potentially compromise these relative stable soil C pools, by reducing plant C inputs and/or microbial activity. We conducted a 2-year drought experiment using rainout shelters in a semi-natural grassland. We measured aboveground biomass and C and nitrogen (N) in particulate organic matter (Pom), the organo-mineral fraction (Omin), and microbial biomass within the first 15 cm of soil. Aboveground plant biomass was reduced by 50% under drought in both years, but only the dominant C4 grasses were significantly affected. Soil C pools were not affected by drought, but were significantly higher in the relatively wet second year compared to the first year. Omin-C was positively related to microbial C during the first year, and positively related to clay and silt content in the second year. Increases in Omin-C in the second year were explained by increases in legume biomass and its effect on Pom-N and microbial biomass N (MBN) through structural equation modeling. In conclusion, soil C pools were unaffected by the drought treatment. Drought resistant legumes enhanced formation of organo-mineral complexes through increasing Pom-N and MBN. Our findings also indicate the importance of microbes for the formation of Omin-C as long as soil minerals have not reached their maximum capacity to bind with C (that is, saturation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Canarini
- 1Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570 Australia.,2Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierre Mariotte
- 1Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570 Australia.,3Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 2, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,4Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Site Lausanne, Case postale 96, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lachlan Ingram
- 1Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570 Australia
| | - Andrew Merchant
- 1Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570 Australia
| | - Feike A Dijkstra
- 1Centre for Carbon, Water and Food, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, 380 Werombi Road, Camden, NSW 2570 Australia
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13
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Boone RB, Conant RT, Sircely J, Thornton PK, Herrero M. Climate change impacts on selected global rangeland ecosystem services. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:1382-1393. [PMID: 29160927 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Rangelands are Earth's dominant land cover and are important providers of ecosystem services. Reliance on rangelands is projected to grow, thus understanding the sensitivity of rangelands to future climates is essential. We used a new ecosystem model of moderate complexity that allows, for the first time, to quantify global changes expected in rangelands under future climates. The mean global annual net primary production (NPP) may decline by 10 g C m-2 year-1 in 2050 under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, but herbaceous NPP is projected to increase slightly (i.e., average of 3 g C m-2 year-1 ). Responses vary substantially from place-to-place, with large increases in annual productivity projected in northern regions (e.g., a 21% increase in productivity in the US and Canada) and large declines in western Africa (-46% in sub-Saharan western Africa) and Australia (-17%). Soil organic carbon is projected to increase in Australia (9%), the Middle East (14%), and central Asia (16%) and decline in many African savannas (e.g., -18% in sub-Saharan western Africa). Livestock are projected to decline 7.5 to 9.6%, an economic loss of from $9.7 to $12.6 billion. Our results suggest that forage production in Africa is sensitive to changes in climate, which will have substantial impacts on the livelihoods of the more than 180 million people who raise livestock on those rangelands. Our approach and the simulation tool presented here offer considerable potential for forecasting future conditions, highlight regions of concern, and support analyses where costs and benefits of adaptations and policies may be quantified. Otherwise, the technical options and policy and enabling environment that are needed to facilitate widespread adaptation may be very difficult to elucidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall B Boone
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Richard T Conant
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jason Sircely
- CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Philip K Thornton
- CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mario Herrero
- The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
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14
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Wu X, Liu H, Li X, Ciais P, Babst F, Guo W, Zhang C, Magliulo V, Pavelka M, Liu S, Huang Y, Wang P, Shi C, Ma Y. Differentiating drought legacy effects on vegetation growth over the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:504-516. [PMID: 28973825 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In view of future changes in climate, it is important to better understand how different plant functional groups (PFGs) respond to warmer and drier conditions, particularly in temperate regions where an increase in both the frequency and severity of drought is expected. The patterns and mechanisms of immediate and delayed impacts of extreme drought on vegetation growth remain poorly quantified. Using satellite measurements of vegetation greenness, in-situ tree-ring records, eddy-covariance CO2 and water flux measurements, and meta-analyses of source water of plant use among PFGs, we show that drought legacy effects on vegetation growth differ markedly between forests, shrubs and grass across diverse bioclimatic conditions over the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Deep-rooted forests exhibit a drought legacy response with reduced growth during up to 4 years after an extreme drought, whereas shrubs and grass have drought legacy effects of approximately 2 years and 1 year, respectively. Statistical analyses partly attribute the differences in drought legacy effects among PFGs to plant eco-hydrological properties (related to traits), including plant water use and hydraulic responses. These results can be used to improve the representation of drought response of different PFGs in land surface models, and assess their biogeochemical and biophysical feedbacks in response to a warmer and drier climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuchen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Philippe Ciais
- CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, UMR8212-Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Flurin Babst
- Dendro Sciences, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Weichao Guo
- College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Cicheng Zhang
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Vincenzo Magliulo
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Mediterranean Agriculture and Forest Systems (CNR-ISAFoM), Ercolano, Italy
| | - Marian Pavelka
- CzechGlobe-Global Change Research Institute CAS, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Shaomin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongmei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Pei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yujun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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15
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Liu Y, Taxipulati T, Gong Y, Sui X, Wang X, Parent SÉ, Hu Y, Guan K, Li A. N-P Fertilization Inhibits Growth of Root Hemiparasite Pedicularis kansuensis in Natural Grassland. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:2088. [PMID: 29276523 PMCID: PMC5728089 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Fertilization has been shown to affect interactions between root hemiparasitic plants and their host plants, alleviating damage to the hosts by parasitism. However, as a majority of studies were conducted in pot cultivation, the influence of fertilizer application on root hemiparasites and the surrounding plant community in field conditions as well as relevant mechanisms remain unclear. We manipulated soil nutrient resources in a semi-arid subalpine grassland in the Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China, to explore the links between fertilization and plant community composition, productivity, survival, and growth of a weedy root hemiparasite (Pedicularis kansuensis). Nitrogen (at a low rate, LN, 30 kg N ha-1 year-1 as urea; or at a high rate, HN, 90 kg N ha-1 year-1 as urea) and phosphorus [100 kg ha-1 year-1 as Ca(H2PO4)2⋅H2O] were added during two growing seasons. Patterns of foliar nutrient balances were described with isometric log ratios for the different plant functional groups receiving these fertilization regimes. Fertilization with LN, HN, and P reduced above-ground biomass of P. kansuensis, with above-ground biomass in the fertilization treatments, respectively, 12, 1, and 39% of the value found in the unfertilized control. Up to three times more above-ground biomass was produced in graminoids receiving fertilizers, whereas forb above-ground biomass was virtually unchanged by the fertilization regimes and forb species richness was reduced by 52% in the HN treatment. Fertilization altered foliar nutrient balances, and distinct patterns emerged for each plant functional group. Foliar [C | P,N] balance in the plant community was negatively correlated with above-ground biomass (P = 0.03). The inhibited competitiveness of P. kansuensis, which showed a much higher [C | P,N] balance, could be attributed to reduced C assimilation rather than mineral nutrient acquisition, as shown by significant increase in foliar N and P concentrations but little increase in C concentration following fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Teyibai Taxipulati
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yanming Gong
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xiaolin Sui
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xuezhao Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang, China
| | - Serge-Étienne Parent
- Department of Soils and Agri-Food Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Yukun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
| | - Kaiyun Guan
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
| | - Airong Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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16
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Ren H, Taube F, Stein C, Zhang Y, Bai Y, Hu S. Grazing weakens temporal stabilizing effects of diversity in the Eurasian steppe. Ecol Evol 2017; 8:231-241. [PMID: 29321866 PMCID: PMC5756891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biodiversity experiments have demonstrated that plant diversity can stabilize productivity in experimental grasslands. However, less is known about how diversity–stability relationships are mediated by grazing. Grazing is known for causing species losses, but its effects on plant functional groups (PFGs) composition and species asynchrony, which are closely correlated with ecosystem stability, remain unclear. We conducted a six‐year grazing experiment in a semi‐arid steppe, using seven levels of grazing intensity (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 sheep per hectare) and two grazing systems (i.e., a traditional, continuous grazing system during the growing period (TGS), and a mixed one rotating grazing and mowing annually (MGS)), to examine the effects of grazing system and grazing intensity on the abundance and composition of PFGs and diversity–stability relationships. Ecosystem stability was similar between mixed and continuous grazing treatments. However, within the two grazing systems, stability was maintained through different pathways, that is, along with grazing intensity, persistence biomass variations in MGS, and compensatory interactions of PFGs in their biomass variations in TGS. Ecosystem temporal stability was not decreased by species loss but rather remain unchanged by the strong compensatory effects between PFGs, or a higher grazing‐induced decrease in species asynchrony at higher diversity, and a higher grazing‐induced increase in the temporal variation of productivity in diverse communities. Ecosystem stability of aboveground net primary production was not related to species richness in both grazing systems. High grazing intensity weakened the temporal stabilizing effects of diversity in this semi‐arid grassland. Our results demonstrate that the productivity of dominant PFGs is more important than species richness for maximizing stability in this system. This study distinguishes grazing intensity and grazing system from diversity effects on the temporal stability, highlighting the need to better understand how grazing regulates ecosystem stability, plant diversity, and their synergic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Ren
- College of Agro-grassland Science College of Prataculture Science Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing China.,Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding-Grass and Forage Science Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel Germany
| | - Friedhelm Taube
- Institute of Crop Science and Plant Breeding-Grass and Forage Science Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel Germany
| | - Claudia Stein
- Tyson Research Center and Department of Biology Washington University St. Louis St. Louis MO USA
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- Department of Grassland Science China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Yongfei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Shuijin Hu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing China.,Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
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17
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Crous KY, O'Sullivan OS, Zaragoza-Castells J, Bloomfield KJ, Negrini ACA, Meir P, Turnbull MH, Griffin KL, Atkin OK. Nitrogen and phosphorus availabilities interact to modulate leaf trait scaling relationships across six plant functional types in a controlled-environment study. New Phytol 2017; 215:992-1008. [PMID: 28505389 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have key roles in leaf metabolism, resulting in a strong coupling of chemical composition traits to metabolic rates in field-based studies. However, in such studies, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of nutrient supply per se on trait-trait relationships. Our study assessed how high and low N (5 mM and 0.4 mM, respectively) and P (1 mM and 2 μM, respectively) supply in 37 species from six plant functional types (PTFs) affected photosynthesis (A) and respiration (R) (in darkness and light) in a controlled environment. Low P supply increased scaling exponents (slopes) of area-based log-log A-N or R-N relationships when N supply was not limiting, whereas there was no P effect under low N supply. By contrast, scaling exponents of A-P and R-P relationships were altered by P and N supply. Neither R : A nor light inhibition of leaf R was affected by nutrient supply. Light inhibition was 26% across nutrient treatments; herbaceous species exhibited a lower degree of light inhibition than woody species. Because N and P supply modulates leaf trait-trait relationships, the next generation of terrestrial biosphere models may need to consider how limitations in N and P availability affect trait-trait relationships when predicting carbon exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Y Crous
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Odhran S O'Sullivan
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Joana Zaragoza-Castells
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, UK
- Department of Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Keith J Bloomfield
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - A Clarissa A Negrini
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Patrick Meir
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, UK
| | - Matthew H Turnbull
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kevin L Griffin
- Department of Earth and Environment Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Owen K Atkin
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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18
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Dirks I, Dumbur R, Lienin P, Kleyer M, Grünzweig JM. Size and Reproductive Traits Rather than Leaf Economic Traits Explain Plant-Community Composition in Species-Rich Annual Vegetation along a Gradient of Land Use Intensity. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:891. [PMID: 28611807 PMCID: PMC5447063 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural land use imposes a major disturbance on ecosystems worldwide, thus greatly modifying the taxonomic and functional composition of plant communities. However, mechanisms of community assembly, as assessed by plant functional traits, are not well known for dryland ecosystems under agricultural disturbance. Here we investigated trait responses to disturbance intensity and availability of resources to identify the main drivers of changes in composition of semiarid communities under diverging land use intensities. The eastern Mediterranean study region is characterized by an extended rainless season and by very diverse, mostly annual communities. At 24 truly replicated sites, we recorded the frequency of 241 species and the functional traits of the 53 most common species, together with soil resources and disturbance intensity across a land use gradient ranging from ungrazed shrubland to intensively managed cropland (six land use types). Multivariate RLQ analysis (linking functional traits, sites and environmental factors in a three-way ordination) and fourth corner analysis (revealing significant relations between traits and environmental factors) were used in a complementary way to get insights into trait-environment relations. Results revealed that traits related to plant size (reflecting light absorption and competitive ability) increased with resource availability, such as soil phosphorus and water holding capacity. Leaf economic traits, such as specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), and leaf dry matter content showed low variation across the disturbance gradient and were not related to environmental variables. In these herbaceous annual communities where plants grow and persist for just 3-5 months, SLA and LNC were unrelated, which together with relatively high SLA values might point to strategies of drought escape and grazing avoidance. Seed mass was high both at higher and lower resource availability, whereas seed number increased with the degree of disturbance. The strong response of size and reproduction traits, and the missing response of leaf economic traits reveal light interception and resource competition rather than resource acquisition and litter decomposition as drivers of plant community composition. Deviations from trait relationships observed in commonly studied temperate ecosystems confirm that climatic conditions play a fundamental role by filtering species with particular life forms and ecological strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Dirks
- Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot, Israel
| | - Rita Dumbur
- Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot, Israel
| | - Patrick Lienin
- Landscape Ecology Group, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Landscape Ecology Group, University of OldenburgOldenburg, Germany
| | - José M. Grünzweig
- Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovot, Israel
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19
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Mitchell RM, Bakker JD, Vincent JB, Davies GM. Relative importance of abiotic, biotic, and disturbance drivers of plant community structure in the sagebrush steppe. Ecol Appl 2017; 27:756-768. [PMID: 27935663 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic conditions, biotic factors, and disturbances can act as filters that control community structure and composition. Understanding the relative importance of these drivers would allow us to understand and predict the causes and consequences of changes in community structure. We used long-term data (1989-2002) from the sagebrush steppe in the state of Washington, USA, to ask three questions: (1) What are the key drivers of community-level metrics of community structure? (2) Do community-level metrics and functional groups differ in magnitude or direction of response to drivers of community structure? (3) What is the relative importance of drivers of community structure? The vegetation in 2002 was expressed as seven response variables: three community-level metrics (species richness, total cover, compositional change from 1989 to 2002) and the relative abundances of four functional groups. We used a multi-model inference framework to identify a set of top models for each response metric beginning from a global model that included two abiotic drivers, six disturbances, a biotic driver (initial plant community), and interactions between the disturbance and biotic drivers. We also used a permutational relative variable importance metric to rank the influence of drivers. Moisture availability was the most important driver of species richness and of native forb cover. Fire was the most important driver of shrub cover and training area usage was important for compositional change, but disturbances, including grazing, were of secondary importance for most other variables. Biotic drivers, as represented by the initial plant communities, were the most important driver for total cover and for the relative covers of exotics and native grasses. Our results indicate that the relative importance of drivers is dependent on the choice of metric, and that drivers such as disturbance and initial plant community can interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708, USA
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Jonathan D Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - John B Vincent
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - G Matt Davies
- School of Environmental and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA
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20
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Wright AJ, de Kroon H, Visser EJW, Buchmann T, Ebeling A, Eisenhauer N, Fischer C, Hildebrandt A, Ravenek J, Roscher C, Weigelt A, Weisser W, Voesenek LACJ, Mommer L. Plants are less negatively affected by flooding when growing in species-rich plant communities. New Phytol 2017; 213:645-656. [PMID: 27717024 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Flooding is expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future. The ecological consequences of flooding are the combined result of species-specific plant traits and ecological context. However, the majority of past flooding research has focused on individual model species under highly controlled conditions. An early summer flooding event in a grassland biodiversity experiment in Jena, Germany, provided the opportunity to assess flooding responses of 60 grassland species in monocultures and 16-species mixtures. We examined plant biomass, species-specific traits (plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), root aerenchyma, starch content) and soil porosity. We found that, on average, plant species were less negatively affected by the flood when grown in higher-diversity plots in July 2013. By September 2013, grasses were unaffected by the flood regardless of plant diversity, and legumes were severely negatively affected regardless of plant diversity. Plants with greater SLA and more root aerenchyma performed better in September. Soil porosity was higher in higher-diversity plots and had a positive effect on plant performance. As floods become more frequent and severe in the future, growing flood-sensitive plants in higher-diversity communities and in soil with greater soil aeration may attenuate the most negative effects of flooding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Wright
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- FIT - Science & Mathematics, 227 W 27th St., New York, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Hans de Kroon
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eric J W Visser
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tina Buchmann
- Department Community Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anne Ebeling
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christine Fischer
- Institute of Geoscience, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Burgweg 11, D-07749, Jena, Germany
- Department of Conservation Biology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anke Hildebrandt
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Geoscience, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Burgweg 11, D-07749, Jena, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Janneke Ravenek
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
- Physiological Diversity, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weisser
- Lehrstuhl für Terrestrische Ökologie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Laurentius A C J Voesenek
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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21
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Klaus VH, Hölzel N, Prati D, Schmitt B, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Solly EF, Hänsel F, Fischer M, Kleinebecker T. Plant diversity moderates drought stress in grasslands: Implications from a large real-world study on (13)C natural abundances. Sci Total Environ 2016; 566-567:215-222. [PMID: 27220098 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Land-use change and intensification play a key role in the current biodiversity crisis. The resulting species loss can have severe effects on ecosystem functions and services, thereby increasing ecosystem vulnerability to climate change. We explored whether land-use intensification (i.e. fertilization intensity), plant diversity and other potentially confounding environmental factors may be significantly related to water use (i.e. drought stress) of grassland plants. Drought stress was assessed using δ(13)C abundances in aboveground plant biomass of 150 grassland plots across a gradient of land-use intensity. Under water shortage, plants are forced to increasingly take up the heavier (13)C due to closing stomata leading to an enrichment of (13)C in biomass. Plants were sampled at the community level and for single species, which belong to three different functional groups (one grass, one herb, two legumes). Results show that plant diversity was significantly related to the δ(13)C signal in community, grass and legume biomass indicating that drought stress was lower under higher diversity, although this relation was not significant for the herb species under study. Fertilization, in turn, mostly increased drought stress as indicated by more positive δ(13)C values. This effect was mostly indirect by decreasing plant diversity. In line with these results, we found similar patterns in the δ(13)C signal of the organic matter in the topsoil, indicating a long history of these processes. Our study provided strong indication for a positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship with reduced drought stress at higher plant diversity. However, it also underlined a negative reinforcing situation: as land-use intensification decreases plant diversity in grasslands, this might subsequently increases drought sensitivity. Vice-versa, enhancing plant diversity in species-poor agricultural grasslands may moderate negative effects of future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin H Klaus
- Münster University, Institute for Landscape Ecology, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Münster University, Institute for Landscape Ecology, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Daniel Prati
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Schmitt
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Marion Schrumpf
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Emily F Solly
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Hänsel
- University Marburg, Environmental Informatics, Faculty of Geography, Deutschhausstr. 12, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Altenbergrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Münster University, Institute for Landscape Ecology, Heisenbergstr. 2, 48149 Münster, Germany
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22
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Parmesan C, Hanley ME. Plants and climate change: complexities and surprises. Ann Bot 2015; 116:849-64. [PMID: 26555281 PMCID: PMC4640131 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic climate change (ACC) will influence all aspects of plant biology over coming decades. Many changes in wild species have already been well-documented as a result of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations, warming climate and changing precipitation regimes. A wealth of available data has allowed the use of meta-analyses to examine plant-climate interactions on more sophisticated levels than before. These analyses have revealed major differences in plant response among groups, e.g. with respect to functional traits, taxonomy, life-history and provenance. Interestingly, these meta-analyses have also exposed unexpected mismatches between theory, experimental, and observational studies. SCOPE We reviewed the literature on species' responses to ACC, finding ∼42 % of 4000 species studied globally are plants (primarily terrestrial). We review impacts on phenology, distributions, ecophysiology, regeneration biology, plant-plant and plant-herbivore interactions, and the roles of plasticity and evolution. We focused on apparent deviations from expectation, and highlighted cases where more sophisticated analyses revealed that unexpected changes were, in fact, responses to ACC. CONCLUSIONS We found that conventionally expected responses are generally well-understood, and that it is the aberrant responses that are now yielding greater insight into current and possible future impacts of ACC. We argue that inconclusive, unexpected, or counter-intuitive results should be embraced in order to understand apparent disconnects between theory, prediction, and observation. We highlight prime examples from the collection of papers in this Special Issue, as well as general literature. We found use of plant functional groupings/traits had mixed success, but that some underutilized approaches, such as Grime's C/S/R strategies, when incorporated, have improved understanding of observed responses. Despite inherent difficulties, we highlight the need for ecologists to conduct community-level experiments in systems that replicate multiple aspects of ACC. Specifically, we call for development of coordinating experiments across networks of field sites, both natural and man-made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Parmesan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Mick E Hanley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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23
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Isabelle B, Damien G, Wilfried T. FATE-HD: a spatially and temporally explicit integrated model for predicting vegetation structure and diversity at regional scale. Glob Chang Biol 2014; 20:2368-78. [PMID: 24214499 PMCID: PMC4048660 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
During the last decade, despite strenuous efforts to develop new models and compare different approaches, few conclusions have been drawn on their ability to provide robust biodiversity projections in an environmental change context. The recurring suggestions are that models should explicitly (i) include spatiotemporal dynamics; (ii) consider multiple species in interactions and (iii) account for the processes shaping biodiversity distribution. This article presents a biodiversity model (FATE-HD) that meets this challenge at regional scale by combining phenomenological and process-based approaches and using well-defined plant functional groups. FATE-HD has been tested and validated in a French National Park, demonstrating its ability to simulate vegetation dynamics, structure and diversity in response to disturbances and climate change. The analysis demonstrated the importance of considering biotic interactions, spatio-temporal dynamics and disturbances in addition to abiotic drivers to simulate vegetation dynamics. The distribution of pioneer trees was particularly improved, as were all undergrowth functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boulangeat Isabelle
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble I, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Georges Damien
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble I, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Thuiller Wilfried
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université J. Fourier, Grenoble I, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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Isabelle B, Pauline P, Sylvain A, Roland D, Luc G, Sébastien L, Sandra L, Jérémie VE, Pascal V, Wilfried T. Improving plant functional groups for dynamic models of biodiversity: at the crossroads between functional and community ecology. Glob Chang Biol 2012; 18:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02783.x. [PMID: 24403847 PMCID: PMC3880864 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02783.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The pace of on-going climate change calls for reliable plant biodiversity scenarios. Traditional dynamic vegetation models use plant functional types that are summarized to such an extent that they become meaningless for biodiversity scenarios. Hybrid dynamic vegetation models of intermediate complexity (hybrid-DVMs) have recently been developed to address this issue. These models, at the crossroads between phenomenological and process-based models, are able to involve an intermediate number of well-chosen plant functional groups (PFGs). The challenge is to build meaningful PFGs that are representative of plant biodiversity, and consistent with the parameters and processes of hybrid-DVMs. Here, we propose and test a framework based on few selected traits to define a limited number of PFGs, which are both representative of the diversity (functional and taxonomic) of the flora in the Ecrins National Park, and adapted to hybrid-DVMs. This new classification scheme, together with recent advances in vegetation modeling, constitutes a step forward for mechanistic biodiversity modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boulangeat Isabelle
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Philippe Pauline
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Abdulhak Sylvain
- Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin, Domaine de Charance, 05000 Gap, France
| | - Douzet Roland
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Garraud Luc
- Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin, Domaine de Charance, 05000 Gap, France
| | - Lavergne Sébastien
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Lavorel Sandra
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Van Es Jérémie
- Conservatoire Botanique National Alpin, Domaine de Charance, 05000 Gap, France
| | - Vittoz Pascal
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thuiller Wilfried
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, UMR CNRS 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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García-Palacios P, Maestre FT, Gallardo A. Soil nutrient heterogeneity modulates ecosystem responses to changes in the identity and richness of plant functional groups. J Ecol 2011; 99:551-562. [PMID: 25914424 PMCID: PMC4407982 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01765.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has shown that biodiversity may has its greatest impact on ecosystem functioning in heterogeneous environments. However, the role of soil heterogeneity as a modulator of ecosystem responses to changes in biodiversity remains poorly understood, as few biodiversity studies have explicitly considered this important ecosystem feature.We conducted a microcosm experiment over two growing seasons to evaluate the joint effects of changes in plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, non-legume forbs and a combination of them), spatial distribution of soil nutrients (homogeneous and heterogeneous) and nutrient availability (50 and 100 mg of nitrogen [N] added as organic material) on plant productivity and surrogates of carbon, phosphorous and N cycling (β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase enzymes and in situ N availability, respectively).Soil nutrient heterogeneity interacted with nutrient availability and plant functional diversity to determine productivity and nutrient cycling responses. All the functional groups exhibited precise root foraging patterns. Above- and belowground productivity increased under heterogeneous nutrient supply. Surrogates of nutrient cycling were not directly affected by soil nutrient heterogeneity. Regardless of their above- and belowground biomass, legumes increased the availability of soil inorganic N and the activity of the acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase enzymes.Our study emphasizes the role of soil nutrient heterogeneity as a modulator of ecosystem responses to changes in functional diversity beyond the species level. Functional group identity, rather than richness, can play a key role in determining the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning.Synthesis. Our results highlight the importance of explicitly considering soil heterogeneity in diversity-ecosystem functioning experiments, where the identity of the plant functional group is of major importance. Such consideration will improve our ability to fully understand the role of plant diversity on ecosystem functioning in ubiquitous heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo García-Palacios
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales, CSIC, C/Serrano 115-bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Antonio Gallardo
- Departmento de Física, Química y Sistemas Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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Scherber C, Heimann J, Köhler G, Mitschunas N, Weisser WW. Functional identity versus species richness: herbivory resistance in plant communities. Oecologia 2010; 163:707-17. [PMID: 20429014 PMCID: PMC2886090 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1625-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2009] [Accepted: 03/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The resistance of a plant community against herbivore attack may depend on plant species richness, with monocultures often much more severely affected than mixtures of plant species. Here, we used a plant-herbivore system to study the effects of selective herbivory on consumption resistance and recovery after herbivory in 81 experimental grassland plots. Communities were established from seed in 2002 and contained 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 60 plant species of 1, 2, 3 or 4 functional groups. In 2004, pairs of enclosure cages (1 m tall, 0.5 m diameter) were set up on all 81 plots. One randomly selected cage of each pair was stocked with 10 male and 10 female nymphs of the meadow grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus. The grasshoppers fed for 2 months, and the vegetation was monitored over 1 year. Consumption resistance and recovery of vegetation were calculated as proportional changes in vegetation biomass. Overall, grasshopper herbivory averaged 6.8%. Herbivory resistance and recovery were influenced by plant functional group identity, but independent of plant species richness and number of functional groups. However, herbivory induced shifts in vegetation composition that depended on plant species richness. Grasshopper herbivory led to increases in herb cover at the expense of grasses. Herb cover increased more strongly in species-rich mixtures. We conclude that selective herbivory changes the functional composition of plant communities and that compositional changes due to selective herbivory depend on plant species richness.
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