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Lam OHY, Kattge J, Tautenhahn S, Boenisch G, Kovach KR, Townsend PA. 'rtry': An R package to support plant trait data preprocessing. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11292. [PMID: 38725827 PMCID: PMC11079438 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant trait data are used to quantify how plants respond to environmental factors and can act as indicators of ecosystem function. Measured trait values are influenced by genetics, trade-offs, competition, environmental conditions, and phenology. These interacting effects on traits are poorly characterized across taxa, and for many traits, measurement protocols are not standardized. As a result, ancillary information about growth and measurement conditions can be highly variable, requiring a flexible data structure. In 2007, the TRY initiative was founded as an integrated database of plant trait data, including ancillary attributes relevant to understanding and interpreting the trait values. The TRY database now integrates around 700 original and collective datasets and has become a central resource of plant trait data. These data are provided in a generic long-table format, where a unique identifier links different trait records and ancillary data measured on the same entity. Due to the high number of trait records, plant taxa, and types of traits and ancillary data released from the TRY database, data preprocessing is necessary but not straightforward. Here, we present the 'rtry' R package, specifically designed to support plant trait data exploration and filtering. By integrating a subset of existing R functions essential for preprocessing, 'rtry' avoids the need for users to navigate the extensive R ecosystem and provides the functions under a consistent syntax. 'rtry' is therefore easy to use even for beginners in R. Notably, 'rtry' does not support data retrieval or analysis; rather, it focuses on the preprocessing tasks to optimize data quality. While 'rtry' primarily targets TRY data, its utility extends to data from other sources, such as the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The 'rtry' package is available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN; https://cran.r-project.org/package=rtry) and the GitHub Wiki (https://github.com/MPI-BGC-Functional-Biogeography/rtry/wiki) along with comprehensive documentation and vignettes describing detailed data preprocessing workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olee Hoi Ying Lam
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
- Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | | | | | - Kyle R. Kovach
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Philip A. Townsend
- Department of Forest and Wildlife EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐Madison, Russell LaboratoriesMadisonWisconsinUSA
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Cheng Y, Rutten G, Liu X, Ma M, Song Z, Maaroufi NI, Zhou S. Host plant height explains the effect of nitrogen enrichment on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities. New Phytol 2023; 240:399-411. [PMID: 37482960 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19140] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) enrichment is widely known to affect the root-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community in different ways, for example, via altering soil properties and/or shifting host plant functional structure. However, empirical knowledge of their relative importance is still lacking. Using a long-term N addition experiment, we measured the AMF community taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity at the single plant species (roots of 15 plant species) and plant community (mixed roots) levels. We also measured four functional traits of 35 common plant species along the N addition gradient. We found divergent responses of AMF diversity to N addition for host plants with different innate heights (i.e. plant natural height under unfertilized treatment). Furthermore, our data showed that species-specific responses of AMF diversity to N addition were negatively related to the change in maximum plant height. When scaling up to the community level, N addition affected AMF diversity mainly through increasing the maximum plant height, rather than altering soil properties. Our results highlight the importance of plant height in driving AMF community dynamics under N enrichment at both species and community levels, thus providing important implications for understanding the response of AMF diversity to anthropogenic N deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikang Cheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gemma Rutten
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems & College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Miaojun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems & College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zhiping Song
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Nadia I Maaroufi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shurong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
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Barrett CF, Huebner CD, Bender ZA, Budinsky TA, Corbett CW, Latvis M, McKain MR, Motley M, Skibicki SV, Thixton HL, Santee MV, Cumberledge AN. Digitized collections elucidate invasion history and patterns of awn polymorphism in Microstegium vimineum. Am J Bot 2022; 109:689-705. [PMID: 35435240 PMCID: PMC9327524 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1852] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Digitized collections can help illuminate the mechanisms behind the establishment and spread of invasive plants. These databases provide a record of traits in space and time that allows for investigation of abiotic and biotic factors that influence invasive species. METHODS Over 1100 digitized herbarium records were examined to investigate the invasion history and trait variation of Microstegium vimineum. Presence-absence of awns was investigated to quantify geographic patterns of this polymorphic trait, which serves several functions in grasses, including diaspore burial and dispersal to germination sites. Floret traits were further quantified, and genomic analyses of contemporary samples were conducted to investigate the history of M. vimineum's introduction and spread into North America. RESULTS Herbarium records revealed similar patterns of awn polymorphism in native and invaded ranges of M. vimineum, with awned forms predominating at higher latitudes and awnless forms at lower latitudes. Herbarium records and genomic data suggested initial introduction and spread of the awnless form in the southeastern United States, followed by a putative secondary invasion and spread of the awned form from eastern Pennsylvania. Awned forms have longer florets, and floret size varies significantly with latitude. There is evidence of a transition zone with short-awned specimens at mid-latitudes. Genomic analyses revealed two distinct clusters corresponding to awnless and awned forms, with evidence of admixture. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the power of herbarium data to elucidate the invasion history of a problematic weed in North America and, together with genomic data, reveal a possible key trait in introduction success: presence or absence of an awn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig F. Barrett
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Cynthia D. Huebner
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
- USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station180 Canfield StreetMorgantownWest Virginia26505USA
- Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, 4100 Agricultural Sciences BuildingP.O. Box 6108MorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Zoe A. Bender
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
- Department of BiologyGettysburg College300 North Washington StreetGettysburgPennsylvania17325USA
| | - Trezalka A. Budinsky
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Pittsburgh4249 Fifth AvenuePittsburghPennsylvania15260USA
| | - Cameron W. Corbett
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Maribeth Latvis
- Department of Natural Resource ManagementSouth Dakota State University, 1390 College Avenue, South Dakota State UniversityBrookingsSouth Dakota57007USA
| | - Michael R. McKain
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alabama300 Hackberry LaneTuscaloosaAlabama35487USA
| | - M'Kayla Motley
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alabama300 Hackberry LaneTuscaloosaAlabama35487USA
| | - Samuel V. Skibicki
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Hana L. Thixton
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Mathilda V. Santee
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
| | - Aubrey N. Cumberledge
- Department of BiologyWest Virginia University53 Campus DriveMorgantownWest Virginia26506USA
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4
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Hu X, Zhou W, Sun S. Responses of Plant Reproductive Phenology to Winter-Biased Warming in an Alpine Meadow. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:534703. [PMID: 33013961 PMCID: PMC7498618 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.534703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming is often seasonally asymmetric with a higher temperature increase toward winters than summers. However, the effect of winter-biased warming on plant reproductive phenology has been seldom investigated under natural field conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of winter-biased warming on plant reproductive phenologies. In an alpine meadow of Tibetan Plateau, we deployed six large (15 m × 15 m × 2.5 m height) open top chambers (three warmed chambers and three non-warmed chambers) to achieve winter-biased warming (i.e., a small increase in annual mean temperature with a greater increase towards winter than summer). We investigated three phenophases (onset and offset times and duration) for both the flowering and fruiting phenologies of 11 common species in 2017 and 8 species in 2018. According to the vernalization theory, we hypothesized that mild winter-biased warming would delay flowering and fruiting phenologies. The data indicated that the phenological responses to warming were species-specific (including positive, neutral, and negative responses), and the number of plant species advancing flowering (by averagely 4.5 days) and fruiting onset times (by averagely 3.6 days) was higher than those delaying the times. These changes were inconsistent with the vernalization hypothesis (i.e. plants need to achieve a threshold of chilling before flowering) alone, but can be partly explained by the accumulated temperature hypothesis (i.e. plants need to achieve a threshold of accumulative temperature before flowering) and/or the overtopping hypothesis (i.e. plants need to reach community canopy layer before flowering). The interspecific difference in the response of reproductive phenology could be attributed to the variation in plant traits including plant height growth, the biomass ratio of root to shoot, and seed mass. These results indicate that a mild winter-biased warming may trigger significant change in plant reproductive phenology in an alpine meadow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Hu
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenlong Zhou
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shucun Sun
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Fujii S, Berg MP, Cornelissen JHC. Living Litter: Dynamic Trait Spectra Predict Fauna Composition. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:886-896. [PMID: 32522377 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding what drives soil fauna species composition through space and time is crucial because we should preserve soil fauna biodiversity and its key role in ecosystem functioning in this era of fast environmental change. As plant leaf litter provides both food and habitat for soil fauna, a focus on litter traits that relate to these two functions will help in understanding soil invertebrate community structure and dynamics comprehensively. To advance this agenda, we propose a conceptual framework to explicitly link the invertebrate community composition to the temporal dynamics of the litter trait space defined by two axes: a food-quality axis related to plant resource economics and chemistry and a habitat-quality axis related to litter particle size and shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saori Fujii
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Forest Entomology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan.
| | - Matty P Berg
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Conservation and Community Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Groningen University, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Taseski GM, Beloe CJ, Gallagher RV, Chan JY, Dalrymple RL, Cornwell WK. A global growth-form database for 143,616 vascular plant species. Ecology 2019; 100:e02614. [PMID: 30636293 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
For the majority of plant species in the world, we know little about their functional ecology, and not even one of the most basic traits-the species' growth habit. To fill the gap in availability of compiled plant growth-form data, we have assembled what is, to our knowledge, the largest global database on growth-form as a plant trait. We have, with extensive error checking and data synthesis, assembled a growth-form database from 163 data sources for 143,616 vascular plant species from 445 different plant families. This is 38.6% of the currently accepted vascular plant diversity. For our database, we have chosen seven categories to cover the majority of the diversity in plant growth forms: aquatic plants, epiphytes, hemiepiphytes, climbing plants, parasitic plants, holo-mycoheterotrophs, and freestanding plants. These categories were used because we were able to reconcile the wealth of existing definitions and types of growth-form information available globally to them clearly and unequivocally, and because they are complementary with existing databases. Plants in the database were designated into a category if their adult growth form fit the criterion. We make available two databases: first, the complete data set, including species for which there is currently conflicting information, and second, a consensus data set, where all available information supports one categorization. Of the plant species for which we found information, 103,138 (72%) are freestanding, 21,110 (15%) are epiphytes, and 4,046 (3%) are parasites. Our growth-form data can be used to produce useful summary statistics by clade. For example, current data suggests that half of pteridophytes are epiphytic, that all hemiepiphytes are eudicots, and that there are no parasitic monocots, gymnosperms, or pteridophytes. Growth form is a crucial piece of fundamental plant-trait data with implications for each species' ecology, evolution, and conservation, and thus this data set will be useful for a range of basic and applied questions across these areas of research. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set, other than citation of the present Data Paper. A static version of this dataset is provided as Supporting Information, and a living and updating version of the dataset is available in a GitHub repository.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy M Taseski
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Charlotte J Beloe
- School of Biotechnological and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Rachael V Gallagher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Justin Y Chan
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Rhiannon L Dalrymple
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - William K Cornwell
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
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7
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Walker AP, McCormack ML, Messier J, Myers-Smith IH, Wullschleger SD. Trait covariance: the functional warp of plant diversity? New Phytol 2017; 216:976-980. [PMID: 29110312 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Walker
- Environmental Sciences Division & Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - M Luke McCormack
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Julie Messier
- Biology Department, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | | | - Stan D Wullschleger
- Environmental Sciences Division & Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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8
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Rosbakh S, Leingärtner A, Hoiss B, Krauss J, Steffan-Dewenter I, Poschlod P. Contrasting Effects of Extreme Drought and Snowmelt Patterns on Mountain Plants along an Elevation Gradient. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:1478. [PMID: 28900434 PMCID: PMC5581835 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01478] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Despite the evidence that increased frequency and magnitude of extreme climate events (ECE) considerably affect plant performance, there is still a lack of knowledge about how these events affect mountain plant biodiversity and mountain ecosystem functioning. Here, we assessed the short-term (one vegetation period) effects of simulated ECEs [extreme drought (DR), advanced and delayed snowmelt (AD and DE), respectively] on the performance of 42 plant species occurring in the Bavarian Alps (Germany) along an elevational gradient of 600-2000 m a.s.l. in terms of vegetative growth and reproduction performance. We demonstrate that plant vegetative and generative traits respond differently to the simulated ECEs, but the nature and magnitude treatment effects strongly depend on study site location along the elevational gradient, species' altitudinal origin and plant functional type (PFT) of the target species. For example, the negative effect of DR treatment on growth (e.g., lower growth rates and lower leaf nitrogen content) and reproduction (e.g., lower seed mass) was much stronger in upland sites, as compared to lowlands. Species' response to the treatments also differed according to their altitudinal origin. Specifically, upland species responded negatively to extreme DR (e.g., lower growth rates and lower leaf carbon concentrations, smaller seed set), whereas performance of lowland species remained unaffected (e.g., stable seed set and seed size) or even positively responded (e.g., higher growth rates) to that treatment. Furthermore, we were able to detect some consistent differences in responses to the ECEs among three PFTs (forbs, graminoids, and legumes). For instance, vegetative growth and sexual reproduction of highly adaptable opportunistic graminoids positively responded to nearly all ECEs, likely on the costs of other, more conservative, forbs and legumes. Our results suggest that ECEs can significantly modify the performance of specific plant groups and therefore lead to changes in plant community structure and composition under ongoing climate change. Our study therefore underlines the need for more experimental studies on the effects of extreme climate events to understand the potential consequences of climate change for the alpine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Rosbakh
- Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation Biology, University of RegensburgRegensburg, Germany
| | - Annette Leingärtner
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hoiss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Krauss
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of WürzburgWürzburg, Germany
| | - Peter Poschlod
- Chair of Ecology and Nature Conservation Biology, University of RegensburgRegensburg, Germany
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McCoy‐Sulentic ME, Kolb TE, Merritt DM, Palmquist EC, Ralston BE, Sarr DA. Variation in species-level plant functional traits over wetland indicator status categories. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3732-3744. [PMID: 28616170 PMCID: PMC5468150 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wetland indicator status (WIS) describes the habitat affinity of plant species and is used in wetland delineations and resource inventories. Understanding how species-level functional traits vary across WIS categories may improve designations, elucidate mechanisms of adaptation, and explain habitat optima and niche. We investigated differences in species-level traits of riparian flora across WIS categories, extending their application to indicate hydrologic habitat. We measured or compiled data on specific leaf area (SLA), stem specific gravity (SSG), seed mass, and mature height of 110 plant species that occur along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona. Additionally, we measured leaf δ13C, δ15N, % carbon, % nitrogen, and C/N ratio of 56 species with C3 photosynthesis. We asked the following: (i) How do species-level traits vary over WIS categories? (ii) Does the pattern differ between herbaceous and woody species? (iii) How well do multivariate traits define WIS categories? (iv) Which traits are correlated? The largest trait differences among WIS categories for herbaceous species occurred for SSG, seed mass, % leaf carbon and height, and for woody species occurred for height, SSG, and δ13C. SSG increased and height decreased with habitat aridity for both woody and herbaceous species. The δ13C and hence water use efficiency of woody species increased with habitat aridity. Water use efficiency of herbaceous species increased with habitat aridity via greater occurrence of C4 grasses. Multivariate trait assemblages differed among WIS categories. Over all species, SLA was correlated with height, δ13C, % leaf N, and C/N; height was correlated with SSG and % leaf C; SSG was correlated with % leaf C. Adaptations of both herbaceous and woody riparian species to wet, frequently inundated habitats include low-density stem tissue. Adaptations to drier habitats in the riparian zone include short, high-density cavitation-resistant stem tissue, and high water use efficiency. The results enhance understanding about using traits to describe plant habitat in riparian systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas E. Kolb
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona UniversityFort CollinsUSA
| | - David M. Merritt
- USDA Forest ServiceNational Stream and Aquatic Ecology CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Barbara E. Ralston
- US Geological SurveyOffice of Science Quality and IntegrityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - Daniel A. Sarr
- US Geological SurveySouthwest Biological Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
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Poeydebat C, Carval D, de Lapeyre de Bellaire L, Tixier P. Balancing competition for resources with multiple pest regulation in diversified agroecosystems: a process-based approach to reconcile diversification and productivity. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:8607-8616. [PMID: 28031811 PMCID: PMC5167016 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Agroecosystem plant diversification can enhance pest biological regulation and is a promising alternative to pesticide application. However, the costs of competition for resources between plants may exceed the benefits gained by pest regulation. To disentangle the interactions between pest regulation and competition, we developed a generic process‐based approach that accounts for the effects of an associated plant and leaf and root pests on biomass production. We considered three crop–plant associations that differ in competition profiles, and we simulated biomass production under wide ranges of both pest regulation rates and resources’ availability. We analyzed outputs to quantify the pest regulation service level that would be required to attain monoculture yield and other production goals. Results showed that pest regulation requirements were highly dependent on the profile of resource interception of the associated plant and on resources’ availability. Pest regulation and the magnitude of competition between plants interacted in determining the balance between nitrogen and radiation uptake by the crop. Our findings suggest that productivity of diversified agroecosystems relative to monoculture should be optimized by assembling plants whose characteristics balance crops’ resource acquisition. The theoretical insights from our study draw generic rules for vegetation assemblage to optimize trade‐offs between pest regulation and production. Our findings and approach may have implications in understanding, theorizing and implementing agroecosystem diversification. By its generic and adaptable structure, our approach should be useful for studying the effects of diversification in many agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Philippe Tixier
- UPR 26 GECO CIRAD Montpellier Cedex 5 France; Departamento de Agricultura y Agroforesteria CATIE Cartago Turrialba Costa Rica
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Soudzilovskaia NA, van der Heijden MGA, Cornelissen JHC, Makarov MI, Onipchenko VG, Maslov MN, Akhmetzhanova AA, van Bodegom PM. Quantitative assessment of the differential impacts of arbuscular and ectomycorrhiza on soil carbon cycling. New Phytol 2015; 208:280-293. [PMID: 26011828 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A significant fraction of carbon stored in the Earth's soil moves through arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (EM). The impacts of AM and EM on the soil carbon budget are poorly understood. We propose a method to quantify the mycorrhizal contribution to carbon cycling, explicitly accounting for the abundance of plant-associated and extraradical mycorrhizal mycelium. We discuss the need to acquire additional data to use our method, and present our new global database holding information on plant species-by-site intensity of root colonization by mycorrhizas. We demonstrate that the degree of mycorrhizal fungal colonization has globally consistent patterns across plant species. This suggests that the level of plant species-specific root colonization can be used as a plant trait. To exemplify our method, we assessed the differential impacts of AM : EM ratio and EM shrub encroachment on carbon stocks in sub-arctic tundra. AM and EM affect tundra carbon stocks at different magnitudes, and via partly distinct dominant pathways: via extraradical mycelium (both EM and AM) and via mycorrhizal impacts on above- and belowground biomass carbon (mostly AM). Our method provides a powerful tool for the quantitative assessment of mycorrhizal impact on local and global carbon cycling processes, paving the way towards an improved understanding of the role of mycorrhizas in the Earth's carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Louis Bolk Instituut, Hoofdstraat 24, 3972, LA Driebergen, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel G A van der Heijden
- Plant-Soil Interactions, Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Agroscope, 8046, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mikhail I Makarov
- Soil Science Department, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Mikhail N Maslov
- Soil Science Department, Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333CC, Leiden, the Netherlands
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