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da Paschoa RP, Pinto VB, Pereira JP, Cavatte PC, Garbin ML, Godinho T, Xavier LR, Carrijo TT, Silveira V. Proteomic and physiological signatures of altitude adaptation in a Myrsine coriacea population under common garden conditions. J Proteomics 2024; 299:105156. [PMID: 38467267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105156] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Plants exhibit phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental variations, which can lead to stable genetic and physiological adaptations if exposure to specific conditions is prolonged. Myrsine coriacea demonstrates this through its ability to thrive in diverse environments. The objective of the article is to investigate potential differences in protein accumulation and physiological responses of M. coriacea by cultivating plants from seeds collected from four populations at different altitudes in a common garden experiment. Additionally, we aim to evaluate whether these differences exhibit genetic fixation. Through integrated physiological and proteomic analyses, we identified 170 differentially accumulated proteins and observed significant physiological differences among the populations. The high-altitude population (POP1) exhibited a unique proteomic profile with significant down-regulation of proteins involved in carbon fixation and energy metabolism, suggesting a potential reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. Physiological analyses showed lower leaf nitrogen content, net CO2 assimilation rate, specific leaf area, and relative growth rate in stem height for POP1, alongside higher leaf carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) and leaf carbon (C) content. These findings provide insight into the complex interplay between proteomic and physiological adaptations in M. coriacea and underscore the importance of local adaptations. SIGNIFICANCE: We investigate the adaptive responses of M. coriacea, a shrub with a broad phenotypic range, by cultivating plants from seeds collected at four different altitudes in a common garden experiment. These findings provide insight into the complex interplay between proteomic and physiological adaptations in M. coriacea and underscore the importance of local adaptations in the face of climate change. This study contributes to advancing our understanding of the influence of altitude-specific selection pressures on the molecular biology and physiology of plants in natural populations. Our findings provide valuable insights that enhance our ability to predict and comprehend how plants respond to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Pena da Paschoa
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 28013-602, Brazil; Unidade de Biologia Integrativa, Setor de Genômica e Proteômica, UENF, Brazil
| | | | - Jéssica Priscilla Pereira
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Depto. Biologia, Lab. Botânica, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, ES, Brazil
| | - Paulo Cezar Cavatte
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Depto. Biologia, Lab. Botânica, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, ES, Brazil
| | - Mário Luís Garbin
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Depto. Biologia, Lab. Botânica, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, ES, Brazil
| | - Tiago Godinho
- Reserva Natural Vale, Rodovia BR 101, km 122 s/n Zona Rural, Linhares, ES 29900-111, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rodrigues Xavier
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 28013-602, Brazil; Unidade de Biologia Integrativa, Setor de Genômica e Proteômica, UENF, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Tavares Carrijo
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Centro de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e da Saúde, Depto. Biologia, Lab. Botânica, Alto Universitário, Guararema, Alegre, ES, Brazil.
| | - Vanildo Silveira
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia (CBB), Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ 28013-602, Brazil; Unidade de Biologia Integrativa, Setor de Genômica e Proteômica, UENF, Brazil.
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Pernicová N, Urban O, Čáslavský J, Kolář T, Rybníček M, Sochová I, Peñuelas J, Bošeľa M, Trnka M. Impacts of elevated CO 2 levels and temperature on photosynthesis and stomatal closure along an altitudinal gradient are counteracted by the rising atmospheric vapor pressure deficit. Sci Total Environ 2024; 921:171173. [PMID: 38401718 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171173] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
The efficiency of water use in plants, a critical ecophysiological parameter closely related to water and carbon cycles, is essential for understanding the interactions between plants and their environment. This study investigates the effects of ongoing climate change and increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration on intrinsic (stomata-based; iWUE) and evaporative (transpiration-based; eWUE) water use efficiency in oak trees along a naturally small altitudinal gradient (130-630 m a.s.l.) of Vihorlat Mountains (eastern Slovakia, Central Europe). To assess changes in iWUE and eWUE values over the past 60 years (1961-2020), stable carbon isotope ratios in latewood cellulose (δ13Ccell) of annually resolved tree rings were analyzed. Such an approach was sensitive enough to distinguish tree responses to growth environments at different altitudes. Our findings revealed a rising trend in iWUE, particularly in oak trees at low and middle altitudes. However, this increase was negligible at high altitudes. Warmer and drier conditions at lower altitudes likely led to significant stomatal closure and enhanced efficiency in photosynthetic CO2 uptake due to rising CO2 concentration. Conversely, the increasing intracellular-to-ambient CO2 ratio (Ci/Ca) at higher altitudes indicated lower efficiency in photosynthetic CO2 uptake. In contrast to iWUE, eWUE showed no increasing trends over the last 60 years. This suggests that the positive impacts of elevated CO2 concentrations and temperature on photosynthesis and stomatal closure are counteracted by the rising atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD). These differences underscore the importance of the correct interpretation of stomata-based and transpiration-based WUEs and highlight the necessity of atmospheric VPD correction when applying tree-ring δ13C-derived WUE at ecosystem and global levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natálie Pernicová
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Department of Agrosystems and Bioclimatology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Otmar Urban
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Josef Čáslavský
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kolář
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Rybníček
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Sochová
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Michal Bošeľa
- Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, SK-960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Trnka
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, CZ-603 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Department of Agrosystems and Bioclimatology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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Vélez-Martínez GA, Reyes-Ardila WL, Duque-Zapata JD, Rugeles-Silva PA, Muñoz Flórez JE, López-Álvarez D. Soil bacteria and fungi communities are shaped by elevation influences in Colombian forest and páramo natural ecosystems. Int Microbiol 2024; 27:377-391. [PMID: 37458953 PMCID: PMC10991037 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00392-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The influence of elevation on natural terrestrial ecosystems determines the arrangements of microbial communities in soils to be associated with biotic and abiotic factors. To evaluate changes of fungi and bacteria at the community level along an elevational gradient (between 1000 and 3800 m.a.s.l.), physicochemical measurements of soils, taxonomic identifications of plants, and metabarcoding sequences of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and the ITS1 region for fungi were obtained. The bacterial taxonomic composition showed that Acidobacteriota increased in abundance with elevation, while Actinobacteriota and Verrucomicrobiota decreased. Furthermore, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria maintained maximum levels of abundance at intermediate elevations (1200 and 2400 m.a.s.l.). In fungi, Ascomycota was more abundant at higher elevations, Basidiomycota tended to dominate at lower elevations, and Mortierellomycota had a greater presence at intermediate sites. These results correlated with the edaphic parameters of decreasing pH and increasing organic carbon and available nitrogen with elevation. In addition, the Shannon index found a greater diversity in bacteria than fungi, but both showed a unimodal pattern with maximum values in the Andean Forest at 2400 m.a.s.l. Through the microbial characterization of the ecosystems, the elevational gradient, soil properties, and vegetation were found to exert significant effects on microbial communities and alpha diversity indices. We conclude that the most abundant soil microorganisms at the sampling points differed in abundance and diversity according to the variations in factors influencing ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glever Alexander Vélez-Martínez
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
| | - Wendy Lorena Reyes-Ardila
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Juan Diego Duque-Zapata
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Paula Andrea Rugeles-Silva
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Jaime Eduardo Muñoz Flórez
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Diana López-Álvarez
- Grupo de Investigación en Diversidad Biológica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Palmira, Carrera, 32 No. 12-00, 763536, Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
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Carbonell JA, Pallarés S, Velasco J, Millán A, Abellán P. Thermal tolerance does not explain the altitudinal segregation of lowland and alpine aquatic insects. J Therm Biol 2024; 121:103862. [PMID: 38703597 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103862] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Elevation gradients provide powerful study systems for examining the influence of environmental filters in shaping species assemblages. High-mountain habitats host specific high-elevation assemblages, often comprising specialist species adapted to endure pronounced abiotic stress, while such harsh conditions prevent lowland species from colonizing or establishing. While thermal tolerance may drive the altitudinal segregation of ectotherms, its role in structuring aquatic insect communities remains poorly explored. This study investigates the role of thermal physiology in shaping the current distribution of high-mountain diving beetles from the Sierra Nevada Iberian mountain range and closely related lowland species. Cold tolerance of five species from each altitudinal zone was measured estimating the supercooling point (SCP), lower lethal temperature (LLT) and tolerance to ice enclosure, while heat tolerance was assessed from the heat coma temperature (HCT). Alpine species exhibited wider fundamental thermal niches than lowland species, likely associated with the broader range of climatic conditions in high-mountain areas. Cold tolerance did not seem to prevent lowland species from colonizing higher elevations, as most studied species were moderately freeze-tolerant. Therefore, fundamental thermal niches seem not to fully explain species segregation along elevation gradients, suggesting that other thermal tolerance traits, environmental factors, and biotic interactions may also play important roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Carbonell
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
| | - S Pallarés
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J Velasco
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - A Millán
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - P Abellán
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Zhai B, Hu Z, Sun S, Tang Z, Wang G. Characteristics of photosynthetic rates in different vegetation types at high-altitude in mountainous regions. Sci Total Environ 2024; 907:168071. [PMID: 37898202 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168071] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Mountains play an important role in the carbon cycle of the terrestrial ecosystem and are one of the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change. However, our current knowledge regarding the physiological responses of alpine plants to environmental changes remains limited due to the severe climatic conditions prevailing in these high-altitude regions. Therefore, this study quantified the variations in photosynthetic rates (An) and identified their driving factors of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees along an elevation gradient (2200 m asl to 3200 m asl) on Mount Gongga. Elevation emerged as a significant determinant of An, with a general increase observed, albeit followed by a decline above 3000 m asl. In high-altitude regions, trees displayed more significant fluctuations in An compared to herbaceous plants and shrubs. The lower levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (eCO2) and temperature in high-altitude regions resulted in a 16 % increase in An for herbaceous plants, 60 % increase for shrubs, and 43 % increase for trees compared to the low-altitude areas. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses underscored the considerable impact of environmental factors on An. Notably, photosynthetically active radiation, eCO2, and stomatal conductance were identified as positive influencers, while other factors exerted negative effects. Our results further highlighted that trees were subject to greater constraints from multiple factors compared to herbs and shrubs, aligning with the outcomes of our variance analysis. In summary, our study presents a comprehensive assessment of vegetation responses to environmental factors along elevational gradients. The significance of An in plants at high altitude to external factors suggests the potential adaptability of alpine plants, and also indicates that changes in photosynthetic physiological functions at high altitude should be paid more attention to in the study of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biying Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China
| | - Zhaoyong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
| | - Shouqin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China.
| | - Zishu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China
| | - Genxu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China
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Zhu X, Yang C, Song Y, Qiang Y, Han D, Zhang C. Changes provoked by altitudes and cooking methods in physicochemical properties, volatile profile, and sensory characteristics of yak meat. Food Chem X 2023; 20:101019. [PMID: 38144763 PMCID: PMC10739933 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2023.101019] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to shed light on the effects of altitudes and three cooking methods (boiling, steaming, and roasting) on the physicochemical quality, volatile profile, and sensorial characteristics of yak meat. Composite meat samples were prepared to represent each cooking method and altitude level from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle of nine yaks. The techniques employed were gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) along with chemometrics analysis to study the changes occurring in yak volatile profile, and TBARS measurement in lipid oxidation during cooking. Among the cooking methods, boiling and steaming exhibited higher protein and fat content while lower volatile compound contents. Additionally, roasted yak meat received the highest sensory scores, along with decreased L*-values, while elevated a*- and b*-values, and tenderness. A total of 138 volatile compounds were detected, and among them, 36 odorants were identified as odor-active compounds in cooked yak meat. It is evidenced that low-altitude yak presented more complex and richer flavor profiles than high-altitude ones. Moreover, yak meat from low- and high-altitude was classified into two groups by an electronic nose (E-nose) owing to distinct flavor characteristics. Overall, roasted yak meat originating from low altitudes tends to be more popular from a sensory perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xijin Zhu
- Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 7301070, PR China
| | - Chao Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 7301070, PR China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Yu Song
- Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Yu Qiang
- Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Dong Han
- Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Karin BR, Krone IW, Frederick J, Hamidy A, Laksono WT, Amini SS, Arida E, Arifin U, Bach BH, Bos C, Jennings CK, Riyanto A, Scarpetta SG, Stubbs AL, McGuire JA. Elevational surveys of Sulawesi herpetofauna 1: Gunung Galang, Gunung Dako Nature Reserve. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15766. [PMID: 37637176 PMCID: PMC10448876 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15766] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Indonesian island of Sulawesi has a unique geology and geography, which have produced an astoundingly diverse and endemic flora and fauna and a fascinating biogeographic history. Much biodiversity research has focused on the regional endemism in the island's Central Core and on its four peninsulas, but the biodiversity of the island's many upland regions is still poorly understood for most taxa, including amphibians and reptiles. Here, we report the first of several planned full-mountain checklists from a series of herpetological surveys of Sulawesi's mountains conducted by our team. In more than 3 weeks of work on Gunung Galang, a 2,254 m peak west of the city of Tolitoli, Sulawesi Tengah Province, on Sulawesi's Northern Peninsula, we recovered nearly fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, more than a dozen of which are either new to science or known but undescribed. The incompleteness of our sampling suggests that many more species remain to be discovered on and around this mountain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R. Karin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Isaac W. Krone
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey Frederick
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Amir Hamidy
- Research Center for Biosystematics, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Wahyu Tri Laksono
- Research Center for Biosystematics, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Sina S. Amini
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Evy Arida
- Research Center for Applied Zoology, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Umilaela Arifin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Center for Taxonomy and Morphology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bryan H. Bach
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Collin Bos
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Charlotte K. Jennings
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Awal Riyanto
- Research Center for Biosystematics, Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Simon G. Scarpetta
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Alexander L. Stubbs
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jimmy A. McGuire
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
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Islam SU, Mangral ZA, Hussain K, Tariq L, Bhat BA, Khuroo AA, Hassan Dar TU. Unravelling diversity, drivers, and indicators of soil microbiome of Trillium govanianum, an endangered plant species of the Himalaya. Environ Res 2023; 227:115819. [PMID: 37011799 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115819] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In an era of global environmental change, conservation of threatened biodiversity and ecosystem restoration are formidable ecological challenges. The forest understory strata and the belowground soil environment including rhizospheric microbial communities, which are crucial for ecosystem functioning and overall forest biodiversity maintenance, have remained understudied. Here, we investigate the soil microbiome of Trillium govanianum - an endangered Himalayan Forest herb, to unravel the underground diversity, drivers, and potential indicators of the microbial community. We collected rhizospheric and bulk soil samples for microbiome and physicochemical analysis at three sites along an elevation gradient (2500-3300 m) in Kashmir Himalaya. Amplicon sequencing of 16 S rRNA and ITS was used to identify the bacterial and fungal soil microorganisms. We found significant differences in the structure and diversity of microbial community (bacterial and fungal) between the rhizosphere and bulk soil along the altitudinal gradient, and noticeable shifts in the nutrient level in dominant microbial phyla associated with T. govanianum. A significant difference between soil physicochemical parameters and increasing altitude suggests that microbial community structure is determined by altitude and soil type. Similarly, the microbial communities showed a significant (P < 0.05) correlation with soil physicochemical variables along the altitudinal gradient. The moisture content in bacterial and total organic carbon in fungal communities showed the most substantial impact on the physiochemical drivers. We also identify potential bacterial and fungal plant growth promoter indicator species in the soil microbiome of T. govanianum. Overall, our findings provide novel research insights that can be pivotal in designing integrated species recovery programs and long-term restoration plans for T. govanianum, with learnings for biodiversity conservation elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Ul Islam
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Zahid Ahmed Mangral
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Khalid Hussain
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Lubna Tariq
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Basharat Ahmad Bhat
- Department of Bio-Resources, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Tanvir Ul Hassan Dar
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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Reif J, Gamero A, Flousek J, Hůnová I. Ambient ozone - New threat to birds in mountain ecosystems? Sci Total Environ 2023; 876:162711. [PMID: 36906038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mountain ecosystems are inhabited by species with specific characteristics enabling survival at high altitudes, which make them at risk from various pressures. In order to study these pressures, birds represent excellent model organisms due to their high diversity and position at the top of food chains. The pressures upon mountain bird populations include climate change, human disturbance, land abandonment, and air pollution, whose impacts are little understood. Ambient ozone (O3) is one of the most important air pollutants occurring in elevated concentrations in mountain conditions. Although laboratory experiments and indirect course-scale evidence suggest its negative effects on birds, population-level impacts remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we analysed a unique 25-years long time series of annual monitoring of bird populations conducted at fixed sites under constant effort in a Central European mountain range, the Giant Mountains, Czechia. We related annual population growth rates of 51 bird species to O3 concentrations measured during the breeding season and hypothesized (i) an overall negative relationship across all species, and (ii) more negative O3 effects at higher altitudes due to increasing O3 concentration along altitudinal gradient. After controlling for the influence of weather conditions on bird population growth rates, we found an indication of the overall negative effect of O3 concentration, but it was insignificant. However, the effect became stronger and significant when we performed a separate analysis of upland species occupying the alpine zone above treeline. In these species, populations growth rates were lower after the years experiencing higher O3 concentration indicating an adverse impact of O3 on bird breeding. This impact corresponds well to O3 behaviour and mountain bird ecology. Our study thus represents the first step towards mechanistic understanding of O3 impacts on animal populations in nature linking the experimental results with indirect indications at the country-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia.
| | - Anna Gamero
- Czech Society for Ornithology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Flousek
- Krkonoše National Park Administration, Vrchlabí, Czechia
| | - Iva Hůnová
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czechia
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10
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Wang Y, Sun J, Lee TM. Altitude dependence of alpine grassland ecosystem multifunctionality across the Tibetan Plateau. J Environ Manage 2023; 332:117358. [PMID: 36724595 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
While altitude affects climatic characteristics, terrestrial plant habitats, and species composition, few studies considered the effects of altitude on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). Here, we teased apart the EMF at different altitude with a linear piecewise quantile regression and explore ecosystem functions and environmental factors with EMF along the altitudinal gradient across the Tibetan Plateau. Then, we estimated the response of ecosystem functions to environmental factors, and explain the impact of environmental factors on EMF through the structural equation model. Our data revealed an EMF changepoint at an altitude of about 3900 m where the EMF could be segregated into low- and high-altitude patterns. Our results indicate that water availability drives the EMF mainly through improving soil nutrients and microbe cycling functions in low-altitude regions; conversely, water-heat and phenological conditions regulate the EMF through the role of plant productivity and soil nutrients in high-altitude regions. As such, our EMF analysis suggests that to maintain the long-term stability of the grassland ecosystem, it becomes critical to fully consider the differences in the altitudinal patterns and mechanisms, particularly under the ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- School of Life Sciences and State Key Lab of Biological Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Tien Ming Lee
- School of Life Sciences and State Key Lab of Biological Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China; School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
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11
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Li J, Wang X, Wu JH, Sun YX, Zhang YY, Zhao YF, Huang Z, Duan WH. Climate and geochemistry at different altitudes influence soil fungal community aggregation patterns in alpine grasslands. Sci Total Environ 2023; 881:163375. [PMID: 37044340 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Fungi represent key ecosystem factors that affect plant growth and development and improve soil structure and fertility. Due to changes in environmental conditions, fungi show strong spatial heterogeneity along altitudinal gradients. Current knowledge of the driving mechanisms and effects of soil fungal community construction at high altitudes is very limited on a regional scale. We collected soil samples from alpine grasslands at six altitudinal gradients (2813-5228 m) in the high-altitude area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The horizontal distance of the sampling zone spanned 1500 km. Distribution patterns, key influencing factors for soil fungal diversity, and dominant mechanisms of ecological processes in the alpine grasslands were analyzed. We found that the diversity of the soil fungal communities was significantly different at different altitudes; with increasing altitude, the number of fungal species increased. Mucoromycota was better adapted to alpine grassland ecosystems at altitudes of above 4000 m. Dispersal limitation was the main ecological control process among stochastic processes. With the increase of altitude, the dominant role of dispersal limitation gradually decreased, and the proportion of other random processes such as ecological drift gradually increased. In this study, soil geochemical factors (soil organic carbon, SOC; total phosphorus, TP) mainly influenced the composition of the fungal community in the low altitude region, while climatic factors (mean annual temperature, MAT) were the key factors and main driving forces for the composition of the soil fungal community in the alpine meadow in the high altitude region. This study supplements the information on the biogeographic distribution patterns and environmental drivers of fungal communities along altitudinal gradients at high altitudes on a regional scale. Our results highlight the effects of temperature change on fungal community composition in high altitude regions of alpine grasslands. Subsurface fungal communities should be considered when predicting the function of alpine grassland ecosystems under future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Jin Hong Wu
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yu Xin Sun
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuan Ye Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yun Fei Zhao
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China; Key Laboratory of Western China's Environment System (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wen Hui Duan
- Gansu Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, China
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12
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Hasegawa TM, Itagaki T, Sakai S. Intraspecific variation in morphology of spiny pollen grains along an altitudinal gradient in an insect-pollinated shrub. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2023; 25:287-295. [PMID: 36440587 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific variations in pollen morphological traits are poorly studied. Interspecific variations are often associated with pollination systems and pollinator types. Altitudinal environmental changes, which can influence local pollinator assemblages, provide opportunities to explore differentiation in pollen traits of a single species over short distances. The aim of this study is to examine intraspecific variations in pollen traits of an insect-pollinated shrub, Weigela hortensis (Caprifoliaceae), along an altitudinal gradient. Pollen spine phenotypes (length, number and density), pollen diameter, lipid mass (pollenkitt) around pollen grains, pollen production per flower and pollinator assemblages were compared at four sites at different altitudes. Spine length and the spine length/diameter ratio of pollen grains were greater at higher altitudes but not correlated with flower or plant size. Spine number and density increased as flower size increased, and pollen lipid mass decreased as plant size increased. Bees were the predominant pollinators at low-altitude sites whereas flies, specifically Oligoneura spp. (Acroceridae), increased in relative abundance with increasing altitude. The results of this study suggest that the increase in spine length with altitude was the result of selection favouring longer spines at higher-altitude sites and/or shorter spines at lower-altitude sites. The altitudinal variation in selection pressure on spine length could reflect changes in local pollinator assemblages with altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Hasegawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, Japan
| | - T Itagaki
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, Japan
| | - S Sakai
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai, Japan
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13
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González-Morales JC, Fajardo V, de la Vega-Pérez AHD, Barrios-Montiel R, Quintana E, Moreno-Rueda G, Rivera-Rea J, Guevara-Fiore P, Bastiaans E. Elevation and blood traits in the mesquite lizard: Are patterns repeatable between mountains? Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 276:111338. [PMID: 36336309 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ecogeographical patterns describe predictable variation in phenotypic traits between ecological communities. For example, high-altitude animals are expected to show elevated hematological values as an adaptation to the lower oxygen pressure. Mountains act like ecological islands and therefore are considered natural laboratories. However, the majority of ecophysiological studies on blood traits lack replication that would allow us to infer if the pattern reported is a local event or whether it is a widespread pattern resulting from larger-scale ecological processes. In lizards, in fact, the increase of hematological values at high altitudes has received mixed support. Here, for the first time, we compare blood traits in lizards along elevational gradients with replication. We tested the repeatability of blood traits in mesquite lizards between different elevations in three different mountains from the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We measured hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and erythrocyte size in blood samples of low, medium, and high-elevation lizards. We obtained similar elevational patterns between mountains, but the blood traits differed among mountains. Middle-altitude populations had greater oxygen-carrying capacity than lizards from low and high altitudes. The differences found between mountain systems could be the result of phenotypic plasticity or genetic differentiation as a consequence of abiotic factors not considered.
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14
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Zhang J, Xu M, Zou X, Chen J. Structural and functional characteristics of soil microbial community in a Pinus massoniana forest at different elevations. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13504. [PMID: 35860041 PMCID: PMC9290995 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13504] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Shifts in forest soil microbial communities over altitudinal gradients have long been attracting scientific interest. The distribution patterns of different soil microbial communities along altitudinal gradients in subtropical mountain forest ecosystems remain unclear. To better understand the changes in soil microbial communities along an altitude gradient, we used Illumina MiSeq metagenome sequencing technology to survey the soil microbial communities in a Pinus massoniana forest at four elevations (Mp1000, Mp1200, Mp1400, Mp1600) and in a tea garden in Guizhou Leigong Mountain in Southwestern China. We observed that the richness of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the soil microbial community changed in a unimodal pattern with increasing elevation while that of Archaea first increased significantly, then decreased, and finally increased again. Euryarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota were the predominant Archaea, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were the predominant bacterial groups, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the predominant fungal groups, and Myoviridae, Podoviridae, and Siphoviridae were the predominant virus groups. Amino acid transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, signal transduction mechanisms, and DNA replication, restructuring and repair were the predominant categories as per NOG function gene-annotation. Carbohydrate metabolism, global and overview map, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism were predominant categories in the KEGG pathways. Glycosyl transferase and glycoside hydrolase were predominant categories among carbohydrate enzyme-functional genes. Cluster, redundancy, and co-occurring network analyses showed obvious differences in the composition, structure, and function of different soil microbial communities along the altitudinal gradient studied. Our findings indicate that the different soil microbial communities along the altitudinal gradient have different distribution patterns, which may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that determine microbial life in a mid-subtropical mountain forest ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Guizhou University, Guiyang, China,Institute of Fungal Resources, Institute of Edible Fungus, College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Ming Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Guizhou University, Guiyang, China,Institute of Fungal Resources, Institute of Edible Fungus, College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiao Zou
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), Guizhou University, Guiyang, China,Institute of Fungal Resources, Institute of Edible Fungus, College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jin Chen
- Institute of Fungal Resources, Institute of Edible Fungus, College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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15
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Zeng XM, Feng J, Chen J, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Zhang Q, Zhou XQ, Yuan Y, Feng S, Zhang K, Liu YR, Huang Q. Microbial assemblies associated with temperature sensitivity of soil respiration along an altitudinal gradient. Sci Total Environ 2022; 820:153257. [PMID: 35065115 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the drivers of the response of soil microbial respiration to warming is integral to accurately forecasting the carbon-climate feedbacks in terrestrial ecosystems. Microorganisms are the fundamental drivers of soil microbial respiration and its response to warming; however, the specific microbial communities and properties involved in the process remain largely undetermined. Here, we identified the associations between microbial community and temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil microbial respiration in alpine forests along an altitudinal gradient (from 2974 to 3558 m) from the climate-sensitive Tibetan Plateau. Our results showed that changes in microbial community composition accounted for more variations of Q10 values than a wide range of other factors, including soil pH, moisture, substrate quantity and quality, microbial biomass, diversity and enzyme activities. Specifically, co-occurring microbial assemblies (i.e., ecological clusters or modules) targeting labile carbon consumption were negatively correlated with Q10 of soil microbial respiration, whereas microbial assemblies associated with recalcitrant carbon decomposition were positively correlated with Q10 of soil microbial respiration. Furthermore, there were progressive shifts of microbial assemblies from labile to recalcitrant carbon consumption along the altitudinal gradient, supporting relatively high Q10 values in high-altitude regions. Our results provide new insights into the link between changes in major microbial assemblies with different trophic strategies and Q10 of soil microbial respiration along an altitudinal gradient, highlighting that warming could have stronger effects on microbially-mediated soil organic matter decomposition in high-altitude regions than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Min Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Health and Green Remediation, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jiao Feng
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele 8830, Denmark
| | | | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xin-Quan Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yusen Yuan
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Songhui Feng
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Kexin Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Health and Green Remediation, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Qiaoyun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Colangelo M, Camarero JJ, Gazol A, Piovesan G, Borghetti M, Baliva M, Gentilesca T, Rita A, Schettino A, Ripullone F. Mediterranean old-growth forests exhibit resistance to climate warming. Sci Total Environ 2021; 801:149684. [PMID: 34467901 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Old-growth mountain forests represent an ideal setting for studying long-term impacts of climate change. We studied the few remnants of old-growth forests located within the Pollino massif (southern Italy) to evaluate how the growth of conspecific young and old trees responded to climate change. We investigated two conifer species (Abies alba and Pinus leucodermis) and two hardwood species (Fagus sylvatica and Quercus cerris). We sampled one stand per species along an altitudinal gradient, ranging from a drought-limited low-elevation hardwood forest to a cold-limited subalpine pine forest. We used a dendrochronological approach to characterize the long-term growth dynamics of old (age > 120 years) versus young (age < 120 years) trees. Younger trees grew faster than their older conspecifics during their juvenile stage, regardless of species. Linear mixed effect models were used to quantify recent growth trends (1950-2015) and responses to climate for old and young trees. Climate sensitivity, expressed as radial growth responses to climate during the last three decades, partially differed between species because high spring temperatures enhanced conifer growth, whereas F. sylvatica growth was negatively affected by warmer spring conditions. Furthermore, tree growth was negatively impacted by summer drought in all species. Climate sensitivity differed between young and old trees, with younger trees tending to be more sensitive in P. leucodermis and A. alba, whereas older F. sylvatica trees were more sensitive. In low-elevation Q. cerris stands, limitation of growth due to drought was not related to tree age, suggesting symmetric water competition. We found evidence for a fast-growth trend in young individuals compared with that in their older conspecifics. Notably, old trees tended to have relatively stable growth rates, showing remarkable resistance to climate warming. These responses to climate change should be recognized when forecasting the future dynamics of old-growth forests for their sustainable management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Colangelo
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), 50192 Zaragoza, Spain; School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), 50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), 50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Gianluca Piovesan
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Marco Borghetti
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
| | - Michele Baliva
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Tiziana Gentilesca
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
| | - Angelo Rita
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy; Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, via Università 100, IT-80055 Portici (Napoli), Italy.
| | | | - Francesco Ripullone
- School of Agricultural, Forest, Food and Environmental Sciences (SAFE), University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
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González-Morales JC, Rivera-Rea J, Moreno-Rueda G, Bastiaans E, Castro-López M, Fajardo V. Fast and dark: The case of Mezquite lizards at extreme altitude. J Therm Biol 2021; 102:103115. [PMID: 34863479 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103115] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sprint speed is a major performance trait in animal fitness involved in escaping from predators, obtaining food, and defending territory. Biotic and abiotic factors may influence sprint speed in lizards. Temperature decreases at higher altitude. Therefore, lizards at high elevations may require longer basking times to reach optimal body temperatures, increasing their vulnerability to predation and decreasing their time for other activities such as foraging or reproduction. Here, we tested whether the maximum sprint speed of a lizard that shows conservative thermal ecology varied along an altitudinal gradient comprising low (2500 m), middle (3400 m) and high-altitude (4300 m) populations. We also tested whether sprint speed was related to dorsal reflectance at different ecologically relevant temperatures. Given that the lizard Sceloporus grammicus shows conservative thermal ecology with altitude, we expected that overall average sprint speed would not vary with altitude. However, given that darker lizards heat up quicker, we expected that darker lizards would be faster than lighter lizards. Our results suggest that S. grammicus at high altitude are faster and darker at 30 °C, while lizards from low and middle altitude are faster and lighter in color at 20 °C than high altitude lizards. Also, our results suggest a positive relationship between sprint speed and dorsal skin reflectance at 10 and 20 °C. Sprint speed was also affected by snout-vent length, leg length, and leg thickness at 10 °C. These results suggest that, even though predation pressure is lower at extreme altitudes, other factors such as vegetation cover or foraging mode have influenced sprint speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos González-Morales
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Km 1.5 Carretera Tlaxcala-Puebla S/N, AP 262, Tlaxcala, Mexico; Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México
| | - Jimena Rivera-Rea
- Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México; Posgrado en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México, Instituto Literario No. 100, Colonia Centro, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50000, Mexico
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva S/N, E-18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabeth Bastiaans
- Biology Department, State University of New York College at Oneonta, 108 Ravine Parkway, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA
| | - Meily Castro-López
- Universidad del Istmo, Campus Juchitán, Carretera Transísmica Juchitán-La ventosa Km. 14, La ventosa, Oaxaca, AP 70102, México
| | - Víctor Fajardo
- Instituto para la Conservación de la Cordillera Neovolcánica ante al Cambio Climático, Lago Atitlán No. 502B, Colonia Nueva Oxtotitlán, Toluca, Estado de México, C.P. 50100, México.
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Resco de Dios V, Hedo J, Cunill Camprubí À, Thapa P, Martínez Del Castillo E, Martínez de Aragón J, Bonet JA, Balaguer-Romano R, Díaz-Sierra R, Yebra M, Boer MM. Climate change induced declines in fuel moisture may turn currently fire-free Pyrenean mountain forests into fire-prone ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 2021; 797:149104. [PMID: 34303242 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fuel moisture limits the availability of fuel to wildfires in many forest areas worldwide, but the effects of climate change on moisture constraints remain largely unknown. Here we addressed how climate affects fuel moisture in pine stands from Catalonia, NE Spain, and the potential effects of increasing climate aridity on burned area in the Pyrenees, a mesic mountainous area where fire is currently rare. We first quantified variation in fuel moisture in six sites distributed across an altitudinal gradient where the long-term mean annual temperature and precipitation vary by 6-15 °C and 395-933 mm, respectively. We observed significant spatial variation in live (78-162%) and dead (10-15%) fuel moisture across sites. The pattern of variation was negatively linked (r = |0.6|-|0.9|) to increases in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and in the Aridity Index. Using seasonal fire records over 2006-2020, we observed that summer burned area in the Mediterranean forests of Northeast Spain and Southern France was strongly dependent on VPD (r = 0.93), the major driver (and predictor) of dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) at our sites. Based on the difference between VPD thresholds associated with large wildfire seasons in the Mediterranean (3.6 kPa) and the maximum VPD observed in surrounding Pyrenean mountains (3.1 kPa), we quantified the "safety margin" for Pyrenean forests (difference between actual VPD and that associated with large wildfires) at 0.5 kPa. The effects of live fuel moisture content (LFMC) on burned area were not significant under current conditions, a situation that may change with projected increases in climate aridity. Overall, our results indicate that DFMC in currently fire-free areas in Europe, like the Pyrenees, with vast amounts of fuel in many forest stands, may reach critical dryness thresholds beyond the safety margin and experience large wildfires after only mild increases in VPD, although LFMC can modulate the response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Resco de Dios
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China; Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC-AGROTECNIO, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
| | - Javier Hedo
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | | | - Prakash Thapa
- Master in Mediterranean Forestry, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | | | - Juan Martínez de Aragón
- Joint Research Unit CTFC-AGROTECNIO, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain; Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, Solsona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Bonet
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain; Joint Research Unit CTFC-AGROTECNIO, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Balaguer-Romano
- Mathematical and Fluid Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén Díaz-Sierra
- Mathematical and Fluid Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Yebra
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia; Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; School of Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Matthias M Boer
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
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Birhane E, Gebregergs T, Hailemariam M, Norgrove L, Aynekulu E. Root Colonization and Spore Abundance of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Along Altitudinal Gradients in Fragmented Church Natural Forest Remnants in Northern Ethiopia. Microb Ecol 2021; 82:233-242. [PMID: 33851256 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01744-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore density and root colonization are considered sensitive to host species and abiotic factors such as climate and soil. However, there is a knowledge gap about how fragmented native forest remnants might contribute to AMF conservation, what is the AMF spore density and root colonization, and to what extent climate change, particularly warming, might impact AMF. The aim of the study was to quantify the AMF spore density and root colonization along altitudinal gradients in three agro-ecological zones of nine church forests in northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 45 plots. All the surveyed church forest species were colonized by AMF. However, we found a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in root colonization and AMF abundance in forests at high elevation. The topsoil had significantly (p < 0.05) higher root colonization and AMF abundance than subsurface soil. We found strong negative correlations between altitude and both spore density and root colonization and soil fertility. While we cannot separate whether spore density was temperature or soil limited, we can demonstrate the importance of conserving certain tree species, particularly Ficus species, which harbor high spore densities, in both lowland and midland church forests. In the highland, no Ficus species were found. However, Hagenia abyssinica, another Rosales, had the highest spore density in the highland ecoregion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiru Birhane
- Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Mengisteab Hailemariam
- Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia
| | - Lindsey Norgrove
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Länggasse 85, 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Ermias Aynekulu
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
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Pompa-García M, González-Cásares M, Gazol A, Camarero JJ. Run to the hills: Forest growth responsiveness to drought increased at higher elevation during the late 20th century. Sci Total Environ 2021; 772:145286. [PMID: 33578149 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145286] [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: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming is expected to enhance forest growth in cold-limited biomes while triggering reductions in drought-limited biomes. However, as temperature raises, it is unclear how temperature- and drought-growth couplings shift across elevation gradients in different biomes. We still lack comprehensive analyses on how altitude modulates the influence of temperature and drought on tree growth during the second half of the 20th century when climate warming accelerated. We compared the worldwide responses of tree growth (RWI, ring-width indices) to two of its major climatic constraints, growing-season minimum temperatures and drought (SPEI index), across biomes and elevation gradients during two periods with different warming rates (1960-1980 vs. 1980-2000). We found a decrease in the correlations of minimum temperatures with growth, but a strengthening of drought-growth relationships. However, these patterns varied across biomes because correlations between growth and temperature decreased in temperate forests and woodland shrubland, while correlations between growth and SPEI increased in boreal forests and decreased in temperate forests. Differences in growth responsiveness to climate between the two periods were more marked for mid-latitude forests situated between 1200 and 1600 m. The slopes of the relationships between growth-temperature correlations and elevation decreased in late spring and midsummer. The slopes of the relationships between growth-drought correlations and elevation increased in temperate forests and woodland shrubland suggesting that drought impacts are "climbing" in these biomes. Temperature controls on forest growth are relaxing as the climate warms, while drought is becoming a more significant constraint for tree growth, particularly for mid-elevation forests and in drought-prone woodland and shrubland. The strengthening of drought-growth coupling should be considered in vegetation models to reduce the uncertainty on forest climate mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marín Pompa-García
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico.
| | | | - Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain.
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21
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Kiełtyk P. Intraspecific morphological variation of Bellidiastrum michelii (Asteraceae) along a 1,155 m elevation gradient in the Tatra Mountains. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11286. [PMID: 33959426 PMCID: PMC8054757 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant species that inhabit large elevation gradients in mountain regions are exposed to different environmental conditions. These different conditions may influence plant morphology via plastic responses and/or via genetic adaptation to the local environment. In this study, morphological variation was examined for Bellidiastrum michelii Cass. (Asteraceae) plants growing along a 1,155 m elevation gradient in the Tatra Mountains in Central Europe. The aim was to contribute to gaining a better understanding of within-species morphological variation in a mountain species across elevation gradients. Twelve morphological traits, which were measured for 340 plants collected from 34 sites, were plotted against elevation using Generalised Additive Models. Significant variation in B. michelii morphology was found across the elevation gradient. Plant size, in the form of plant height, total aboveground mass and total leaf mass, decreased significantly with increasing elevation. Similarly, floral traits, such as flower head mass, total flower mass, individual flower mass, flower head diameter and ligulate and tubular flower length, also decreased significantly with increasing elevation. However, the changes in these floral traits were not as large as those observed for plant size traits. Interestingly, the number of flowers produced by the plant, both ligulate and tubular, did not change across the studied elevation gradient. In this study, elevation was found to be an important gradient across which significant intraspecific morphological variation occurred in a mountain plant. These morphological changes may have occurred in response to various abiotic and biotic factors that change along elevation gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Kiełtyk
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
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22
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Midolo G, Kuss P, Wellstein C. Land use and water availability drive community-level plant functional diversity of grasslands along a temperature gradient in the Swiss Alps. Sci Total Environ 2021; 764:142888. [PMID: 33131863 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142888] [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: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits of mountain grassland communities strongly depend upon temperature variation along elevational gradients. However, little is known to what degree the direction of such trait-temperature relationships is shaped by other environmental factors or land-use types. Here, we investigated context-dependent patterns of plant functional trait variation in alpine grassland communities. Specifically, we tested whether temperature (degree-days) variation along an elevational gradient, interacts with water availability, soil properties and land-use type to moderate such patterns. We used cover-abundance and plant-trait data from 236 grassland relevés of the Swiss Alps along an elevational range of 500-2400 m a.s.l. with plant traits being specific leaf area (L), seed releasing height (H) and seed mass (S). We used indices capturing different dimensions of plant functional diversity as response variables, i.e. community weighted mean (CWM), trait range (TR) and functional dispersion (FDis). Land-use type and water availability interacted significantly with degree-days determining the responses of multiple plant traits community attributes. Specific leaf area (CWML) and seed releasing height (CWMH) increased with temperature in meadows and pastures, while no significant trend was detected in fallows. In meadows, seed mass (CWMS) increased and was at the same time less constrained (higher TRS) with increasing temperature. In pastures and fallows, by contrast, no seed trait-temperature trends were detected. In addition, water availability interacted with increasing temperature affecting functional dispersion: FDisL decreased only in sites with higher site water balance and TRS and FDisS increased in sites with low mean summer precipitation. Our findings suggest that functional diversity of grasslands might respond to climate warming with strong ecological differences depending on land-use types and water availability. Based on our results, managed meadows and pastures most likely change in direction to species with more acquisitive strategies, whereas in fallows, no specific trajectory of change is expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Midolo
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Patrick Kuss
- Institute of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
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Migliozzi A, Catalano I, Mingo A, Aprile GG. Detecting the drivers of functional diversity in a local lichen flora: a case study on the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina (southern Italy). Oecologia 2020; 194:757-770. [PMID: 33129203 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04790-x] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Current strategies for conservation reportedly suffer from an inadequate awareness of the drivers affecting lichen diversity, pointing to the need to fully develop a functional approach to lichen ecology. This study is an attempt to detect the drivers affecting functional diversity in the lichen flora of a volcanic Mediterranean area. Data on epiphytic lichen distribution were correlated with information coming from a GIS analysis. Species richness, functional diversity and indicator values of lichens species were analyzed as a function of altitude, bioclimatic patterns and land use patterns. Both taxonomic and functional diversity were found to increase with altitude, peaking at 600 m a.s.l. and slightly decreasing at higher elevations. A filtering effect of altitude on lichen growth-forms was detected at increasing altitude, with foliose isidiate lichens replacing crustose lichens with sexual reproduction, cyanobacteria replacing Trentepohlia as photobiont, and oligotrophic species linked to partially shaded environments gradually replacing species indicating eutrophic conditions. Forest stations impacted by low impact traditional agriculture tended to express higher lichen diversity compared to either undisturbed broadleaved forests or intensive orchards. These data demonstrate the need to integrate traditional low-impact agricultural practices in protected areas. Moreover, they provide the evidence that reanalyzing past and recent lichenological censuses with the proposed analytical tools may help previewing and driving the evolution of endangered ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonello Migliozzi
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, 80055, Naples, Italy
| | - Immacolata Catalano
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, 80055, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Mingo
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, 80055, Naples, Italy.
| | - Giuseppa Grazia Aprile
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via Università, 100, Portici, 80055, Naples, Italy
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Sam K, Koane B. Biomass, abundances, and abundance and geographical range size relationship of birds along a rainforest elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9727. [PMID: 32923179 PMCID: PMC7457928 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9727] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The usually positive inter-specific relationship between geographical range size and the abundance of local bird populations comes with exceptions. On continents, the majority of these exceptions have been described from tropical montane areas in Africa, where geographically-restricted bird species are unusually abundant. We asked how the local abundances of passerine and non-passerine bird species along an elevational gradient on Mt. Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea relate to their geographical range size. We collected data on bird assemblages at eight elevations (200–3,700 m, at 500 m elevational increments). We used a standardized point-counts at 16 points at each elevational study site. We partitioned the birds into feeding guilds, and we obtained data on geographical range sizes from the Bird-Life International data zone. We observed a positive relationship between abundance and geographical range size in the lowlands. This trend changed to a negative one towards higher elevations. The total abundances of the assemblage showed a hump-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient, with passerine birds, namely passerine insectivores, driving the observed pattern. In contrast to abundances, the mean biomass of the bird assemblages decreased with increasing elevation. Our results show that montane bird species maintain dense populations which compensate for the decreased available area near the top of the mountain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Entomology Institute, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Bonny Koane
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
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25
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Salgado-Maldonado G, Caspeta-Mandujano JM, Mendoza-Franco EF, Rubio-Godoy M, García-Vázquez A, Mercado-Silva N, Guzmán-Valdivieso I, Matamoros W. Data from monogenean and endohelminth communities in twospot livebearer Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) populations in a neotropical river. Data Brief 2020; 32:106180. [PMID: 32904303 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Competition from sea to mountain: interactions and aggregation in low diversity monogenean and endohelminth communities in twospot livebearer Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) populations in a neotropical river.” accepted for publication in Ecology and Evolution. The data describes the communities of helminth parasites in 11 populations of a small poeciliid freshwater fish Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus (Heckel, 1848) sampled along the La Antigua river basin in Veracruz, Mexico. We examined 19 P bimaculatus from one locality, 21 from another locality, and 20 from each of the other nine locations sampled in June 2016. A total of 220 individual fish were examined, and in this paper we provide the data for 18 helminth parasite taxa recorded from them. The material in this Data paper comprised the raw data on the abundance, i.e. the number of helminth individuals of each of 18 taxa found in each one individual of P. bimaculatus from each of 11 localities. The data set is contained in a single text-table including one matrix containing each of the 220 host P. bimaculatus examined from 11 localities (lines). Measures for each host P. bimaculatus include total length, standard length, maximum deep and sex, documented for everyone fish examined, plus data of the number of individual helminth of each taxa collected by each examined fish are placed in the columns. These data might be used to examine spatial distribution of helminth parasite taxa. These data might be reused to examine the spatial variation in community structure of helminth parasites of freshwater fish. This kind of data could be used to provide an assessment of human environmental impacts, or for public awareness of conservation objectives.
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Ruperto EF, Taraborelli PA, Menéndez J, Sassi PL. Developmental environment influences activity levels in a montane rodent, Phyllotis xanthopygus. ZOOLOGY 2020; 142:125818. [PMID: 32745957 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125818] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ambient temperature and thermal variability play a crucial role in diverse aspects of organisms' biology. In the current context of climate change, it is critical to understand how temperature impacts traits that could affect fitness. In Phyllotis xanthopygus, a small altricial rodent inhabiting an altitudinal gradient in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, the behavioral response to temperature varies between populations from different altitudes. Animals from high altitude (cold environment) reduce their activity rate at high temperatures, in contrast to animals from low altitude (relatively warmer environment). The goal of this study was to unveil the mechanism underlying such intraspecific behavioral variability in P. xanthopygus. We characterized activity rates under different thermal treatments both for wild-reared and lab-reared animals. As we expected, the intraspecific variability shown by animals raised at different altitudes in the field disappeared in animals raised under homogenous conditions in the laboratory. Our results are indicative of ontogenetic plasticity in P. xanthopygus and suggest that the behavioral versatility of adult individuals to deal with thermal challenges is shaped by the range of environmental conditions experienced during their early life. This adds to the list of features that modulate the biological performance of individuals and could influence the relative vulnerability of populations inhabiting different elevations under the global disturbance of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Fabián Ruperto
- Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT-Mendoza, CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n - Parque Gral, San Martín, M5500, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Paula Andrea Taraborelli
- EEA BARROW, Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria and CONICET, Calle 16 Nº 674 M7620, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Josefina Menéndez
- Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT-Mendoza, CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n - Parque Gral, San Martín, M5500, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Paola Lorena Sassi
- Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT-Mendoza, CONICET, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n - Parque Gral, San Martín, M5500, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Jorge Contreras 1300, M5502 JMA, Mendoza, Argentina.
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Montoya-Ciriaco N, Gómez-Acata S, Muñoz-Arenas LC, Dendooven L, Estrada-Torres A, Díaz de la Vega-Pérez AH, Navarro-Noya YE. Dietary effects on gut microbiota of the mesquite lizard Sceloporus grammicus (Wiegmann, 1828) across different altitudes. Microbiome 2020; 8:6. [PMID: 31980039 PMCID: PMC6982387 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-0783-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [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: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-altitude ecosystems are extreme environments that generate specific physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations in ectotherms. The shifts in gut microbiota of the ectothermic hosts as an adaptation to environmental changes are still largely unknown. We investigated the food ingested and the bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities in feces of the lizard Sceloporus grammicus inhabiting an altitudinal range using metabarcoding approaches. RESULTS The bacterial phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and the genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides dominated the core fecal bacteriome, while Zygomycota and Ascomycota, and the species Basidiobolus ranarum and Basidiobolus magnus dominated the core fecal mycobiome. The diet of S. grammicus included 29 invertebrate families belonging to Arachnida, Chilopoda, and Insecta. The diversity and abundance of its diet decreased sharply at high altitudes, while the abundance of plant material and Agaricomycetes was significantly higher at the highest site. The composition of the fecal microbiota of S. grammicus was different at the three altitudes, but not between females and males. Dietary restriction in S. grammicus at 4150 m might explain the high fecal abundance of Akkermansia and Oscillopira, bacteria characteristic of long fasting periods, while low temperature favored B. magnus. A high proportion of bacterial functions were digestive in S. grammicus at 2600 and 3100, while metabolism of aminoacids, vitamins, and key intermediates of metabolic pathways were higher at 4150 m. Different assemblages of fungal species in the lizard reflect differences in the environments at different elevations. Pathogens were more prevalent at high elevations than at the low ones. CONCLUSIONS Limiting food resources at high elevations might oblige S. grammicus to exploit other food resources and its intestinal microbiota have degradative and detoxifying capacities. Sceloporus grammicus might have acquired B. ranarum from the insects infected by the fungus, but its commensal relationship might be established by the quitinolytic capacities of B. ranarum. The mycobiome participate mainly in digestive and degradative functions while the bacteriome in digestive and metabolic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Montoya-Ciriaco
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | | | - Ligia Catalina Muñoz-Arenas
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
| | - Luc Dendooven
- Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Cinvestav, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Arturo Estrada-Torres
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, México
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Sharma B, Arora S, Sahoo D, Deswal R. Comparative fatty acid profiling of Indian seabuckthorn showed altitudinal gradient dependent species-specific variations. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 2020; 26:41-49. [PMID: 32158119 PMCID: PMC7036392 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-019-00720-1] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The present study provides the first comparative fatty acid profiling of the three Indian seabuckthorn species, collected from varying altitudes (2900-4300 masl) of Trans-Himalayas (Hippophae rhamnoides, H. tibetana) and Sikkim Himalayas (H. salicifolia) regions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed variability in fatty acid composition of different seabuckthorn populations. Sikkim populations showed higher (1.28-1.6 folds) palmitic acid than Trans-Himalayan populations which possess higher linoleic (1.3-1.5 folds) and linolenic (1.6-1.8 folds) acids. Interestingly, a strong altitudinal gradient associated positive correlation was observed with the degree of unsaturation and PUFA content while negative correlation was observed with saturated fatty acids content of different seabuckthorn populations. H. salicifolia collected from Sikkim showed healthy ω-6:ω-3 ratio (closer to 1:1) of functional lipids exhibiting its better nutraceutical potential than other commonly used seed oils. Interestingly, H. tibetana from Losar showed higher (5.81) degree of unsaturation than Sikkim populations (3.5) suggesting its better stress tolerance trait. Chemo-taxonomic diversity analysis also formed two broad clusters of Trans-Himalayan and Sikkim populations which correlated with earlier taxonomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhavana Sharma
- Molecular Physiology and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110007 India
| | - Shaweta Arora
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi India
| | - Dinabandhu Sahoo
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Imphal, Manipur India
| | - Renu Deswal
- Molecular Physiology and Proteomics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110007 India
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Wang Y, Case B, Rossi S, Dawadi B, Liang E, Ellison AM. Frost controls spring phenology of juvenile Smith fir along elevational gradients on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Int J Biometeorol 2019; 63:963-972. [PMID: 30903292 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01710-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Impacts of climatic means on spring phenology are well documented, whereas the role of climatic variance, such as occurrence of spring frosts, has long been neglected. A large elevational gradient of forests on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau provides an ideal platform to explore correlates of spring phenology and environmental factors. We tested the hypothesis that spring frost was a major factor regulating the timing of bud-leaf phenology by combining 5 years of in situ phenological observations of Abies georgei var. smithii with concurrent air temperature data along two altitudinal gradients. Mean lapse rate for the onset of bud swelling and leaf unfolding was 3.1 ± 0.5 days/100 m and 3.0 ± 0.6 days/100 m, respectively. Random forest analysis and conditional inference trees revealed that the frequency of freezing events was a critical factor in determining the timing of bud swelling, independent of topographic differences, varying accumulation of chilling days, and degree-days. In contrast, the onset of leaf unfolding was primarily controlled by the bud swelling onset. Thus, the timing of bud swelling and leaf unfolding appear to be controlled directly and indirectly, respectively, by spring frost. Using space-for-time substitution, the frequency of spring freezing events decreased by 7.1 days with 1 °C of warming. This study provides evidence for impacts of late spring frosts on spring phenology, which have been underappreciated in research on phenological sensitivity to climate but should be included in phenology models. Fewer spring freezing events with warming have important implications for the upward migration of alpine forests and treelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Bradley Case
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555, Boulevard de I'Université, Chicoutimi, QC, G7H2B1, Canada
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Binod Dawadi
- Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Eryuan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Aaron M Ellison
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, 324 North Main St, Petersham, MA, 01366, USA
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Corella JP, Saiz-Lopez A, Sierra MJ, Mata MP, Millán R, Morellón M, Cuevas CA, Moreno A, Valero-Garcés BL. Trace metal enrichment during the Industrial Period recorded across an altitudinal transect in the Southern Central Pyrenees. Sci Total Environ 2018; 645:761-772. [PMID: 30031334 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J P Corella
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - A Saiz-Lopez
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - M J Sierra
- CIEMAT, Department of the Environment (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M P Mata
- Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Rios Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain
| | - R Millán
- CIEMAT, Department of the Environment (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M Morellón
- CITIMAC, University of Cantabria, Faculty of Science, Avenida de los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - C A Cuevas
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Moreno
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain; Laboratorio Internacional de Cambio Global, CSIC-PUC-UFRJ, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - B L Valero-Garcés
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain; Laboratorio Internacional de Cambio Global, CSIC-PUC-UFRJ, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
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Tzortzaki AE, Vokou D, Halley JM. Campanula lingulata populations on Mt. Olympus, Greece: where's the "abundant centre"? J Biol Res (Thessalon) 2017; 24:1. [PMID: 28105407 PMCID: PMC5237553 DOI: 10.1186/s40709-016-0058-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The abundant-centre hypothesis (ACH) assumes that a species becomes more abundant at the centre of its range, where the environmental conditions are most favorable. As we move away from this centre, abundance and occupancy decline. Although this is obvious intuitively, efforts to confirm the hypothesis have often failed. We investigated the abundance patterns of Campanula lingulata across its altitudinal range on Mt. Olympus, Greece, in order to evaluate the "abundant centre" hypothesis along an elevation gradient. Furthermore, we explored the species' presence and dynamics at multiple spatial scales. METHODS We recorded flowering individuals during the summer months of 2012 and 2013 along a series of transects defined by paths. We investigated whether the probability of acquiring a larger number of individuals is larger toward the centre of its altitudinal distribution. We also calculated mean presence and turnover at different spatial scales that ranged from quadrats of 10 × 10 m2 to about 10 × 10 km2. RESULTS We were able to identify an abundant centre but only for one of the years of sampling. During the second year, we noted a two-peak abundance pattern; with the first peak occurring at 650-750 m and the second at 1100-1300 m. Variability in the species-presence pattern is observed across a wide range of spatial scales. The pattern along the transect displays fractal characteristics, consistent with a dimension of 0.24-0.29. We found substantial changes of state between the 2 years at all resolutions. CONCLUSIONS Our results do not contradict the ACH, but indicate that ecological distributions exhibit types of variability that make the detection of abundant centres more difficult than expected. When a random fractal disturbance is superimposed upon an abundant centre, we can expect a pattern in which the centre is difficult to discern from a single instance. A multi-resolution or fractal approach to environmental variability is a promising approach for describing this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia E Tzortzaki
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Despoina Vokou
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - John M Halley
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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Marcora PI, Tecco PA, Zeballos SR, Hensen I. Influence of altitude on local adaptation in upland tree species from central Argentina. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2017; 19:123-131. [PMID: 27714909 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Steep climatic gradients boost morphological and physiological adjustments in plants, with consequences on performance. The three principal woody species of the Sierras Grandes Mountains of central Argentina have marked differences in sapling performance along their altitudinal distribution. We hypothesize that the steep gradient of climatic conditions across the species' altitudinal distribution promotes trait differences between populations of different altitudes that are inherited by the following generation. Seeds from different altitudes were exposed to three temperature regimes to assess differential germination responses. Saplings were then transplanted to a greenhouse to assess possible variations in attributes and performance after 18 months. The three species showed differences in germination responses to temperature among altitudes and/or in sapling attributes and performance. In Maytenus boaria and Escallonia cordobensis, germination success was higher under high temperatures for the highest-altitude, whereas lower temperatures boosted germination of the lowest altitudes. Polylepis australis showed no differences in germination among temperature treatments. In the greenhouse, saplings of the three species from intermediate altitudes showed high performance, whereas the upper and lower populations seemed to be adjusted to tolerating more stressful conditions (i.e., lower temperatures at the upper end and water stress at the lower end), showing lower performance toward both altitudinal limits. These patterns agree with those described for saplings growing under field conditions, suggesting adjustments in response to environmental changes undergone by populations along the altitudinal range. The marked adjustments of populations to the local environment suggest a potentially high impact of climatic change on species distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- P I Marcora
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologíaVegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - P A Tecco
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologíaVegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - S R Zeballos
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de BiologíaVegetal (CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - I Hensen
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin-Luther-University Halle Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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Moustafa MF, Hesham AEL, Quraishi MS, Alrumman SA. Variations in genetic and chemical constituents of Ziziphus spina-christi L. populations grown at various altitudinal zonation up to 2227 m height. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2016; 14:349-362. [PMID: 30647633 PMCID: PMC6299872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgeb.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Altitudinal gradient-defined specific environmental conditions could lead to genetics and chemical variations among individuals of the same species. By using RAPD, ISSR, GC-MS and HPLC analysis, the genetic and chemical diversity of Ziziphus spina-christi plants at various altitudinal gradient namely; Abha (2227.86 m), Dala Valley (1424 m), Rakhma Valley (1000 m), Raheb Valley (505 m) and Al-Marbh (147 m) were estimated. RAPD markers revealed that the highest similarity value (40.22%) was between Raheb Valley and Al-Marbh while the lowest similarity (10.08%) was between Abha and Raheb Valley. Based on ISSR markers the highest similarity value (61.54%) was also between Raheb Valley and Al-Marbh, while the lowest similarity (26.84%) was between Abha and Rakhma Valley. GC-MS results showed the presence of various phytochemical constituents in each population. The dendrogram based on chemical compounds separated the Z. spina-christi grown at the highest elevations (Abha) from the populations in lower elevations. HPLC analysis showed that the leaves of Z. spina-christi plant contain considerable amount of vitamins including B1, B12, B2 and folic acid. In conclusion, there is a close relation between altitudinal gradients, genetic diversity and chemical constituents of the leaves of Z. spina-christi plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud F. Moustafa
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
| | - Abd El-Latif Hesham
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Genetics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Manal S. Quraishi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sulaiman A. Alrumman
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
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Bhardwaj DR, Banday M, Pala NA, Rajput BS. Variation of biomass and carbon pool with NDVI and altitude in sub-tropical forests of northwestern Himalaya. Environ Monit Assess 2016; 188:635. [PMID: 27778217 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5626-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, forests at three altitudes, viz., A1 (600-900 m), A2 (900-1200 m) and A3 (1200-1500 m) above mean sea level having normalised differential vegetation index (NDVI) values of N1 (0.0-0.1), N2 (0.1-0.2), N3 (0.2-0.3), N4 (0.3-0.4) and N5 (0.4-0.5) were selected for studying their relationship with the biomass and carbon pool in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study reported maximum stem density of (928 trees ha-1) at the A2 altitude and minimum in the A3 and A1 with 600 trees ha-1 each. The stem densities in relation to NDVIs were observed in the order N5 > N3 > N4 > N1 > N2 and did not show any definite trend with increasing altitude. Highest stem volume (295.7 m3 ha-1) was observed in N1 NDVI and minimum (194.1 m3 ha-1) in N3 index. The trend observed for stem biomass at different altitudes was A3 > A1 > A2 and for NDVIs, it was N5 > N1 > N4 > N2 > N3. Maximum aboveground biomass (265.83 t ha-1) was recorded in the 0.0-0.1 NDVI and minimum (169.05 t ha-1) in 0.2-0.3 NDVI index. Significantly, maximum total soil carbon density (90.82 t C ha-1) was observed in 0.4-0.5 NDVI followed by 0.3-0.4 NDVI (77.12 t C ha-1). The relationship between soil carbon and other studied parameters was derived through different functions simultaneously. Cubic function showed highest r 2 in most cases, followed by power, inverse and exponential function. The relationship with NDVI showed highest r 2 (0.62) through cubic functions. In relationship between ecosystem carbon with other parameters of different altitudinal gradient and NDVI, only one positively significant relation was formed with total density (0.579) through cubic function. The present study thus reveals that soil carbon density was directly related to altitude and NDVIs, but the vegetation carbon density did not bear any significant relation with altitude and NDVI.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Bhardwaj
- Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
| | - Muneesa Banday
- Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Nazir A Pala
- Department of Forestry, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India
| | - Bhalendra Singh Rajput
- College of Forestry & Horticulture, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Hofmann K, Lamprecht A, Pauli H, Illmer P. Distribution of Prokaryotic Abundance and Microbial Nutrient Cycling Across a High-Alpine Altitudinal Gradient in the Austrian Central Alps is Affected by Vegetation, Temperature, and Soil Nutrients. Microb Ecol 2016; 72:704-716. [PMID: 27401822 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0803-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the altitudinal distributions of soil microorganisms are rare or have led to contradictory results. Therefore, we studied archaeal and bacterial abundance and microbial-mediated activities across an altitudinal gradient (2700 to 3500 m) on the southwestern slope of Mt. Schrankogel (Central Alps, Austria). Sampling sites distributed over the alpine (2700 to 2900 m), the alpine-nival (3000 to 3100 m), and the nival altitudinal belts (3200 to 3500 m), which are populated by characteristic plant assemblages. Bacterial and archaeal abundances were measured via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Moreover, microbial biomass C, microbial activity (dehydrogenase), and enzymes involved in carbon (CM-cellulase), nitrogen (protease), phosphorus (alkaline phosphatase), and sulfur (arylsulfatase) cycling were determined. Abundances, microbial biomass C, and activities almost linearly decreased along the gradient. Archaeal abundance experienced a sharper decrease, thus pointing to pronounced sensitivity toward environmental harshness. Additionally, abundance and activities were significantly higher in soils of the alpine belt compared with those of the nival belt, whereas the alpine-nival ecotone represented a transitional area with intermediate values, thus highlighting the importance of vegetation. Archaeal abundance along the gradient was significantly related to soil temperature only, whereas bacterial abundance was significantly related to temperature and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations explained most of the variance in enzyme activities involved in the cycling of C, N, P, and S. Increasing temperature could therefore increase the abundances and activities of microorganisms either directly or indirectly via expansion of alpine vegetation to higher altitudes and increased plant cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Hofmann
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Andrea Lamprecht
- GLORIA coordination, Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences and Center for Global Change and Sustainability, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Pauli
- GLORIA coordination, Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences and Center for Global Change and Sustainability, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Illmer
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Xu X, Zhang H, Tian W, Zeng X, Huang H. Altitudinal patterns of plant diversity on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, southwestern China. Springerplus 2016; 5:1566. [PMID: 27652139 PMCID: PMC5023648 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-3052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Understanding altitudinal patterns of biological diversity and their underlying mechanisms is critically important for biodiversity conservation in mountainous regions. The contribution of area to plant diversity patterns is widely acknowledged and may mask the effects of other determinant factors. In this context, it is important to examine altitudinal patterns of corrected taxon richness by eliminating the area effect. Here we adopt two methods to correct observed taxon richness: a power-law relationship between richness and area, hereafter “method 1”; and richness counted in equal-area altitudinal bands, hereafter “method 2”. We compare these two methods on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which is the nearest large-scale altitudinal gradient to the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere. Results We find that seed plant species richness, genus richness, family richness, and species richness of trees, shrubs, herbs and Groups I–III (species with elevational range size <150, between 150 and 500, and >500 m, respectively) display distinct hump-shaped patterns along the equal-elevation altitudinal gradient. The corrected taxon richness based on method 2 (TRcor2) also shows hump-shaped patterns for all plant groups, while the one based on method 1 (TRcor1) does not. As for the abiotic factors influencing the patterns, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, and mid-domain effect explain a larger part of the variation in TRcor2 than in TRcor1. Conclusions In conclusion, for biodiversity patterns on the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, method 2 preserves the significant influences of abiotic factors to the greatest degree while eliminating the area effect. Our results thus reveal that although the classical method 1 has earned more attention and approval in previous research, method 2 can perform better under certain circumstances. We not only confirm the essential contribution of method 1 in community ecology, but also highlight the significant role of method 2 in eliminating the area effect, and call for more application of method 2 in further macroecological studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-016-3052-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Xu
- North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Huayong Zhang
- North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Wang Tian
- North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Xiaoqiang Zeng
- North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Hai Huang
- North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206 China
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Gouveia AR, Bjørnstad ON, Tkadlec E. Dissecting geographic variation in population synchrony using the common vole in central Europe as a test bed. Ecol Evol 2015; 6:212-8. [PMID: 26811786 PMCID: PMC4716503 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial synchrony of population fluctuations is ubiquitous in nature. Theoretical models suggest that correlated environmental stochasticity, dispersal, and trophic interactions are important promoters of synchrony in nature to leave characteristic signatures of distance‐dependent decays in synchrony. Recent refinements of this theory have clarified how distance‐decay curves may steepen if local dynamics are governed by different density‐dependent feedbacks and how synchrony should vary regionally if the importance and correlation of environmental stochasticity is location‐specific. We analysed spatiotemporal data for the common vole, Microtus arvalis from 49 districts in the Czech Republic to examine the pattern of population synchrony between 2000 and 2014. By extending the nonparametric covariation function, we develop a quantitative method that allows a dissection of the effects of distance and additional variables such as altitude on synchrony. To examine the pattern of local synchrony, we apply the noncentered local‐indicators of spatial association (ncLISA) which highlights areas with different degrees of synchrony than expected by the region‐wide average. Additionally, in order to understand the obtained pattern of local spatial correlations, we have regressed LISA results against the proportion of forest in each district. The common vole abundances fluctuated strongly and exhibited synchronous dynamics with the typical tendency for a decline of synchrony with increasing distance but, not with altitude. The correlation between the neighbor districts decreases as the proportion of forest increases. Forested areas are suboptimum habitats and are strongly avoided by common voles. The investigation of spatiotemporal dynamics in animal populations is a key issue in ecology. Although the majority of studies are focused on testing hypotheses about which mechanisms are involved in shaping this dynamics it is crucial to understand the sources of variation involved in order to understand the underlying processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Gouveia
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science Palacky University Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 77146 Olomouc Czech Republic
| | - Ottar N Bjørnstad
- Departement of Entomology and the Centre for Infectious Disease Dynamics the Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Emil Tkadlec
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science Palacky University Olomouc Šlechtitelů 2777146 Olomouc Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Květná 8603 65 Brno Czech Republic
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Habibi G, Ajory N. The effect of drought on photosynthetic plasticity in Marrubium vulgare plants growing at low and high altitudes. J Plant Res 2015; 128:987-994. [PMID: 26314352 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-015-0748-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a biological process most affected by water deficit. Plants have various photosynthetic mechanisms that are matched to specific climatic zones. We studied the photosynthetic plasticity of C3 plants at water deficit using ecotypes of Marrubium vulgare L. from high (2,200 m) and low (1,100 m) elevation sites in the Mishou-Dagh Mountains of Iran. Under experimental drought, high-altitude plants showed more tolerance to water stress based on most of the parameters studied as compared to the low-altitude plants. Increased tolerance in high-altitude plants was achieved by lower levels of daytime stomatal conductance (g s) and reduced damaging effect on maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (F v /F m ) coupled with higher levels of carotenoids and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). High-altitude plants exhibited higher water use efficiency (WUE) than that in low-altitude plants depending on the presence of thick leaves and the reduced daytime stomatal conductance. Additionally, we have studied the oscillation in H(+) content and diel gas exchange patterns to determine the occurrence of C3 or weak CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) in M. vulgare through 15 days drought stress. Under water-stressed conditions, low-altitude plants exhibited stomatal conductance and acid fluctuations characteristic of C3 photosynthesis, though high-altitude plants exhibited more pronounced increases in nocturnal acidity and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity, suggesting photosynthetic flexibility. These results indicated that the regulation of carotenoids, NPQ, stomatal conductance and diel patterns of CO2 exchange presented the larger differences among studied plants at different altitudes and seem to be the protecting mechanisms controlling the photosynthetic performance of M. vulgare plants under drought conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghader Habibi
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, PO BOX 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Neda Ajory
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, PO BOX 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran
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Mills RTE, Gavazov KS, Spiegelberger T, Johnson D, Buttler A. Diminished soil functions occur under simulated climate change in a sup-alpine pasture, but heterotrophic temperature sensitivity indicates microbial resilience. Sci Total Environ 2014; 473-474:465-472. [PMID: 24388900 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The pressure of climate change is disproportionately high in mountainous regions, and small changes may push ecosystem processes beyond sensitivity thresholds, creating new dynamics of carbon and nutrient cycling. Given that the rate of organic matter decomposition is strongly dependent upon temperature and soil moisture, the sensitivity of soil respiration to both metrics is highly relevant when considering soil-atmosphere feedbacks under a changing climate. To assess the effects of changing climate in a mountain pasture system, we transplanted turfs along an elevation gradient, monitored in situ soil respiration, incubated collected top-soils to determine legacy effects on temperature sensitivity, and analysed soil organic matter (SOM) to detect changes in quality and quantity of SOM fractions. In situ transplantation down-slope reduced soil moisture and increased soil temperature, with concurrent reductions in soil respiration. Soil moisture acted as an overriding constraint to soil respiration, and significantly reduced the sensitivity to temperature. Under controlled laboratory conditions, removal of the moisture constraint to heterotrophic respiration led to a significant respiration-temperature response. However, despite lower respiration rates down-slope, the response function was comparable among sites, and therefore unaffected by antecedent conditions. We found shifts in the SOM quality, especially of the light fraction, indicating changes to the dynamics of decomposition of recently deposited material. Our findings highlighted the resilience of the microbial community to severe climatic perturbations, but also that soil moisture stress during the growing season can significantly reduce soil function in addition to direct effects on plant productivity. This demonstrated the sensitivity of subalpine pastures under climate change, and possible implications for sustainable use given reductions in organic matter turnover and consequent feedbacks to nutrient cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T E Mills
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK.
| | - Konstantin S Gavazov
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Spiegelberger
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; IRSTEA, Research Unit Mountain Ecosystems (EMGR), 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, F-38402 Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | - David Johnson
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Alexandre Buttler
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Site Lausanne, Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Laboratory of Ecological Systems (ECOS), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Laboratoire de Chrono-environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, UFR des Sciences et Techniques, 16 route de Gray, Université de Franche-Comté, F-25030 Besançon, France
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Del Castillo RF, Trujillo-Argueta S, Rivera-García R, Gómez-Ocampo Z, Mondragón-Chaparro D. Possible combined effects of climate change, deforestation, and harvesting on the epiphyte Catopsis compacta: a multidisciplinary approach. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:3935-46. [PMID: 24198951 PMCID: PMC3810886 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change, habitat loss, and harvesting are potential drivers of species extinction. These factors are unlikely to act on isolation, but their combined effects are poorly understood. We explored these effects in Catopsis compacta, an epiphytic bromeliad commercially harvested in Oaxaca, Mexico. We analyzed local climate change projections, the dynamics of the vegetation patches, the distribution of Catopsis in the patches, together with population genetics and demographic information. A drying and warming climate trend projected by most climate change models may contribute to explain the poor forest regeneration. Catopsis shows a positive mean stochastic population growth. A PVA reveals that quasi-extinction probabilities are not significantly affected by the current levels of harvesting or by a high drop in the frequency of wet years (2%) but increase sharply when harvesting intensity duplicates. Genetic analyses show a high population genetic diversity, and no evidences of population subdivision or a past bottleneck. Colonization mostly takes place on hosts at the edges of the fragments. Over the last 27 years, the vegetation cover has being lost at a 0.028 years(-1) rate, but fragment perimeter has increased 0.076 years(-1). The increases in fragment perimeter and vegetation openness, likely caused by climate change and logging, appear to increase the habitat of Catopsis, enhance gene flow, and maintain a growing and highly genetically diverse population, in spite of harvesting. Our study evidences conflicting requirements between the epiphytes and their hosts and antagonistic effects of climate change and fragmentation with harvesting on a species that can exploit open spaces in the forest. A full understanding of the consequences of potential threatening factors on species persistence or extinction requires the inspection of the interactions of these factors among each other and their effects on both the focus species and the species on which this species depends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael F Del Castillo
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Oaxaca Hornos 1003, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, 71239, Mexico
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Bernal M, Llorens L, Julkunen-Tiitto R, Badosa J, Verdaguer D. Altitudinal and seasonal changes of phenolic compounds in Buxus sempervirens leaves and cuticles. Plant Physiol Biochem 2013; 70:471-82. [PMID: 23845826 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The variation in the leaf content of phenolic compounds has been related to the UV-B changes of the environment in which plants grow. In this context, we aimed to investigate: a) whether the seasonal and altitudinal changes in the content of phenolic compounds of Buxus sempervirens L. leaves and cuticles could be related to the natural fluctuations in UV-B levels and b) the possible use of specific phenolic compounds as biomarkers of ambient UV-B levels. To achieve these goals we sampled, every three months during one year, leaves of B. sempervirens along an altitudinal gradient. At the lowest and the highest altitudes, we also conducted a UV-exclusion experiment to discern whether the observed changes could be attributed to the natural variation in UV-B. Results show that total phenolic content of leaves was lower in June than in the other sampling dates, which suggests a leaf ontogenic rather than a UV-B effect on the leaf content of these compounds. Regarding the elevational gradient, the overall amount of phenolic acids and neolignan of entire leaves increased with altitude while the total amount of flavonoids in leaf cuticles decreased. However, the lack of a significant effect of our UV-exclusion treatment on the content of these compounds suggests that the observed variations along the altitudinal gradient would respond to other factors rather than to UV-B. Concomitantly, we did not find any phenolic compound in leaves or cuticles of B. sempervirens that could be considered as a biomarker of ambient UV-B levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bernal
- Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Girona, C/Mª Aurèlia Capmany 69, 17071 Girona, Spain.
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