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Gross CP, Stachowicz JJ. Extending trait dispersion across trophic levels: Predator assemblages act as top-down filters on prey communities. Ecology 2024:e4320. [PMID: 38768562 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Studies of community assembly typically focus on the effects of abiotic environmental filters and stabilizing competition on functional trait dispersion within single trophic levels. Predation is a well-known driver of community diversity and composition, yet the role of functionally diverse predator communities in filtering prey community traits has received less attention. We examined functionally diverse communities of predators (fishes) and prey (epifaunal crustaceans) in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds in two northern California estuaries to evaluate the filtering effects of predator traits on community assembly and how filters acting on predators influence their ability to mediate prey community assembly. Fish traits related to bottom orientation were correlated with more clustered epifauna communities, and epifauna were generally overdispersed while fishes were clustered, suggesting prey may be pushed to disparate areas of trait space to avoid capture by benthic sit-and-wait predators. We also found correlations between the trait dispersions of predator and prey communities that strengthened after accounting for the effects of habitat filters on predator dispersion, suggesting that habitat filtering effects on predator species pools may hinder their ability to affect prey community assembly. Our results present compelling observational evidence that specific predator traits have measurable impacts on the community assembly of prey, inviting experimental tests of predator trait means on community assembly and explicit comparisons of how the relative effects of habitat filters and intraguild competition on predators impact their ability to affect prey community assembly. Integrating our understanding of traits at multiple trophic levels can help us better predict the impacts of community composition on food web dynamics as regional species pools shift with climate change and anthropogenic introductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin P Gross
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - John J Stachowicz
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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2
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Wang J, Li Y, Rahman MM, Li B, Yan Z, Song G, Zhao Y, Wu J, Chu C. Unraveling the drivers and impacts of leaf phenological diversity in a subtropical forest: A fine-scale analysis using PlanetScope CubeSats. New Phytol 2024. [PMID: 38764134 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Leaf phenology variations within plant communities shape community assemblages and influence ecosystem properties and services. However, questions remain regarding quantification, drivers, and productivity impacts of intra-site leaf phenological diversity. With a 50-ha subtropical forest plot in China's Heishiding Provincial Nature Reserve (part of the global ForestGEO network) as a testbed, we gathered a unique dataset combining ground-derived abiotic (topography, soil) and biotic (taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, functional traits) factors. We investigated drivers underlying leaf phenological diversity extracted from high-resolution PlanetScope data, and its influence on aboveground biomass (AGB) using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our results reveal considerable fine-scale leaf phenological diversity across the subtropical forest landscape. This diversity is directly and indirectly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors (e.g. slope, soil, traits, taxonomic diversity; r2 = 0.43). While a notable bivariate relationship between AGB and leaf phenological diversity was identified (r = -0.24, P < 0.05), this relationship did not hold in SEM analysis after considering interactions with other biotic and abiotic factors (P > 0.05). These findings unveil the underlying mechanism regulating intra-site leaf phenological diversity. While leaf phenology is known to be associated with ecosystem properties, our findings confirm that AGB is primarily influenced by functional trait composition and taxonomic diversity rather than leaf phenological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Yuanzhi Li
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Md Mizanur Rahman
- Jiangmen Laboratory of Carbon Science and Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 529100, China
- Research Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School for Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- JC STEM Lab of Earth Observations, Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Buhang Li
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China
| | - Zhengbing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Guangqin Song
- Research Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School for Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Yingyi Zhao
- Research Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School for Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Jin Wu
- Research Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School for Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Chengjin Chu
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
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3
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Lienau JR, Schmitz OJ. Functional traits of predators and decomposer prey determine context dependency in trophic control over ecosystems. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38708817 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14091] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Piccoli, G. C. d. O., Antiqueira, P. A. P., Srivastava, D. S., & Romero, G. Q. (2024). Trophic cascades within and across ecosystems: The role of anti-predatory defences, predator type and detritus quality. Journal of Animal Ecology, 00, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.14063. Ecosystem functioning is controlled by the interplay between bottom-up supply of limiting nutrients and top-down animal feedback effects. However, the degree of animal versus nutrient control is context-dependent. A key challenge lies in characterizing this context dependency which is hypothesized to depend on differences in animal functional traits. Reporting on an important experiment, Piccoli et al. (2014) evaluate how interactions among functionally different predators and decomposer prey create context dependency in top-down control of a model system-tropical bromeliad tank ecosystems. Bromeliad plants hold water in their tanks supporting microcosm ecosystems containing terrestrial and aquatic insect larvae and arachnids. The ecosystems are supported by nutrients in plant litter that rains down from forest canopies into the tanks. Nutrients are released after litter is decomposed by a functionally diverse community of larval insect decomposers that differ in feeding mode and antipredator defence strategy. This decomposer community is preyed upon by an exclusively narrowly ranging aquatic insect larval predator and widely ranging spider predator that crosses between the aquatic and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems. Experimental manipulation of the animal community to test for the degree of control by predators mediated by the functionally diverse prey community included four treatments: (i) a control with the detritivores composing different function groups but without predators, (ii) the cross-ecosystem spider predator added, (iii) the purely aquatic damselfly larvae predator added and (iv) both predator types added to capture their interacting effect on ecosystem function (decomposition, nutrient release, and plant growth). Notably, the study resolved the causal pathways and strengths of direct and indirect control using structural equation modelling. These findings reveal how context dependency arises due to different capacities of the predators alone and together to overcome prey defences and control their abundances, with attendant cascading effects that diminished as well as enhanced decomposition and nutrient release to support bromeliad plant production. The study reveals that predators have a decided, albeit qualitatively and quantitatively different, hand in shaping the degree of bottom-up control through feedback effect on the release of limiting nutrients. This ground-breaking study provides a way forward in understanding the mechanisms determining context dependency in the control over ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janey R Lienau
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Oswald J Schmitz
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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4
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Mpopetsi PP, Kadye WT. Functional diversity does not explain the co-occurrence of non-native species within a flow-modified African river system. J Fish Biol 2024; 104:1262-1275. [PMID: 37837275 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Globally, there is growing concern on the occurrence of multiple non-native species within invaded habitats. Proliferation of multiple non-native species together with anthropogenic-driven habitat modifications raise questions on the mechanisms facilitating the co-occurrence of these species and their potential impact within the recipient systems. Using the Great Fish River system (South Africa) which is anthropogenically-modified by inter-basin water transfer (IBWT), as a case study, this research employed trait-based approaches to explore patterns associated with the co-occurrence of multiple non-native fish species. This was achieved by investigating the role of functional diversity of non-native and native fishes in relation to their composition, distribution and environmental relationships. Nineteen functional traits that defined two broad ecological attributes (habitat use and feeding) were determined for 13 fish species that comprised eight native and five non-native fishes. We used these data to, firstly, evaluate functional diversity patterns and to compare functional traits of native and non-native fishes in the Great Fish River system. Secondly, we employed multivariate ordination analyses (factor analysis, RLQ and fourth-corner analyses) to investigate interspecific trait variations and potential species-trait-environmental relationships. From a functional diversity perspective, there were no significant differences in most functional diversity indices between native and non-native species. Despite interspecific variation in body morphology-related traits, we also found no clear separation between native and non-native species based on the ordination analysis of the functional traits. Furthermore, while RLQ ordination showed broad spatial patterns, the fourth-corner analyses revealed no significant relationships among species distribution, functional traits and environmental variables. The weak species-trait-environment relationship observed in this study suggests that environmental filtering was likely a poor determinant of functional trait structure within the Great Fish River. Modification of the natural flow regime may have weakened the relationship between species traits and the environment as has been shown in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pule P Mpopetsi
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
| | - Wilbert T Kadye
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, South Africa
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5
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Zhang L, Yuan L, Wen Y, Zhang M, Huang S, Wang S, Zhao Y, Hao X, Li L, Gao Q, Wang Y, Zhang S, Huang S, Liu K, Yu X, Li D, Xu J, Zhao B, Zhang L, Zhang H, Zhou W, Ai C. Maize functional requirements drive the selection of rhizobacteria under long-term fertilization practices. New Phytol 2024; 242:1275-1288. [PMID: 38426620 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Rhizosphere microbiomes are pivotal for crop fitness, but the principles underlying microbial assembly during root-soil interactions across soils with different nutrient statuses remain elusive. We examined the microbiomes in the rhizosphere and bulk soils of maize plants grown under six long-term (≥ 29 yr) fertilization experiments in three soil types across middle temperate to subtropical zones. The assembly of rhizosphere microbial communities was primarily driven by deterministic processes. Plant selection interacted with soil types and fertilization regimes to shape the structure and function of rhizosphere microbiomes. Predictive functional profiling showed that, to adapt to nutrient-deficient conditions, maize recruited more rhizobacteria involved in nutrient availability from bulk soil, although these functions were performed by different species. Metagenomic analyses confirmed that the number of significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Orthology functional categories in the rhizosphere microbial community was significantly higher without fertilization than with fertilization. Notably, some key genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling and purine metabolism were dominantly enriched in the rhizosphere soil without fertilizer input. In conclusion, our results show that maize selects microbes at the root-soil interface based on microbial functional traits beneficial to its own performance, rather than selecting particular species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Liang Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yanchen Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shuyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shiyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuanzheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xiangxiang Hao
- Hailun National Observation and Research Station of Agroecosystems, Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Lujun Li
- Hailun National Observation and Research Station of Agroecosystems, Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Yin Wang
- Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Shuiqing Zhang
- Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resource and Environment, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 116 Garden Road, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Shaomin Huang
- Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resource and Environment, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 116 Garden Road, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Kailou Liu
- Jiangxi Institute of Red Soil, National Engineering and Technology Research Center for Red Soil Improvement, Nanchang, 330046, China
| | - Xichu Yu
- Jiangxi Institute of Red Soil, National Engineering and Technology Research Center for Red Soil Improvement, Nanchang, 330046, China
| | - Dongchu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jiukai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Bingqiang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Chao Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, 100081, China
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Yan H, Schmid B, Xu W, Bongers FJ, Chen G, Tang T, Wang Z, Svenning J, Ma K, Liu X. The functional diversity-productivity relationship of woody plants is climatically sensitive. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11364. [PMID: 38698929 PMCID: PMC11063782 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plot-scale experiments indicate that functional diversity (FD) plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystem functions such as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the relationships between functional diversity and NPP across larger scale under varying climatic conditions are sparsely studied, despite its significance for understanding forest-atmosphere interactions and informing policy development. Hence, we examine the relationships of community-weighted mean (CWM) and functional dispersion (FDis) of woody plant traits on NPP across China and if such relationships are modulated by climatic conditions at the national scale. Using comprehensive datasets of distribution, functional traits, and productivity for 9120 Chinese woody plant species, we evaluated the distribution pattern of community-weighted mean and functional dispersion (including three orthogonal trait indicators: plant size, leaf morphology, and flower duration) and its relationships with NPP. Finally, we tested the effects of climatic conditions on community-weighted mean/functional dispersion-NPP relationships. We first found overall functional diversity-NPP relationships, but also that the magnitude of these relationships was sensitive to climate, with plant size community-weighted mean promoting NPP in warm regions and plant size functional dispersion promoting NPP in wet regions. Second, warm and wet conditions indirectly increased NPP by its positive effects on community-weighted mean or functional dispersion, particularly through mean plant size and leaf morphology. Our study provides comprehensive evidence for the relationships between functional diversity and NPP under varying climates at a large scale. Importantly, our results indicate a broadening significance of multidimensional plant functional traits for woody vegetation NPP in response to rising temperatures and wetter climates. Restoration, reforestation actions and natural capital accounting need to carefully consider not only community-weighted mean and functional dispersion but also their interactions with climate, to predict how functional diversity may promote ecosystem functioning under future climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoru Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Geography, Remote Sensing LaboratoriesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Wubing Xu
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Franca J. Bongers
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Guoke Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
| | - Ting Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhiheng Wang
- Institute of Ecology and key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of BiologyAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental ChangeInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Zhejiang Qianjiangyuan Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research StationInstitute of BotanyBeijingChina
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Lu S, Wang J, Liu A, Lei F, Liu R, Li S. Intraspecific transitioning of ecological strategies in Pinus massoniana trees across restoration stages. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11305. [PMID: 38711487 PMCID: PMC11070636 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits and ecological strategies is typically overlooked in most studies despite its pivotal role at the local scales and along short environmental gradients. While CSR theory has been used to classify ecological strategies (competitive C; stress-tolerant, S; ruderal, R) in different plant species, its ability to explain intraspecific variation in ecological strategies remains uncertain. Here, we sought to investigate intraspecific variation in ecological strategies for Pinus massoniana, a pioneer conifer tree for ecological restoration in Changting County, southeast China. By measuring key leaf traits and canopy height of 252 individuals at different ontogenetic stages from three plots spanning distinctive stages along early ecological restoration and calculating their C, S, and R scores, we constructed an intraspecific CSR system. All individual strategies shifted across three restoration stages, with adults from higher S component to higher C component while juveniles from higher S component to higher R component. Our results suggest that while strategies of all P. massoniana individuals start with tolerance to environmental stress, as restoration proceeds, adult transition towards completion for light, whereas juveniles shift to an acquisitive resource use. The study reveals an intraspecific pattern of strategy variation during forest restoration, contributing to our understanding of how plants adapt to diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihang Lu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Jiazheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Ao Liu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Feiya Lei
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Rong Liu
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Shouzhong Li
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
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8
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De Giorgi F, Roscher C, Durka W. Effects of species diversity on trait expression of the clonal herb Taraxacum officinale and its relation to genotype diversity and phenotypic plasticity. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11430. [PMID: 38766311 PMCID: PMC11099733 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant species respond to varying plant species diversity and associated changes in their abiotic and biotic environment with changes in their phenotype. However, it is not clear to what degree this phenotypic differentiation is due to genotype diversity within populations or phenotypic plasticity of plant individuals. We studied individuals of 16 populations of the clonal herb Taraxacum officinale grown in plant communities of different species richness in a 17-year-old grassland biodiversity experiment (Jena Experiment). We collected 12 individuals in each population to measure phenotypic traits and identify distinct genotypes using microsatellite DNA markers. Plant species richness did not influence population-level genotype and trait diversity. However, it affected the expression of several phenotypic traits, e.g. leaf and inflorescence number, maximum leaf length and seed mass, which increased with increasing plant species richness. Moreover, population-level trait diversity correlated positively with genotype richness for leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and negatively with inflorescence number. For several traits (i.e. seed mass, germination rate, LDMC, specific leaf area (SLA)), a larger portion of variance was explained by genotype identity, while variance in other traits (i.e. number of inflorescences, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf number, leaf length) resided within genotypes and thus was mostly due to phenotypic plasticity. Overall, our findings show that plant species richness positively affected the population means of some traits related to whole-plant performance, whose variation was achieved through both phenotypic plasticity and genotype composition of a population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Giorgi
- Department of Physiological DiversityHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Department of Physiological DiversityHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZLeipzigGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Walter Durka
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Department of Community EcologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZHalleGermany
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9
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Auer L, Buée M, Fauchery L, Lombard V, Barry KW, Clum A, Copeland A, Daum C, Foster B, LaButti K, Singan V, Yoshinaga Y, Martineau C, Alfaro M, Castillo FJ, Imbert JB, Ramírez L, Castanera R, Pisabarro AG, Finlay R, Lindahl B, Olson A, Séguin A, Kohler A, Henrissat B, Grigoriev IV, Martin FM. Metatranscriptomics sheds light on the links between the functional traits of fungal guilds and ecological processes in forest soil ecosystems. New Phytol 2024; 242:1676-1690. [PMID: 38148573 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19471] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Soil fungi belonging to different functional guilds, such as saprotrophs, pathogens, and mycorrhizal symbionts, play key roles in forest ecosystems. To date, no study has compared the actual gene expression of these guilds in different forest soils. We used metatranscriptomics to study the competition for organic resources by these fungal groups in boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean forest soils. Using a dedicated mRNA annotation pipeline combined with the JGI MycoCosm database, we compared the transcripts of these three fungal guilds, targeting enzymes involved in C- and N mobilization from plant and microbial cell walls. Genes encoding enzymes involved in the degradation of plant cell walls were expressed at a higher level in saprotrophic fungi than in ectomycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi. However, ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi showed similarly high expression levels of genes encoding enzymes involved in fungal cell wall degradation. Transcripts for N-related transporters were more highly expressed in ectomycorrhizal fungi than in other groups. We showed that ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi compete for N in soil organic matter, suggesting that their interactions could decelerate C cycling. Metatranscriptomics provides a unique tool to test controversial ecological hypotheses and to better understand the underlying ecological processes involved in soil functioning and carbon stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Auer
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Nancy, F-54000, France
| | - Marc Buée
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Nancy, F-54000, France
| | - Laure Fauchery
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Nancy, F-54000, France
| | - Vincent Lombard
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13288, France
- INRAE, USC1408 Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Marseille, 13009, France
| | - Kerry W Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alicia Clum
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alex Copeland
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Chris Daum
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Brian Foster
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kurt LaButti
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vasanth Singan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Yuko Yoshinaga
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christine Martineau
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Quebec, G1V4C7, QC, Canada
| | - Manuel Alfaro
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - Federico J Castillo
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - J Bosco Imbert
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - Lucia Ramírez
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - Raúl Castanera
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - Antonio G Pisabarro
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Pamplona, 31006, Spain
| | - Roger Finlay
- Department of Forest Mycology and Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Björn Lindahl
- Department of Forest Mycology and Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Ake Olson
- Department of Forest Mycology and Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 75007, Sweden
| | - Armand Séguin
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Quebec, G1V4C7, QC, Canada
| | - Annegret Kohler
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Nancy, F-54000, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- DTU Bioengineering, Denmarks Tekniske Universitet, Copenhagen, 2800, Denmark
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Francis M Martin
- Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres-Microorganismes, Nancy, F-54000, France
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10
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Hankin LE, Barrios-Masias FH, Urza AK, Bisbing SM. Lethal combination for seedlings: extreme heat drives mortality of drought-exposed high-elevation pine seedlings. Ann Bot 2024:mcae064. [PMID: 38687134 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae064] [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: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hotter drought- and biotically-driven tree mortality are expected to increase with climate change in much of the western United States, and species persistence will depend upon ongoing establishment under novel conditions or migration to track ecological niche requirements. High-elevation tree species may be particularly vulnerable to increasing water stress as snowpack declines, increasing the potential for adult mortality and simultaneous regeneration failures. Seedling survival will be determined by ecophysiological limitations in response to changing water availability and temperature. METHODS We exposed seedlings from populations of Pinus longaeva, Pinus flexilis, and Pinus albicaulis to severe drought and concurrent temperature stress in common gardens testing timing of drought onset under two different temperature regimes. We monitored seedling functional traits, physiological function, and survival. KEY RESULTS The combined stressors of water limitation and extreme heat led to conservative water use strategies and declines in physiological function, with these joint stressors ultimately exceeding species' tolerances and leading to complete episodic mortality across all species. Growing conditions were the primary determinant of seedling trait expression, with seedlings exhibiting more drought-resistant traits such as lower specific leaf area in the hottest, driest treatment conditions. Water stress-induced stomatal closure was also widely apparent. Under adequate soil moisture, seedlings endured prolonged exposure to high air and surface temperatures, suggesting broad margins for survival. CONCLUSIONS The critical interaction between soil moisture and temperature suggests that rising temperatures will exacerbate growing season moisture stress. Our results highlight the importance of local conditions over population- and species-level influences in shaping strategies for stress tolerance and resistance to desiccation at this early life stage. By quantifying some of the physiological consequences of drought and heat that lead to seedling mortality, we can better understand the future effects of global change on the composition and distribution of high-elevation conifer forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacey E Hankin
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, & Conservation Biology, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Felipe H Barrios-Masias
- Department of Agriculture, Veterinary, and Rangeland Sciences, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Alexandra K Urza
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 920 Valley Rd, Reno, NV
| | - Sarah M Bisbing
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, & Conservation Biology, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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11
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Laoué J, Gea-Izquierdo G, Dupouyet S, Conde M, Fernandez C, Ormeño E. Leaf morpho-anatomical adjustments in a Quercus pubescens forest after ten years of partial rain exclusion in the field. Tree Physiol 2024:tpae047. [PMID: 38676920 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae047] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
In the Mediterranean region, a reduction of annual precipitation and a longer and drier summer season are expected with climate change by the end of the century eventually endangering forest survival. To cope with such rapid change, trees may modulate their morpho-anatomical and physiological traits. In the present study, we focused on the variation in leaf gas exchange and different leaf morpho-anatomical functional traits of Quercus pubescens Willd. in summer using a long-term drought experiment in natura consisting of a dynamic rainfall exclusion system where trees have been submitted to amplified drought (AD) (~ -30% of annual precipitation) since April 2012 and compared to trees under natural drought (ND) in a Mediterranean forest. During the study, we analyzed net CO2 assimilation (An), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), water use efficiency (WUE), stomatal size and density, density of glandular trichomes and non-glandular trichomes, thickness of the different leaf tissues, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf surface. Under AD, tree functioning was slightly impacted, since only An exhibited a 49% drop, while gs, E and WUE remained stable. The decrease in An under AD was regulated by concomitant lower stomatal density and reduced leaf thickness. Trees under AD also featured leaves with a higher non-glandular trichome density and a lower glandular trichome density compared to ND, which simultaneously limits transpiration and production costs. This study points out that Q. pubescens exhibits adjustments of leaf morpho-anatomical traits which can help trees to acclimate to amplified drought scenarios as those expected in the future in the Mediterranean region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Laoué
- CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, Univ Avignon, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | | | - Sylvie Dupouyet
- CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, Univ Avignon, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Elena Ormeño
- CNRS, Aix Marseille Univ, Univ Avignon, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France
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12
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Adamec L, Plačková L, Bitomský M, Doležal K. Hormonal profiles in dormant turions of 22 aquatic plant species: do they reflect functional or taxonomic traits? Ann Bot 2024:mcae059. [PMID: 38650442 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae059] [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: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Turions are vegetative, dormant overwintering organs formed in aquatic plants in response to unfavourable ecological conditions. Contents of cytokinin (CK) and auxin metabolites and ABA as main growth and development regulators were compared in innately dormant autumnal turions of 22 aquatic plant species of different functional ecological or taxonomic groups with those in non-dormant winter apices in three aquatic species and with those in spring turions of four species after their overwintering. METHODS The hormones were analysed in miniature turion samples using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. KEY RESULTS In innately dormant turions, the total contents of each of the four main CK types, biologically active forms and total CKs differed by two-three orders of magnitude across 22 species; the proportion of the active CK forms was 0.18-67 %. Similarly, the content of four auxin forms was extremely variable and the IAA proportion as the active form was 0.014-99 %. The ABA content varied from almost zero to 54 µmol kg-1 dry weight and after overwintering, it usually significantly decreased. Hormone profiles depended most of all functional traits studied on the place of turion sprouting (surface vs. bottom) and suggest that this trait is crucial for turion ecophysiology. CONCLUSIONS The key role of ABA in regulating turion dormancy was confirmed. However, the highly variable pattern of the ABA content in innately dormant and in overwintered turions indicate that the hormonal mechanism regulating the innate dormancy and its breaking in turions are not united within aquatic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubomír Adamec
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Plačková
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Bitomský
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ-379 01 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Doležal
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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13
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Sun C, Yao J, Xu H, Zhou C, Zang R. Assessing the functional vulnerability of woody plant communities within a large scale tropical rainforest dynamics plot. Front Plant Sci 2024; 15:1372122. [PMID: 38693923 PMCID: PMC11061514 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1372122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Tropical forests are characterized by intricate mosaics of species-rich and structurally complex forest communities. Evaluating the functional vulnerability of distinct community patches is of significant importance in establishing conservation priorities within tropical forests. However, previous assessments of functional vulnerability in tropical forests have often focused solely on isolated factors or individual disturbance events, with limited consideration for a broad spectrum of disturbances and the responses of diverse species. Methods We assessed the functional vulnerability of woody plant communities in a 60-ha dynamic plot within a tropical montane rainforest by conducting in silico simulations of a wide range disturbances. These simulations combined plant functional traits and community properties, including the distribution of functional redundancy across the entire trait space, the distribution of abundance across species, and the relationship between species trait distinctiveness and species abundance. We also investigated the spatial distribution patterns of functional vulnerability and their scale effects, and employed a spatial autoregressive model to examine the relationships between both biotic and abiotic factors and functional vulnerability at different scales. Results The functional vulnerability of tropical montane rainforest woody plant communities was generally high (the functional vulnerability of observed communities was very close to that of the most vulnerable virtual community, with a value of 72.41% on average at the 20m×20m quadrat scale), and they exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. Functional vulnerability decreased with increasing spatial scale and the influence of both biotic and abiotic factors on functional vulnerability was regulated by spatial scale, with soil properties playing a dominant role. Discussion Our study provides new specific insights into the comprehensive assessment of functional vulnerability in the tropical rainforest. We highlighted that functional vulnerabilities of woody plant communities and their sensitivity to environmental factors varied significantly within and across spatial scales in the tropical rainforest landscape. Preserving and maintaining the functionality of tropical ecosystems should take into consideration the variations in functional vulnerability among different plant communities and their sensitivity to environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Yao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Han Xu
- Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaofan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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14
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Diver P, Ward BA, Cunliffe M. Physiological and morphological plasticity in response to nitrogen availability of a yeast widely distributed in the open ocean. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae053. [PMID: 38599628 PMCID: PMC11062419 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae053] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Yeasts are prevalent in the open ocean, yet we have limited understanding of their ecophysiological adaptations, including their response to nitrogen availability, which can have a major role in determining the ecological potential of other planktonic microbes. In this study, we characterized the nitrogen uptake capabilities and growth responses of marine-occurring yeasts. Yeast isolates from the North Atlantic Ocean were screened for growth on diverse nitrogen substrates, and across a concentration gradient of three environmentally relevant nitrogen substrates: nitrate, ammonium, and urea. Three strains grew with enriched nitrate while two did not, demonstrating that nitrate utilization is present but not universal in marine yeasts, consistent with existing knowledge of nonmarine yeast strains. Naganishia diffluens MBA_F0213 modified the key functional trait of cell size in response to nitrogen concentration, suggesting yeast cell morphology changes along chemical gradients in the marine environment. Meta-analysis of the reference DNA barcode in public databases revealed that the genus Naganishia has a global ocean distribution, strengthening the environmental applicability of the culture-based observations. This study provides novel quantitative understanding of the ecophysiological and morphological responses of marine-derived yeasts to variable nitrogen availability in vitro, providing insight into the functional ecology of yeasts within pelagic open ocean environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Diver
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Ben A Ward
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Cunliffe
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, United Kingdom
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
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15
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Ojeda-Prieto L, Medina-van Berkum P, Unsicker SB, Heinen R, Weisser WW. Intraspecific chemical variation of Tanacetum vulgare affects plant growth and reproductive traits in field plant communities. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2024. [PMID: 38593287 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The study investigated the impact of intraspecific plant chemodiversity on plant growth and reproductive traits at both the plant and plot levels. It also aimed to understand how chemodiversity at stand level affects ecosystem functioning and plant-plant interactions. We describe a biodiversity experiment in which we manipulated intraspecific plant chemodiversity at the plot level using six different chemotypes of common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L., Asteraceae). We tested the effects of chemotype identity and plot-level chemotype richness on plant growth and reproductive traits and plot-level headspace emissions. The study found that plant chemotypes differed in growth and reproductive traits and that traits were affected by the chemotype richness of the plots. Although morphological differences among chemotypes became less pronounced over time, reproductive phenology patterns persisted. Plot-level trait means were also affected by the presence or absence of certain chemotypes in a plot, and the direction of the effect depended on the specific chemotype. However, chemotype richness did not lead to overyielding effects. Lastly, chemotype blends released from plant communities were neither richer nor more diverse with increasing plot-level chemotype richness, but became more dissimilar as they became more dissimilar in their leaf terpenoid profiles. We found that intraspecific plant chemodiversity is crucial in plant-plant interactions. We also found that the effects of chemodiversity on plant growth and reproductive traits were complex and varied depending on the chemotype richness of the plots. This long-term field experiment will allow further investigation into plant-insect interactions and insect community assembly in response to intraspecific chemodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ojeda-Prieto
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department for Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - P Medina-van Berkum
- Department for Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - S B Unsicker
- Department for Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Plant-Environment-Interactions Group, Botanical Institute, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - R Heinen
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department for Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - W W Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department for Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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16
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Wang S, Hoch G, Grun G, Kahmen A. Water loss after stomatal closure: quantifying leaf minimum conductance and minimal water use in nine temperate European tree species during a severe drought. Tree Physiol 2024; 44:tpae027. [PMID: 38412116 PMCID: PMC10993720 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Residual canopy transpiration (Emin_canop) is a key physiological trait that determines trees' survival time under drought after stomatal closure and after trees have limited access to soil water. Emin_canop mainly depends on leaf minimum conductance (gmin) and vapor pressure deficit. Here we determined the seasonal variation of gmin and how gmin is related to interspecies variation in leaf cuticular and stomatal traits for nine European tree species in a mature forest. In addition, we determined the species-specific temperature responses of gmin. With this newly obtained insight, we calculated Emin_canop for the nine species for one day at our research site during the 2022 central European hot drought. Our results show that at ambient temperatures gmin ranged from 0.8 to 4.8 mmol m-2 s-1 across the nine species and was stable in most species throughout the growing season. The interspecies variation of gmin was associated with leaf cuticular and stomatal traits. Additionally, gmin exhibited strong temperature responses and increased, depending on species, by a factor of two to four in the range of 25-50 °C. For the studied species at the site, during a single hot drought day, Emin_canop standardized by tree size (stem basal area) ranged from 2.0 to 36.7 L m-2, and non-standardized Emin_canop for adult trees ranged from 0.3 to 5.3 L. Emin_canop also exhibited species-specific rapid increases under hotter temperatures. Our results suggest that trees, depending on species, need reasonable amounts of water during a drought, even when stomates are fully closed. Species differences in gmin and ultimately Emin_canop can, together with other traits, affect the ability of a tree to keep its tissue hydrated during a drought and is likely to contribute to species-specific differences in drought vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songwei Wang
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Günter Hoch
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Georges Grun
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ansgar Kahmen
- Department of Environmental Sciences – Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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17
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Zhang H, Liu H, Han X. Traits-based approach: leveraging genome size in plant-microbe interactions. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:333-341. [PMID: 37925351 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.10.004] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Trait-based approaches have gained growing interest in studying plant-microbe interactions. However, current traits normally considered (e.g., morphological, physiological, or chemical traits) are biased towards those showing large intraspecific variations, necessitating the identification of fewer plastic traits that differ between species. Here, we propose using genome size (the amount of DNA in the nucleus of a cell) as a suitable trait for studying plant-microbiome interactions due to its relatively stable nature, minimally affected by external environmental variations. Emerging evidence suggests that plant genome size affects the plant-associated microbial community, and tissue-specific environments select microbes based on their genome size. These findings pinpoint environmental selection in genome size as an emerging driver of plant-microbiome interactions, potentially impacting ecosystem functions and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
| | - Hongwei Liu
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2753, Australia
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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18
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McElwain JC, Matthaeus WJ, Barbosa C, Chondrogiannis C, O' Dea K, Jackson B, Knetge AB, Kwasniewska K, Nair R, White JD, Wilson JP, Montañez IP, Buckley YM, Belcher CM, Nogué S. Functional traits of fossil plants. New Phytol 2024; 242:392-423. [PMID: 38409806 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
A minuscule fraction of the Earth's paleobiological diversity is preserved in the geological record as fossils. What plant remnants have withstood taphonomic filtering, fragmentation, and alteration in their journey to become part of the fossil record provide unique information on how plants functioned in paleo-ecosystems through their traits. Plant traits are measurable morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, or phenological characteristics that potentially affect their environment and fitness. Here, we review the rich literature of paleobotany, through the lens of contemporary trait-based ecology, to evaluate which well-established extant plant traits hold the greatest promise for application to fossils. In particular, we focus on fossil plant functional traits, those measurable properties of leaf, stem, reproductive, or whole plant fossils that offer insights into the functioning of the plant when alive. The limitations of a trait-based approach in paleobotany are considerable. However, in our critical assessment of over 30 extant traits we present an initial, semi-quantitative ranking of 26 paleo-functional traits based on taphonomic and methodological criteria on the potential of those traits to impact Earth system processes, and for that impact to be quantifiable. We demonstrate how valuable inferences on paleo-ecosystem processes (pollination biology, herbivory), past nutrient cycles, paleobiogeography, paleo-demography (life history), and Earth system history can be derived through the application of paleo-functional traits to fossil plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C McElwain
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - William J Matthaeus
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Catarina Barbosa
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | | | - Katie O' Dea
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Bea Jackson
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Antonietta B Knetge
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Kamila Kwasniewska
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Richard Nair
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Joseph D White
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, 76798-7388, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan P Wilson
- Department of Environmental Studies, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, 19041, PA, USA
| | - Isabel P Montañez
- UC Davis Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Yvonne M Buckley
- School of Natural Sciences, Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | | | - Sandra Nogué
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Catalonia, Spain
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Hoenle PO, Plowman NS, Matos-Maraví P, de Bello F, Bishop TR, Libra M, Idigel C, Rimandai M, Klimes P. Forest disturbance increases functional diversity but decreases phylogenetic diversity of an arboreal tropical ant community. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:501-516. [PMID: 38409804 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14060] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Tropical rainforest trees host a diverse arthropod fauna that can be characterised by their functional diversity (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD). Human disturbance degrades tropical forests, often coinciding with species invasion and altered assembly that leads to a decrease in FD and PD. Tree canopies are thought to be particularly vulnerable, but rarely investigated. Here, we studied the effects of forest disturbance on an ecologically important invertebrate group, the ants, in a lowland rainforest in New Guinea. We compared an early successional disturbed plot (secondary forest) to an old-growth plot (primary forest) by exhaustively sampling their ant communities in a total of 852 trees. We expected that for each tree community (1) disturbance would decrease FD and PD in tree-dwelling ants, mediated through species invasion. (2) Disturbance would decrease ant trait variation due to a more homogeneous environment. (3) The main drivers behind these changes would be different contributions of true tree-nesting species and visiting species. We calculated FD and PD based on a species-level phylogeny and 10 ecomorphological traits. Furthermore, we assessed by data exclusion the influence of species, which were not nesting in individual trees (visitors) or only nesting species (nesters), and of non-native species on FD and PD. Primary forests had higher ant species richness and PD than secondary forest. However, we consistently found increased FD in secondary forest. This pattern was robust even if we decoupled functional and phylogenetic signals, or if non-native ant species were excluded from the data. Visitors did not contribute strongly to FD, but they increased PD and their community weighted trait means often varied from nesters. Moreover, all community-weighted trait means changed after forest disturbance. Our finding of contradictory FD and PD patterns highlights the importance of integrative measures of diversity. Our results indicate that the tree community trait diversity is not negatively affected, but possibly even enhanced by disturbance. Therefore, the functional diversity of arboreal ants is relatively robust when compared between old-growth and young trees. However, further study with higher plot-replication is necessary to solidify and generalise our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp O Hoenle
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nichola S Plowman
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pável Matos-Maraví
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Francesco de Bello
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Tom R Bishop
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martin Libra
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Cliffson Idigel
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Maling Rimandai
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Petr Klimes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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20
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Kharel N, Dangol A, Shrestha A, Airi H, Devkota A, Thapa LB, Shrestha BB. Germination patterns and seedling growth of congeneric native and invasive Mimosa species: Implications for risk assessment. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11312. [PMID: 38651163 PMCID: PMC11033625 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Comparisons of plant traits between native and invasive congeners are useful approaches for identifying characteristics that promote invasiveness. We compared germination patterns and seedling growth of locally sympatric populations of native Mimosa himalayana and two varieties of invasive M. diplotricha (var. diplotricha and var. inermis) growing in southeastern Nepal. Seeds were germinated under a 12-h photoperiod or complete dark, low (25/15°C day/night) and high (30/20°C) temperatures, different water stress levels (0, -0.1, -0.25, -0.5, -0.75 and -1.0 MPa), and soil depths (0, 2, and 4 cm). Plant height, biomass allocations, and relative growth rate (RGR) of seedlings were measured. Invasive M. diplotricha had higher germination percentage, rate, and shorter germination time compared with the native species. Germination of both congeners declined as water stress increased, but the decline was more pronounced in native species. Seedling emergence declined with increasing depth in all taxa. The seedlings of invasive species were taller with higher leaf number and allocated greater proportion of biomass to shoot, whereas the native congener allocated greater biomass to root. The RGR was nearly twice as high in invasive species as it was in the native congener. Seedling height and number of leaves were always higher in invasive than in native species, and the native-invasive differences increased over time. Better germination and higher growth performance of invasive species than the congeneric native one suggests that seed germination and seedling growth can be useful traits for the prediction of species' invasiveness in their introduced range during risk assessment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Kharel
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
| | - Anuj Dangol
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
| | - Ashmita Shrestha
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
| | - Hemanti Airi
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
| | - Anjana Devkota
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
| | - Lal Bahadur Thapa
- Central Department of BotanyTribhuvan UniversityKathmandu, KirtipurNepal
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21
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Greene DF, Kane JM, Pounden E, Michaletz ST. Cone allometry and seed protection from fire are similar in serotinous and nonserotinous conifers. New Phytol 2024; 242:93-106. [PMID: 38375897 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Serotiny is an adaptive trait that allows certain woody plants to persist in stand-replacing fire regimes. However, the mechanisms by which serotinous cones avoid seed necrosis and nonserotinous species persist in landscapes with short fire cycles and serotinous competitors remain poorly understood. To investigate whether ovulate cone traits that enhance seed survival differ between serotinous and nonserotinous species, we examined cone traits in 24 species within Pinaceae and Cupressaceae based on physical measurements and cone heating simulations using a computational fluid dynamics model. Fire-relevant cone traits were largely similar between cone types; those that differed (e.g. density and moisture) conferred little seed survival advantage under simulated fire. The most important traits influencing seed survival were cone size and seed depth within the cone, which was found to be an allometric function of cone mass for both cone types. Thus, nonserotinous cones should not suffer significantly greater seed necrosis than serotinous cones of equal size. Closed nonserotinous cones containing mature seeds may achieve substantial regeneration after fire if they are sufficiently large relative to fire duration and temperature. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of the effects of fire-relevant cone traits on conifer regeneration supported by physics-based fire simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Greene
- Department of Forestry, Fire, & Rangeland Management, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Kane
- Department of Forestry, Fire, & Rangeland Management, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Arcata, CA, 95521, USA
| | - Edith Pounden
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Sean T Michaletz
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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22
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Dossa GGO, Li HL, Pan B, Ling TC, Schaefer DA, Roeder M, Njoroge DM, Zuo J, Song L, Ofosu-Bamfo B, Schnitzer SA, Harrison RD, Bongers F, Zhang JL, Cao KF, Powers JS, Fan ZX, Chen YJ, Corlett RT, Zotz G, Oleksyn J, Wyka TP, Codjia JEI, Cornelissen JHC. Effects of lianas on forest biogeochemistry during their lives and afterlives. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17274. [PMID: 38605677 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are increasing liana abundance and biomass in many tropical and subtropical forests. While the effects of living lianas on species diversity, ecosystem carbon, and nutrient dynamics are receiving increasing attention, the role of dead lianas in forest ecosystems has been little studied and is poorly understood. Trees and lianas coexist as the major woody components of forests worldwide, but they have very different ecological strategies, with lianas relying on trees for mechanical support. Consequently, trees and lianas have evolved highly divergent stem, leaf, and root traits. Here we show that this trait divergence is likely to persist after death, into the afterlives of these organs, leading to divergent effects on forest biogeochemistry. We introduce a conceptual framework combining horizontal, vertical, and time dimensions for the effects of liana proliferation and liana tissue decomposition on ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. We propose a series of empirical studies comparing traits between lianas and trees to answer questions concerning the influence of trait afterlives on the decomposability of liana and tree organs. Such studies will increase our understanding of the contribution of lianas to terrestrial biogeochemical cycling, and help predict the effects of their increasing abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gbadamassi G O Dossa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Hong-Lin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
- College of Biological and Chemical Science, Puer University, Puer, Yunnan, China
| | - Bo Pan
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
| | - Tial C Ling
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Douglas A Schaefer
- Centre for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Mareike Roeder
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Rastatt, Germany
| | - Denis M Njoroge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Zuo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Bismark Ofosu-Bamfo
- Department of Biological Science, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Frans Bongers
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jiao-Lin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun-Fang Cao
- Ecophysiology and Evolution Group, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, and College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Jennifer S Powers
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ze-Xin Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Ya-Jun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Richard T Corlett
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan, China
| | - Gerhard Zotz
- Functional Ecology of Plants, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Jacek Oleksyn
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Tomasz P Wyka
- General Botany Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jean Evans Israel Codjia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, China
- Research Unit Tropical Mycology and Plants-Soil Fungi Interactions, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Parakou, BP, Benin
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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Billing M, Sakschewski B, von Bloh W, Vogel J, Thonicke K. 'How to adapt forests?'-Exploring the role of leaf trait diversity for long-term forest biomass under new climate normals. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17258. [PMID: 38629937 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Forests, critical components of global ecosystems, face unprecedented challenges due to climate change. This study investigates the influence of functional diversity-as a component of biodiversity-to enhance long-term biomass of European forests in the context of changing climatic conditions. Using the next-generation flexible trait-based vegetation model, LPJmL-FIT, we explored the impact of functional diversity on long-term forest biomass under three different climate change scenarios (video abstract: https://www.pik-potsdam.de/~billing/video/2023/video_abstract_billing_et_al_LPJmLFIT.mp4). Four model set-ups were tested with varying degrees of functional diversity and best-suited functional traits. Our results show that functional diversity positively influences long-term forest biomass, particularly when climate warming is low (RCP2.6). Under these conditions, high-diversity simulations led to an approximately 18.2% increase in biomass compared to low-diversity experiments. However, as climate change intensity increased, the benefits of functional diversity diminished (RCP8.5). A Bayesian multilevel analysis revealed that both full leaf trait diversity and diversity of plant functional types contributed significantly to biomass enhancement under low warming scenarios in our model simulations. Under strong climate change, the presence of a mixture of different functional groups (e.g. summergreen and evergreen broad-leaved trees) was found more beneficial than the diversity of leaf traits within a functional group (e.g. broad-leaved summergreen trees). Ultimately, this research challenges the notion that planting only the most productive and climate-suited trees guarantees the highest future biomass and carbon sequestration. We underscore the importance of high functional diversity and the potential benefits of fostering a mixture of tree functional types to enhance long-term forest biomass in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Billing
- Research Domain 1 'Earth System Analysis', Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Boris Sakschewski
- Research Domain 1 'Earth System Analysis', Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Werner von Bloh
- Research Domain 1 'Earth System Analysis', Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Johannes Vogel
- Research Domain 1 'Earth System Analysis', Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
- Theoretical Ecology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Computational Hydrosystems, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- ScaDS.AI-Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kirsten Thonicke
- Research Domain 1 'Earth System Analysis', Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association, Potsdam, Germany
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24
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Hinners J, Argyle PA, Walworth NG, Doblin MA, Levine NM, Collins S. Multi-trait diversification in marine diatoms in constant and warmed environments. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232564. [PMID: 38531400 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2564] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Phytoplankton are photosynthetic marine microbes that affect food webs, nutrient cycles and climate regulation. Their roles are determined by correlated phytoplankton functional traits including cell size, chlorophyll content and cellular composition. Here, we explore patterns of evolution in interrelated trait values and correlations. Because both chance events and natural selection contribute to phytoplankton trait evolution, we used population bottlenecks to diversify six genotypes of Thalassiosirid diatoms. We then evolved them as large populations in two environments. Interspecific variation and within-species evolution were visualized for nine traits and their correlations using reduced axes (a trait-scape). Our main findings are that shifts in trait values resulted in movement of evolving populations within the trait-scape in both environments, but were more frequent when large populations evolved in a novel environment. Which trait relationships evolved was population-specific, but greater departures from ancestral trait correlations were associated with lower population growth rates. There was no single master trait that could be used to understand multi-trait evolution. Instead, repeatable multi-trait evolution occurred along a major axis of variation defined by several diatom traits and trait relationships. Because trait-scapes capture changes in trait relationships and values together, they offer an insightful way to study multi-trait variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Hinners
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Phoebe A Argyle
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Nathan G Walworth
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 91011, USA
| | - Martina A Doblin
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales 2088, Australia
| | - Naomi M Levine
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 91011, USA
| | - Sinéad Collins
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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25
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Amstutz A, Firth LB, Foggo A, Spicer JI, Hanley ME. The north-south divide? Macroalgal functional trait diversity and redundancy varies with intertidal aspect. Ann Bot 2024; 133:145-152. [PMID: 37971357 PMCID: PMC10921827 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Marine macroalgae ('seaweeds') are critical to coastal ecosystem structure and function, but also vulnerable to the many environmental changes associated with anthropogenic climate change (ACC). The local habitat conditions underpinning observed and predicted ACC-driven changes in intertidal macroalgal communities are complex and probably site-specific and operate in addition to more commonly reported regional factors such as sea surface temperatures. METHODS We examined how the composition and functional trait expression of macroalgal communities in SW England varied with aspect (i.e. north-south orientation) at four sites with opposing Equator- (EF) and Pole-facing (PF) surfaces. Previous work at these sites had established that average annual (low tide) temperatures vary by 1.6 °C and that EF-surfaces experience six-fold more frequent extremes (i.e. >30 °C). KEY RESULTS PF macroalgal communities were consistently more taxon rich; 11 taxa were unique to PF habitats, with only one restricted to EF. Likewise, functional richness and dispersion were greater on PF-surfaces (dominated by algae with traits linked to rapid resource capture and utilization, but low desiccation tolerance), although differences in both taxon and functional richness were probably driven by the fact that less diverse EF-surfaces were dominated by desiccation-tolerant fucoids. CONCLUSIONS Although we cannot disentangle the influence of temperature variation on algal ecophysiology from the indirect effects of aspect on species interactions (niche pre-emption, competition, grazing, etc.), our study system provides an excellent model for understanding how environmental variation at local scales affects community composition and functioning. By virtue of enhanced taxonomic diversity, PF-aspects supported higher functional diversity and, consequently, greater effective functional redundancy. These differences may imbue PF-aspects with resilience against environmental perturbation, but if predicted increases in global temperatures are realized, some PF-sites may shift to a depauperate, desiccation-tolerant seaweed community with a concomitant loss of functional diversity and redundancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Amstutz
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Andy Foggo
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - John I Spicer
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Mick E Hanley
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
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26
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Delory BM, Callaway RM, Semchenko M. A trait-based framework linking the soil metabolome to plant-soil feedbacks. New Phytol 2024; 241:1910-1921. [PMID: 38124274 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
By modifying the biotic and abiotic properties of the soil, plants create soil legacies that can affect vegetation dynamics through plant-soil feedbacks (PSF). PSF are generally attributed to reciprocal effects of plants and soil biota, but these interactions can also drive changes in the identity, diversity and abundance of soil metabolites, leading to more or less persistent soil chemical legacies whose role in mediating PSF has rarely been considered. These chemical legacies may interact with microbial or nutrient legacies to affect species coexistence. Given the ecological importance of chemical interactions between plants and other organisms, a better understanding of soil chemical legacies is needed in community ecology. In this Viewpoint, we aim to: highlight the importance of belowground chemical interactions for PSF; define and integrate soil chemical legacies into PSF research by clarifying how the soil metabolome can contribute to PSF; discuss how functional traits can help predict these plant-soil interactions; propose an experimental approach to quantify plant responses to the soil solution metabolome; and describe a testable framework relying on root economics and seed dispersal traits to predict how plant species affect the soil metabolome and how they could respond to soil chemical legacies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Delory
- Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, 21335, Germany
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
| | - Ragan M Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Marina Semchenko
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Liivi 2, 50409, Tartu, Estonia
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27
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Bartholomew DC, Hayward R, Burslem DFRP, Bittencourt PRL, Chapman D, Bin Suis MAF, Nilus R, O'Brien MJ, Reynolds G, Rowland L, Banin LF, Dent D. Bornean tropical forests recovering from logging at risk of regeneration failure. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17209. [PMID: 38469989 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Active restoration through silvicultural treatments (enrichment planting, cutting climbers and liberation thinning) is considered an important intervention in logged forests. However, its ability to enhance regeneration is key for long-term recovery of logged forests, which remains poorly understood, particularly for the production and survival of seedlings in subsequent generations. To understand the long-term impacts of logging and restoration we tracked the diversity, survival and traits of seedlings that germinated immediately after a mast fruiting in North Borneo in unlogged and logged forests 30-35 years after logging. We monitored 5119 seedlings from germination for ~1.5 years across a mixed landscape of unlogged forests (ULs), naturally regenerating logged forests (NR) and actively restored logged forests via rehabilitative silvicultural treatments (AR), 15-27 years after restoration. We measured 14 leaf, root and biomass allocation traits on 399 seedlings from 15 species. Soon after fruiting, UL and AR forests had higher seedling densities than NR forest, but survival was the lowest in AR forests in the first 6 months. Community composition differed among forest types; AR and NR forests had lower species richness and lower evenness than UL forests by 5-6 months post-mast but did not differ between them. Differences in community composition altered community-weighted mean trait values across forest types, with higher root biomass allocation in NR relative to UL forest. Traits influenced mortality ~3 months post-mast, with more acquisitive traits and relative aboveground investment favoured in AR forests relative to UL forests. Our findings of reduced seedling survival and diversity suggest long time lags in post-logging recruitment, particularly for some taxa. Active restoration of logged forests recovers initial seedling production, but elevated mortality in AR forests lowers the efficacy of active restoration to enhance recruitment or diversity of seedling communities. This suggests current active restoration practices may fail to overcome barriers to regeneration in logged forests, which may drive long-term changes in future forest plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Bartholomew
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | - Robin Hayward
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Chapman
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | | | - Reuben Nilus
- Forest Research Centre Sepilok, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Michael J O'Brien
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Glen Reynolds
- SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Lucy Rowland
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Daisy Dent
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
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Kilner CL, Carrell AA, Wieczynski DJ, Votzke S, DeWitt K, Yammine A, Shaw J, Pelletier DA, Weston DJ, Gibert JP. Temperature and CO 2 interactively drive shifts in the compositional and functional structure of peatland protist communities. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17203. [PMID: 38433341 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Microbes affect the global carbon cycle that influences climate change and are in turn influenced by environmental change. Here, we use data from a long-term whole-ecosystem warming experiment at a boreal peatland to answer how temperature and CO2 jointly influence communities of abundant, diverse, yet poorly understood, non-fungi microbial Eukaryotes (protists). These microbes influence ecosystem function directly through photosynthesis and respiration, and indirectly, through predation on decomposers (bacteria and fungi). Using a combination of high-throughput fluid imaging and 18S amplicon sequencing, we report large climate-induced, community-wide shifts in the community functional composition of these microbes (size, shape, and metabolism) that could alter overall function in peatlands. Importantly, we demonstrate a taxonomic convergence but a functional divergence in response to warming and elevated CO2 with most environmental responses being contingent on organismal size: warming effects on functional composition are reversed by elevated CO2 and amplified in larger microbes but not smaller ones. These findings show how the interactive effects of warming and rising CO2 levels could alter the structure and function of peatland microbial food webs-a fragile ecosystem that stores upwards of 25% of all terrestrial carbon and is increasingly threatened by human exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Kilner
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alyssa A Carrell
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Samantha Votzke
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katrina DeWitt
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrea Yammine
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jonathan Shaw
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale A Pelletier
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jean P Gibert
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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29
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Koch NM, Díaz Dominguez R, Fávaro A, Stanton D. Thallus hydrophobicity: A low-cost method for understanding lichen ecophysiological responses to environmental changes. Appl Plant Sci 2024; 12:e11565. [PMID: 38638616 PMCID: PMC11022209 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11565] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Premise Methods to evaluate lichen thalli hydrophobicity have previously been described, but only recently has hydrophobicity been shown to be an important functional trait related to water regulation dynamics that could be used to predict future climate change effects. We describe a novel protocol to measure lichen thallus hydrophobicity that aims to be an easier and more affordable approach. Methods and Results Our protocol requires only a micropipette, distilled water, a tripod, and a smartphone or camera. Hydrophobicity is inferred from multiple metrics associated with the absorption times of standardized droplets (initial and total absorption time). We used a data set of 93 lichen taxa with different growth forms and from different biomes and demonstrated that this method is well suited for capturing different levels of hydrophobicity, including very hydrophilic species. Conclusions Our results show that this new protocol to measure lichen hydrophobicity is a rapid and low-cost method to assess an ecophysiologically based functional trait that can be used with almost no limitations, including in different climates, lichen species, and growth forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Mossmann Koch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Raúl Díaz Dominguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Centro de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Renovables, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y NaturalesUniversidad Nacional de CórdobaCórdobaArgentina
| | - Ana Fávaro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Daniel Stanton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
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30
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Rademaker M, van Leeuwen A, Smallegange IM. Why we cannot always expect life history strategies to directly inform on sensitivity to environmental change. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:348-366. [PMID: 38303132 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14050] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Variation in life history traits in animals and plants can often be structured along major axes of life history strategies. The position of a species along these axes can inform on their sensitivity to environmental change. For example, species with slow life histories are found to be less sensitive in their long-term population responses to environmental change than species with fast life histories. This provides a tantalizing link between sets of traits and population responses to change, contained in a highly generalizable theoretical framework. Life history strategies are assumed to reflect the outcome of life history tradeoffs that, by their very nature, act at the individual level. Examples include the tradeoff between current and future reproductive success, and allocating energy into growth versus reproduction. But the importance of such tradeoffs in structuring population-level responses to environmental change remains understudied. We aim to increase our understanding of the link between individual-level life history tradeoffs and the structuring of life history strategies across species, as well as the underlying links to population responses to environmental change. We find that the classical association between lifehistory strategies and population responses to environmental change breaks down when accounting for individual-level tradeoffs and energy allocation. Therefore, projecting population responses to environmental change should not be inferred based only on a limited set of species traits. We summarize our perspective and a way forward in a conceptual framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Rademaker
- Department of Coastal Systems, Royal NIOZ and Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Anieke van Leeuwen
- Department of Coastal Systems, Royal NIOZ and Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Isabel M Smallegange
- School of Natural & Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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31
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Schnabel F, Barry KE, Eckhardt S, Guillemot J, Geilmann H, Kahl A, Moossen H, Bauhus J, Wirth C. Neighbourhood species richness and drought-tolerance traits modulate tree growth and δ 13 C responses to drought. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2024; 26:330-345. [PMID: 38196270 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Mixed-species forests are promoted as a forest management strategy for climate change adaptation, but whether they are more resistant to drought than monospecific forests remains contested. In particular, the trait-based mechanisms driving the role of tree diversity under drought remain elusive. Using tree cores from a large-scale biodiversity experiment, we investigated tree growth and physiological stress responses (i.e. increase in wood carbon isotopic ratio; δ13 C) to changes in climate-induced water availability (wet to dry years) along gradients in neighbourhood tree species richness and drought-tolerance traits. We hypothesized that neighbourhood species richness increases growth and decreases δ13 C and that these relationships are modulated by the abiotic (i.e. climatic conditions) and the biotic context. We characterised the biotic context using drought-tolerance traits of focal trees and their neighbours. These traits are related to cavitation resistance versus resource acquisition and stomatal control. Tree growth increased with neighbourhood species richness. However, we did not observe a universal relief of water stress in species-rich neighbourhoods. The effects of neighbourhood species richness and climate on growth and δ13 C were modulated by the traits of focal trees and the traits of their neighbours. At either end of each drought-tolerance gradient, species responded in opposing directions during dry and wet years. We show that species' drought-tolerance traits can explain the strength and nature of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in experimental tree communities experiencing drought. Mixing tree species can increase growth but may not universally relieve drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Schnabel
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - K E Barry
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - S Eckhardt
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - J Guillemot
- CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, Piracicaba, Brazil
- Eco&Sols, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Campus SupAgro, Montpellier, France
- Department of Forest Sciences, ESALQ, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - H Geilmann
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - A Kahl
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - H Moossen
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - J Bauhus
- Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - C Wirth
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
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32
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Puglielli G, Bricca A, Chelli S, Petruzzellis F, Acosta ATR, Bacaro G, Beccari E, Bernardo L, Bonari G, Bolpagni R, Boscutti F, Calvia G, Campetella G, Cancellieri L, Canullo R, Carbognani M, Carboni M, Carranza ML, Castellani MB, Ciccarelli D, Coppi A, Cutini M, Dalla Vecchia A, Dalle Fratte M, de Francesco MC, De Frenne P, De Sanctis M, de Simone L, Di Cecco V, Fanelli G, Farris E, Ferrara A, Fenu G, Filibeck G, Gasperini C, Gargano D, Kindermann E, La Bella G, Lastrucci L, Lazzaro L, Maccherini S, Marignani M, Mugnai M, Naselli-Flores L, Passalacqua NG, Pavanetto N, Petraglia A, Rota F, Santoianni LA, Schettino A, Selvi F, Stanisci A, Trotta G, Vangansbeke P, Varricchione M, Vuerich M, Wellstein C, Tordoni E. Intraspecific variability of leaf form and function across habitat types. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14396. [PMID: 38456670 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14396] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Trait-based ecology has already revealed main independent axes of trait variation defining trait spaces that summarize plant adaptive strategies, but often ignoring intraspecific trait variability (ITV). By using empirical ITV-level data for two independent dimensions of leaf form and function and 167 species across five habitat types (coastal dunes, forests, grasslands, heathlands, wetlands) in the Italian peninsula, we found that ITV: (i) rotated the axes of trait variation that define the trait space; (ii) increased the variance explained by these axes and (iii) affected the functional structure of the target trait space. However, the magnitude of these effects was rather small and depended on the trait and habitat type. Our results reinforce the idea that ITV is context-dependent, calling for careful extrapolations of ITV patterns across traits and spatial scales. Importantly, our study provides a framework that can be used to start integrating ITV into trait space analyses.
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Grants
- Ente Parco Nazionale del Pollino (Rotonda, Italy) in the frame of the project "Un laboratorio naturale permanente nel Parco Nazionale del Pollino"
- National Biodiversity Future Center NBFC, CUP J33C22001190001
- European Union - NextGenerationEU within the framework of National Biodiversity Future Center (Spoke 4, Activity 4)
- NBFC to the University of Florence, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033
- NBFC to University of Roma Tre/Department of Science, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033. Grant of Excellence Departments 2018- 2022, MIUR Italy
- NBFC to University of Molise/Department of Bioscience and Territory, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033, MIUR Italy
- PID2021-122214NA-I00 MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER "ESF Investing in your future"
- Grant of Excellence Departments 2018- 2022, MIUR Italy
- G.Bo. and SM acknowledge the support of NBFC to University of Siena, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, 'Dalla ricerca all', Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Puglielli
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alessandro Bricca
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanni Bacaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Eleonora Beccari
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liliana Bernardo
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Bonari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rossano Bolpagni
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Boscutti
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giacomo Calvia
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Laura Cancellieri
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | | | - Marta Carboni
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Carranza
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Coppi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Alice Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Dalle Fratte
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Maria Carla de Francesco
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium
| | - Michele De Sanctis
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Valter Di Cecco
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Giuliano Fanelli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emmanuele Farris
- Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Arianna Ferrara
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Goffredo Filibeck
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Cristina Gasperini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Domenico Gargano
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Elisabeth Kindermann
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Greta La Bella
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Lazzaro
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Simona Maccherini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michela Marignani
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Mugnai
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Luigi Naselli-Flores
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Pavanetto
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Rota
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Angela Stanisci
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Giacomo Trotta
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Pieter Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium
| | - Marco Varricchione
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Marco Vuerich
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Enrico Tordoni
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Lilkendey J, Barrelet C, Zhang J, Meares M, Larbi H, Subsol G, Chaumont M, Sabetian A. Herbivorous fish feeding dynamics and energy expenditure on a coral reef: Insights from stereo-video and AI-driven 3D tracking. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11070. [PMID: 38435013 PMCID: PMC10909578 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Unveiling the intricate relationships between animal movement ecology, feeding behavior, and internal energy budgeting is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem functioning, especially on coral reefs under significant anthropogenic stress. Here, herbivorous fishes play a vital role as mediators between algae growth and coral recruitment. Our research examines the feeding preferences, bite rates, inter-bite distances, and foraging energy expenditure of the Brown surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) and the Yellowtail tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) within the fish community on a Red Sea coral reef. To this end, we used advanced methods such as remote underwater stereo-video, AI-driven object recognition, species classification, and 3D tracking. Despite their comparatively low biomass, the two surgeonfish species significantly influence grazing pressure on the studied coral reef. A. nigrofuscus exhibits specialized feeding preferences and Z. xanthurum a more generalist approach, highlighting niche differentiation and their importance in maintaining reef ecosystem balance. Despite these differences in their foraging strategies, on a population level, both species achieve a similar level of energy efficiency. This study highlights the transformative potential of cutting-edge technologies in revealing the functional feeding traits and energy utilization of keystone species. It facilitates the detailed mapping of energy seascapes, guiding targeted conservation efforts to enhance ecosystem health and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Lilkendey
- School of ScienceAuckland University of Technology (AUT)AucklandNew Zealand
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)BremenGermany
| | - Cyril Barrelet
- Research‐Team ICAR, Laboratoire d'informatique, de robotique et de microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), CNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- School of ScienceAuckland University of Technology (AUT)AucklandNew Zealand
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research LimitedAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Michael Meares
- School of ScienceAuckland University of Technology (AUT)AucklandNew Zealand
| | - Houssam Larbi
- Research‐Team ICAR, Laboratoire d'informatique, de robotique et de microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), CNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Gérard Subsol
- Research‐Team ICAR, Laboratoire d'informatique, de robotique et de microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), CNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Marc Chaumont
- Research‐Team ICAR, Laboratoire d'informatique, de robotique et de microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), CNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- University of NîmesNîmesFrance
| | - Armagan Sabetian
- School of ScienceAuckland University of Technology (AUT)AucklandNew Zealand
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34
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de Sousa Gomes-Gonçalves R, Araújo FG. Interdecadal changes in ichthyofauna in a tropical bay with high anthropogenic influences: functional stability despite turnover predominance. J Fish Biol 2024; 104:536-547. [PMID: 37874547 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Functional characteristics of species are of great importance for understanding their roles in ecosystems and can be used to detect long-term chances in the environment. We evaluated temporal changes (1983-1985 and 2017-2019) in taxonomic and functional indices of the fish fauna in shallow areas of a tropical bay heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities in recent decades. The hypothesis that functional indices change over time as a result of environmental degradation was tested. Our results showed a significant decrease in species richness and abundance over time, and in functional richness, while others functional diversity indices (divergency, evenness, and originality) remained stable. Thirteen functional groups were detected, some of which contained only one species, raising concerns about the loss of ecosystem functions due to ongoing changes. We also observed an increase in beta diversity over time, which may be the result of a decrease in local richness without leading to regional extinctions. Turnover was the most important process in structuring the fish fauna at the evaluated time scale. The relative stability of the functional structure and the higher levels of turnover seem to be related to the dominance of functional groups, within which species replace each other according to their responses to environmental filters that select for specific functional traits. Incorporating functional diversity indices and beta diversity variations in the fish community helped to enhance the existing information about this coastal system by offering improved estimates of biological diversity through diverse approaches. The predominance of turnover identified in the preset study suggests a dynamic and fluctuating species composition within the habitat. In this sense, habitat preservation should prioritize the protection of diverse habitats to accommodate a broad spectrum of species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francisco Gerson Araújo
- Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes, Seropédica, Brazil
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35
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Yang H, Ji S, Wu D, Zhu M, Lv G. Effects of Root-Root Interactions on the Physiological Characteristics of Haloxylon ammodendron Seedlings. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:683. [PMID: 38475528 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The root traits and response strategies of plants play crucial roles in mediating interactions between plant root systems. Current research on the role of root exudates as underground chemical signals mediating these interactions has focused mainly on crops, with less attention given to desert plants in arid regions. In this study, we focused on the typical desert plant Haloxylon ammodendron and conducted a pot experiment using three root isolation methods (plastic film separation, nylon mesh separation, and no separation). We found that (1) as the degree of isolation increased, plant biomass significantly increased (p < 0.05), while root organic carbon content exhibited the opposite trend; (2) soil electrical conductivity (EC), soil total nitrogen (STN), soil total phosphorus (STP), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were significantly greater in the plastic film and nylon mesh separation treatments than in the no separation treatment (p < 0.05), and the abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota was significantly greater in the plastic film separation treatment than in the no separation treatment (p < 0.05); (3) both plastic film and nylon mesh separations increased the secretion of alkaloids derived from tryptophan and phenylalanine in the plant root system compared with that in the no separation treatment; and (4) Pseudomonas, Proteobacteria, sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, and coumarins showed positive correlations, while both pseudomonas and proteobacteria were significantly positively correlated with soil EC, STN, STP, and SOC (p < 0.05). Aurachin D was negatively correlated with Gemmatimonadota and Proteobacteria, and both were significantly correlated with soil pH, EC, STN, STP, and SOC. The present study revealed strong negative interactions between the root systems of H. ammodendron seedlings, in which sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, coumarins, and alkaloids released by the roots played an important role in the subterranean competitive relationship. This study provides a deeper understanding of intraspecific interactions in the desert plant H. ammodendron and offers some guidance for future cultivation of this species in the northwestern region of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Yang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Suwan Ji
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Deyan Wu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Menghao Zhu
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Guanghui Lv
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
- Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830017, China
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Zou S, Lian Q, Ni M, Zhou D, Liu M, Zhang X, Chen G, Yuan J. Spatiotemporal assembly and functional composition of planktonic microeukaryotic communities along productivity gradients in a subtropical lake. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1351772. [PMID: 38440145 PMCID: PMC10909917 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1351772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Microeukaryotes play crucial roles in the microbial loop of freshwater ecosystems, functioning both as primary producers and bacterivorous consumers. However, understanding the assembly of microeukaryotic communities and their functional composition in freshwater lake ecosystems across diverse environmental gradients remains limited. Here, we utilized amplicon sequencing of 18S rRNA gene and multivariate statistical analyses to examine the spatiotemporal and biogeographical patterns of microeukaryotes in water columns (at depths of 0.5, 5, and 10 m) within a subtropical lake in eastern China, covering a 40 km distance during spring and autumn of 2022. Our results revealed that complex and diverse microeukaryotic communities were dominated by Chlorophyta (mainly Chlorophyceae), Fungi, Alveolata, Stramenopiles, and Cryptophyta lineages. Species richness was higher in autumn than in spring, forming significant hump-shaped relationships with chlorophyll a concentration (Chl-a, an indicator of phytoplankton biomass). Microeukaryotic communities exhibited significant seasonality and distance-decay patterns. By contrast, the effect of vertical depth was negligible. Stochastic processes mainly influenced the assembly of microeukaryotic communities, explaining 63, 67, and 55% of community variation for spring, autumn, and both seasons combined, respectively. Trait-based functional analysis revealed the prevalence of heterotrophic and phototrophic microeukaryotic plankton with a trade-off along N:P ratio, Chl-a, and dissolved oxygen (DO) gradients. Similarly, the mixotrophic proportions were significantly and positively correlated with Chl-a and DO concentrations. Overall, our findings may provide useful insights into the assembly patterns of microeukaryotes in lake ecosystem and how their functions respond to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songbao Zou
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qingping Lian
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Meng Ni
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guangmei Chen
- Zhejiang Fenghe Fishery Co., Ltd., Lishui, Zhejiang, China
| | - Julin Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Freshwater Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Fish Health and Nutrition of Zhejiang Province, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Aquatic Product Quality Improvement and Processing Technology, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Zhejiang Institute of Freshwater Fisheries, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Shi H, Shi Q, Zhou X, Cui C, Li X, Zhang Z, Zhu C. Influence of surface water and groundwater on functional traits and trade-off strategies of oasis communities at the end of the Keriya River, China. Front Plant Sci 2024; 15:1340137. [PMID: 38434438 PMCID: PMC10905963 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1340137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Plant functional traits reflect the capacity of plants to adapt to their environment and the underlying optimization mechanisms. However, few studies have investigated trade-off strategies for functional traits in desert-wetland ecosystems, the mechanisms by which surface water disturbance and groundwater depth drive functional trait variation at the community scale, and the roles of intraspecific and interspecific variation. Therefore, this study analyzed specific differences in community-weighted mean traits among habitat types and obtained the relative contribution of intraspecific and interspecific variation by decomposing community-weighted mean traits, focusing on the Daliyabuyi Oasis in the hinterland of the Taklamakan Desert. We also explored the mechanisms by which surface water and groundwater influence different sources of variability specifically. The results showed that plant height, relative chlorophyll content, leaf thickness, leaf nitrogen content, and nitrogen-phosphorus ratio were the key traits reflecting habitat differences. As the groundwater depth becomes shallower and surface water disturbance intensifies, plant communities tend to have higher leaf nitrogen content, nitrogen-phosphorus ratio, and relative chlorophyll content and lower height. Surface water, groundwater, soil water content, and total soil nitrogen can influence interspecific and intraspecific variation in these traits through direct and indirect effects. As arid to wet habitats change, plant trade-off strategies for resources will shift from conservative to acquisitive. The study concluded that community functional traits are mainly contributed by interspecific variation, but consideration of intraspecific variation and the covariation effects that exist between it and interspecific variation can help to further enhance the understanding of the response of community traits in desert-wetland ecosystems to environmental change. Surface water disturbance has a non-negligible contribution to this adaptation process and plays a higher role than groundwater depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haobo Shi
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Qingdong Shi
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhou
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chuandeng Cui
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Zipeng Zhang
- College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chuanmei Zhu
- College of Geography and Remote Sensing Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
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Raffard A, Jacob S, Schtickzelle N. Non-genetic phenotypic variability affects populations and communities in protist microcosms. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:221-230. [PMID: 38192091 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14036] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Intraspecific trait variation (ITV), potentially driven by genetic and non-genetic mechanisms, can underlie variability in resource acquisition, individual fitness and ecological interactions. Impacts of ITV at higher levels of biological organizations are hence likely, but up-scaling our knowledge about ITV importance to communities and comparing its relative effects at population and community levels has rarely been investigated. Here, we tested the effects of genetic and non-genetic ITV on morphological traits in microcosms of protist communities by contrasting the effects of strains showing different ITV levels (i.e. trait averages and variance) on population growth, community composition and biomass production. We found that genetic and non-genetic ITV can lead to different effects on populations and communities across several generations. Furthermore, the effects of ITV declined across levels of biological organization: ITV directly altered population performance, with cascading but indirect consequences for community composition and biomass productivity. Overall, these results show that the drivers of ITV can have distinct effects on populations and communities, with cascading impacts on higher levels of biological organization that might mediate biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan Raffard
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Staffan Jacob
- CNRS, Station d'Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, UAR-5321, Moulis, France
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Zhu N, Li X, Wu X, Li L, Yang S, Fu H, Yuan S. Effects of overgrazing on the functional diversity of rodents in desert areas. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10849. [PMID: 38384828 PMCID: PMC10879905 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental stressors and disturbances can cause changes in an ecosystem's community structure, which can be reflected in its functional diversity. As grazing intensity increases, this causes changes in the environment that inevitably lead to changes in the community structure, which can especially affect rodents due to their sensitivity to the environment. The effects of grazing prohibition and overgrazing on the functional diversity of desert rodent communities in Alxa were studied in April, July, and October of 2018-2020. The trap-day method was used to study rodent communities in disturbed habitats. Five functional traits were selected and quantified: nutrition, life history, physiology, morphology, and activity rhythm. The results showed that: (1) The species composition of rodent communities in the Alxa Desert in spring and autumn was significantly correlated with the functional traits of the hibernation, reproductive cycle, and feeding habits. The species composition in the summer was only significantly correlated with the functional traits of reproductive cycle and diet. (2) The effects of overgrazing on the functional diversity of rodents in desert areas have significant temporal and spatial characteristics. (3) In spring and summer, overgrazing made the Functional Richness index of the rodent community lower than that of areas where grazing is prohibited, but the Functional Evenness index was higher than that of grazing-prohibition areas. In autumn, overgrazing increased the Functional Richness index of the rodent community and decreased the Functional Evenness index. The Functional Divergence index was higher in overgrazing areas than in grazing-prohibited ones. These results suggest that, in spring and summer, overgrazing reduced the ecological space utilization ability of rodent communities; however, the impact on the degree of utilization of community resources is more comprehensive. In autumn, overgrazing increases the ability of rodent communities to use ecological space but reduces resource efficiency. Overgrazing makes the niche differentiation of rodent communities higher, the degree of overlap lower, and the competition between species weaker. Therefore, overgrazing will affect the functional diversity of the community through the utilization of ecological space, resource utilization, interspecific competition, and niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Linlin Li
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Suwen Yang
- College of Grassland ScienceXinjiang Agricultural UniversityUrumqiChina
| | - Heping Fu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled, Inner MongoliaHohhotChina
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of EducationHohhotChina
- College of Grassland, Resources and EnvironmentInner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
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Quattrone A, Lopez-Guerrero M, Yadav P, Meier MA, Russo SE, Weber KA. Interactions between root hairs and the soil microbial community affect the growth of maize seedlings. Plant Cell Environ 2024; 47:611-628. [PMID: 37974552 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Root hairs are considered important for rhizosphere formation, which affects root system functioning. Through interactions with soil microorganisms mediated by root exudation, root hairs may affect the phenotypes and growth of young plants. We tested this hypothesis by integrating results from two experiments: (1) a factorial greenhouse seedling experiment with Zea mays B73-wt and its root-hairless mutant, B73-rth3, grown in live and autoclaved soil, quantifying 15 phenotypic traits, seven growth rates, and soil microbiomes and (2) a semi-hydroponic system quantifying root exudation of maize genotypes. Possibly as compensation for lacking root hairs, B73-rth3 seedlings allocated more biomass to roots and grew slower than B73-wt seedlings in live soil, whereas B73-wt seedlings grew slowest in autoclaved soil, suggesting root hairs can be costly and their benefits were realized with more complete soil microbial assemblages. There were substantial differences in root exudation between genotypes and in rhizosphere versus non-rhizosphere microbiomes. The microbial taxa enriched in the presence of root hairs generally enhanced growth compared to taxa enriched in their absence. Our findings suggest the root hairs' adaptive value extends to plant-microbe interactions mediated by root exudates, affecting plant phenotypes, and ultimately, growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Quattrone
- Complex Biosystems Ph.D. program, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | | | - Pooja Yadav
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michael A Meier
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Rancho Biosciences, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sabrina E Russo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Karrie A Weber
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Daugherty Water for Food Institute, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Gusmão RAF, Tessarolo G, Dobrovolski R, Gonçalves‐Souza T. Body size and trophic structure explain global asymmetric response of tetrapod diversity to climate effects. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11047. [PMID: 38380066 PMCID: PMC10877556 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Although climate-based hypotheses are widely used to explain large-scale diversity patterns, they fall short of explaining the spatial variation among taxonomic groups. Integrating food web and metabolic theories into macroecology is a promising step forward, as they allow including explicit taxon-specific traits that can potentially mediate the relationship between climate and diversity. Our investigation focuses on the role of body size and trophic structure in mediating the influence of contemporary climate and historical climate change on global tetrapods species richness. We used piecewise structural equation modeling to assess the direct effects of contemporary climate and climate instability of species richness and the indirect effects of climate on tetrapod richness mediated by community-wide species traits. We found that birds and mammals are less sensitive to the direct effect of contemporary climate than amphibians and squamates. Contemporary climate and climate instability favored the species richness of mammals and amphibians. However, for birds and squamates, this link is only associated with contemporary climate. Moreover, we showed that community-wide traits are correlated with species richness gradients. However, we highlight that this relationship is dependent upon the specific traits and taxonomic groups. Specifically, bird communities with smaller bodies and bottom-heavy structures support higher species richness. Squamates also tend to be more diverse in communities with prevalence of smaller bodies, while mammals are correlated with top-heavy structures. Moreover, we showed that higher contemporary climate and climate instability reduce the species richness of birds and mammals through community-wide traits and indirectly increase squamate species richness. We also showed that body size and trophic structure are driving a global asymmetric response of tetrapod diversity to climate effects, which highlights the limitation to use the "typical" climate-based hypotheses. Furthermore, by combining multiple theories, our research contributes to a more realistic and mechanistic understanding of diversity patterns across taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginaldo A. F. Gusmão
- Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation, Department of BiologyFederal Rural University of PernambucoRecifeBrazil
| | - Geiziane Tessarolo
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Aquatic EcologyState University of GoiásAnápolisBrazil
| | | | - Thiago Gonçalves‐Souza
- Graduate Program in Ethnobiology and Nature Conservation, Department of BiologyFederal Rural University of PernambucoRecifeBrazil
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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Cooksley H, Dreyling L, Esler KJ, Griebenow S, Neumann G, Valentine A, Schleuning M, Schurr FM. Functional traits shape plant-plant interactions and recruitment in a hotspot of woody plant diversity. New Phytol 2024; 241:1100-1114. [PMID: 38083904 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Understanding and predicting recruitment in species-rich plant communities requires identifying functional determinants of both density-independent performance and interactions. In a common-garden field experiment with 25 species of the woody plant genus Protea, we varied the initial spatial and taxonomic arrangement of seedlings and followed their survival and growth during recruitment. Neighbourhood models quantified how six key functional traits affect density-independent performance, interaction effects and responses. Trait-based neighbourhood models accurately predicted individual survival and growth from the initial spatial and functional composition of species-rich experimental communities. Functional variation among species caused substantial variation in density-independent survival and growth that was not correlated with interaction effects and responses. Interactions were spatially restricted but had important, predominantly competitive, effects on recruitment. Traits increasing the acquisition of limiting resources (water for survival and soil P for growth) mediated trade-offs between interaction effects and responses. Moreover, resprouting species had higher survival but reduced growth, likely reinforcing the survival-growth trade-off in adult plants. Resource acquisition of juvenile plants shapes Protea community dynamics with acquisitive species with strong competitive effects suffering more from competition. Together with functional determinants of density-independent performance, this makes recruitment remarkably predictable, which is critical for efficient restoration and near-term ecological forecasts of species-rich communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huw Cooksley
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Lukas Dreyling
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Karen J Esler
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Stian Griebenow
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Günter Neumann
- Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alex Valentine
- Department of Horticulture, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frank M Schurr
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy, University of Hohenheim & State Museum of Natural History, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
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43
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Powell KE, Oliver TH, González‐Suárez M, Botham MS, Harrower CA, Comont RF, Middlebrook I, Roy DB. Asynchrony in terrestrial insect abundance corresponds with species traits. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10910. [PMID: 38304266 PMCID: PMC10830349 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Asynchrony in population abundance can buffer the effects of environmental change leading to greater community and ecosystem stability. Both environmental (abiotic) drivers and species functional (biotic) traits can influence population dynamics leading to asynchrony. However, empirical evidence linking dissimilarity in species traits to abundance asynchrony is limited, especially for understudied taxa such as insects. To fill this knowledge gap, we explored the relationship between pairwise species trait dissimilarity and asynchrony in interannual abundance change between pairs of species for 422 moth, butterfly, and bumblebee species in Great Britain. We also explored patterns differentiating traits that we assumed to capture 'sensitivity to environmental variables' (such as body mass), and traits that may reflect 'diversity in exposure' to environmental conditions and lead to niche partitioning (for example, habitat uses, and intra-annual emergence periods). As expected, species trait dissimilarity calculated overall and for many individual traits representing response and exposure was positively correlated with asynchrony in all three insect groups. We found that 'exposure' traits, especially those relating to the phenology of species, had the strongest relationship with abundance asynchrony from all tested traits. Positive relationships were not simply due to shared evolutionary history leading to similar life-history strategies: detected effects remained significant for most traits after accounting for phylogenetic relationships within models. Our results provide empirical support that dissimilarity in traits linked to species exposure and sensitivity to the environment could be important for temporal dissimilarity in insect abundance. Hence, we suggest that general trait diversity, but especially diversity in 'exposure' traits, could play a significant role in the resilience of insect communities to short-term environmental perturbations through driving asynchrony between species abundances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Powell
- UK Centre for Ecology and HydrologyWallingfordOxfordshireUK
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | - Tom H. Oliver
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of ReadingReadingUK
| | | | - Marc S. Botham
- UK Centre for Ecology and HydrologyWallingfordOxfordshireUK
| | | | | | | | - David B. Roy
- UK Centre for Ecology and HydrologyWallingfordOxfordshireUK
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Krintza N, Dener E, Seifan M. Stress Induces Trait Variability across Multiple Spatial Scales in the Arid Annual Plant Anastatica hierochuntica. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:256. [PMID: 38256809 PMCID: PMC10820187 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Variations in plant characteristics in response to habitat heterogeneity can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms governing plant responses to environmental conditions. In this study, we investigated the role of environmental factors associated with arid conditions in shaping the phenotypic responses of an arid annual plant, Anastatica hierochuntica, across several populations found along an aridity gradient and across multiple spatial scales. Utilizing both field surveys and a net house experiment, we assessed the effects of environmental factors on trait variability within and between populations. The results indicated a significant convergence in plant height due to site aridity, reflecting growth potential based on abiotic resources. Convergence was also observed in the plant's electrolyte leakage with aridity and in plant height concerning soil salinity at specific sites. Phenotypic plasticity was pivotal in maintaining trait variability, with plant height plasticity increasing with soil salinity, SLA plasticity decreasing with aridity, and leaf number plasticity rising with aridity. In conclusion, our findings underscore the adaptive significance of phenotypic variability, especially plasticity, in arid conditions. Notably, trait variability and plasticity did not consistently diminish in stressful settings, emphasizing the adaptive value of flexible responses in such environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Krintza
- Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel;
| | - Efrat Dener
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environment and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel;
| | - Merav Seifan
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environment and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel;
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Xu X, Yang L, Shen K, Cao H, Lin Y, Liu J, Han W. Nitrogen Addition and Heterotroph Exclusion Affected Plant Species Diversity-Biomass Relationship by Affecting Plant Functional Traits. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:258. [PMID: 38256811 PMCID: PMC10818353 DOI: 10.3390/plants13020258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
(1) Background: Heterotrophs can affect plant biomass and alter species diversity-productivity relationships. However, these studies were conducted in systems with a low nitrogen (N) availability, and it is unclear how heterotroph removal affects the relationship between plant species diversity and productivity in different N habitats. (2) Methods: Three typical understory herbaceous plants were selected to assemble the plant species diversity (three plant species richness levels (1, 2, and 3) and seven plant species compositions), and the control, insecticide, fungicide, and all removal treatments were performed at each plant species diversity level in systems with or without N addition treatments. (3) Results: In systems without N addition, the insecticide treatment increased the plant aboveground biomass, total biomass, and leaf area, while the fungicide treatment reduced the plant belowground biomass, root length, and root tip number; the presence of Bidens pilosa increased the plant aboveground biomass. Similarly, the presence of Bletilla striata increased the plant belowground biomass and root diameter under each heterotroph removal treatment. In systems with N addition, all removal treatments reduced the plant belowground biomass and increased the plant leaf area; the presence of B. pilosa significantly increased the plant aboveground biomass, total biomass, and root length under each heterotroph removal treatment. The presence of B. striata significantly increased the plant belowground biomass and leaf area under insecticide and fungicide treatments. (4) Conclusions: Heterotroph removal alters the plant species diversity-biomass relationship by affecting the plant functional traits in systems with different N availabilities. The impact of biodiversity at different trophic levels on ecosystem functioning should be considered under the background of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xile Xu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Luping Yang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Kai Shen
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Huijuan Cao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Yishi Lin
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
| | - Jinliang Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Wenjuan Han
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; (X.X.); (L.Y.); (K.S.); (H.C.); (Y.L.); (J.L.)
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
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Wu C, Zhang X, Fan Y, Ye J, Dong L, Wang Y, Ren Y, Yong H, Liu R, Wang A. Vertical transfer and functional characterization of cotton seed core microbiome. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1323342. [PMID: 38264479 PMCID: PMC10803423 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1323342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Microbiome within plant tissues is pivotal for co-evolution with host plants. This microbiome can colonize the plant, with potential transmission via seeds between parents and offspring, affecting seedling growth and host plant adaptability to the environment. Methods We employed 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis to investigate the vertical distribution of core microbiome in cotton seeds across ecological niches [rhizosphere, root, stem, leaf, seed and seed-P (parental seed)] of the three cotton genotypes. Results The findings demonstrated a significant decrease in microbiome diversity and network complexity from roots, stems, and leaves to seeds. The microenvironment exerted a more substantial influence on the microbiome structure of cotton than the genotypes. The core endophytic microorganisms in cotton seeds comprised 29 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) affiliated with Acidimicrobiia, Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, and unclassified_Proteobacteria. These vertically transmitted taxa are widely distributed in cotton plants. Through 16S rRNA gene-based function prediction analysis of the cotton microbiome, we preliminarily understood that there are potential differences in metabolic capabilities and phenotypic traits among microbiomes in different microhabitats. Discussion In conclusion, this study demonstrated the crucial role of the microenvironment in influencing the cotton microbiome and offered insights into the structures and functions of the cotton seed microbiome, facilitating future crop yield enhancement through core seed microbiome regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongdie Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, Shihezi, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Yongbin Fan
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, Shihezi, China
| | - Jingyi Ye
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, Shihezi, China
| | - Lingjun Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - YuXiang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - YinZheng Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - HongHong Yong
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Ruina Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, Shihezi, China
| | - Aiying Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-basin System Ecology, Shihezi, China
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Caballol M, Redondo MÁ, Catalán N, Corcobado T, Jung T, Marçais B, Milenković I, Nemesio-Gorriz M, Stenlid J, Oliva J. Climate acts as an environmental filter to plant pathogens. ISME J 2024; 18:wrae010. [PMID: 38366172 PMCID: PMC10926774 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Climate shapes the distribution of plant-associated microbes such as mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi. However, the role of climate in plant pathogen community assembly is less understood. Here, we explored the role of climate in the assembly of Phytophthora communities at >250 sites along a latitudinal gradient from Spain to northern Sweden and an altitudinal gradient from the Spanish Pyrenees to lowland areas. Communities were detected by ITS sequencing of river filtrates. Mediation analysis supported the role of climate in the biogeography of Phytophthora and ruled out other environmental factors such as geography or tree diversity. Comparisons of functional and species diversity showed that environmental filtering dominated over competitive exclusion in Europe. Temperature and precipitation acted as environmental filters at different extremes of the gradients. In northern regions, winter temperatures acted as an environmental filter on Phytophthora community assembly, selecting species adapted to survive low minimum temperatures. In southern latitudes, a hot dry climate was the main environmental filter, resulting in communities dominated by drought-tolerant Phytophthora species with thick oospore walls, a high optimum temperature for growth, and a high maximum temperature limit for growth. By taking a community ecology approach, we show that the establishment of Phytophthora plant pathogens in Europe is mainly restricted by cold temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Caballol
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida 25198, Spain
- Joint Research Unit CTFC – AGROTECNIO-CERCA, Lleida 25198, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Redondo
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7026, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Núria Catalán
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - Tamara Corcobado
- Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Phytophthora Research Centre, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic
- Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW), Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 8, Vienna 1131, Austria
| | - Thomas Jung
- Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Phytophthora Research Centre, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic
| | - Benoît Marçais
- Université de Lorraine - INRAE, UMR Interactions Arbres/Microorganismes, Nancy 54000, France
| | - Ivan Milenković
- Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Phytophthora Research Centre, Brno 613 00, Czech Republic
- University of Belgrade-Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade 11030, Serbia
| | | | - Jan Stenlid
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7026, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Jonàs Oliva
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Lleida 25198, Spain
- Joint Research Unit CTFC – AGROTECNIO-CERCA, Lleida 25198, Spain
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Zi F, Wang B, Yang L, Huo Q, Wang Z, Ren D, Huo B, Song Y, Chen S. Ecology of Saline Watersheds: An Investigation of the Functional Communities and Drivers of Benthic Fauna in Typical Water Bodies of the Irtysh River Basin. Biology (Basel) 2024; 13:27. [PMID: 38248458 PMCID: PMC10813219 DOI: 10.3390/biology13010027] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated how changes in salinity affect biodiversity and function in 11 typical water bodies in the Altai region. The salinity of the freshwater bodies ranged from 0 to 5, the brackish water salinities ranged from 5 to 20, and the hypersaline environments had salinities > 20. We identified 11 orders, 34 families, and 55 genera in 3061 benthic samples and classified them into 10 traits and 32 categories. Subsequently, we conducted Mantel tests and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and calculated biodiversity and functional diversity indices for each sampling site. The results indicated that biodiversity and the proportion of functional traits were greater in freshwater environments than in saline environments and decreased gradually with increasing salinity. Noticeable shifts in species distribution were observed in high-salinity environments and were accompanied by specific functional traits such as swimming ability, smaller body sizes, and air-breathing adaptations. The diversity indices revealed that the species were more evenly distributed in high-diversity environments under the influence of salinity. In contrast, in high-salinity environments, only a few species dominated. The results suggested that increasing salinity accelerated the evolution of benthic communities, leading to reduced species diversity and functional homogenization. We recommend enhancing the monitoring of saline water resources and implementing sustainable water resource management to mitigate the impact of salinity stress on aquatic communities in response to climate-induced soil and water salinization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangze Zi
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Baoqiang Wang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Liting Yang
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Qiang Huo
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Zhichao Wang
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Daoquan Ren
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Bin Huo
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Yong Song
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
| | - Shengao Chen
- Tarim Research Center of Rare Fishes, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China; (F.Z.); (L.Y.); (Q.H.); (Z.W.); (D.R.)
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Rahman MM, Zimmer M, Donato D, Ahmed I, Xu M, Wu J. Functional composition outweighs taxonomic and functional diversity in maintaining ecosystem properties and processes of mangrove forests. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17152. [PMID: 38273532 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss can have significant consequences for human well-being, as it can affect multiple ecosystem properties and processes (MEPP) that drive ecosystem services. However, a comprehensive understanding of the link between environmental factors, biodiversity, and MEPP remains elusive, especially in mangrove ecosystems that millions of people along tropical coastlines worldwide depend upon. Here, we collated a comprehensive dataset on forest inventory, plant traits, and environmental factors across 93 plots in the Sundarbans Reserved Forests, Bangladesh. The functional composition (FC) of leaf area showed a stronger positive association with MEPP, being determined by total biomass and productivity of the mangroves, sediment organic carbon, and ammonium, phosphorus, and potassium contents of the sediment, than species richness (SR) or functional diversity (FD). Further, FC mediated a strong negative association of sediment salinity, and a positive association of SR, with MEPP. The similar but opposite total associations of SR and sediment salinity with MEPP suggest that species-rich mangroves could offset the negative impacts of rising salinity on MEPP. When focusing on a single aspect of MEPP, both FD and FC mattered, with the FD of leaf area showing a strong association with mangrove productivity and sediment potassium content, while the FC of leaf litter nitrogen showed the strongest associations with sediment ammonium and phosphorus contents. Therefore, to sustain mangrove ecosystems as a reliable nature-based solution for climate change mitigation, conservation and (re-)establishment projects should prioritize regionally dominant species with high leaf area and nitrogen content, plus functionally different species to support the ecosystem processes and services provided by mangroves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Mizanur Rahman
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Jiangmen Laboratory of Carbon Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Jiangmen, China
| | - Martin Zimmer
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- IUCN-SSC Mangrove Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Donato
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Imran Ahmed
- Bangladesh Forest Department, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Ming Xu
- Jiangmen Laboratory of Carbon Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Jiangmen, China
| | - Jin Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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50
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Cantwell-Jones A, Tylianakis JM, Larson K, Gill RJ. Using individual-based trait frequency distributions to forecast plant-pollinator network responses to environmental change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14368. [PMID: 38247047 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14368] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Determining how and why organisms interact is fundamental to understanding ecosystem responses to future environmental change. To assess the impact on plant-pollinator interactions, recent studies have examined how the effects of environmental change on individual interactions accumulate to generate species-level responses. Here, we review recent developments in using plant-pollinator networks of interacting individuals along with their functional traits, where individuals are nested within species nodes. We highlight how these individual-level, trait-based networks connect intraspecific trait variation (as frequency distributions of multiple traits) with dynamic responses within plant-pollinator communities. This approach can better explain interaction plasticity, and changes to interaction probabilities and network structure over spatiotemporal or other environmental gradients. We argue that only through appreciating such trait-based interaction plasticity can we accurately forecast the potential vulnerability of interactions to future environmental change. We follow this with general guidance on how future studies can collect and analyse high-resolution interaction and trait data, with the hope of improving predictions of future plant-pollinator network responses for targeted and effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 4800, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Keith Larson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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