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Chen Y, Ma J, Wang H, Xie T, Li Q, Shan L. Fine Root Traits across Different Root Orders and Their Associations with Leaf Traits in 15 Co-Occurring Plant Species from the Desert-Oasis Transition Zone in the Hexi Corridor, Gansu Province, China. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2472. [PMID: 39273955 PMCID: PMC11396981 DOI: 10.3390/plants13172472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 09/01/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Fine root traits embody trade-offs between resource acquisition and conservation in plants. Yet, the differentiation of these traits across root orders, the existence of a root economics spectrum (RES) spanning these orders, and their linkage with leaf traits remain underexplored. In this study, we analyzed the first three root orders and leaf traits of 15 co-occurring plant species, including ten herbs and five shrubs, from the desert-oasis transition zone of the Hexi Corridor. We measured twelve morphological and chemical traits to investigate the relationships between root and leaf traits. Our results revealed significant variation in root traits both among species and within species across different root orders. We identified RES that spanned root orders, with higher-order roots exhibiting more conservative traits and lower-order roots displaying traits aligned with resource acquisition. Additionally, leaf and fine root traits showed partially decoupled adaptive strategies, yet evidence also supported the existence of a leaf economics spectrum (LES) and a potentially two-dimensional whole plant economics spectrum (WPES). Our findings suggest synergistic resource allocation strategies between fine roots and the entire plant, emphasizing the importance of root order in understanding fine root structure, function, and their interactions with other plant organs. These insights advance the understanding of fine root traits and their integration within the broader plant economics spectrum. Nevertheless, the differences in fine root traits across root orders, the presence of a root economics spectrum (RES) spanning these orders, and the relationships between fine root and leaf traits remain underexplored. We examined the first three root orders and leaves of 15 co-occurring plant species (ten herbs and five shrubs) from the desert-oasis transition zone in the Hexi Corridor, measured twelve key morphological and chemical traits. We observed substantial variation in root traits among species and root orders within species. The root economics spectrum (RES) spanned across root orders, with higher-order roots positioned at the conservative end and lower-order roots at the acquisitive end of the "investment-return" strategy axis. Leaf and fine root traits of the 15 co-occurring plant species exhibited partially decoupled adaptive strategies. However, there was also evidence for the presence of a leaf economics spectrum (LES) and a whole plant economics spectrum (WPES), with the WPES potentially being two-dimensional. Furthermore, our findings suggest synergistic resource strategies between fine roots and the whole plant. Concurrently, the significant interspecific and intraspecific differences in fine root traits, combined with the presence of a root economics spectrum across root orders, underscore the critical importance of root order in studying fine root structure, function, and their associations with other plant organs. Our findings offer valuable insights for future research on fine root traits, the RES, and their integration with the whole plant economics spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Chen
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Jing Ma
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Hongyong Wang
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Tingting Xie
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Quangang Li
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Lishan Shan
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
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Noualhaguet M, Work TT, Nock CA, Macdonald SE, Aubin I, Fenton NJ. Functional responses of understory plants to natural disturbance-based management in eastern and western Canada. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e3011. [PMID: 39030784 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Natural disturbance-based management (NDBM) is hypothesized to maintain managed forest ecosystem integrity by reducing differences between natural and managed forests. The effectiveness of this approach often entails local comparisons of species composition or diversity for a variety of biota from managed and unmanaged forests. Understory vegetation is regularly the focus of such comparison because of its importance in nutrient cycling, forest regeneration, and for wildlife. However, larger scale comparisons between regions with distinct species assemblages may require a trait-based approach to better understand understory responses to disturbance. We compared the long-term effects of retention harvesting on understory vegetation in two large experimental study sites located in eastern and western regions of the Canadian boreal forest. These sites included the Sylviculture en Aménagement Forestier Ecosystémique (SAFE) experiment and the Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) experiment, located in the eastern and western regions of Canada, respectively. EMEND and SAFE share common boreal understory species but have distinct tree communities, soils, and climate. Both experiments were designed to evaluate how increasing tree retention after harvest affects biodiversity. Here, we examined taxonomic richness, functional diversity, and functional composition (using community trait mean values) of understory plant communities, and also examine intraspecific trait variability (ITV) for five species common and abundant in both experiments. We observed the limited impacts of retention level on richness, functional diversity, and functional composition of understory plants 20 years postharvest. However, ITV of leaf morphological traits varied between retention levels within each experiment, depending on the species identity. Common species had different functional responses to retention level, showing species-specific reactions to environmental variation. Our result suggests that understory plant communities in the boreal forest achieve resilience to disturbance both in terms of interspecific and intraspecific functional trait diversity. Such diversity may be key to maintaining understory biodiversity in the face of future disturbances and environmental change. Our results reveal the significance of ITV in plant communities for understanding responses to forest harvesting and the importance of choosing appropriate traits when studying species responses to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Noualhaguet
- Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothy T Work
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Charles A Nock
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - S Ellen Macdonald
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubin
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole J Fenton
- Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
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Chelli S, Bricca A, Tsakalos JL, Andreetta A, Bonari G, Campetella G, Carnicelli S, Cervellini M, Puletti N, Wellstein C, Canullo R. Multiple drivers of functional diversity in temperate forest understories: Climate, soil, and forest structure effects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170258. [PMID: 38246378 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
In macroecology, shifting from coarse- to local-scale explanatory factors is crucial for understanding how global change impacts functional diversity (FD). Plants possess diverse traits allowing them to differentially respond across a spectrum of environmental conditions. We aim to assess how macro- to microclimate, stand-scale measured soil properties, forest structure, and management type, influence forest understorey FD at the macroecological scale. Our study covers Italian forests, using thirteen predictors categorized into climate, soil, forest structure, and management. We analyzed five traits (i.e., specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, belowground bud bank size, and clonal lateral spread) capturing independent functional dimensions to calculate the standardized effect size of functional diversity (SES-FD) for all traits (multi-trait) and for single traits. Multiple regression models were applied to assess the effect of predictors on SES-FD. We revealed that climate, soil, and forest structure significantly drive SES-FD of specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, and bud bank. Forest management had a limited effect. However, differences emerged between herbaceous and woody growth forms of the understorey layer, with herbaceous species mainly responding to climate and soil features, while woody species were mainly affected by forest structure. Future warmer and more seasonal climate could reduce the diversity of resource economics, plant size, and persistence strategies of the forest understorey. Soil eutrophication and acidification may impact the diversity of regeneration strategies; canopy closure affects the diversity of above- and belowground traits, with a larger effect on woody species. Multifunctional approaches are vital to disentangle the effect of global changes on functional diversity since independent functional specialization axes are modulated by different drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Bricca
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - James L Tsakalos
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Anna Andreetta
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Marco Cervellini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Nicola Puletti
- CREA, Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; Centro Interuniversitario per le Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data - PLANT DATA, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Forey E, Lodhar SYF, Galvin SD, Lowry JH, Gopaul S, Hanson G, Carboni M, Chauvat M, Boehmer HJ. Alien palm invasion leads to selective biotic filtering of resident plant communities towards competitive functional traits. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02991-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Woodward A, Jenkins KJ, Harmon ME. Plant community succession following ungulate exclusion in a temperate rainforest. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A. Woodward
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Seattle Washington 98115 USA
| | - K. J. Jenkins
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Port Angeles, Washington 98362 USA
| | - M. E. Harmon
- College of Forestry Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97330 USA
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Weigelt A, Mommer L, Andraczek K, Iversen CM, Bergmann J, Bruelheide H, Fan Y, Freschet GT, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Kattge J, Kuyper TW, Laughlin DC, Meier IC, van der Plas F, Poorter H, Roumet C, van Ruijven J, Sabatini FM, Semchenko M, Sweeney CJ, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, York LM, McCormack ML. An integrated framework of plant form and function: the belowground perspective. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:42-59. [PMID: 34197626 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant trait variation drives plant function, community composition and ecosystem processes. However, our current understanding of trait variation disproportionately relies on aboveground observations. Here we integrate root traits into the global framework of plant form and function. We developed and tested an overarching conceptual framework that integrates two recently identified root trait gradients with a well-established aboveground plant trait framework. We confronted our novel framework with published relationships between above- and belowground trait analogues and with multivariate analyses of above- and belowground traits of 2510 species. Our traits represent the leaf and root conservation gradients (specific leaf area, leaf and root nitrogen concentration, and root tissue density), the root collaboration gradient (root diameter and specific root length) and the plant size gradient (plant height and rooting depth). We found that an integrated, whole-plant trait space required as much as four axes. The two main axes represented the fast-slow 'conservation' gradient on which leaf and fine-root traits were well aligned, and the 'collaboration' gradient in roots. The two additional axes were separate, orthogonal plant size axes for height and rooting depth. This perspective on the multidimensional nature of plant trait variation better encompasses plant function and influence on the surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Weigelt
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Karl Andraczek
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Colleen M Iversen
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Sustainable Grassland Systems, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Paulinenaue, 14641, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 06108, Germany
| | - Ying Fan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Grégoire T Freschet
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (SETE), National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Nathaly R Guerrero-Ramírez
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jens Kattge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Functional Biogeography, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Thom W Kuyper
- Soil Biology Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel C Laughlin
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Ina C Meier
- Functional Forest Ecology, Department of Biology, Universität Hamburg, Barsbüttel-Willinghusen, 22885, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Catherine Roumet
- CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, University Montpellier, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Jasper van Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Francesco Maria Sabatini
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 06108, Germany
| | - Marina Semchenko
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51005, Estonia
| | - Christopher J Sweeney
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Larry M York
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - M Luke McCormack
- The Root Lab, Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60515, USA
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Li S, Wang H, Gou W, White JF, Kingsley KL, Wu G, Su P. Leaf functional traits of dominant desert plants in the Hexi Corridor, Northwestern China: Trade-off relationships and adversity strategies. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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The reproductive strategy of the clonal helophyte Leersia oryzoides (L.) Swartz. in response to variable submergence conditions and different harvest times. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10092-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Burton JI, Perakis SS, Brooks JR, Puettmann KJ. Trait integration and functional differentiation among co-existing plant species. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:628-638. [PMID: 32236958 PMCID: PMC8108537 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Determining which traits characterize strategies of coexisting species is important to developing trait-based models of plant communities. First, global dimensions may not exist locally. Second, the degree to which traits and trait spectra constitute independent dimensions of functional variation at various scales continues to be refined. Finally, traits may be associated with existing categorical groupings. METHODS We assessed trait integration and differentiation across 57 forest understory plant species in Douglas-fir forests of western Oregon, United States. We combined measurements for a range of traits with literature-based estimates of seed mass and species groupings. We used network analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination (NMS) to determine the degree of integration. RESULTS We observed a strong leaf economics spectrum (LES) integrated with stem but not root traits. However, stem traits and intrinsic water-use efficiency integrated LES and root traits. Network analyses indicated a modest grouping of a priori trait dimensions. NMS indicated that multivariate differences among species were related primarily to (1) rooting depth and plant height vs. specific root length, (2) the LES, and (3) leaf size vs. seed mass. These differences were related to species groupings associated with growth and life form, leaf lifespan and seed dispersal mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS The strategies of coexisting understory plant species could not be reduced to a single dimension. Yet, species can be characterized efficiently and effectively for trait-based studies of plant communities by measuring four common traits: plant height, specific leaf area, leaf size, and seed mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia I. Burton
- State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Department of Sustainable Resources Management, 320 Bray Hall, 1 Forestry Dr., Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Steven S. Perakis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - J. Renée Brooks
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Klaus J. Puettmann
- Oregon State University, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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