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Ni M, Vellend M. Soil properties constrain forest understory plant distributions along an elevation gradient. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230373. [PMID: 38583477 PMCID: PMC10999263 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Projections of spatial biodiversity dynamics under climate warming are often based on models including only climate variables, and when non-climatic factors (e.g. soil) are included, data are often at much coarser spatial resolutions than those experienced by plants. Field studies along elevation gradients permit the gathering of detailed soil data, while still covering a wide climatic gradient. Here, an intensive field survey of four spring forest herbs along an elevation gradient showed that soil properties had substantial impacts on the occurrence/abundance of all species, and that soil effects were more pronounced at higher elevations. For Trillium erectum and Claytonia caroliniana, very infrequent occurrences at high elevation were strongly associated with rare microsites with high pH or nutrients. In a seven-year transplant experiment with T. erectum, we found that individuals grew to much smaller sizes at high than low elevation, suggesting that environmental factors rather than dispersal limitation constrain the species' upper range limit, despite substantial warming in recent decades. Our study demonstrates that soil factors interact strongly with climate to determine plant range limits along climatic gradients. Unsuitable soils for plants at high elevations or latitudes may represent an important constraint on future plant migration and biodiversity change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ni
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Mark Vellend
- Université de Sherbrooke, Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada J1K 2R1
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Vellend M, Béhé M, Carteron A, Crofts AL, Danneyrolles V, Gamhewa HT, Ni M, Rinas CL, Watts DA. Plant Responses to Climate Change and an Elevational Gradient in Mont Mégantic National Park, Québec, Canada. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/045.028.s1102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Vellend
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Mélanie Béhé
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Alexis Carteron
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Centre sur la Biodiversité, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Anna L. Crofts
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Victor Danneyrolles
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Hasanki T. Gamhewa
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Ming Ni
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Christina L. Rinas
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - David A. Watts
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
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Beck JJ, Givnish TJ. Fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and spatial niche partitioning among spring-flowering forest herbs. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:63-73. [PMID: 33426671 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Environmental heterogeneity influences plant distributions and diversity at several spatial scales. In temperate forests, fine-scale environmental variation may promote local coexistence among herbaceous species by allowing plants to spatially partition microsites within forest stands. Here we argue that shallow soils, low soil water-holding capacity and fertility, and reduced light near tree boles should favor short, shallow-rooted, evergreen species like Anemone acutiloba with low moisture, nutrient, and light requirements. Farther from trees, richer, deeper soils should favor taller, deeper-rooted herbs with greater moisture and nutrient demands, such as Sanguinaria canadensis and Trillium flexipes. METHODS We tested these hypotheses by mapping the fine-scale distributions of Anemone, Sanguinaria, and Trillium individuals within a 50 × 50 m plot, comparing local species' distributions with respect to soil depth and proximity to neighboring trees, and characterizing intraspecific and interspecific spatial associations. RESULTS Local plant distributions were consistent with our predictions based on leaf height, physiology, and phenology. Anemone was found in microsites on shallower soils and closer to trees than either Sanguinaria or Trillium. In all three species, individual plants were spatially aggregated within 2 m, but spatially segregated from individuals of the other species beyond 2 m. CONCLUSIONS Differential plant responses to fine-scale environmental heterogeneity and observed spatial associations suggest that local species-environment associations could facilitate coexistence. These findings illustrate how fine-scale environmental heterogeneity coupled with phenological and physiological differences likely contribute to spatial niche partitioning among spring-flowering forest herbs and maintain high local plant diversity within temperate forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared J Beck
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706
| | - Thomas J Givnish
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI, 53706
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Zhang X, Manzanedo RD, D'Orangeville L, Rademacher TT, Li J, Bai X, Hou M, Chen Z, Zou F, Song F, Pederson N. Snowmelt and early to mid-growing season water availability augment tree growth during rapid warming in southern Asian boreal forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3462-3471. [PMID: 31271698 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Boreal forests are facing profound changes in their growth environment, including warming-induced water deficits, extended growing seasons, accelerated snowmelt, and permafrost thaw. The influence of warming on trees varies regionally, but in most boreal forests studied to date, tree growth has been found to be negatively affected by increasing temperatures. Here, we used a network of Pinus sylvestris tree-ring collections spanning a wide climate gradient the southern end of the boreal forest in Asia to assess their response to climate change for the period 1958-2014. Contrary to findings in other boreal regions, we found that previously negative effects of temperature on tree growth turned positive in the northern portion of the study network after the onset of rapid warming. Trees in the drier portion did not show this reversal in their climatic response during the period of rapid warming. Abundant water availability during the growing season, particularly in the early to mid-growing season (May-July), is key to the reversal of tree sensitivity to climate. Advancement in the onset of growth appears to allow trees to take advantage of snowmelt water, such that tree growth increases with increasing temperatures during the rapidly warming period. The region's monsoonal climate delivers limited precipitation during the early growing season, and thus snowmelt likely covers the water deficit so trees are less stressed from the onset of earlier growth. Our results indicate that the growth response of P. sylvestris to increasing temperatures strongly related to increased early season water availability. Hence, boreal forests with sufficient water available during crucial parts of the growing season might be more able to withstand or even increase growth during periods of rising temperatures. We suspect that other regions of the boreal forest may be affected by similar dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianliang Zhang
- College of Forestry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Rubén D Manzanedo
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, USA
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Loïc D'Orangeville
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, USA
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Tim T Rademacher
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, USA
- School of Informatics and Cyber Security and Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Junxia Li
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xueping Bai
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Meiting Hou
- China Meteorological Administration Training Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenju Chen
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fenghua Zou
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fangbo Song
- Tree-ring Laboratory, College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Neil Pederson
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, USA
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Wilson S, Ruban AV. Enhanced NPQ affects long-term acclimation in the spring ephemeral Berteroa incana. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2019; 1861:148014. [PMID: 30880080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The spring ephemeral Berteroa incana is a familial relative of Arabidopsis thaliana and thrives in a diverse range of terrestrial ecosystems. Within this study, the novel chlorophyll fluorescence parameter of photochemical quenching in the dark (qPd) was used to measure the redox state of the primary quinone electron acceptor (QA) in order to estimate the openness of photosystem II (PSII) reaction centres (RC). From this, the early onset of photoinactivation can be sensitively quantified alongside the light tolerance of PSII and the photoprotective efficiency of nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). This study shows that, with regards to A. thaliana, NPQ is enhanced in B. incana in both low-light (LL) and high-light (HL) acclimation states. Moreover, light tolerance is increased by up to 500%, the rate of photoinactivation is heavily diminished, and the ability to recover from light stress is enhanced in B. incana, relative to A. thaliana. This is due to faster synthesis of zeaxanthin and a larger xanthophyll cycle (XC) pool available for deepoxidation. Moreover, preferential energy transfer via CP47 around the RC further enhances efficient photoprotection. As a result, a high functional cross-section of photosystem II is maintained and is not downregulated when B. incana is acclimated to HL. A greater capacity for protective NPQ allows B. incana to maintain an enhanced light-harvesting capability when acclimated to a range of light conditions. This enhancement of flexible short-term protection saves the metabolic cost of long-term acclimatory changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Wilson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander V Ruban
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom.
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