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Li Y, Mo YX, Cui HL, Zhang YJ, Dossa GGO, Tan ZH, Song L. Intraspecific plasticity and co-variation of leaf traits facilitate Ficus tinctoria to acclimate hemiepiphytic and terrestrial habitats. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 44:tpae007. [PMID: 38198737 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpae007] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite intensive studies on plant functional traits, the intraspecific variation and their co-variation at the multi-scale remains poorly studied, which holds the potential to unveil plant responses to changing environmental conditions. In this study, intraspecific variations of 16 leaf functional traits of a common fig species, Ficus tinctoria G. Frost., were investigated in relation to different scales: habitat types (hemiepiphytic and terrestrial), growth stages (small, medium and large) and tree crown positions (upper, middle and lower) in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Remarkable intraspecific variation was observed in leaf functional traits, which was mainly influenced by tree crown position, growth stage and their interaction. Stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) and leaf area (LA) showed large variations, while stable carbon isotope (δ13C), stomata width and leaf water content showed relatively small variations, suggesting that light- and nitrogen-use strategies of F. tinctoria were plastic, while the water-use strategies have relatively low plasticity. The crown layers are formed with the growth of figs, and leaves in the lower crown increase their chlorophyll concentration and LA to improve the light energy conversion efficiency and the ability to capture weak light. Meanwhile, leaves in the upper crown increase the water-use efficiency to maintain their carbon assimilation. Moreover, hemiepiphytic medium (transitional stage) and large (free-standing stage) figs exhibited more significant trait differentiation (chlorophyll concentration, δ13C, stomata density, etc.) within the crown positions, and stronger trait co-variation compared with their terrestrial counterparts. This pattern demonstrates their acclimation to the changing microhabitats formed by their hemiepiphytic life history. Our study emphasizes the importance of multi-scaled intraspecific variation and co-variation in trait-based strategies of hemiepiphyte and terrestrial F. tinctoria, which facilitate them to cope with different environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, China
- T-STAR Core Team, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Mo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- T-STAR Core Team, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Li Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance, Beijing 101121, China
| | - Yong-Jiang Zhang
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Gbadamassi G O Dossa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Zheng-Hong Tan
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650504, China
| | - Liang Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
- T-STAR Core Team, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China
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Fernández-de-Uña L, Martínez-Vilalta J, Poyatos R, Mencuccini M, McDowell NG. The role of height-driven constraints and compensations on tree vulnerability to drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:2083-2098. [PMID: 37485545 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19130] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Frequent observations of higher mortality in larger trees than in smaller ones during droughts have sparked an increasing interest in size-dependent drought-induced mortality. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well understood, with height-associated hydraulic constraints often being implied as the potential mechanism driving increased drought vulnerability. We performed a quantitative synthesis on how key traits that drive plant water and carbon economy change with tree height within species and assessed the implications that the different constraints and compensations may have on the interacting mechanisms (hydraulic failure, carbon starvation and/or biotic-agent attacks) affecting tree vulnerability to drought. While xylem tension increases with tree height, taller trees present a range of structural and functional adjustments, including more efficient water use and transport and greater water uptake and storage capacity, that mitigate the path-length-associated drop in water potential. These adaptations allow taller trees to withstand episodic water stress. Conclusive evidence for height-dependent increased vulnerability to hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, and their coupling to defence mechanisms and pest and pathogen dynamics, is still lacking. Further research is needed, particularly at the intraspecific level, to ascertain the specific conditions and thresholds above which height hinders tree survival under drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernández-de-Uña
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Rafael Poyatos
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Nate G McDowell
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, 99354, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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Kramer RD, Ishii HR, Carter KR, Miyazaki Y, Cavaleri MA, Araki MG, Azuma WA, Inoue Y, Hara C. Predicting effects of climate change on productivity and persistence of forest trees. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell D. Kramer
- School of Environmental and Forest Science, College of the Environment University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
| | - H. Roaki Ishii
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
| | - Kelsey R. Carter
- College of Forest Resources & Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA
- Earth and Environmental Science Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos New Mexico USA
| | - Yuko Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science Okayama University Okayama Japan
| | - Molly A. Cavaleri
- College of Forest Resources & Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan USA
| | - Masatake G. Araki
- Department of Plant Ecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Tsukuba Japan
| | - Wakana A. Azuma
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
| | - Yuta Inoue
- Department of Plant Ecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Tsukuba Japan
| | - Chinatsu Hara
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Kobe University Kobe Japan
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