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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] [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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Cuyckens GAE, Hensen I, López VL, Cellini JM, Renison D. Germination of high Andean treeline species of contrasting environments and along elevational gradients in northwest Argentina. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.1906137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Griet An Erica Cuyckens
- Instituto De Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA), Consejo Nacional De Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad Nacional De Jujuy (UNJu), San Salvador De Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
- Centro De Estudios Territoriales Ambientales Y Sociales (CETAS), Universidad Nacional de Jujuy (UNJu), Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Isabell Hensen
- Martin-Luther-Universität,Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (Idiv), Biology, Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Victoria Lien López
- Laboratorio De Investigaciones En Maderas (LIMAD), Factultad De Ciencias Agrarias Y Forestales, Universidad Nacional De La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Científico Tecnológico, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan Manuel Cellini
- Laboratorio De Investigaciones En Maderas (LIMAD), Factultad De Ciencias Agrarias Y Forestales, Universidad Nacional De La Plata, Argentina
| | - Daniel Renison
- Centro De Ecología Y Recursos Naturales Renovables, Dr. Ricardo Luti. Instituto De Investigaciones Biológicas Y Tecnológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional De Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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Ge W, Bu H, Wang X, Martinez SA, Du G. Inter- and intra-specific difference in the effect of elevation and seed mass on germinability of eight Allium species. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Disentangling the Effects of Disturbance from Those of Dominant Tall Grass Features in Driving the Functional Variation of Restored Grassland in a Sub-Mediterranean Context. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d12010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Land abandonment in sub-Mediterranean grasslands causes the spread of tall-grasses, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mowing allows the recovery of the coenological composition after invasion, but the mechanisms acting at the fine-scale are poorly investigated. Since 2010 in the Central Apennines, we fenced a grassland invaded by Brachypodium rupestre, divided it into two areas, half of each was mowed biyearly and half remained unmown. In 2017 we selected ten 20 × 20 cm experimental units per half-area, collecting data on species occurrences, plant traits, B. rupestre height and phytomass. We used generalized linear mixed-effect modelling to disentangle the role of mowing from the impact of B. rupestre features in driving the community functional variations. Mowing was the main driver in the recovery process, acting as an abiotic filter (enhancement of tolerance-avoidance strategies). Furthermore, the reduction of weaker competitor exclusion processes fostered the increase of functional variation between coexisting species. Both drivers acted on different plant traits (e.g., mowing on life span, vegetative propagation types and plant height, mowing and B. rupestre features on space occupation types, seed mass and leaf anatomy), generally enhancing the extent of functional strategies related to resource acquisition and storage, reproduction, space occupation and temporal niche exploitation.
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Barak RS, Lichtenberger TM, Wellman‐Houde A, Kramer AT, Larkin DJ. Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5551-5562. [PMID: 29938073 PMCID: PMC6010845 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Traits are important for understanding how plant communities assemble and function, providing a common currency for studying ecological processes across species, locations, and habitat types. However, the majority of studies relating species traits to community assembly rely upon vegetative traits of mature plants. Seed traits, which are understudied relative to whole-plant traits, are key to understanding assembly of plant communities. This is particularly true for restored communities, which are typically started de novo from seed, making seed germination a critical first step in community assembly and an early filter for plant establishment. We experimentally tested the effects of seed traits (mass, shape, and embryo to seed size ratio) and phylogeny on germination response in 32 species commonly used in prairie grassland restoration in the Midwestern USA, analyzing data using time-to-event (survival) analysis. As germination is also influenced by seed dormancy, and dormancy break treatments are commonly employed in restoration, we also tested the effects of two pretreatments (cold stratification and gibberellic acid application) on time to germination. Seed traits, phylogeny, and seed pretreatments all affected time to germination. Of all traits tested, variables related to seed shape (height and shape variance) best predicted germination response, with high-variance (i.e., pointier and narrower) seeds germinating faster. Phylogenetic position (the location of species on the phylogenetic tree relative to other tested species) was also an important predictor of germination response, that is, closely related species showed similar patterns in time to germination. This was true despite the fact that all measured seed traits showed phylogenetic signal, therefore phylogeny provided residual information that was not already captured by measured seed traits. Seed traits, phylogenetic position, and germination pretreatments were important predictors of germination response for a suite of species commonly used in grassland restoration. Shape traits were especially important, while mass, often the only seed trait used in studies of community assembly, was not a strong predictor of germination timing. These findings illustrate the ecological importance of seed traits that are rarely incorporated into functional studies of plant communities. This information can also be used to advance restoration practice by guiding restoration planning and seed mix design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S. Barak
- Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic GardenGlencoeIllinois
- Program in Plant Biology and ConservationNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinois
| | - Taran M. Lichtenberger
- Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic GardenGlencoeIllinois
- Program in Plant Biology and ConservationNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinois
| | - Alyssa Wellman‐Houde
- Program in Environmental ScienceUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyBaltimoreMaryland
- Department of Environmental Science and TechnologyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMaryland
| | - Andrea T. Kramer
- Plant Science and ConservationChicago Botanic GardenGlencoeIllinois
| | - Daniel J. Larkin
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
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Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt K, Stachurska-Swakoń A, Towpasz K. Variability of Morphological Traits of the Rare Plant SpeciesAngelica palustris(Apiaceae) in Managed and Abandoned Meadows: Effect of Mowing. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2018.66.1.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt
- Department of Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30–387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Alina Stachurska-Swakoń
- Department of Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30–387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Krystyna Towpasz
- Department of Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 27, 31–512 Kraków, Poland
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Michalski SG, Malyshev AV, Kreyling J. Trait variation in response to varying winter temperatures, diversity patterns and signatures of selection along the latitudinal distribution of the widespread grassland plant Arrhenatherum elatius. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3268-3280. [PMID: 28480024 PMCID: PMC5415536 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Across Europe, genetic diversity can be expected to decline toward the North because of stochastic and selective effects which may imply diminished phenotypic variation and less potential for future genetic adaptations to environmental change. Understanding such latitudinal patterns can aid provenance selection for breeding or assisted migration approaches. In an experiment simulating different winter temperatures, we assessed quantitative trait variation, genetic diversity, and differentiation for natural populations of the grass Arrhenatherum elatius originating from a large latitudinal gradient. In general, populations from the North grew smaller and had a lower flowering probability. Toward the North, the absolute plastic response to the different winter conditions as well as heritability for biomass production significantly declined. Genetic differentiation in plant height and probability of flowering were very strong and significantly higher than under neutral expectations derived from SNP data, suggesting adaptive differentiation. Differentiation in biomass production did not exceed but mirrored patterns for neutral genetic differentiation, suggesting that migration‐related processes caused the observed clinal trait variation. Our results demonstrate that genetic diversity and trait differentiation patterns for A. elatius along a latitudinal gradient are likely shaped by both local selection and genetic drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan G Michalski
- Department of Community Ecology (BZF) Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Halle Germany
| | - Andrey V Malyshev
- Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Juergen Kreyling
- Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald Greifswald Germany
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Wang Z, Bossdorf O, Prati D, Fischer M, van Kleunen M. Transgenerational effects of land use on offspring performance and growth in Trifolium repens. Oecologia 2015; 180:409-20. [PMID: 26496993 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3480-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Central European grasslands vary widely in productivity and in mowing and grazing regimes. The resulting differences in competition and heterogeneity among grasslands might have direct effects on plants, but might also affect the growth and morphology of their offspring through maternal effects or adaptive evolution. To test for such transgenerational effects, we grew plants of the clonal herb Trifolium repens from seeds collected in 58 grassland sites differing in productivity and mowing and grazing intensities in different treatments: without competition, with homogeneous competition, and with heterogeneous competition. In the competition-free treatment, T. repens from more productive, less frequently mown, and less intensively grazed sites produced more vegetative offspring, but this was not the case in the other treatments. When grown among or in close proximity to competitors, T. repens plants did not show preferential growth towards open spaces (i.e., no horizontal foraging), but did show strong vertical foraging by petiole elongation. In the homogeneous competition treatment, petiole length increased with the productivity of the parental site, but this was not the case in the heterogeneous competition treatment. Moreover, petiole length increased with mowing frequency and grazing intensity of the parental site in all but the homogeneous competition treatment. In summary, although the expression of differences between plants from sites with different productivities and land-use intensities depended on the experimental treatment, our findings imply that there are transgenerational effects of land use on the morphology and performance of T. repens.
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Richardson BA, Ortiz HG, Carlson SL, Jaeger DM, Shaw NL. Genetic and environmental effects on seed weight in subspecies of big sagebrush: applications for restoration. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00249.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Chen BJW, During HJ, Vermeulen PJ, Anten NPR. The presence of a below-ground neighbour alters within-plant seed size distribution in Phaseolus vulgaris. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 114:937-43. [PMID: 25100676 PMCID: PMC4171071 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Considerable variation in seed size commonly exists within plants, and is believed to be favoured under natural selection. This study aims to examine the extent to which seed size distribution depends on the presence of competing neighbour plants. METHODS Phaseolus vulgaris plants rooting with or without a conspecific neighbour were grown in soil with high or low nutrient availability. Seeds were harvested at the end of the growth cycle, the total nitrogen and phosphorus invested in seed production were measured and within-plant seed size distribution was quantified using a set of statistical descriptors. KEY RESULTS Exposure to neighbours' roots induced significant changes in seed size distribution. Plants produced proportionally more large seeds and fewer small ones, as reflected by significant increases in minimal seed size, mean seed size, skewness and Lorenz asymmetry coefficient. These effects were different from, and in several cases opposite to, the responses when the soil nutrient level was reduced, and were significant after correction for the amount of resources invested in seed production. CONCLUSIONS Below-ground neighbour presence affects within-plant seed size distribution in P. vulgaris. This effect appears to be non-resource-mediated, i.e. to be independent of neighbour-induced effects on resource availability. It implies that, based on current environmental cues, plants can make an anticipatory adjustment of their investment strategy in offspring as an adaptation to the local environment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin J W Chen
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 800.84, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Heinjo J During
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 800.84, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Vermeulen
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels P R Anten
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Heritability of seed weight in Maritime pine, a relevant trait in the transmission of environmental maternal effects. Heredity (Edinb) 2014; 114:116-24. [PMID: 25160045 DOI: 10.1038/hdy.2014.76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative seed provisioning is an important life-history trait with strong effects on offspring phenotype and fitness. As for any other trait, heritability estimates are vital for understanding its evolutionary dynamics. However, being a trait in between two generations, estimating additive genetic variation of seed provisioning requires complex quantitative genetic approaches for distinguishing between true genetic and environmental maternal effects. Here, using Maritime pine as a long-lived plant model, we quantified additive genetic variation of cone and seed weight (SW) mean and SW within-individual variation. We used a powerful approach combining both half-sib analysis and parent-offspring regression using several common garden tests established in contrasting environments to separate G, E and G × E effects. Both cone weight and SW mean showed significant genetic variation but were also influenced by the maternal environment. Most of the large variation in SW mean was attributable to additive genetic effects (h(2)=0.55-0.74). SW showed no apparent G × E interaction, particularly when accounting for cone weight covariation, suggesting that the maternal genotypes actively control the SW mean irrespective of the amount of resources allocated to cones. Within-individual variation in SW was low (12%) relative to between-individual variation (88%), and showed no genetic variation but was largely affected by the maternal environment, with greater variation in the less favourable sites for pine growth. In summary, results were very consistent between the parental and the offspring common garden tests, and clearly indicated heritable genetic variation for SW mean but not for within-individual variation in SW.
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Völler E, Auge H, Bossdorf O, Prati D. Land use causes genetic differentiation of life-history traits in Bromus hordeaceus. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:892-899. [PMID: 23504845 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that species can evolve rapidly in response to environmental change. However, although land use is one of the key drivers of current environmental change, studies of its evolutionary consequences are still fairly scarce, in particular studies that examine land-use effects across large numbers of populations, and discriminate between different aspects of land use. Here, we investigated genetic differentiation in relation to land use in the annual grass Bromus hordeaceus. A common garden study with offspring from 51 populations from three regions and a broad range of land-use types and intensities showed that there was indeed systematic population differentiation of ecologically important plant traits in relation to land use, in particular due to increasing mowing and grazing intensities. We also found strong land-use-related genetic differentiation in plant phenology, where the onset of flowering consistently shifted away from the typical time of management. In addition, increased grazing intensity significantly increased the genetic variability within populations. Our study suggests that land use can cause considerable genetic differentiation among plant populations, and that the timing of land use may select for phenological escape strategies, particularly in monocarpic plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Völler
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle, Germany.
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