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Anfodillo T, Olson ME. Stretched sapwood, ultra-widening permeability and ditching da Vinci: revising models of plant form and function. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 134:19-42. [PMID: 38634673 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae054] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanisms leading to dieback and death of trees under drought remain unclear. To gain an understanding of these mechanisms, addressing major empirical gaps regarding tree structure-function relations remains essential. SCOPE We give reasons to think that a central factor shaping plant form and function is selection simultaneously favouring constant leaf-specific conductance with height growth and isometric (1:1) scaling between leaf area and the volume of metabolically active sink tissues ('sapwood'). Sapwood volume-leaf area isometry implies that per-leaf area sapwood volumes become transversely narrower with height growth; we call this 'stretching'. Stretching means that selection must favour increases in permeability above and beyond that afforded by tip-to-base conduit widening ("ultra-widening permeability"), via fewer and wider vessels or tracheids with larger pits or larger margo openings. Leaf area-metabolically active sink tissue isometry would mean that it is unlikely that larger trees die during drought because of carbon starvation due to greater sink-source relationships as compared to shorter plants. Instead, an increase in permeability is most plausibly associated with greater risk of embolism, and this seems a more probable explanation of the preferential vulnerability of larger trees to climate change-induced drought. Other implications of selection favouring constant per-leaf area sapwood construction and maintenance costs are departure from the da Vinci rule expectation of similar sapwood areas across branching orders, and that extensive conduit furcation in the stem seems unlikely. CONCLUSIONS Because all these considerations impact the likelihood of vulnerability to hydraulic failure versus carbon starvation, both implicated as key suspects in forest mortality, we suggest that these predictions represent essential priorities for empirical testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Anfodillo
- Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali, University of Padova, Legnaro (PD) 35020, Italy
| | - Mark E Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito sn de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
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2
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Gazol A, Valeriano C, Colangelo M, Ibáñez R, Valerio M, Rubio-Cuadrado Á, Camarero JJ. Growth of tree (Pinus sylvestris) and shrub (Amelanchier ovalis) species is constrained by drought with higher shrub sensitivity in dry sites. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170539. [PMID: 38296069 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170539] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
We lack understanding of how variable is radial growth of coexisting tree and shrub species, and how growth is constrained by drought depending on site aridity. Here, we compared the radial growth of two widespread and coexisting species, a winter deciduous shrub (Amelanchier ovalis Medik.) and an evergreen conifer tree (Pinus sylvestris L.). We sampled four sites in Northeastern Spain subjected to different aridity levels and used dendrochronological methods to quantify growth patterns and responses to climate variables. The growth of the two species varied between regions, being lower in the driest sites. The first-order autocorrelation (growth persistence) was higher in more mesic sites but without clear differences between species. Tree and shrub growth negatively responded to elevated summer temperatures and positively to spring-summer precipitation and wet conditions. However, negative growth responses of the shrub to drought were only observed in the two driest sites in contrast to widespread responses of the tree. Abrupt growth reductions were common in the drier sites, but resilience indices show that the two species rapidly recovered pre-drought growth levels. The lower growth synchrony of the shrub as compared to the tree can be due to the multistemmed architecture, fast growth and low stature of the shrub. Besides, the high dependency of the shrub growth on summer rainfall can explain why drought limitations were only apparent in the two driest sites. In any case, results point out to the dendrochronological potential of shrubs, which is particularly relevant giving its ability to inhabit woodlands and treeless regions under harsh climatic conditions. Nevertheless, further research is required to elucidate the capacity of shrub species to tolerate drought, as well as to understand how shrubs thrive in water- and cold-limited environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50192 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Cristina Valeriano
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50192 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Michele Colangelo
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università della Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Ricardo Ibáñez
- Departamento de Biología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Navarra, Spain
| | - Mercedes Valerio
- Departamento de Biología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona 31008, Navarra, Spain; Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Álvaro Rubio-Cuadrado
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50192 Zaragoza, Spain
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Kang J, Shen H, Zhang S, Xu L, Tang Z, Tang Y, Fang J. Contrasting growth responses to drought in three tree species widely distributed in northern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168331. [PMID: 37931814 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168331] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Tree species-specific responses to drought are urgently needed for assessing the impacts of current climate change on forest ecosystems. Here, we characterized the resistance, recovery, resilience, and growth recovery periods in response to different drought events based on tree-ring width index data (>30 years) for three tree species widely distributed in northern China, among which larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr) and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.) are two major species used for afforestation, and birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) is one of the most common natural tree species. Despite no significant effects of mild drought on tree growth, severe drought events significantly reduced the growth of all species, with contrasting species-specific responses. Larch trees had the lowest resistance and resilience among the three species, and Mongolian pine trees were more resistant but had a longer recovery period than birch trees. The drought responses varied with tree size. Large Mongolian pine and birch trees were more resistant but large larch trees were much more vulnerable than small trees during severe droughts. Smaller birch trees had higher resilience to severe droughts. Our study shows species-specific differences in drought responses and suggests that drought responses are tree-size dependent and drought-intensity associated, which further provides a guidance for selecting optimal cultivated tree species and designing forest managements in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Siyi Zhang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Longchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhong Tang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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4
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Fajardo A, Gazol A, Meynard PM, Mayr C, Martínez Pastur GJ, Peri PL, Camarero JJ. Climate change-related growth improvements in a wide niche-breadth tree species across contrasting environments. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:941-951. [PMID: 36996263 PMCID: PMC10332394 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad053] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The vulnerability and responsiveness of forests to drought are immensely variable across biomes. Intraspecific tree responses to drought in species with wide niche breadths that grow across contrasting climatically environments might provide key information regarding forest resistance and changes in species distribution under climate change. Using a species with an exceptionally wide niche breath, we tested the hypothesis that tree populations thriving in dry environments are more resistant to drought than those growing in moist locations. METHODS We determined temporal trends in tree radial growth of 12 tree populations of Nothofagus antarctica (Nothofagaceae) located across a sharp precipitation gradient (annual precipitation of 500-2000 mm) in Chile and Argentina. Using dendrochronological methods, we fitted generalized additive mixed-effect models to predict the annual basal area increment as a function of year and dryness (De Martonne aridity index). We also measured carbon and oxygen isotope signals (and estimated intrinsic water-use efficiency) to provide potential physiological causes for tree growth responses to drought. KEY RESULTS We found unexpected improvements in growth during 1980-1998 in moist sites, while growth responses in dry sites were mixed. All populations, independent of site moisture, showed an increase in their intrinsic water-use efficiency in recent decades, a tendency that seemed to be explained by an increase in the photosynthetic rate instead of drought-induced stomatal closure, given that δ18O did not change with time. CONCLUSIONS The absence of drought-induced negative effects on tree growth in a tree species with a wide niche breadth is promising because it might relate to the causal mechanisms tree species possess to face ongoing drought events. We suggest that the drought resistance of N. antarctica might be attributable to its low stature and relatively low growth rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I), Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50192 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Paulo Moreno Meynard
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Camino Baguales s/n, Coyhaique 5951601, Chile
| | - Christoph Mayr
- Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Guillermo J Martínez Pastur
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Houssay 200 (9410) Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
| | - Pablo L Peri
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA)-CONICET, cc332 (9400) Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, E-50192 Zaragoza, Spain
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5
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Körner C, Fajardo A, Hiltbrunner E. Biogeographic implications of plant stature and microclimate in cold regions. Commun Biol 2023; 6:663. [PMID: 37365292 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05032-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Körner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Avenida Lircay s/n, Talca, 3460000, Chile
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Rowland L, Ramírez-Valiente JA, Hartley IP, Mencuccini M. How woody plants adjust above- and below-ground traits in response to sustained drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023. [PMID: 37306017 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Future increases in drought severity and frequency are predicted to have substantial impacts on plant function and survival. However, there is considerable uncertainty concerning what drought adjustment is and whether plants can adjust to sustained drought. This review focuses on woody plants and synthesises the evidence for drought adjustment in a selection of key above-ground and below-ground plant traits. We assess whether evaluating the drought adjustment of single traits, or selections of traits that operate on the same plant functional axis (e.g. photosynthetic traits) is sufficient, or whether a multi-trait approach, integrating across multiple axes, is required. We conclude that studies on drought adjustments in woody plants might overestimate the capacity for adjustment to drier environments if spatial studies along gradients are used, without complementary experimental approaches. We provide evidence that drought adjustment is common in above-ground and below-ground traits; however, whether this is adaptive and sufficient to respond to future droughts remains uncertain for most species. To address this uncertainty, we must move towards studying trait integration within and across multiple axes of plant function (e.g. above-ground and below-ground) to gain a holistic view of drought adjustments at the whole-plant scale and how these influence plant survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Rowland
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK
| | | | - Iain P Hartley
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
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7
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Siefert A, Laughlin DC. Estimating the net effect of functional traits on fitness across species and environments. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Siefert
- Department of Botany University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
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8
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Trethowan LA, Arvidsson C, Bramley GLC. Environmental stress influences Malesian Lamiaceae distributions. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9467. [PMID: 36340815 PMCID: PMC9627225 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Dual effects of spatial distance and environment shape archipelagic floras. In Malesia, there are multiple environmental stressors associated with increasing uplands, drought, and metal‐rich ultramafic soils. Here, we examine the contrasting impacts of multifactorial environmental stress and spatial distance upon Lamiaceae species distributions. We used a phylogenetic generalized mixed effects model of species occurrence across Malesia's taxonomic database working group areas from Peninsular Malaysia to New Guinea. Predictor variables were environmental stress, spatial distance between areas and two trait principal component axes responsible for increasing fruit and leaf size and a negative correlation between flower size and plant height. We found that Lamiaceae species with smaller fruits and leaves are more likely to tolerate environmental stress and become widely distributed across megadiverse Malesian islands. How global species distribution and diversification are shaped by multifactorial environmental stress requires further examination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Camilla Arvidsson
- Herbarium Kew Royal Botanic Gardens Kew London UK
- Department of Biosciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
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9
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Allen MJ, Grieve SWD, Owen HJF, Lines ER. Tree species classification from complex laser scanning data in Mediterranean forests using deep learning. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart W. D. Grieve
- School of Geography Queen Mary University of London London UK
- Digital Environment Research Institute Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | | | - Emily R. Lines
- Department of Geography University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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10
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Oberleitner F, Hartmann H, Hasibeder R, Huang J, Losso A, Mayr S, Oberhuber W, Wieser G, Bahn M. Amplifying effects of recurrent drought on the dynamics of tree growth and water use in a subalpine forest. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2617-2635. [PMID: 35610775 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14369] [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: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in our understanding of drought impacts on tree functioning, we lack knowledge about the dynamic responses of mature trees to recurrent drought stress. At a subalpine forest site, we assessed the effects of three years of recurrent experimental summer drought on tree growth and water relations of Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies (L. Karst.), two common European conifers representative for contrasting water-use strategies. We combined dendrometer and xylem sap flow measurements with analyses of xylem anatomy and non-structural carbohydrates and their carbon-isotope composition. Recurrent drought increased the effects of soil moisture limitation on growth and xylogenesis, and to a lesser extent on xylem sap flow. P. abies showed stronger growth responses to recurrent drought, reduced starch concentrations in branches and increased water-use efficiency when compared to L. decidua. Despite comparatively larger maximum tree water deficits than in P. abies, xylem formation of L. decidua was less affected by drought, suggesting a stronger capacity of rehydration or lower cambial turgor thresholds for growth. Our study shows that recurrent drought progressively increases impacts on mature trees of both species, which suggests that in a future climate increasing drought frequency could impose strong legacies on carbon and water dynamics of treeline species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrik Hartmann
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Roland Hasibeder
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Jianbei Huang
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Adriano Losso
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stefan Mayr
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Walter Oberhuber
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gerhard Wieser
- Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Alpine Timberline Ecophysiology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Bahn
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Bittencourt PRDL, Bartholomew DC, Banin LF, Bin Suis MAF, Nilus R, Burslem DFRP, Rowland L. Divergence of hydraulic traits among tropical forest trees across topographic and vertical environment gradients in Borneo. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:2183-2198. [PMID: 35633119 PMCID: PMC9545514 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fine-scale topographic-edaphic gradients are common in tropical forests and drive species spatial turnover and marked changes in forest structure and function. We evaluate how hydraulic traits of tropical tree species relate to vertical and horizontal spatial niche specialization along such a gradient. Along a topographic-edaphic gradient with uniform climate in Borneo, we measured six key hydraulic traits in 156 individuals of differing heights in 13 species of Dipterocarpaceae. We investigated how hydraulic traits relate to habitat, tree height and their interaction on this gradient. Embolism resistance increased in trees on sandy soils but did not vary with tree height. By contrast, water transport capacity increased on sandier soils and with increasing tree height. Habitat and height only interact for hydraulic efficiency, with slope for height changing from positive to negative from the clay-rich to the sandier soil. Habitat type influenced trait-trait relationships for all traits except wood density. Our data reveal that variation in the hydraulic traits of dipterocarps is driven by a combination of topographic-edaphic conditions, tree height and taxonomic identity. Our work indicates that hydraulic traits play a significant role in shaping forest structure across topographic-edaphic and vertical gradients and may contribute to niche specialization among dipterocarp species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David C. Bartholomew
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterEX4 4QEUK
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå University90736UmeåSweden
| | | | | | - Reuben Nilus
- Sabah Forestry DepartmentForest Research CentrePO Box 1407Sandakan90715SabahMalaysia
| | | | - Lucy Rowland
- College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterExeterEX4 4QEUK
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12
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Tree height effects on vascular anatomy of upper-canopy twigs across a wide range of tropical rainforest species. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Vessel diameter variation along the hydraulic pathway determines how much water can be moved against the force of gravity from roots to leaves. While it is well-documented that tree size scales with vessel diameter variation at the stem base due to the effect of basipetal vessel widening, much less is known whether this likewise applies to terminal sun-exposed twigs. To analyze the effect of tree height on twig xylem anatomy, we compiled data for 279 tropical rainforest tree species belonging to 56 families in the lowlands of Jambi Province, Indonesia. Terminal upper-canopy twigs of fully grown individuals were collected and used for wood anatomical analysis.
We show that hydraulically weighted vessel diameter (Dh) and potential hydraulic conductivity (Kp) of upper canopy twigs increase with tree height across species although the relationship was weak. When averaged across given tree height classes irrespectively of species identity, however, a strong dependency of tree height on Dh and Kp was observed, but not on the lumen-to-sapwood area ratio (Al:Ax) or vessel density (VD).
According to the comparison between actual tree height and the maximum tree height reported for a given species in the stand, we show that the vascular xylem anatomy of their terminal twigs reflects their canopy position and thus ecological niche (understory versus overstory) at maturity. We conclude that the capacity to move large quantities of water during the diurnal peak in evaporative demand is a prerequisite for growing tall in a humid tropical environment.
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13
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Functional Diversity in Woody Organs of Tropical Dry Forests and Implications for Restoration. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Tropical dry forests (TDFs) represent one of the most diverse and, at the same time, most threatened ecosystems on earth. Restoration of TDFs is thus crucial but is hindered by a limited understanding of the functional diversity (FD) of original communities. We examine the FD of TDFs based on wood (vessel diameter and wood density) and bark traits (total, inner, and outer bark thicknesses) measured on ~500 species from 24 plant communities and compare this diversity with that of seven other major vegetation types. Along with other seasonally dry sites, TDFs had the highest FD, as indicated by the widest ranges, highest variances, and largest trait hypervolumes. Warm temperatures and seasonal drought seem to drive diverse ecological strategies in these ecosystems, which include a continuum from deciduous species with low-density wood, thick bark, and wide vessels to evergreen species with high-density wood, thin bark, and narrow vessels. The very high FD of TDFs represents a challenge to restoring the likely widest trait ranges of any habitat on earth. Understanding this diversity is essential for monitoring successional changes in minimal intervention restoration and guiding species selection for resilient restoration plantings in the context of climate change.
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14
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Britton TG, Brodribb TJ, Richards SA, Ridley C, Hovenden MJ. Canopy damage during a natural drought depends on species identity, physiology and stand composition. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2058-2070. [PMID: 34850394 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Vulnerability to xylem cavitation is a strong predictor of drought-induced damage in forest communities. However, biotic features of the community itself can influence water availability at the individual tree-level, thereby modifying patterns of drought damage. Using an experimental forest in Tasmania, Australia, we determined the vulnerability to cavitation (leaf P50 ) of four tree species and assessed the drought-induced canopy damage of 2944 6-yr-old trees after an extreme natural drought episode. We examined how individual damage was related to their size and the density and species identity of neighbouring trees. The two co-occurring dominant tree species, Eucalyptus delegatensis and Eucalyptus regnans, were the most vulnerable to drought-induced xylem cavitation and both species suffered significantly greater damage than neighbouring, subdominant species Pomaderris apetala and Acacia dealbata. While the two eucalypts had similar leaf P50 values, E. delegatensis suffered significantly greater damage, which was strongly related to the density of neighbouring P. apetala. Damage in E. regnans was less impacted by neighbouring plants and smaller trees of both eucalypts sustained significantly more damage than larger trees. Our findings demonstrate that natural drought damage is influenced by individual plant physiology as well as the composition, physiology and density of the surrounding stand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis G Britton
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Forest Value, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Shane A Richards
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Chantelle Ridley
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Mark J Hovenden
- Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
- ARC Training Centre for Forest Value, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
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15
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Fajardo A. Wood density relates negatively to maximum plant height across major angiosperm and gymnosperm orders. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:250-258. [PMID: 34766624 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Wood density is a crucial plant functional trait related to plant life history strategies. Its ecological importance in small-stature growth forms (e.g., shrubs) has not been extensively examined. Given that hydraulic conduit dimensions vary positively with plant height and that there is a negative relationship between conduits' diameter and wood density, I hypothesized an also negative relationship between wood density and plant height. Knowing that bark and pith proportions are significant in small-diameter stems, I additionally disentangled the contribution of wood, bark, and pith to stem density. METHODS I determined density in small-diameter stems across 153 species spanning all major angiosperm and gymnosperm orders by considering a diversity of growth forms (trees, treelets, shrubs, vines, and hemiparasites). Stem cross sections were dissected to consider the densities of wood with bark and pith; wood with pith and without bark; wood with bark and no pith; and wood without bark and pith. Secondary growth was also measured. RESULTS Trees showed similar wood densities as non-self-supporting vines, and both showed significantly less dense wood than treelets, shrubs, and hemiparasites. General comparisons showed that wood was significantly denser than all other tissues, and these differences did not depend on growth form. Wood density was significantly and negatively related to growth rate and pith area proportions but not to bark thickness proportion. CONCLUSIONS An implicit negative relationship between maximum plant height and stem density emerges as a property of plants likely linked to hydraulic conductive size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinario (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, 3460000, Chile
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16
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Hunt KD, Dunevant SE, Yohler RM, Carlson KJ. Femoral Bicondylar Angles among Dry-Habitat Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Resemble Those of Humans: Implications for Knee Function, Australopith Sexual Dimorphism, and the Evolution of Bipedalism. JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1086/715398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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17
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Fajardo A, Piper FI. How to cope with drought and not die trying: Drought acclimation across tree species with contrasting niche breadth. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinario (I3)Universidad de Talca Talca Chile
| | - Frida I. Piper
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinario (I3)Universidad de Talca Talca Chile
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18
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Piovesan G, Biondi F. On tree longevity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1318-1337. [PMID: 33305422 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Large, majestic trees are iconic symbols of great age among living organisms. Published evidence suggests that trees do not die because of genetically programmed senescence in their meristems, but rather are killed by an external agent or a disturbance event. Long tree lifespans are therefore allowed by specific combinations of life history traits within realized niches that support resistance to, or avoidance of, extrinsic mortality. Another requirement for trees to achieve their maximum longevity is either sustained growth over extended periods of time or at least the capacity to increase their growth rates when conditions allow it. The growth plasticity and modularity of trees can then be viewed as an evolutionary advantage that allows them to survive and reproduce for centuries and millennia. As more and more scientific information is systematically collected on tree ages under various ecological settings, it is becoming clear that tree longevity is a key trait for global syntheses of life history strategies, especially in connection with disturbance regimes and their possible future modifications. In addition, we challenge the long-held notion that shade-tolerant, late-successional species have longer lifespans than early-successional species by pointing out that tree species with extreme longevity do not fit this paradigm. Identifying extremely old trees is therefore the groundwork not only for protecting and/or restoring entire landscapes, but also to revisit and update classic ecological theories that shape our understanding of environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Piovesan
- Dendrology Lab, Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
| | - Franco Biondi
- DendroLab, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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19
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Camarero JJ. Within- versus between-species size effects on drought-induced dieback and mortality. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:679-682. [PMID: 33331903 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Julio Camarero
- Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza 50059, Spain
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20
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Fajardo A, Mora JP, Robert E. Corner's rules pass the test of time: little effect of phenology on leaf-shoot and other scaling relationships. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1129-1139. [PMID: 32598449 PMCID: PMC7684704 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Twig cross-sectional area and the surface area of leaves borne on it are expected to be isometrically correlated across species (Corner's rules). However, how stable this relationship remains in time is not known. We studied inter- and intraspecific twig leaf area-cross-sectional area (la-cs) and other scaling relationships, including the leaf-shoot mass (lm-sm) scaling relationship, across a complete growing season. We also examined the influence of plant height, deciduousness and the inclusion of reproductive buds on the stability of the scaling relationships, and we discuss results from a functional perspective. METHODS We collected weekly current-year twigs of six Patagonian woody species that differed in growth form and foliar habit. We also used prominent inflorescences from Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae) to assess whether reproductive buds alter the la-cs isometric relationship. Mixed effects models were fitted to obtain parameter estimates and to test whether interaction terms were non-significant (invariant) for the scaling relationships. KEY RESULTS The slope of the la-cs scaling relationship remained invariant across the growing season. Two species showed contrasting and disproportional (allometric) la-cs scaling relationships (slope ≠ 1). Scaling relationships varied significantly across growth form and foliar habit. The lm-sm scaling relationship differed between reproductive- and vegetative-origin twigs in E. coccineum, which was explained by a significantly lower leaf mass per area in the former. CONCLUSIONS Although phenology during the growing season appeared not to change leaf-shoot scaling relationships across species, we show that scaling relationships departed from the general trend of isometry as a result of within-species variation, growth form, foliar habit and the type of twig. The identification of these functional factors helps to understand variation in the general trend of Corner's rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Juan P Mora
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, Chile
| | - Etienne Robert
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique, Chile
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Québec, QC, Canada
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21
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Piermattei A, von Arx G, Avanzi C, Fonti P, Gärtner H, Piotti A, Urbinati C, Vendramin GG, Büntgen U, Crivellaro A. Functional Relationships of Wood Anatomical Traits in Norway Spruce. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:683. [PMID: 32528514 PMCID: PMC7266088 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The quantitative assessment of wood anatomical traits offers important insights into those factors that shape tree growth. While it is known that conduit diameter, cell wall thickness, and wood density vary substantially between and within species, the interconnection between wood anatomical traits, tree-ring width, tree height and age, as well as environment effects on wood anatomy remain unclear. Here, we measure and derived 65 wood anatomical traits in cross-sections of the five outermost tree rings (2008-2012) of 30 Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.] trees growing along an altitudinal gradient (1,400-1,750 m a.s.l.) in the northern Apennines (Italy). We assess the relationship among each anatomical trait and between anatomical trait groups according to their function for (i) tree-ring growth, (ii) cell growth, (iii) hydraulic traits, and (iv) mechanical traits. The results show that tree height significantly affects wood hydraulic traits, as well as number and tangential diameter of tracheids, and ultimately the total ring width. Moreover, the amount of earlywood and latewood percentage influence wood hydraulic safety and efficiency, as well as mechanical traits. Mechanically relevant wood anatomical traits are mainly influenced by tree age, not necessarily correlated with tree height. An additional level of complexity is also indicated by some anatomical traits, such as latewood lumen diameter and the cell wall reinforcement index, showing large inter-annual variation as a proxy of phenotypic plasticity. This study unravels the complex interconnection of tree-ring tracheid structure and identifies anatomical traits showing a large inter-individual variation and a strong interannual coherency. Knowing and quantifying anatomical variation in cells of plant stem is crucial in ecological and biological studies for an appropriate interpretation of abiotic drivers of wood formation often related to tree height and/or tree age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma Piermattei
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Georg von Arx
- Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Avanzi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Science and Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Italian National Research Council, Florence, Italy
| | - Patrick Fonti
- Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Holger Gärtner
- Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Piotti
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, Italian National Research Council, Florence, Italy
| | - Carlo Urbinati
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Ulf Büntgen
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Alan Crivellaro
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Piper FI. Decoupling between growth rate and storage remobilization in broadleaf temperate tree species. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frida I. Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Coyhaique Chile
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23
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Fajardo A, Martínez-Pérez C, Cervantes-Alcayde MA, Olson ME. Stem length, not climate, controls vessel diameter in two trees species across a sharp precipitation gradient. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:2347-2355. [PMID: 31657018 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Variation in xylem conduit diameter traditionally has been explained by climate, whereas other evidence suggests that tree height is the main driver of conduit diameter. The effect of climate versus stem length on vessel diameter was tested in two tree species (Embothrium coccineum, Nothofagus antarctica) that both span an exceptionally wide precipitation gradient (2300-500 mm). To see whether, when taking stem length into account, plants in wetter areas had wider vessels, not only the scaling of vessel diameter at the stem base across individuals of different heights, but also the tip-to-base scaling along individuals of similar heights across sites were examined. Within each species, plants of similar heights had similar mean vessel diameters and similar tip-to-base widening of vessel diameter, regardless of climate, with the slopes and intercepts of the vessel diameter-stem length relationship remaining invariant within species across climates. This study focusing on within-species variation--thus, avoiding noise associated with the great morphological variation across species--showed unequivocally that plant size, not climate, is the main driver of variation in vessel diameter. Therefore, to the extent that climate selects for differing vessel diameters, it will inevitably also affect plant height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Camino Baguales s/n, Coyhaique, 5951601, Chile
| | - Cecilia Martínez-Pérez
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - María Angélica Cervantes-Alcayde
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
| | - Mark E Olson
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tercer Circuito s/n de Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, 04510, México
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Abstract
Climate strongly shapes plant diversity over large spatial scales, with relatively warm and wet (benign, productive) regions supporting greater numbers of species. Unresolved aspects of this relationship include what causes it, whether it permeates to community diversity at smaller spatial scales, whether it is accompanied by patterns in functional and phylogenetic diversity as some hypotheses predict, and whether it is paralleled by climate-driven changes in diversity over time. Here, studies of Californian plants are reviewed and new analyses are conducted to synthesize climate-diversity relationships in space and time. Across spatial scales and organizational levels, plant diversity is maximized in more productive (wetter) climates, and these consistent spatial relationships are mirrored in losses of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity over time during a recent climatic drying trend. These results support the tolerance and climatic niche conservatism hypotheses for climate-diversity relationships, and suggest there is some predictability to future changes in diversity in water-limited climates.
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25
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Carvalho B, Bastias CC, Escudero A, Valladares F, Benavides R. Intraspecific perspective of phenotypic coordination of functional traits in Scots pine. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228539. [PMID: 32053614 PMCID: PMC7018023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits have emerged as a key to understand species responses to environmental conditions. The concerted expression of multiple traits gives rise to the phenotype of each individual, which is the one interacting with the environment and evolving. However, patterns of trait covariation and how they vary in response to environmental conditions remain poorly understood, particularly at the intraspecific scale. Here, we have measured traits at different scales and in different organs, and analysed their covariation in a large number of conspecifics distributed in two contrasting environments. We expected significant correlations among traits, not only within clusters of traits as found in global, multispecies studies, but also among clusters, with more relationships within clusters, due to genetic constraints, and among clusters due to more coordinated phenotypes than community level, multispecies studies. We surveyed 100 Pinus sylvestris trees in a Mediterranean mountainous area distributed in two contrasting elevations. We measured 13 functional traits, in three clusters (leaf, stem and whole-plant traits), and analysed their variation and coordination. We found significant coordination among traits belonging to different clusters that reveals coordinated phenotypes. However, we found fewer correlations within trait clusters than initially expected. Trait correlation structures (number, intensity and type of correlations among traits) differed among individuals at different elevations. We observed more correlations within trait clusters at low elevation compared to those at high elevation. Moreover, the higher number of correlations among different trait clusters and the lower trait variation at the higher elevation suggests that variability decreases under more stressful conditions. Altogether, our results reveal that traits at intraspecific scale are coordinated in a broad network and not only within clusters of traits but also that this trait covariation is significantly affected by environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Carvalho
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina C. Bastias
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Valladares
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Benavides
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Mencuccini M, Rosas T, Rowland L, Choat B, Cornelissen H, Jansen S, Kramer K, Lapenis A, Manzoni S, Niinemets Ü, Reich P, Schrodt F, Soudzilovskaia N, Wright IJ, Martínez-Vilalta J. Leaf economics and plant hydraulics drive leaf : wood area ratios. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1544-1556. [PMID: 31215647 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Biomass and area ratios between leaves, stems and roots regulate many physiological and ecological processes. The Huber value Hv (sapwood area/leaf area ratio) is central to plant water balance and drought responses. However, its coordination with key plant functional traits is poorly understood, and prevents developing trait-based prediction models. Based on theoretical arguments, we hypothesise that global patterns in Hv of terminal woody branches can be predicted from variables related to plant trait spectra, that is plant hydraulics and size and leaf economics. Using a global compilation of 1135 species-averaged Hv , we show that Hv varies over three orders of magnitude. Higher Hv are seen in short small-leaved low-specific leaf area (SLA) shrubs with low Ks in arid relative to tall large-leaved high-SLA trees with high Ks in moist environments. All traits depend on climate but climatic correlations are stronger for explanatory traits than Hv . Negative isometry is found between Hv and Ks , suggesting a compensation to maintain hydraulic supply to leaves across species. This work identifies the major global drivers of branch sapwood/leaf area ratios. Our approach based on widely available traits facilitates the development of accurate models of above-ground biomass allocation and helps predict vegetation responses to drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Mencuccini
- CREAF, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Rosas
- CREAF, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucy Rowland
- Department of Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE, Exeter, UK
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, 2751, NSW, Australia
| | - Hans Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Koen Kramer
- Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andrei Lapenis
- Department of Geography, New York State University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Stefano Manzoni
- Physical Geography, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Estonian University of Life Science, Kreutzwladi 1, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, 10130, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Peter Reich
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, 2751, NSW, Australia
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Franziska Schrodt
- School of Geography, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nadia Soudzilovskaia
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, CML, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ian J Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
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Edwards DP, Socolar JB, Mills SC, Burivalova Z, Koh LP, Wilcove DS. Conservation of Tropical Forests in the Anthropocene. Curr Biol 2019; 29:R1008-R1020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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28
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Menezes‐Silva PE, Loram‐Lourenço L, Alves RDFB, Sousa LF, Almeida SEDS, Farnese FS. Different ways to die in a changing world: Consequences of climate change for tree species performance and survival through an ecophysiological perspective. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11979-11999. [PMID: 31695903 PMCID: PMC6822037 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities such as uncontrolled deforestation and increasing greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for triggering a series of environmental imbalances that affect the Earth's complex climate dynamics. As a consequence of these changes, several climate models forecast an intensification of extreme weather events over the upcoming decades, including heat waves and increasingly severe drought and flood episodes. The occurrence of such extreme weather will prompt profound changes in several plant communities, resulting in massive forest dieback events that can trigger a massive loss of biodiversity in several biomes worldwide. Despite the gravity of the situation, our knowledge regarding how extreme weather events can undermine the performance, survival, and distribution of forest species remains very fragmented. Therefore, the present review aimed to provide a broad and integrated perspective of the main biochemical, physiological, and morpho-anatomical disorders that may compromise the performance and survival of forest species exposed to climate change factors, particularly drought, flooding, and global warming. In addition, we also discuss the controversial effects of high CO2 concentrations in enhancing plant growth and reducing the deleterious effects of some extreme climatic events. We conclude with a discussion about the possible effects that the factors associated with the climate change might have on species distribution and forest composition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucas Loram‐Lourenço
- Laboratory of Plant EcophysiologyInstituto Federal Goiano – Campus Rio VerdeGoiásBrazil
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29
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Piovesan G, Biondi F, Baliva M, De Vivo G, Marchianò V, Schettino A, Di Filippo A. Lessons from the wild: slow but increasing long-term growth allows for maximum longevity in European beech. Ecology 2019; 100:e02737. [PMID: 31135954 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Piovesan
- DendrologyLab, Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Franco Biondi
- DendroLab, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, Nevada, USA
| | - Michele Baliva
- DendrologyLab, Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alfredo Di Filippo
- DendrologyLab, Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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