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Hu Y, Li X, Wang S, Lv P, Yue P, Chen M, Zuo X. Patterns and driving factors of functional traits of desert species with different elevational distributions in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:371. [PMID: 38724940 PMCID: PMC11080261 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Variations in functional traits serve as measures of plants' ability to adapt to environment. Exploring the patterns of functional traits of desert plants along elevational gradients is helpful to understand the responses and adaptation strategies of species to changing environments. However, it is unknown whether the relationship between functional traits and elevation is affected by differences in the species' elevational distributions (elevation preference and species' range). Importantly, most researches have concerned with differences in mean trait values and ignored intraspecific trait variation. Here, we measured functional traits of desert plants along a wide elevational gradient in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas and explored functional trait patterns over elevation in species with different elevational distributions. We decomposed trait variation and further investigated characterizations of intraspecific variation. Ultimately, the main drivers of trait variation were identified using redundancy analysis. We found that species' elevational distributions significantly influenced the relationship of functional traits such as plant height, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, leaf nitrogen and carbon content with elevation. Species with a lower elevational preference showed greater trait variation than species with a higher elevational preference, suggesting that species that prefer high elevation are more conservative facing environmental changes. We provide evidence that interspecific trait variation in leaf thickness and leaf carbon content decreased with increasing species' range, indicating that increased variations in resistance traits within species make greater responsiveness to environmental changes, enabling species a wider range. Elevation, temperature and precipitation were the main drivers of trait variation in species with a low elevational preference, while the effect of precipitation on trait variation in species with a high elevational preference was not significant. This study sheds new insights on how plants with different elevational distributions regulate their ecological strategies to cope with changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Shaokun Wang
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Peng Lv
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Min Chen
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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Edwards‐Calma K, Jiménez L, Zenil‐Ferguson R, Heyduk K, Thomas MK, Tribble CM. Conservation applications of niche modeling: Native and naturalized ferns may compete for limited Hawaiian dryland habitat. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2024; 12:e11598. [PMID: 38912653 PMCID: PMC11192160 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Premise Competition from naturalized species and habitat loss are common threats to native biodiversity and may act synergistically to increase competition for decreasing habitat availability. We use Hawaiian dryland ferns as a model for the interactions between land-use change and competition from naturalized species in determining habitat availability. Methods We used fine-resolution climatic variables and carefully curated occurrence data from herbaria and community science repositories to estimate the distributions of Hawaiian dryland ferns. We quantified the degree to which naturalized ferns tend to occupy areas suitable for native species and mapped the remaining available habitat given land-use change. Results Of all native species, Doryopteris angelica had the lowest percentage of occurrences of naturalized species in its suitable area while D. decora had the highest. However, all Doryopteris spp. had a higher percentage overlap, while Pellaea ternifolia had a lower percentage overlap, than expected by chance. Doryopteris decora and D. decipiens had the lowest proportions (<20%) of suitable area covering native habitat. Discussion Areas characterized by shared environmental preferences of native and naturalized ferns may decrease due to human development and fallowed agricultural lands. Our study demonstrates the value of place-based application of a recently developed correlative ecological niche modeling approach for conservation risk assessment in a rapidly changing and urbanized island ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Jiménez
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHonoluluHawaiʻi 96822USA
- Centro de Modelamiento MatemáticoUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | | | - Karolina Heyduk
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHonoluluHawaiʻi 96822USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrs06269ConnecticutUSA
| | - Miles K. Thomas
- Herbarium Pacificum, Bernice Pauahi Bishop MuseumHonoluluHawaiʻi 96813USA
| | - Carrie M. Tribble
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHonoluluHawaiʻi 96822USA
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Amstutz A, Firth LB, Foggo A, Spicer JI, Hanley ME. The north-south divide? Macroalgal functional trait diversity and redundancy varies with intertidal aspect. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 133:145-152. [PMID: 37971357 PMCID: PMC10921827 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad183] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Marine macroalgae ('seaweeds') are critical to coastal ecosystem structure and function, but also vulnerable to the many environmental changes associated with anthropogenic climate change (ACC). The local habitat conditions underpinning observed and predicted ACC-driven changes in intertidal macroalgal communities are complex and probably site-specific and operate in addition to more commonly reported regional factors such as sea surface temperatures. METHODS We examined how the composition and functional trait expression of macroalgal communities in SW England varied with aspect (i.e. north-south orientation) at four sites with opposing Equator- (EF) and Pole-facing (PF) surfaces. Previous work at these sites had established that average annual (low tide) temperatures vary by 1.6 °C and that EF-surfaces experience six-fold more frequent extremes (i.e. >30 °C). KEY RESULTS PF macroalgal communities were consistently more taxon rich; 11 taxa were unique to PF habitats, with only one restricted to EF. Likewise, functional richness and dispersion were greater on PF-surfaces (dominated by algae with traits linked to rapid resource capture and utilization, but low desiccation tolerance), although differences in both taxon and functional richness were probably driven by the fact that less diverse EF-surfaces were dominated by desiccation-tolerant fucoids. CONCLUSIONS Although we cannot disentangle the influence of temperature variation on algal ecophysiology from the indirect effects of aspect on species interactions (niche pre-emption, competition, grazing, etc.), our study system provides an excellent model for understanding how environmental variation at local scales affects community composition and functioning. By virtue of enhanced taxonomic diversity, PF-aspects supported higher functional diversity and, consequently, greater effective functional redundancy. These differences may imbue PF-aspects with resilience against environmental perturbation, but if predicted increases in global temperatures are realized, some PF-sites may shift to a depauperate, desiccation-tolerant seaweed community with a concomitant loss of functional diversity and redundancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Amstutz
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Louise B Firth
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Andy Foggo
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - John I Spicer
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Mick E Hanley
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
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Golivets M, Knapp S, Essl F, Lenzner B, Latombe G, Leung B, Kühn I. Future changes in key plant traits across Central Europe vary with biogeographical status, woodiness, and habitat type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167954. [PMID: 37866591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167954] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Many plant traits covary with environmental gradients, reflecting shifts in adaptive strategies and thus informing about potential consequences of future environmental change for vegetation and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the evidence of trait-environment relationships (TERs) remains too heterogeneous for reliable predictions, partially due to insufficient consideration of trait syndromes specific to certain growth forms and habitats. Moreover, it is still unclear whether non-native and native plants' traits align similarly along environmental gradients, limiting our ability to assess the impacts of future plant invasions. Using a Bayesian multilevel modelling framework, we assess TERs for native and non-native woody and herbaceous plants across six broad habitat types in Central Europe at a resolution of c. 130 km2 and use them to project trait change under future environmental change scenarios until 2081-2100. We model TERs between three key plant traits (maximum height, Hmax; specific leaf area, SLA; seed mass, SM) and individual environmental factors (7 climate variables and % urban land cover) and estimate trait change summed across all environmental effects. We also quantify the change in the average trait difference between native and non-native plants. Our models depict multiple TERs, with important differences attributed to biogeographical status and woodiness within and across habitat types. The overall magnitude of trait change is projected to be greater for non-native than native taxa and to increase under more extreme scenarios. Native woody plant assemblages may generally experience a future increase across all three traits, whereas woody non-natives may decline in Hmax and increase in SLA and SM. Herbaceous Hmax is estimated to increase and SLA to decrease in most habitats. The obtained trait projections highlight conditions of competitive advantage of non-native plants over natives and vice versa and can serve as starting points for projecting future changes in ecosystem functions and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Golivets
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
| | - Sonja Knapp
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; Ecosystem Science/Plant Ecology, Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franz Essl
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Lenzner
- Division of Bioinvasions, Global Change & Macroecology, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Latombe
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Leung
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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Poyatos C, Sacristán-Bajo S, Tabarés P, Prieto-Benítez S, Teso MLR, Torres E, Morente-López J, Lara-Romero C, Iriondo JM, Fernández AG. Differential patterns of within- and between-population genetically based trait variation in Lupinus angustifolius. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:541-552. [PMID: 37647862 PMCID: PMC10667004 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad123] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Within-population genetic and phenotypic variation play a key role in the development of adaptive responses to environmental change. Between-population variation is also an essential element in assessing the evolutionary potential of species in response to changes in environmental conditions. In this context, common garden experiments are a useful tool to separate the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation. We aimed to assess within- and between-population phenotypic variation of Lupinus angustifolius L. in terms of its evolutionary potential to adapt to ongoing climate change. METHODS We evaluated populations' phenotypic variation of foliar, phenological and reproductive traits with a common garden experiment. Patterns of functional trait variation were assessed with (1) mixed model analyses and coefficients of variation (CVs) with confidence intervals, (2) principal component analyses (PCAs) and (3) correlations between pairs of traits. Analyses were performed at the population level (four populations) and at the latitude level (grouping pairs of populations located in two latitudinal ranges). KEY RESULTS Phenotypic variation had a significant genetic component associated with a latitudinal pattern. (1) Mixed models found lower specific leaf area, advanced flowering phenology and lower seed production of heavier seeds in southern populations, whereas CV analyses showed lower within-latitude variation especially in phenological and reproductive traits in southern populations. (2) PCAs showed a clearer differentiation of phenotypic variation between latitudes than between populations. (3) Correlation analyses showed a greater number of significant correlations between traits in southern populations (25 vs. 13). CONCLUSIONS Between-population phenotypic variation was determined by contrasting temperature and drought at different latitude and elevation. Southern populations had differential trait values compatible with adaptations to high temperatures and drought. Moreover, they had lower within-population variation and a greater number of trait correlations probably as a result of these limiting conditions, making them more vulnerable to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Poyatos
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Sacristán-Bajo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Tabarés
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María Luisa Rubio Teso
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Torres
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro 2-4, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Morente-López
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo de Ecología y Evolución en Islas, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA-CSIC), Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Carlos Lara-Romero
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - José María Iriondo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo García- Fernández
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos-ESCET, Tulipán s/n. 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
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Forey E, Lodhar SYF, Galvin SD, Lowry JH, Gopaul S, Hanson G, Carboni M, Chauvat M, Boehmer HJ. Alien palm invasion leads to selective biotic filtering of resident plant communities towards competitive functional traits. Biol Invasions 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02991-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Kemppinen J, Niittynen P. Microclimate relationships of intraspecific trait variation in sub‐Arctic plants. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pekka Niittynen
- Dept of Geosciences and Geography, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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Solé-Medina A, Robledo-Arnuncio JJ, Ramírez-Valiente JA. Multi-trait genetic variation in resource-use strategies and phenotypic plasticity correlates with local climate across the range of a Mediterranean oak (Quercus faginea). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:462-478. [PMID: 35028942 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Resource-use strategies are hypothesized to evolve along climatic gradients. However, our understanding of the environmental factors driving divergent evolution of resource-use strategies and the relationship between trait genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity is far from complete. Using the Mediterranean tree Quercus faginea as study system, we tested the hypothesis that a conservative resource-use strategy with increased drought tolerance and reduced phenotypic plasticity has evolved in areas with longer and more severe dry seasons. We conducted a glasshouse experiment in which we measured leaf morphological, physiological, growth and allocation traits in seedlings from 10 range-wide climatically contrasting populations, grown under two different watering treatments. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a genetic gradient of resource-use strategies and phenotypic plasticity associated with provenance climate. In particular, populations from harsher (drier and colder) environments had more sclerophyllous leaves, lower growth rates, better physiological performance under dry conditions and reduced multi-trait phenotypic plasticity compared to populations from more mesic and milder environments. Our results suggest that contrasting precipitation and temperature regimes play an important role in the adaptive intraspecific evolution of multivariate phenotypes and their plasticity, resulting in coordinated morphology, physiology, growth and allometry according to alternative resource-use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Solé-Medina
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Juan José Robledo-Arnuncio
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre, CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) 10 Edifici C, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
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Zheng J, Jiang Y, Qian H, Mao Y, Zhang C, Tang X, Jin Y, Yi Y. Size-dependent and environment-mediated shifts in leaf traits of a deciduous tree species in a subtropical forest. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8516. [PMID: 35136561 PMCID: PMC8809444 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Understanding the joint effects of plant development and environment on shifts of intraspecific leaf traits will advance the understandings of the causes of intraspecific trait variation. We address this question by focusing on a widespread species Clausena dunniana in a subtropical broad-leaved forest. METHODS We sampled 262 individuals of C. dunniana at two major topographic habitat types, the slope and hilltop, within the karst forests in Maolan Nature Reserve in southwestern China. We measured individual plant level leaf traits (i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area, leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness) that are associated with plant resource-use strategies. We adopted a linear mixed-effects model in which the plant size (i.e., the first principal component of plant basal diameter and plant height) and environmental factors (i.e., topographic habitat, canopy height, and rock-bareness) were used as independent variables, to estimate their influences on the shifts of leaf traits. KEY RESULTS We found that (1) plant size and the environmental factors independently drove the intraspecific leaf trait shifts of C. dunniana, of which plant size explained less variances than environmental factors. (2) With increasing plant size, C. dunniana individuals had increasingly smaller SLA but larger sized leaves. (3) The most influential environmental factor was topographic habitat; it drove the shifts of all the four traits examined. Clausena dunniana individuals on hilltops had leaf traits representing more conservative resource-use strategies (e.g., smaller SLA, higher LDMC) than individuals on slopes. On top of that, local-scale environmental factors further modified leaf trait shifts. CONCLUSIONS Plant size and environment independently shaped the variations in intraspecific leaf traits of C. dunniana in the subtropical karst forest of Maolan. Compared with plant size, the environment played a more critical role in shaping intraspecific leaf trait variations, and potentially also the underlying individual-level plant resource-use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zheng
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Ya Jiang
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Hong Qian
- Research and Collections CenterIllinois State MuseumSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - Yanjiao Mao
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Chao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Xiaoxin Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yi Jin
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yin Yi
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Developmental Regulation of Guizhou ProvinceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
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Schrader J, Wright IJ, Kreft H, Westoby M. A roadmap to plant functional island biogeography. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2851-2870. [PMID: 34423523 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Island biogeography is the study of the spatio-temporal distribution of species, communities, assemblages or ecosystems on islands and other isolated habitats. Island diversity is structured by five classes of process: dispersal, establishment, biotic interactions, extinction and evolution. Classical approaches in island biogeography focused on species richness as the deterministic outcome of these processes. This has proved fruitful, but species traits can potentially offer new biological insights into the processes by which island life assembles and why some species perform better at colonising and persisting on islands. Functional traits refer to morphological and phenological characteristics of an organism or species that can be linked to its ecological strategy and that scale up from individual plants to properties of communities and ecosystems. A baseline hypothesis is for traits and ecological strategies of island species to show similar patterns as a matched mainland environment. However, strong dispersal, environmental and biotic-interaction filters as well as stochasticity associated with insularity modify this baseline. Clades that do colonise often embark on distinct ecological and evolutionary pathways, some because of distinctive evolutionary forces on islands, and some because of the opportunities offered by freedom from competitors or herbivores or the absence of mutualists. Functional traits are expected to be shaped by these processes. Here, we review and discuss the potential for integrating functional traits into island biogeography. While we focus on plants, the general considerations and concepts may be extended to other groups of organisms. We evaluate how functional traits on islands relate to core principles of species dispersal, establishment, extinction, reproduction, biotic interactions, evolution and conservation. We formulate existing knowledge as 33 working hypotheses. Some of these are grounded on firm empirical evidence, others provide opportunities for future research. We organise our hypotheses under five overarching sections. Section A focuses on plant functional traits enabling species dispersal to islands. Section B discusses how traits help to predict species establishment, successional trajectories and natural extinctions on islands. Section C reviews how traits indicate species biotic interactions and reproduction strategies and which traits promote intra-island dispersal. Section D discusses how evolution on islands leads to predictable changes in trait values and which traits are most susceptible to change. Section E debates how functional ecology can be used to study multiple drivers of global change on islands and to formulate effective conservation measures. Islands have a justified reputation as research models. They illuminate the forces operating within mainland communities by showing what happens when those forces are released or changed. We believe that the lens of functional ecology can shed more light on these forces than research approaches that do not consider functional differences among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Schrader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ian J Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Holger Kreft
- Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Goettingen, Germany.,Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Mark Westoby
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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Westerband AC, Funk JL, Barton KE. Intraspecific trait variation in plants: a renewed focus on its role in ecological processes. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:397-410. [PMID: 33507251 PMCID: PMC7988520 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigating the causes and consequences of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in plants is not novel, as it has long been recognized that such variation shapes biotic and abiotic interactions. While evolutionary and population biology have extensively investigated ITV, only in the last 10 years has interest in ITV surged within community and comparative ecology. SCOPE Despite this recent interest, still lacking are thorough descriptions of ITV's extent, the spatial and temporal structure of ITV, and stronger connections between ITV and community and ecosystem properties. Our primary aim in this review is to synthesize the recent literature and ask: (1) How extensive is intraspecific variation in traits across scales, and what underlying mechanisms drive this variation? (2) How does this variation impact higher-order ecological processes (e.g. population dynamics, community assembly, invasion, ecosystem productivity)? (3) What are the consequences of ignoring ITV and how can these be mitigated? and (4) What are the most pressing research questions, and how can current practices be modified to suit our research needs? Our secondary aim is to target diverse and underrepresented traits and plant organs, including anatomy, wood, roots, hydraulics, reproduction and secondary chemistry. In addressing these aims, we showcase papers from the Special Issue. CONCLUSIONS Plant ITV plays a key role in determining individual and population performance, species interactions, community structure and assembly, and ecosystem properties. Its extent varies widely across species, traits and environments, and it remains difficult to develop a predictive model for ITV that is broadly applicable. Systematically characterizing the sources (e.g. ontogeny, population differences) of ITV will be a vital step forward towards identifying generalities and the underlying mechanisms that shape ITV. While the use of species means to link traits to higher-order processes may be appropriate in many cases, such approaches can obscure potentially meaningful variation. We urge the reporting of individual replicates and population means in online data repositories, a greater consideration of the mechanisms that enhance and constrain ITV's extent, and studies that span sub-disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Westerband
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - J L Funk
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - K E Barton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Martin AR, Isaac ME. The leaf economics spectrum's morning coffee: plant size-dependent changes in leaf traits and reproductive onset in a perennial tree crop. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:483-493. [PMID: 33502446 PMCID: PMC7988517 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Size-dependent changes in plant traits are an important source of intraspecific trait variation. However, there are few studies that have tested if leaf trait co-variation and/or trade-offs follow a within-genotype leaf economics spectrum (LES) related to plant size and reproductive onset. To our knowledge, there are no studies on any plant species that have tested whether or not the shape of a within-genotype LES that describes how traits covary across whole plant sizes, is the same as the shape of a within-genotype LES that represents environmentally driven trait plasticity. METHODS We quantified size-dependent variation in eight leaf traits in a single coffee genotype (Coffea arabica var. Caturra) in managed agroecosystems with different environmental conditions (light and fertilization treatments), and evaluated these patterns with respect to reproductive onset. We also evaluated if trait covariation along a within-genotype plant-size LES differed from a within-genotype environmental LES defined with trait data from coffee growing in different environmental conditions. KEY RESULTS Leaf economics traits related to resource acquisition - maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations - declined linearly with plant size. Structural traits - leaf mass, leaf thickness, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) - and leaf area increased with plant size beyond reproductive onset, then declined in larger plants. Three primary LES traits (mass-based A, leaf N and LMA) covaried across a within-genotype plant-size LES, with plants moving towards the 'resource-conserving' end of the LES as they grow larger; in coffee these patterns were nearly identical to a within-genotype environmental LES. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that a plant-size LES exists within a single genotype. Our findings indicate that in managed agroecosystems where resource availability is high the role of reproductive onset in driving within-genotype trait variability, and the strength of covariation and trade-offs among LES traits, are less pronounced compared with plants in natural systems. The consistency in trait covariation in coffee along both plant-size and environmental LES axes indicates strong constraints on leaf form and function that exist within plant genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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