1
|
Karimi N, Hanes MM. Patterns of Grewia (Malvaceae) diversity across geographical scales in Africa and Madagascar. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 133:773-788. [PMID: 38243607 PMCID: PMC11082522 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcae009] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Quantifying spatial species richness is useful to describe biodiversity patterns across broad geographical areas, especially in large, poorly known plant groups. We explore patterns and predictors of species richness across Africa in one such group, the palaeotropical genus Grewia L. (Malvaceae). METHODS Grewia species richness was quantified by extracting herbarium records from GBIF and Tropicos and creating geographical grids at varying spatial scales. We assessed predictors of species richness using spatial regression models with 30 environmental variables. We explored species co-occurrence in Madagascar at finer resolutions using Schoener's index and compared species range sizes and International Union for Conservation of Nature status among ecoregions. Lastly, we derived a trait matrix for a subset of species found in Madagascar to characterize morphological diversity across space. KEY RESULTS Grewia species occur in 50 countries in Africa, with the highest number of species in Madagascar (93, with 80 species endemic). Species richness is highest in Madagascar, with ≤23 Grewia species in a grid cell, followed by coastal Tanzania/Kenya (≤13 species) and northern South Africa and central Angola (11 species each). Across Africa, higher species richness was predicted by variables related to aridity. In Madagascar, a greater range in environmental variables best predicted species richness, consistent with geographical grid cells of highest species richness occurring near biome/ecoregion transitions. In Madagascar, we also observe increasing dissimilarity in species composition with increasing geographical distance. CONCLUSIONS The spatial patterns and underlying environmental predictors that we uncover in Grewia represent an important step in our understanding of plant distribution and diversity patterns across Africa. Madagascar boasts nearly twice the Grewia species richness of the second most species-rich country in Africa, which might be explained by complex topography and environmental conditions across small spatial scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nisa Karimi
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Margaret M Hanes
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhou C, Bo W, El-Kassaby YA, Li W. Transcriptome profiles reveal response mechanisms and key role of PsNAC1 in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica to drought stress. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:343. [PMID: 38671396 PMCID: PMC11046967 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05051-2] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drought stress severely impedes plant growth, and only a limited number of species exhibit long-term resistance to such conditions. Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, a dominant tree species in arid and semi-arid regions of China, exhibits strong drought resistance and plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance remain poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we conducted transcriptome sequence and physiological indicators analysis of needle samples during drought treatment and rehydration stages. De-novo assembly yielded approximately 114,152 unigenes with an N50 length of 1,363 bp. We identified 6,506 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with the majority being concentrated in the heavy drought stage (4,529 DEGs). Functional annotation revealed enrichment of drought-related GO terms such as response to water (GO:0009415: enriched 108 genes) and response to water deprivation (GO:0009414: enriched 106 genes), as well as KEGG categories including MAPK signaling pathway (K04733: enriched 35 genes) and monoterpenoid biosynthesis (K21374: enriched 27 genes). Multiple transcription factor families and functional protein families were differentially expressed during drought treatment. Co-expression network analysis identified a potential drought regulatory network between cytochrome P450 genes (Unigene4122_c1_g1) and a core regulatory transcription factor Unigene9098_c3_g1 (PsNAC1) with highly significant expression differences. We validated PsNAC1 overexpression in Arabidopsis and demonstrated enhanced drought resistance. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide insight into the molecular basis of drought resistance in P. sylvestris var. mongolica and lay the foundation for further exploration of its regulatory network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Wenhao Bo
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yousry A El-Kassaby
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Augustine SP, Bailey-Marren I, Charton KT, Kiel NG, Peyton MS. Improper data practices erode the quality of global ecological databases and impede the progress of ecological research. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17116. [PMID: 38273575 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17116] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The scientific community has entered an era of big data. However, with big data comes big responsibilities, and best practices for how data are contributed to databases have not kept pace with the collection, aggregation, and analysis of big data. Here, we rigorously assess the quantity of data for specific leaf area (SLA) available within the largest and most frequently used global plant trait database, the TRY Plant Trait Database, exploring how much of the data were applicable (i.e., original, representative, logical, and comparable) and traceable (i.e., published, cited, and consistent). Over three-quarters of the SLA data in TRY either lacked applicability or traceability, leaving only 22.9% of the original data usable compared with the 64.9% typically deemed usable by standard data cleaning protocols. The remaining usable data differed markedly from the original for many species, which led to altered interpretation of ecological analyses. Though the data we consider here make up only 4.5% of SLA data within TRY, similar issues of applicability and traceability likely apply to SLA data for other species as well as other commonly measured, uploaded, and downloaded plant traits. We end with suggested steps forward for global ecological databases, including suggestions for both uploaders to and curators of databases with the hope that, through addressing the issues raised here, we can increase data quality and integrity within the ecological community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Augustine
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Isaac Bailey-Marren
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Katherine T Charton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nathan G Kiel
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michael S Peyton
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lammerant R, Rita A, Borghetti M, Muscarella R. Water-limited environments affect the association between functional diversity and forest productivity. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10406. [PMID: 37560182 PMCID: PMC10408253 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The link between biodiversity and ecosystem function can depend on environmental conditions. This contingency can impede our ability to predict how biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) relationships will respond to future environmental change, causing a clear need to explore the processes underlying shifts in BEF relationships across large spatial scales and broad environmental gradients. We compiled a dataset on five functional traits (maximum height, wood density, specific leaf area [SLA], seed size, and xylem vulnerability to embolism [P50]), covering 78%-90% of the tree species in the National Forest Inventory from Italy, to test (i) how a water limitation gradient shapes the functional composition and diversity of forests, (ii) how functional composition and diversity of trees relate to forest annual increment via mass ratio and complementarity effects, and (iii) how the relationship between functional diversity and annual increment varies between Mediterranean and temperate climate regions. Functional composition varied with water limitation; tree communities tended to have more conservative traits in sites with higher levels of water limitation. The response of functional diversity differed among traits and climatic regions but among temperate forest plots, we found a consistent increase of functional diversity with water limitation. Tree diversity was positively associated with annual increment of Italian forests through a combination of mass ratio and niche complementarity effects, but the relative importance of these effects depended on the trait and range of climate considered. Specifically, niche complementarity effects were more strongly associated with annual increment in the Mediterranean compared to temperate forests. Synthesis: Overall, our results suggest that biodiversity mediates forest annual increment under water-limited conditions by promoting beneficial interactions between species and complementarity in resource use. Our work highlights the importance of conserving functional diversity for future forest management to maintain forest annual increment under the expected increase in intensity and frequency of drought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roel Lammerant
- Department of Ecology & GeneticsUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Present address:
Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiHankoFinland
| | - Angelo Rita
- Dipartimento di AgrariaUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IIPortici (Napoli)Italy
| | - Marco Borghetti
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi della BasilicataPotenzaItaly
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Schmitt S, Boisseaux M. Higher local intra- than interspecific variability in water- and carbon-related leaf traits among Neotropical tree species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:801-811. [PMID: 36897823 PMCID: PMC10184448 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad042] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Intraspecific variability in leaf water-related traits remains little explored despite its potential importance in the context of increasing drought frequency and severity. Studies comparing intra- and interspecific variability of leaf traits often rely on inappropriate sampling designs that result in non-robust estimates, mainly owing to an excess of the species/individual ratio in community ecology or, on the contrary, to an excess of the individual/species ratio in population ecology. METHODS We carried out virtual testing of three strategies to compare intra- and interspecific trait variability. Guided by the results of our simulations, we carried out field sampling. We measured nine traits related to leaf water and carbon acquisition in 100 individuals from ten Neotropical tree species. We also assessed trait variation among leaves within individuals and among measurements within leaves to control for sources of intraspecific trait variability. KEY RESULTS The most robust sampling, based on the same number of species and individuals per species, revealed higher intraspecific variability than previously recognized, higher for carbon-related traits (47-92 and 4-33 % of relative and absolute variation, respectively) than for water-related traits (47-60 and 14-44 % of relative and absolute variation, respectively), which remained non-negligible. Nevertheless, part of the intraspecific trait variability was explained by variation of leaves within individuals (12-100 % of relative variation) or measurement variations within leaf (0-19 % of relative variation) and not only by individual ontogenetic stages and environmental conditions. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that robust sampling, based on the same number of species and individuals per species, is needed to explore global or local variation in leaf water- and carbon-related traits within and among tree species, because our study revealed higher intraspecific variation than previously recognized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Schmitt
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, Cirad, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, 97310 Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Marion Boisseaux
- Université de la Guyane, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, Cirad, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles), Campus Agronomique, 97310 Kourou, French Guiana
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Krieg CP, Seeger K, Campany C, Watkins JE, McClearn D, McCulloh KA, Sessa EB. Functional traits and trait coordination change over the life of a leaf in a tropical fern species. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16151. [PMID: 36879521 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Plant ecological strategies are often defined by the integration of underlying traits related to resource acquisition, allocation, and growth. Correlations between key traits across diverse plants suggest that variation in plant ecological strategies is largely driven by a fast-slow continuum of plant economics. However, trait correlations may not be constant through the life of a leaf, and it is still poorly understood how trait function varies over time in long-lived leaves. METHODS Here, we compared trait correlations related to resource acquisition and allocation across three different mature frond age cohorts in a tropical fern species, Saccoloma inaequale. RESULTS Fronds exhibited high initial investments of nitrogen and carbon, but with declining return in photosynthetic capacity after the first year. In the youngest fronds, we found water-use efficiency to be significantly lower than in the oldest mature fronds due to increased transpiration rates. Our data suggest that middle-aged fronds are more efficient relative to younger, less water-use efficient fronds and that older fronds exhibit greater nitrogen investments without higher photosynthetic return. In addition, several trait correlations expected under the leaf economics spectrum (LES) do not hold within this species, and some trait correlations only appear in fronds of a specific developmental age. CONCLUSIONS These findings contextualize the relationship between traits and leaf developmental age with those predicted to underlie plant ecological strategy and the LES and are among the first pieces of evidence for when relative physiological trait efficiency is maximized in a tropical fern species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate Seeger
- Department of Biology, Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN, 55105, USA
| | - Courtney Campany
- Department of Biology, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, USA
| | - James E Watkins
- Department of Biology, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, 13346, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li Z, Wang C, Luo D, Hou E, Ibrahim MM. Leaf-branch vulnerability segmentation occurs all year round for three temperate evergreen tree species. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 197:107658. [PMID: 37001301 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Vulnerability segmentation (VS) and Hydraulic segmentation (HS) hypotheses propose higher hydraulic resistance and vulnerability to embolism in leaves than in branches, respectively. The VS and HS are suggested as an acclimation strategy of trees to drought stress, but whether they occur during freezing stress has rarely been explored. We measured the leaf and branch hydraulic traits of three temperate evergreen tree species [Picea koraiensis (Korean spruce), Pinus koraiensis (Korean pine), and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica (Mongolian pine)] during four seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) across the year. We assessed the applicability of VS and HS all year round, particularly in winter. The water potential at which leaf hydraulic conductance lost 50% (P50L), was more negative in winter than in summer, while higher leaf mass per area was obtained in winter. These results suggest that these species invest more carbon into leaf (including hydraulic systems) to acclimate to winter frost drought. Leaf and branch hydraulic conductance (KmL and KmB) were lower, and the percentage loss of branch hydraulic conductance (PLCB) was higher in spring than in autumn. These results were probably because of more freeze-thaw cycles in spring (69 cycles) than in autumn (37 cycles). The water potential at which branch hydraulic conductance lost 50%, P50B, was more negative than P50L across the year. The values of VS (P50L minus P50B) were positive, i.e. leaf was more vulnerable than the branch in all species and across seasons, with higher values occurring in spring or autumn. However, KmL positively correlated with KmB, suggesting hydraulic coordination between leaf and branch, but did not support HS. Our findings indicate that leaf-branch vulnerability segmentation can occur all year round, including freezing stress, to protect branches from hydraulic failure in temperate evergreen conifers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Li
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Chuankuan Wang
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Dandan Luo
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Enqing Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muhammed Mustapha Ibrahim
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|