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Zhang P, Jiang H, Liu X. Diversity inhibits foliar fungal diseases in grasslands: Potential mechanisms and temperature dependence. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14435. [PMID: 38735857 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
A long-standing debate exists among ecologists as to how diversity regulates infectious diseases (i.e., the nature of diversity-disease relationships); a dilution effect refers to when increasing host diversity inhibits infectious diseases (i.e., negative diversity-disease relationships). However, the generality, strength, and potential mechanisms underlying negative diversity-disease relationships in natural ecosystems remain unclear. To this end, we conducted a large-scale survey of 63 grassland sites across China to explore diversity-disease relationships. We found widespread negative diversity-disease relationships that were temperature-dependent; non-random diversity loss played a fundamental role in driving these patterns. Our study provides field evidence for the generality and temperature dependence of negative diversity-disease relationships in grasslands, becoming stronger in colder regions, while also highlighting the role of non-random diversity loss as a mechanism. These findings have important implications for community ecology, disease ecology, and epidemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Hongying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, P. R. China
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Rasray BA, Ahmad R, Lone SA, Islam T, Wani SA, Hussain K, Dar FA, Datt Rai I, Padalia H, Ahmad Khuroo A. Cushions serve as conservation refuges for the Himalayan alpine plant diversity: Implications for nature-based environmental management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:120995. [PMID: 38692030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120995] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Globally, rapid climate and land-use changes in alpine environments are posing severe risks to their bountiful biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently, nature-based solutions are fast-emerging as the preferred approach to address the challenges of environmental sustainability. In alpine environments, cushion plants owing to their unique architecture and adaptability offer a potential nature-based system to plan biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration strategies. Here, we employed an analytical framework to test whether and how the cushion plants facilitate the sustenance of alpine plant diversity in Kashmir Himalaya. We specifically aimed to answer: what are the effects of the cushion plants on the patterns of alpine species richness and phylogenetic diversity, and whether these effects vary across spatial scales (local versus landscape), cushion types, and changing elevation. We randomly selected pairs of cushion and neighbouring non-cushion plots (size 100 m2) across 34 different alpine sites in the study region. Within each plot, we randomly laid three 5 m2 quadrats for vegetation sampling, and sampled a total of 204 quadrats in 68 plots with seven cushion types along elevation ranging from 3100 to 3850 m. Our results revealed positive effects of the cushions by supporting a higher community species richness (SR) and phylogenetic diversity (PD). The effects were consistent both at the local (i.e., quadrat) and landscape (i.e., plot) scales, but varied significantly with the cushion type. Interestingly, SR and PD showed an increasing trend with increase in elevation in cushion communities, thereby supporting stress gradient hypothesis. Along the elevational gradient, the cushion communities showed phylogenetic overdispersion, but clustering by non-cushions. Overall, our study provides empirical evidence to reinforce the role of the cushions as conservation refugia for an imperilled alpine plant diversity in the Himalaya. Looking ahead, we highlight the far-reaching implications of our findings in guiding the nature-based environmental management of alpine ecosystems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal A Rasray
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Rameez Ahmad
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Showkeen A Lone
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Tajamul Islam
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Sajad Ahmad Wani
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Khalid Hussain
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Firdous Ahmad Dar
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ishwari Datt Rai
- Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Space Research Organisation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Hitendra Padalia
- Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Space Research Organisation, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, India
| | - Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
- Centre for Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar - 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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3
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Chen J, Chen X, Qian L, Zhang Y, Li B, Shi H, Sun L, Schöb C, Sun H. Degeneration of foundation cushion species induced by ecological constraints can cause massive changes in alpine plant communities. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:789-802. [PMID: 38057621 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2383-6] [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: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Foundational cushion plants can re-organize community structures and sustain a prominent proportion of alpine biodiversity, but they are sensitive to climate change. The loss of cushion species can have broad consequences for associated biota. The potential plant community changes with the population dynamics of cushion plants remain, however, unclear. Using eight plant communities along a climatic and community successional gradient, we assessed cushion population dynamics, the underlying ecological constraints and hence associated plant community changes in alpine communities dominated by the foundational cushion plant Arenaria polytrichoides. The population dynamics of Arenaria are attributed to ecological constraints at a series of life history stages. Reproductive functions are constrained by increasing associated beneficiary plants; subsequent seedling establishment is constrained by temperature, water and light availability, extreme climate events, and interspecific competition; strong competitive exclusion may accelerate mortality and degeneration of cushion populations. Along with cushion dynamics, species composition, abundance and community structure gradually change. Once cushion plants completely degenerate, previously cushion-dominated communities shift to relatively stable communities that are overwhelmingly dominated by sedges. Climate warming may accelerate the degeneration process of A. polytrichoides. Degeneration of this foundational cushion plant will possibly induce massive changes in alpine plant communities and hence ecosystem functions in alpine ecosystems. The assessment of the population dynamics of foundation species is critical for an effective conservation of alpine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xufang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yazhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bo Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Honghua Shi
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Christian Schöb
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933, Spain.
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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Díaz FP, Dussarrat T, Carrasco-Puga G, Colombié S, Prigent S, Decros G, Bernillon S, Cassan C, Flandin A, Guerrero PC, Gibon Y, Rolin D, Cavieres LA, Pétriacq P, Latorre C, Gutiérrez RA. Ecological and metabolic implications of the nurse effect of Maihueniopsis camachoi in the Atacama Desert. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:1074-1087. [PMID: 37984856 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19415] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant-plant positive interactions are key drivers of community structure. Yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms of facilitation processes remain unexplored. We investigated the 'nursing' effect of Maihueniopsis camachoi, a cactus that thrives in the Atacama Desert between c. 2800 and 3800 m above sea level. We hypothesised that an important protective factor is thermal amelioration of less cold-tolerant species with a corresponding impact on molecular phenotypes. To test this hypothesis, we compared plant cover and temperatures within the cactus foliage with open areas and modelled the effect of temperatures on plant distribution. We combined eco-metabolomics and machine learning to test the molecular consequences of this association. Multiple species benefited from the interaction with M. camachoi. A conspicuous example was the extended distribution of Atriplex imbricata to colder elevations in association with M. camachoi (400 m higher as compared to plants in open areas). Metabolomics identified 93 biochemical markers predicting the interaction status of A. imbricata with 79% accuracy, independently of year. These findings place M. camachoi as a key species in Atacama plant communities, driving local biodiversity with an impact on molecular phenotypes of nursed species. Our results support the stress-gradient hypothesis and provide pioneer insights into the metabolic consequences of facilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca P Díaz
- Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2362807, Valparaíso, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Chile (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800003, Santiago, Chile
- ANID Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation and ANID Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Thomas Dussarrat
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Gabriela Carrasco-Puga
- ANID Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation and ANID Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sophie Colombié
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Sylvain Prigent
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Guillaume Decros
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Stéphane Bernillon
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Cédric Cassan
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Amélie Flandin
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Pablo C Guerrero
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Chile (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800003, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, 7800003, Concepción, Chile
- Instituto Milenio Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Antárticos y Subantárticos, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Yves Gibon
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Dominique Rolin
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Lohengrin A Cavieres
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Chile (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800003, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, 7800003, Concepción, Chile
| | - Pierre Pétriacq
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, UMR1332 BFP, 33882, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Bordeaux Metabolome, MetaboHUB, PHENOME-EMPHASIS, 33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Claudio Latorre
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Chile (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800003, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A Gutiérrez
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Chile (IEB), Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, 7800003, Santiago, Chile
- ANID Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation and ANID Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, 8331150, Santiago, Chile
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5
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Díaz-Sierra R, Rietkerk M, Verwijmeren M, Baudena M. Facilitation and competition deconstructed: a mechanistic modelling approach to the stress gradient hypothesis applied to drylands. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2205. [PMID: 38272965 PMCID: PMC10810957 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52447-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Facilitative interactions among species are key in plant communities. While experimental tests support the Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) as an association between facilitation and stress, whether the shape of net effects along stress gradients can be predicted is controversial, with no available mathematical modelling approaches. We proposed a novel test, using a modification of the R* model to study how negative and positive partial effects of plant interactions in drylands combine along two common stress gradients. We modelled different interactions: competition for water and light, amelioration of soil infiltration and/or grazing protection, obtaining that intensity and importance of facilitation did not generally increase along stress gradients, being dependent on the interaction type. While along the water stress gradient net interactions became more positive, reaching a maximum and then waning again, various outcomes were observed along the grazing gradient. Shape variety was mainly driven by the various shapes of the partial positive effects. Under resource stress, additive interaction effects can be expected, whereas when including grazing, the effects were non-additive. In the context of the SGH, deconstructing the effect of positive and negative interaction in a pairwise mechanistic models of drylands does not show a unique shape along stress gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Díaz-Sierra
- Mathematical and Fluid Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Section Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Centre for Complex Systems Studies, 4th Floor Minnaert Building, Leuvenlaan 4, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Max Rietkerk
- Section Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mart Verwijmeren
- Section Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Baudena
- Section Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre for Complex Systems Studies, 4th Floor Minnaert Building, Leuvenlaan 4, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), National Research Council of Italy, Corso Fiume 4, 10133, Torino, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133, Palermo, Italy
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6
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Encinas-Viso F, Bovill J, Albrecht DE, Florez-Fernandez J, Lessard B, Lumbers J, Rodriguez J, Schmidt-Lebuhn A, Zwick A, Milla L. Pollen DNA metabarcoding reveals cryptic diversity and high spatial turnover in alpine plant-pollinator networks. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6377-6393. [PMID: 36065738 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alpine plant-pollinator communities play an important role in the functioning of alpine ecosystems, which are highly threatened by climate change. However, we still have a poor understanding of how environmental factors and spatiotemporal variability shape these communities. Here, we investigate what drives structure and beta diversity in a plant-pollinator metacommunity from the Australian alpine region using two approaches: pollen DNA metabarcoding (MB) and observations. Individual pollinators often carry pollen from multiple plant species, and therefore we expected MB to reveal a more diverse and complex network structure. We used two gene regions (ITS2 and trnL) to identify plant species present in the pollen loads of 154 insect pollinator specimens from three alpine habitats and construct MB networks, and compared them to networks based on observations alone. We compared species and interaction turnover across space for both types of networks, and evaluated their differences for plant phylogenetic diversity and beta diversity. We found significant structural differences between the two types of networks; notably, MB networks were much less specialized but more diverse than observation networks, with MB detecting many cryptic plant species. Both approaches revealed that alpine pollination networks are very generalized, but we estimated a high spatial turnover of plant species (0.79) and interaction rewiring (0.6) as well as high plant phylogenetic diversity (0.68) driven by habitat differences based on the larger diversity of plant species and species interactions detected with MB. Overall, our findings show that habitat and microclimatic heterogeneity drives diversity and fine-scale spatial turnover of alpine plant-pollinator networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Encinas-Viso
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jessica Bovill
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - David E Albrecht
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jaime Florez-Fernandez
- Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Bryan Lessard
- Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - James Lumbers
- Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Juanita Rodriguez
- Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Andreas Zwick
- Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Liz Milla
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
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7
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Garrote PJ, Bugalho MN, Fedriani JM. Seedling responses to moderate and severe herbivory: a field-clipping experiment with a keystone Mediterranean palm. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2023; 25:1058-1070. [PMID: 37713282 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13581] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant-ungulate interactions are critical in shaping the structure of Mediterranean plant communities. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of knowledge on how plant intrinsic and extrinsic factors mediate the sign and strength of plant-ungulate interactions. This is most relevant when addressing natural or assisted restoration of plant communities in human-disturbed areas. We conducted field-clipping experiments simulating how different intensities of ungulate herbivory may affect the natural regeneration and establishment of the Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis), a keystone species in Mediterranean ecosystems. We quantified seedling survival and size in two human-disturbed sites (SW Spain) where wild and domestic ungulates exert high herbivory pressure on vegetation. Severe clipping and seedling aging reduced rates of seedling survival. In contrast, moderate clipping did not affect seedling survival, suggesting a certain degree of C. humilis tolerance to herbivory. Severe clipping reduced seedling height strongly but not seedling diameter, and these effects seem to have decreased seedling survival. Nurse shrubs increased seedling size, which likely improved seedling survival. We also found seedling compensatory growth which varied between study sites. Field-clipping experiments can help disentangle effects of plant extrinsic and intrinsic factors on the sign and strength of plant-ungulate interactions and their ecological consequences on the dynamics of human-disturbed ecosystems. We call attention to the importance of appropriately managing scenarios of severe herbivory and summer droughts, particularly frequent in Mediterranean ecosystems, as synergic effects of such key drivers can negatively affect the structure and dynamics of plant communities and endanger their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Garrote
- Desertification Research Centre (CIDE), CSIC-UVEG-GV, Moncada (Valencia), Spain
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - J M Fedriani
- Desertification Research Centre (CIDE), CSIC-UVEG-GV, Moncada (Valencia), Spain
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD), CSIC, C/Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de la Cartuja, Seville, Spain
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8
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Ale R, Zhang L, Bahadur Raskoti B, Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Luo T. Leaf carbon isotope tracks the facilitation pattern of legume shrubs shaped by water availability and species replacement along a large elevation gradient in Trans-Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:429-442. [PMID: 37632795 PMCID: PMC10667008 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad117] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Understanding patterns and mechanisms of nurse plant facilitation is important to predict the resilience of arid/semi-arid ecosystems to climate change. We investigate whether water availability and nurse species turnover interact to shape the facilitation pattern of widespread legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient. We also investigate whether leaf δ13C of nurse plants can track the facilitation pattern. METHODS We measured the relative interaction index (RII) of the number of species within and outside the canopy of two widespread legume shrub species (Caragana gerardiana and Caragana versicolor) alternatively distributed along a large elevation gradient in the Trans-Himalayas. We also assessed the proportional increase of species richness (ISR) at the community level using the paired plot data. To determine site-specific water availability, we measured the leaf δ13C of nurse shrubs and calculated the Thornthwaite moisture index (MI) for each elevation site. KEY RESULTS Elevational variations in RII, ISR and δ13C were mainly explained by the MI when the effects of soil nitrogen and plant traits (leaf nitrogen and shrub size) were controlled. Variations in RII and ISR across the two nurse species were explained better by δ13C than by smoothly changing climatic factors along elevation. At the transition zone between the upper limit of C. gerardiana (4100 m) and the lower limit of C. versicolor (4200 m), RII and ISR were much higher in C. versicolor than in C. gerardiana under a similar MI. Such an abrupt increase in facilitation induced by nurse species replacement was well tracked by the variation of δ13C. CONCLUSIONS Water availability and nurse species replacement are crucial to shaping facilitation patterns by legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient in dry mountainous regions, such as the Trans-Himalayas. Turnover in nurse species under global change might significantly alter the pattern of nurse plant facilitation associated with water availability, which can be well tracked by leaf δ13C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ale
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | - Guangshuai Cui
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Francisco I Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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9
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Losapio G. Contextualizing the ecology of plant-plant interactions and constructive networks. AOB PLANTS 2023; 15:plad035. [PMID: 37576876 PMCID: PMC10414809 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Botanical concepts have traditionally viewed the environment as a static box containing plants. In this box, plants compete with one another and act as passive resource consumers subjected to the environment in a top-down manner. This entails that plants have only negative effects on other plants and have no influence on the environment. By contrast, there is increasing evidence that plants have positive, bottom-up engineering effects and diversity effects on other plants and on the environment. Here, to overcome the limitations of top-down environmental control, antagonistic-only and pairwise interactions, I propose the concept of constructive networks. Constructive networks unify niche construction and network theory recognizing that (i) plants have manifold ecological functions and impacts on their neighbours, and (ii) the environment shapes and is shaped by diverse organisms, primarily plants. Constructive networks integrate both plant-environment and plant-plant interactions in a relational context. They address how plants influence the environment and support or inhibit other plant species by physically, biochemically and ecologically shaping environmental conditions. Constructive networks acknowledge the fact that diverse plants change and create novel environmental conditions and co-produce, share and transform resources, thereby influencing biological communities and the environment in constructive ways. Different interaction types are considered simultaneously in constructive networks. Yet, the main limitation to understanding constructive networks is the identification of plant links. This barrier may be overcome by applying complexity theory and statistical mechanics to comparative data and experimental field botany. Considering multiple interaction types and feedback between plants and the environment may improve our understanding of mechanisms responsible for biodiversity maintenance and help us to better anticipate the response of plant systems to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, UNIL Mouline, 1015, VD, Switzerland
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
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10
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Losapio G, Genes L, Knight CJ, McFadden TN, Pavan L. Monitoring and modelling the effects of ecosystem engineers on ecosystem functioning. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland
- Department of Biosciences University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Luísa Genes
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
| | | | - Tyler N. McFadden
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon USA
| | - Lucas Pavan
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California USA
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11
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Mensah S, Lokossou CJ, Assogbadjo AE, Kakaï RG. Seasonal variation of environment and conspecific density-dependence effects on early seedling growth of a tropical tree in semi-arid savannahs. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
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12
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Chen J, Liu Z, Cui H, Song H, Wang J, Gao H, Chen S, Liu K, Yang Z, Wang Y, Wang X, Yang X, Meng L, An L, Xiao S, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y. Direct and indirect effects of dominant plants on ecosystem multifunctionality. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1117903. [PMID: 36938009 PMCID: PMC10017997 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1117903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is essential for the provision of multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously (ecosystem multifunctionality EMF). Yet, it remains unclear whether and how dominant plant species impact EMF. Here, we aimed at disentangling the direct from indirect above- and belowground pathways by which dominant plant species influence EMF. We evaluated the effects of two dominant plant species (Dasiphora fruticosa, and the toxic perennial plant Ligularia virgaurea) with expected positive and negative impacts on the abiotic environment (soil water content and pH), surrounding biological communities (plant and nematode richness, biomass, and abundance in the vicinity), and on the EMF of alpine meadows, respectively. We found that the two dominant plants enhanced EMF, with a positive effect of L. virgaurea on EMF greater than that of D. fruticosa. We also observed that dominant plants impacted on EMF through changes in soil water content and pH (indirect abiotic effects), but not through changes in biodiversity of surrounding plants and nematodes (indirect biotic pathway). Our study suggests that dominant plants may play an important role in promoting EMF, thus expanding the pervasive mass-ratio hypothesis originally framed for individual functions, and could mitigate the negative impacts of vegetation changes on EMF in the alpine meadows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Ziyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hanwen Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Hongxian Song
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Haining Gao
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Hexi University, Zhangye, Gansu, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Zi Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiangtai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaoli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lihua Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lizhe An
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet
- Aix Marseille Univ, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Avignon Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Écologie marine et continentale, Technopôle Arbois-Méditerranée, Aix-en-Provence, France
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13
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Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Yang L, Zhao W, Ale R, Shen W, Luo T, Liang E, Zhang L. Shrub-mediated effects on soil nitrogen determines shrub-herbaceous interactions in drylands of the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1137365. [PMID: 36844071 PMCID: PMC9950575 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1137365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Shrub promotes the survival, growth and reproduction of understory species by buffering the environmental extremes and improving limited resources (i.e., facilitation effect) in arid and semiarid regions. However, the importance of soil water and nutrient availability on shrub facilitation, and its trend along a drought gradient have been relatively less addressed in water-limited systems. METHODS We investigated species richness, plant size, soil total nitrogen and dominant grass leaf δ13C within and outside the dominant leguminous cushion-like shrub Caragana versicolor along a water deficit gradient in drylands of Tibetan Plateau. RESULTS We found that C. versicolor increased grass species richness but had a negative effect on annual and perennial forbs. Along the water deficit gradient, plant interaction assessed by species richness (RIIspecies) showed a unimodal pattern with shift from increase to decrease, while plant interaction assessed by plant size (RIIsize) did not vary significantly. The effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen, rather than water availability, determined its overall effect on understory species richness. Neither the effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen nor water availability affected plant size. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that the drying tendency in association with the recent warming trends observed in drylands of Tibetan Plateau, will likely hinder the facilitation effect of nurse leguminous shrub on understories if moisture availability crosses a critical minimum threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshuai Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wanglin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rita Ale
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Science and Technology Information of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, China
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14
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Liancourt P, Doležal J. Overgrowth competition or facilitation from cushion plants: Implication for the role of plant-plant interactions. Ecology 2023; 104:e3989. [PMID: 36756970 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Liancourt
- Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.,Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jiri Doležal
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.,Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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15
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Spatial autocorrelation signatures of ecological determinants on plant community characteristics in high Andean wetlands. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13770. [PMID: 35962032 PMCID: PMC9374769 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18132-9] [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: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how biological communities are shaped is a central tenet of community ecology. Recent evidence highlights the potential of decoupling diversity spatial autocorrelation into its positive and negative components to reveal community assembly processes that would otherwise remain undetected, as well as to improve understanding of their impacts on different facets of diversity. Yet, such approaches have only been implemented to investigate the effects of a few assembly drivers on a small number of diversity components. Here, we used high Andean wetland plant communities over a strong latitudinal gradient to investigate the effects of various ecological factors on spatial autocorrelation patterns of nine community metrics with different informative values, including measures of richness, dominance, evenness and beta-diversity. By combining Moran’s Eigenvector Maps, partial least squares structural equation modeling, and regression analyses, we revealed two groups of community parameters presenting contrasting spatial patterns due to specific sensitivities to ecological factors. While environmental variation and wetland connectivity increased positive spatial autocorrelation in richness and dominance-related parameters, species co-occurrence promoted negative spatial autocorrelation in evenness-related parameters. These results offer new insights regarding both how ecological processes affect species assembly, as well as the information captured by classical taxonomic parameters.
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16
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Hanusch M, He X, Ruiz-Hernández V, Junker RR. Succession comprises a sequence of threshold-induced community assembly processes towards multidiversity. Commun Biol 2022; 5:424. [PMID: 35523944 PMCID: PMC9076875 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03372-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on successions and community assembly both address the same processes such as dispersal, species sorting, and biotic interactions but lack unifying concepts. Recent theoretical advances integrated both research lines proposing a sequence of stochastic and deterministic processes along successional gradients. Shifts in ecosystem states along successional gradients are predicted to occur abruptly once abiotic and biotic factors dominate over dispersal as main driver. Considering the multidiversity composed of five organismal groups including plants, animals, and microbes, our results imply that stochastic, likely dispersal-dominated, processes are replaced by rather deterministic processes such as environmental filtering and biotic interactions after around 60 years of succession in a glacier forefield. The niche-based character of later successional processes is further supported by a decline in multi-beta-diversity. Our results may update concepts of community assembly by considering multiple taxa, help to bridge the gap between research on successions and community assembly, and provide insights into the emergence of multidiverse and complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Hanusch
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Xie He
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Victoria Ruiz-Hernández
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Robert R Junker
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, Paris Lodron University Salzburg, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
- Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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17
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Bashirzadeh M, Shefferson RP, Farzam M. Plant-plant interactions determine natural restoration of plant biodiversity over time, in a degraded mined land. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8878. [PMID: 35509615 PMCID: PMC9055295 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Restoration of degraded environments is essential to mitigate adverse impacts of human activities on ecosystems. Plant-plant interactions may provide effective means for restoring degraded arid lands, but little is understood about these impacts. In this regard, we analyzed the effects of two dominant nurse plants (i.e., Artemisia sieberi and Stipa arabica) on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity across different ages of land abandonment (i.e., control, recent, and old ages) in a limestone mine site in Iran. In addition, we considered two spatial scales: i) the plot scale (i.e., under 1m2 plots) and ii) the vegetation-patch scale (i.e., under the canopies of nurse plants), to assess nurse plant effects, land abandonment ages, and their relative importance on biodiversity facets by performing Kruskal-Wallis H test and variation partitioning analysis. Our results indicated an increase in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity at the plot scale, when considering the presence of nurse plants under old ages of land abandonment. Such significant differences were consistent with the positive effects of Artemisia patches on taxonomic diversity and Stipa patches on functional and phylogenetic diversity. In addition, we found a larger contribution from nurse plants than land abandonment age on biodiversity variation at both spatial scales studied. Therefore, these results indicate the importance of plant-plant interactions in restoring vegetation, with their effects on the presence of beneficiary species and their functional and phylogenetic relatedness depending on the nurse life forms under the stress-gradient hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maral Bashirzadeh
- Department of Range and Watershed ManagementFaculty of Natural Resources and EnvironmentFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
| | - Richard P. Shefferson
- Organization for Programs on Environmental SciencesFaculty of Arts & SciencesUniversity of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Mohammad Farzam
- Department of Range and Watershed ManagementFaculty of Natural Resources and EnvironmentFerdowsi University of MashhadMashhadIran
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18
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Zhang YZ, Qian LS, Chen XF, Sun L, Sun H, Chen JG. Diversity patterns of cushion plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A basic study for future conservation efforts on alpine ecosystems. PLANT DIVERSITY 2022; 44:231-242. [PMID: 35769589 PMCID: PMC9209862 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is an important cushion plant hotspot. However, the distribution of cushion plants on the QTP is unknown, as are the factors that drive cushion plant distribution, limiting our understanding of the evolution of cushion species in the region. In this study, we assessed spatial patterns of total cushion plant diversity (including taxonomic and phylogenetic) over the entire QTP and compared patterns of diversity of cushion plants with different typologies (i.e., compact vs. loose). We also examined how these patterns were related to climatic features. Our results indicate that the southern QTP hosts the highest total cushion plant richness, especially in the south-central Hengduan Mountains subregion. The total number of cushion species declines from south to north and from southeast to northwest. Compact cushion plants exhibit similar patterns as the total cushion plant richness, whereas loose cushion plants show random distribution. Cushion plant phylogenetic diversity showed a similar pattern as that of the total cushion plant richness. In addition, cushion plant phylogenetic community structure was clustered in the eastern and southwestern QTP, whereas random or overdispersed in other areas. Climatic features represented by annual energy and water trends, seasonality and extreme environmental factors, had significant effects on cushion plant diversity patterns but limited effects on the phylogenetic community structure, suggesting that climatic features indeed promote the formation of cushion plants. Because cushion plants play vital roles in alpine ecosystems, our findings not only promote our understanding of the evolution and formation of alpine cushion plant diversity but also provide an indispensable foundation for future studies on cushion plant functions and thus alpine ecosystem sustainability in the entire QTP region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Zhou Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Shen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xu-Fang Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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19
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Yang X, Gómez-Aparicio L, Lortie CJ, Verdú M, Cavieres LA, Huang Z, Gao R, Liu R, Zhao Y, Cornelissen JHC. Net plant interactions are highly variable and weakly dependent on climate at the global scale. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1580-1593. [PMID: 35460586 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Although plant-plant interactions (i.e. competition and facilitation) have long been recognised as key drivers of plant community composition and dynamics, their global patterns and relationships with climate have remained unclear. Here, we assembled a global database of 10,502 pairs of empirical data from the literature to address the patterns of and climatic effects on the net outcome of plant interactions in natural communities. We found that plant interactions varied among plant performance indicators, interaction types and biomes, yet competition occurred more frequently than facilitation in plant communities worldwide. Unexpectedly, plant interactions showed weak latitudinal pattern and were weakly related to climate. Our study provides a global comprehensive overview of plant interactions, highlighting competition as a fundamental mechanism structuring plant communities worldwide. We suggest that further investigations should focus more on local factors (e.g. microclimate, soil and disturbance) than on macroclimate to identify key environmental determinants of interactions in plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Miguel Verdú
- Department of Plant Ecology, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación, CSIC-UVEG-GV), Valencia, Spain
| | - Lohengrin A Cavieres
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad - IEB, Santiago, Chile
| | - Zhenying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruiru Gao
- The School of Life Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Shanxi, Linfen, China
| | - Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yonglan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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20
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Gefei Z, Zhao W, Xiaofen W. The importance of facilitation on community assembly disappears under severe drought stress. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Gefei
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences CN‐730000 Lanzhou China
| | - Wenzhi Zhao
- Linze Inland River Basin Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences CN‐730000 Lanzhou China
| | - Wang Xiaofen
- Prata cultural College Gansu Agricultural University CN‐730000 Lanzhou China
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21
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Jiang L, Hu D, Wang H, Lv G. Discriminating ecological processes affecting different dimensions of α‐ and β‐diversity in desert plant communities. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8710. [PMID: 35342610 PMCID: PMC8933320 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spatial distribution of plant diversity and its drivers are major challenges in biogeography and conservation biology. Integrating multiple facets of biodiversity (e.g., taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional biodiversity) may advance our understanding on how community assembly processes drive the distribution of biodiversity. In this study, plant communities in 60 sampling plots in desert ecosystems were investigated. The effects of local environment and spatial factors on the species, functional, and phylogenetic α‐ and β‐diversity (including turnover and nestedness components) of desert plant communities were investigated. The results showed that functional and phylogenetic α‐diversity were negatively correlated with species richness, and were significantly positively correlated with each other. Environmental filtering mainly influenced species richness and Rao quadratic entropy; phylogenetic α‐diversity was mainly influenced by dispersal limitation. Species and phylogenetic β‐diversity were mainly consisted of turnover component. The functional β‐diversity and its turnover component were mainly influenced by environmental factors, while dispersal limitation dominantly effected species and phylogenetic β‐diversity and their turnover component of species and phylogenetic β‐diversity. Soil organic carbon and soil pH significantly influenced different dimensions of α‐diversity, and soil moisture, salinity, organic carbon, and total nitrogen significantly influenced different dimensions of α‐ and β‐diversity and their components. Overall, it appeared that the relative influence of environmental and spatial factors on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity differed at the α and β scales. Quantifying α‐ and β‐diversity at different biodiversity dimensions can help researchers to more accurately assess patterns of diversity and community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamei Jiang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science Xinjiang University Urumqi China
| | - Dong Hu
- College of Resources and Environmental Science Xinjiang University Urumqi China
| | - Hengfang Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science Xinjiang University Urumqi China
| | - Guanghui Lv
- College of Resources and Environmental Science Xinjiang University Urumqi China
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22
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Azorella Cushion Plants and Aridity are Important Drivers of Soil Microbial Communities in Andean Ecosystems. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00603-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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23
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Navarro‐Cano JA, Goberna M, Verdú M. Facilitation enhances ecosystem function with non‐random species gains. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jose A. Navarro‐Cano
- Depto de Medio Ambiente y Agronomía, Centro Nacional Inst. de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA‐CSIC Madrid Spain
| | - Marta Goberna
- Depto de Medio Ambiente y Agronomía, Centro Nacional Inst. de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA‐CSIC Madrid Spain
| | - Miguel Verdú
- Depto de Ecología Vegetal, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC‐UVEG‐GV), Moncada Valencia Spain
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Parise AG, Bertoli SC, Souza GM. Belowground interactions affect shoot growth in Eucalyptus urophylla under restrictive conditions. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2021; 16:1927589. [PMID: 34057038 PMCID: PMC8280888 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1927589] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant-plant interactions like competition or facilitation between seedlings can have profound implications on their establishment and posterior development. These interactions are variable and depend upon the presence of neighbouring plants and environmental factors. In this work, we studied the effects of the interaction by the roots of Eucalyptus urophylla seedlings from a population under various environmental stressful conditions: water deficit, nutrient deficit, low light, low temperature, and high temperature. To evaluate it, we measured some growth and morphological parameters. We demonstrated that shoot parameters such as the number of leaves, leaf area, and dry weight of the leaves were the most affected parameters due to the belowground plant-plant interaction under various environmental conditions. We did not find evidence for competition among the plants, especially under restrictive conditions. Therefore, the study corroborates the stress-gradient hypothesis, which states that plants' differences under stressful conditions lead to facilitative interactions. It has implications for plant ecology and forestry techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Geremia Parise
- Laboratory of Plant Cognition and Electrophysiology (LACEV), Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Suzana Chiari Bertoli
- Laboratory of Plant Cognition and Electrophysiology (LACEV), Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Maia Souza
- Laboratory of Plant Cognition and Electrophysiology (LACEV), Department of Botany, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
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Verdú M, Gómez JM, Valiente-Banuet A, Schöb C. Facilitation and plant phenotypic evolution. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 26:913-923. [PMID: 34112618 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
While antagonistic interactions between plants have been a major topic of eco-evolutionary research, little evidence exists on the evolution of positive plant interactions (i.e., plant facilitation). Here, we first summarize the existing empirical evidence on the role of facilitation as a selection pressure on plants. Then, we develop a theoretical eco-evolutionary framework based on fitness-trait functions and interaction effectiveness that provides predictions for how facilitation-related traits may evolve. As evolution may act at levels beyond the individual (such as groups or species), we discuss the subject of the units of evolutionary selection through facilitation. Finally, we use the proposed formal evolutionary framework for facilitation to identify areas of future research based on the knowledge gaps detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GV), Ctra Moncada-Náquera km4.5, 46113 Moncada, (Valencia), Spain.
| | - J M Gómez
- Dpto de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 0-4120 Almería, Spain
| | - A Valiente-Banuet
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, C.P. 04510, México D.F., México; Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, México D.F., México
| | - C Schöb
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Parajuli R, O'Brien MJ, Timilsina B, Pugnaire FI, Schöb C, Ghimire SK. Facilitation by a dwarf shrub enhances plant diversity of human-valued species at high elevations in the Himalayas of Nepal. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Network motifs involving both competition and facilitation predict biodiversity in alpine plant communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2005759118. [PMID: 33526655 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005759118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological diversity depends on multiple, cooccurring ecological interactions. However, most studies focus on one interaction type at a time, leaving community ecologists unsure of how positive and negative associations among species combine to influence biodiversity patterns. Using surveys of plant populations in alpine communities worldwide, we explore patterns of positive and negative associations among triads of species (modules) and their relationship to local biodiversity. Three modules, each incorporating both positive and negative associations, were overrepresented, thus acting as "network motifs." Furthermore, the overrepresentation of these network motifs is positively linked to species diversity globally. A theoretical model illustrates that these network motifs, based on competition between facilitated species or facilitation between inferior competitors, increase local persistence. Our findings suggest that the interplay of competition and facilitation is crucial for maintaining biodiversity.
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Gouws CA, Haussmann NS, le Roux PC. Seed trapping or a nurse effect? Disentangling the drivers of fine-scale plant species association patterns in a windy environment. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02898-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Stephan P, Bramon Mora B, Alexander JM. Positive species interactions shape species' range limits. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Stephan
- Dept of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Jake M. Alexander
- Dept of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich Zürich Switzerland
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Li T, Wu S, Yang W, Selosse MA, Gao J. How Mycorrhizal Associations Influence Orchid Distribution and Population Dynamics. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:647114. [PMID: 34025695 PMCID: PMC8138319 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.647114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Orchid distribution and population dynamics are influenced by a variety of ecological factors and the formation of holobionts, which play key roles in colonization and ecological community construction. Seed germination, seedling establishment, reproduction, and survival of orchid species are strongly dependent on orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF), with mycorrhizal cheating increasingly observed in photosynthetic orchids. Therefore, changes in the composition and abundance of OMF can have profound effects on orchid distribution and fitness. Network analysis is an important tool for the study of interactions between plants, microbes, and the environment, because of the insights that it can provide into the interactions and coexistence patterns among species. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview, systematically describing the current research status of the effects of OMF on orchid distribution and dynamics, phylogenetic signals in orchid-OMF interactions, and OMF networks. We argue that orchid-OMF associations exhibit complementary and specific effects that are highly adapted to their environment. Such specificity of associations may affect the niche breadth of orchid species and act as a stabilizing force in plant-microbe coevolution. We postulate that network analysis is required to elucidate the functions of fungal partners beyond their effects on germination and growth. Such studies may lend insight into the microbial ecology of orchids and provide a scientific basis for the protection of orchids under natural conditions in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiqiang Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Shimao Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Wenke Yang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Marc-André Selosse
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205, CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHE, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jiangyun Gao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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31
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Non-native weed reaches community dominance under the canopy of dominant native tree. Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02538-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Nelson KM, Bisbing S, Grossenbacher DL, Ritter M, Yost JM. Testing an invasion mechanism for Eucalyptus globulus: Is there evidence of allelopathy? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:607-615. [PMID: 33860930 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Sparse understory communities, in association with non-native tree species, are often attributed to allelopathy, the chemical inhibition of a plant by another. However, allelopathy is a difficult ecological phenomenon to demonstrate as many studies show conflicting results. Eucalyptus globulus, a tree native to Australia, is one of the most widely planted trees around the world. Sparse understories are common beneath E. globulus plantations and are often attributed to allelopathy, but the ecological impacts of E. globulus on native plant communities outside Austrialia are poorly understood. METHODS To assess allelopathy as a mechanism of understory inhibition, we tested volatile- and water-soluble leaf extracts from E. globulus, Salvia apiana, and Quercus agrifolia on seed germination of California native plants. We also quantified germination rates and early seedling growth of California native plants grown in soil from E. globulus plantations versus soil from an adjacent native plant community. RESULTS Volatile compounds from E. globulus did not significantly reduce germination for any species. Inhibition from water-soluble E. globulus compounds was comparable to that of a native tree, Quercus agrifolia (10%). Eucalyptus globulus soil supported germination and early seedling growth of native species equal to or better than coastal scrub soil, although species responses were variable. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to previous studies, our results fail to support the hypothesis that E. globulus chemically inhibits germination of native species. California native plants germinate and grow well in soils from E. globulus plantations, which may have significant implications for management and restoration of land historically occupied by E. globulus plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Nelson
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, USA
| | - Sarah Bisbing
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada - Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, Nevada, 89557, USA
| | - Dena L Grossenbacher
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, USA
| | - Matt Ritter
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, USA
| | - Jennifer M Yost
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, USA
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Verwijmeren M, Baudena M, Wassen M, Díaz‐Sierra R, Smit C, Rietkerk M. Intra‐seasonal rainfall variability and herbivory affect the interaction outcome of two dryland plant species. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. Verwijmeren
- Environmental Sciences Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Princetonlaan 8aP.O. Box 80115 Utrecht CB3584The Netherlands
- School of Life Sciences Avans University of Applied Science Breda AJ4818The Netherlands
| | - M. Baudena
- Environmental Sciences Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Princetonlaan 8aP.O. Box 80115 Utrecht CB3584The Netherlands
| | - M. Wassen
- Environmental Sciences Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Princetonlaan 8aP.O. Box 80115 Utrecht CB3584The Netherlands
| | - R. Díaz‐Sierra
- Environmental Sciences Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Princetonlaan 8aP.O. Box 80115 Utrecht CB3584The Netherlands
- Mathematical and Fluid Physics Department Faculty of Sciences Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED Madrid28040Spain
| | - C. Smit
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 Groningen CC9700The Netherlands
| | - M. Rietkerk
- Environmental Sciences Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Princetonlaan 8aP.O. Box 80115 Utrecht CB3584The Netherlands
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Response of altitudinal vegetation belts of the Tianshan Mountains in northwestern China to climate change during 1989-2015. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4870. [PMID: 33649482 PMCID: PMC7921417 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the mountain altitudinal vegetation belts, the shift of forest tree lines and subalpine steppe belts to high altitudes constitutes an obvious response to global climate change. However, whether or not similar changes occur in steppe belts (low altitude) and nival belts in different areas within mountain systems remain undetermined. It is also unknown if these, responses to climate change are consistent. Here, using Landsat remote sensing images from 1989 to 2015, we obtained the spatial distribution of altitudinal vegetation belts in different periods of the Tianshan Mountains in Northwestern China. We suggest that the responses from different altitudinal vegetation belts to global climate change are different. The changes in the vegetation belts at low altitudes are spatially different. In high-altitude regions (higher than the forest belts), however, the trend of different altitudinal belts is consistent. Specifically, we focused on analyses of the impact of changes in temperature and precipitation on the nival belts, desert steppe belts, and montane steppe belts. The results demonstrated that the temperature in the study area exhibited an increasing trend, and is the main factor of altitudinal vegetation belts change in the Tianshan Mountains. In the context of a significant increase in temperature, the upper limit of the montane steppe in the eastern and central parts will shift to lower altitudes, which may limit the development of local animal husbandry. The montane steppe in the west, however, exhibits the opposite trend, which may augment the carrying capacity of pastures and promote the development of local animal husbandry. The lower limit of the nival belt will further increase in all studied areas, which may lead to an increase in surface runoff in the central and western regions.
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Anthelme F, Cauvy-Fraunié S, Francou B, Cáceres B, Dangles O. Living at the Edge: Increasing Stress for Plants 2–13 Years After the Retreat of a Tropical Glacier. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.584872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid warming is a major threat for the alpine biodiversity but, at the same time, accelerated glacial retreat constitutes an opportunity for taxa and communities to escape range contraction or extinction. We explored the first steps of plant primary succession after accelerated glacial retreat under the assumption that the first few years are critical for the success of plant establishment. To this end, we examined plant succession along a very short post-glacial chronosequence in the tropical Andes of Ecuador (2–13 years after glacial retreat). We recorded the location of all plant individuals within an area of 4,200 m2 divided into plots of 1 m2. This sampling made it possible to measure the responses of the microenvironment, plant diversity and plants traits to time since the glacial retreat. It also made it possible to produce species-area curves and to estimate positive interactions between species. Decreases in soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil macronutrients revealed increasing abiotic stress for plants between two and 13 years after glacial retreat. This increasing stress seemingly explained the lack of positive correlation between plant diversity and time since the glacial retreat. It might explain the decreasing performance of plants at both the population (lower plant height) and the community levels (lower species richness and lower accumulation of species per area). Meanwhile, infrequent spatial associations among plants indicated a facilitation deficit and animal-dispersed plants were almost absent. Although the presence of 21 species on such a small sampled area seven years after glacial retreat could look like a colonization success in the first place, the increasing abiotic stress may partly erase this success, reducing species richness to 13 species after 13 years and increasing the frequency of patches without vegetation. This fine-grain distribution study sheds new light on nature's responses to the effects of climate change in cold biomes, suggesting that faster glacial retreat would not necessarily result in accelerated plant colonization. Results are exploratory and require site replications for generalization.
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Wang X, Michalet R, Meng L, Zhou X, Chen S, Du G, Xiao S. Direct and indirect facilitation affect community productivity through changes in functional diversity in an alpine system. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:241-249. [PMID: 32940643 PMCID: PMC7789107 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Facilitation is an important ecological process for plant community structure and functional composition. Although direct facilitation has accrued most of the evidence so far, indirect facilitation is ubiquitous in nature and it has an enormous potential to explain community structuring. In this study, we assess the effect of direct and indirect facilitation on community productivity via taxonomic and functional diversity. METHODS In an alpine community on the Tibetan Plateau, we manipulated the presence of the shrub Dasiphora fruticosa and graminoids in a fenced meadow and a grazed meadow to quantify the effects of direct and indirect facilitation. We measured four plant traits: height, lateral spread, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) of forbs; calculated two metrics of functional diversity [range of trait and community-weighted mean (CWM) of trait]; and assessed the responses of functional diversity to shrub facilitation. We used structural equation modelling to explore how shrubs directly and indirectly drove community productivity via taxonomic diversity and functional diversity. KEY RESULTS We found stronger effects from herbivore-mediated indirect facilitation than direct facilitation on productivity and taxonomic diversity, regardless of the presence of graminoids. For functional diversity, the range and CWM of height and SLA, rather than lateral spread and LDMC, generally increased due to direct and indirect facilitation. Moreover, we found that the range of traits played a primary role over taxonomic diversity and CWM of traits in terms of shrub effects on community productivity. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that the mechanism of shrub direct and indirect facilitation of community productivity in this alpine community is expanding the realized niche (i.e. expanding range of traits). Our findings indicate that facilitators might increase trait dispersion in the local community, which could alleviate the effect of environmental filters on trait values in harsh environments, thereby contributing to ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangtai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | | | - Lihua Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xianhui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Guozhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Reciprocal interactions between a non-native shrub and the dominant native trees of a high mountain woodland: who benefits? Biol Invasions 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02355-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Losapio G, Schmid B, Bascompte J, Michalet R, Cerretti P, Germann C, Haenni JP, Neumeyer R, Ortiz-Sánchez FJ, Pont AC, Rousse P, Schmid J, Sommaggio D, Schöb C. An experimental approach to assessing the impact of ecosystem engineers on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Ecology 2020; 102:e03243. [PMID: 33190225 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Plants acting as ecosystem engineers create habitats and facilitate biodiversity maintenance within plant communities. Furthermore, biodiversity research has demonstrated that plant diversity enhances the productivity and functioning of ecosystems. However, these two fields of research developed in parallel and independent from one another, with the consequence that little is known about the role of ecosystem engineers in the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across trophic levels. Here, we present an experimental framework to study this relationship. We combine facilitation by plants acting as ecosystem engineers with plant-insect interaction analysis and variance partitioning of biodiversity effects. We present a case-study experiment in which facilitation by a cushion-plant species and a dwarf-shrub species as ecosystem engineers increases positive effects of plant functional diversity (ecosystem engineers and associated plants) on ecosystem functioning (flower visitation rate). The experiment, conducted in the field during a single alpine flowering season, included the following treatments: (1) removal of plant species associated with ecosystem engineers, (2) exclusion (covering) of ecosystem engineer flowers, and (3) control, i.e., natural patches of ecosystem engineers and associated plant species. We found both positive and negative associational effects between plants depending on ecosystem engineer identity, indicating both pollination facilitation and interference. In both cases, patches supported by ecosystem engineers increased phylogenetic and functional diversity of flower visitors. Furthermore, complementarity effects between engineers and associated plants were positive for flower visitation rates. Our study reveals that plant facilitation can enhance the strength of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, with complementarity between plants for attracting more and diverse flower visitors being the likely driver. A potential mechanism is that synergy and complementarity between engineers and associated plants increase attractiveness for shared visitors and widen pollination niches. In synthesis, facilitation among plants can scale up to a full network, supporting ecosystem functioning both directly via microhabitat amelioration and indirectly via diversity effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianalberto Losapio
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.,Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.,Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Richard Michalet
- University of Bordeaux, UMR 5805 EPOC, Talence cedex, 33405, France
| | - Pierfilippo Cerretti
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | | | - Jean-Paul Haenni
- Muséum d'histoire Naturelle, Entomologie, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Neumeyer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | | | - Adrian C Pont
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, OX1 3PW, United Kingdom
| | - Pascal Rousse
- Unité Expertise-Risques Biologiques, Laboratoire de la Santé des Végétaux, ANSES, Angers, 49000, France
| | - Jürg Schmid
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Sommaggio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40127, Italy
| | - Christian Schöb
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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Duarte M, Verdú M, Cavieres LA, Bustamante RO. Plant–plant facilitation increases with reduced phylogenetic relatedness along an elevation gradient. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Milen Duarte
- Dept de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Chile Santiago Chile
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
| | - Miguel Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE CSIC‐UV‐GV), Apartado Oficial Moncada Valencia Spain
| | - Lohengrin A. Cavieres
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
- Dept de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Univ. de Concepción Chile
| | - Ramiro O. Bustamante
- Dept de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Univ. de Chile Santiago Chile
- Inst. de Ecología y Biodiversidad Santiago Chile
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40
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Danet A, Schneider FD, Anthelme F, Kéfi S. Indirect facilitation drives species composition and stability in drylands. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-020-00489-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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41
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Chaieb G, Wang X, Abdelly C, Michalet R. Shift from short‐term competition to facilitation with drought stress is due to a decrease in long‐term facilitation. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ghassen Chaieb
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Univ. of Carthage Zarzouna Tunisia
- Univ. of Bordeaux, UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC, Allée Geoffroy Saint‐Hilaire – CS 50023 FR‐33615 Pessac France
| | - Xiangtai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro‐ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou Univ., Lanzhou Gansu PR China
| | - Chedly Abdelly
- Laboratory of Extremophiles Plants, Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, 2050 Tunisia
| | - Richard Michalet
- Univ. of Bordeaux, UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC, Allée Geoffroy Saint‐Hilaire – CS 50023 FR‐33615 Pessac France
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42
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Ball KR, Power SA, Brien C, Woodin S, Jewell N, Berger B, Pendall E. High-throughput, image-based phenotyping reveals nutrient-dependent growth facilitation in a grass-legume mixture. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239673. [PMID: 33027289 PMCID: PMC7540849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study used high throughput, image-based phenotyping (HTP) to distinguish growth patterns, detect facilitation and interpret variations to nutrient uptake in a model mixed-pasture system in response to factorial low and high nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) application. HTP has not previously been used to examine pasture species in mixture. We used red-green-blue (RGB) imaging to obtain smoothed projected shoot area (sPSA) to predict absolute growth (AG) up to 70 days after planting (sPSA, DAP 70), to identify variation in relative growth rates (RGR, DAP 35-70) and detect overyielding (an increase in yield in mixture compared with monoculture, indicating facilitation) in a grass-legume model pasture. Finally, using principal components analysis we interpreted between species changes to HTP-derived temporal growth dynamics and nutrient uptake in mixtures and monocultures. Overyielding was detected in all treatments and was driven by both grass and legume. Our data supported expectations of more rapid grass growth and augmented nutrient uptake in the presence of a legume. Legumes grew more slowly in mixture and where growth became more reliant on soil P. Relative growth rate in grass was strongly associated with shoot N concentration, whereas legume RGR was not strongly associated with shoot nutrients. High throughput, image-based phenotyping was a useful tool to quantify growth trait variation between contrasting species and to this end is highly useful in understanding nutrient-yield relationships in mixed pasture cultivations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Rae Ball
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sally Anne Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chris Brien
- Australian Plant Phenomics Facility, The Plant Accelerator, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sarah Woodin
- Institute of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Nathaniel Jewell
- Australian Plant Phenomics Facility, The Plant Accelerator, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bettina Berger
- Australian Plant Phenomics Facility, The Plant Accelerator, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, South Australia, Australia
| | - Elise Pendall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
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43
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Chaieb G, Abdelly C, Michalet R. A Regional Assessment of Changes in Plant–Plant Interactions Along Topography Gradients in Tunisian Sebkhas. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00567-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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44
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Planillo A, Kramer‐Schadt S, Buchholz S, Gras P, von der Lippe M, Radchuk V. Arthropod abundance modulates bird community responses to urbanization. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aimara Planillo
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer‐Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Sascha Buchholz
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Pierre Gras
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Moritz von der Lippe
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Department of Ecology Technische Universität Berlin (TU) Berlin Germany
| | - Viktoriia Radchuk
- Department of Ecological Dynamics Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin Germany
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45
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Shi Y, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Li Y, Yang Y, Zhu YG, Peñuelas J, Chu H. Abundance of kinless hubs within soil microbial networks are associated with high functional potential in agricultural ecosystems. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 142:105869. [PMID: 32593837 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbial taxa within complex ecological networks can be classified by their universal roles based on their level of connectivity with other taxa. Highly connected taxa within an ecological network (kinless hubs) are theoretically expected to support higher levels of ecosystem functions than less connected taxa (peripherals). Empirical evidence of the role of kinless hubs in regulating the functional potential of soil microbial communities, however, is largely unexplored and poorly understood in agricultural ecosystems. Here, we built a correlation network of fungal and bacterial taxa using a large-scale survey consisting of 243 soil samples across functionally and economically important agricultural ecosystems (wheat and maize); and found that the relative abundance of taxa classified as kinless hubs within the ecological network are positively and significantly correlated with the abundance of functional genes including genes for C fixation, C degradation, C methanol, N cycling, P cycling and S cycling. Structural equation modeling of multiple soil properties further indicated that kinless hubs, but not provincial, connector or peripheral taxa, had direct significant and positive relationships with the abundance of multiple functional genes. Our findings provide novel evidence that the relative abundance of soil taxa classified as kinless hubs within microbial networks are associated with high functional potential, with implications for understanding and managing (through manipulating microbial key species) agricultural ecosystems at a large spatial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Yuntao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Centre for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia E-08193, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
| | - Haiyan Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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46
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Doudová J, Douda J. Along with intraspecific functional trait variation, individual performance is key to resolving community assembly processes. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Doudová
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Jan Douda
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
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47
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Lucero JE, Seifan M, Callaway RM, Lortie CJ. Positive associations with native shrubs are intense and important for an exotic invader but not the native annual community across an aridity gradient. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Lucero
- Department of Biology York University Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Merav Seifan
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev Midreshet Ben‐Gurion Israel
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems University of Montana Missoula MT USA
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48
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Zhang R, Tielbörger K. Density-dependence tips the change of plant-plant interactions under environmental stress. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2532. [PMID: 32439842 PMCID: PMC7242385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Facilitation studies typically compare plants under differential stress levels with and without neighbors, while the density of neighbors has rarely been addressed. However, recent empirical studies indicate that facilitation may be density-dependent too and peak at intermediate neighbor densities. Here, we propose a conceptual model to incorporate density-dependence into theory about changes of plant-plant interactions under stress. To test our predictions, we combine an individual-based model incorporating both facilitative response and effect, with an experiment using salt stress and Arabidopsis thaliana. Theoretical and experimental results are strikingly consistent: (1) the intensity of facilitation peaks at intermediate density, and this peak shifts to higher densities with increasing stress; (2) this shift further modifies the balance between facilitation and competition such that the stress-gradient hypothesis applies only at high densities. Our model suggests that density-dependence must be considered for predicting plant-plant interactions under environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichang Zhang
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Katja Tielbörger
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 5, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
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49
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Bai Y, She W, Zhang Y, Qiao Y, Fu J, Qin S. N enrichment, increased precipitation, and the effect of shrubs collectively shape the plant community in a desert ecosystem in northern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:135379. [PMID: 31839302 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the responses of biological communities to global climate change is pivotal to accurately forecasting future dynamics and developing effective strategies for the adaptive ecological management of desert ecosystems. Although direct demographic responses of plant species to climatic factors have been widely acknowledged, they are also regulated by interspecific interactions (i.e., the effects of shrubs on herbaceous plants). The magnitude and direction of regulation of such interspecific interactions remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, a full factorial field experiment simulating three levels of N enrichment (ambient, 10 kg N ha-1 yr-1, and 60 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and three levels of precipitation (ambient, 20% increase, and 40% increase) were conducted in the Mu Us Desert, northern China. N enrichment and increased precipitation significantly increased herbaceous productivity by improving the soil water content and nutrient availability (e.g., soil DIN:SAP) when shrubs were not present. Taller species responded to N enrichment, whereas those with a greater specific leaf area responded to increased precipitation. When shrubs were present, they acted as a 'buffer islands' that moderated the responses of herbaceous species to N enrichment and increased precipitation by weakening the effect of the improved soil water status. The magnitude of the effect of shrubs on herbaceous biomass and richness was comparable to that of N enrichment and increased precipitation. Our results highlight the importance and complexity of both large-scale environmental changes and small-scale interspecific interactions in structuring plant communities in desert ecosystems. Moreover, abiotic environmental factors and biotic interactions should be integrated in efforts to predict the responses of plant communities to future global change in desert ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Bai
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Weiwei She
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yangui Qiao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shugao Qin
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Engineering Research Centre of Forestry Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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50
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Lanham BS, Poore AGB, Gribben PE. Facilitation cascades create a predation refuge for biodiversity in a novel connected habitat. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan S. Lanham
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Alistair G. B. Poore
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
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