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Durant PC, Bhasin A, Juenger TE, Heckman RW. Genetically correlated leaf tensile and morphological traits are driven by growing season length in a widespread perennial grass. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16349. [PMID: 38783552 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Leaf tensile resistance, a leaf's ability to withstand pulling forces, is an important determinant of plant ecological strategies. One potential driver of leaf tensile resistance is growing season length. When growing seasons are long, strong leaves, which often require more time and resources to construct than weak leaves, may be more advantageous than when growing seasons are short. Growing season length and other ecological conditions may also impact the morphological traits that underlie leaf tensile resistance. METHODS To understand variation in leaf tensile resistance, we measured size-dependent leaf strength and size-independent leaf toughness in diverse genotypes of the widespread perennial grass Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) in a common garden. We then used quantitative genetic approaches to estimate the heritability of leaf tensile resistance and whether there were genetic correlations between leaf tensile resistance and other morphological traits. RESULTS Leaf tensile resistance was positively associated with aboveground biomass (a proxy for fitness). Moreover, both measures of leaf tensile resistance exhibited high heritability and were positively genetically correlated with leaf lamina thickness and leaf mass per area (LMA). Leaf tensile resistance also increased with the growing season length in the habitat of origin, and this effect was mediated by both LMA and leaf thickness. CONCLUSIONS Differences in growing season length may promote selection for different leaf lifespans and may explain existing variation in leaf tensile resistance in P. virgatum. In addition, the high heritability of leaf tensile resistance suggests that P. virgatum will be able to respond to climate change as growing seasons lengthen.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Camilla Durant
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Amit Bhasin
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Robert W Heckman
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
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2
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Zhang H, Liu C, Lu X, Xia G. Evaluation of growth adaptation of Cinnamomum camphora seedlings in ionic rare earth tailings environment. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16910. [PMID: 37805611 PMCID: PMC10560214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44145-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: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The root system is an important organ for nutrient uptake and biomass accumulation in plants, while biomass allocation directly affects essential oils content, which plays an essential role in plant growth and development and resistance to adverse environmental conditions. This study was undertaken to investigate the differences and correlation of biomass allocation, root traits and essential oil content (EOC), as well as the adaptations of camphor tree with different chemical types to the ionic rare earth tailing sand habitats. Data from 1-year old cutting seedlings of C. camphora showed that the biomass of C. camphora cuttings was mainly distributed in root system, with the ratio of root biomass 49.9-72.13% and the ratio of root to canopy 1.00-2.64. The total biomass was significantly positively correlated with root length (RL), root surface area (RSA) and dry weight of fine roots (diameter ≤ 2 mm) (P < 0.05). Root biomass and leaf biomass were negatively and positively with specific root length (SRL) and specific root surface area (SRSA), respectively. Leaf biomass presented a positive effect on EOC (P < 0.05), with the correlation coefficient of 0.808. The suitability sort of these camphor trees was as follows: C. camphora β-linalool, C. camphora α-linaloolII, C. camphora α-linaloolI being better adapted to the ionic rare earth tailings substrate, C. camphora citral being the next, and C. porrectum β-linalool and C. camphora borneol being the least adaptive. EOC played a positive role in the adaptation of C. camphora (R2 = 0.6099, P < 0.05). Therefore camphor tree with linalool type is the appropriate choice in the ecological restoration of ionic rare earth tailings. The study could provide scientific recommendations for the ecological restoration of ionic rare earth tailings area combined with industrial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Zhang
- Jiangxi Provincial Engineering Research Center of Seed-Breeding and Utilization of Camphor Trees, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China.
| | - C Liu
- Yao Hu Honor School Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
| | - X Lu
- Jiangxi Provincial Engineering Research Center of Seed-Breeding and Utilization of Camphor Trees, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Water Engineering in Poyang Lake Basin, Nanchang, China
| | - G Xia
- Jiangxi Provincial Engineering Research Center of Seed-Breeding and Utilization of Camphor Trees, Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nanchang, China
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3
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Zhao C, Lin Q, Tian D, Ji C, Shen H, Fan D, Wang X, Fang J. Nitrogen addition promotes conservative resource-use strategies via aggravating phosphorus limitation of evergreen trees in subtropical forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 889:164047. [PMID: 37187388 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Changti Zhao
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Quanhong Lin
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Di Tian
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Chengjun Ji
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
| | - Dayong Fan
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Xiangping Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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4
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Wang C, Hou Y, Hu Y, Zheng R, Li X. Plant diversity increases above- and below-ground biomass by regulating multidimensional functional trait characteristics. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:1001-1010. [PMID: 37119271 PMCID: PMC10332393 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad058] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Nitrogen enrichment affects biodiversity, plant functional traits and ecosystem functions. However, the direct and indirect effects of nitrogen addition and biodiversity on the links between plant traits and ecosystem functions have been largely overlooked, even though multidimensional characteristics of plant functional traits are probably critical predictors of ecosystem functions. METHODS To investigate the mechanism underlying the links between plant trait identity, diversity, network topology and above- and below-ground biomass along a plant species richness gradient under different nitrogen addition levels, a common garden experiment was conducted in which those driving factors were manipulated. KEY RESULTS The study found that nitrogen addition increased above-ground biomass but not below-ground biomass, while species richness was positively associated with above- and below-ground biomass. Nitrogen addition had minor effects on plant trait identity and diversity, and on the connectivity and complexity of the trait networks. However, species richness increased above-ground biomass mainly by increasing leaf trait diversity and network modularity, and enhanced below-ground biomass through an increase in root nitrogen concentration and network modularity. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate the mechanistic links between community biomass and plant trait identity, diversity and network topology, and show that the trait network architecture could be an indicator of the effects of global changes on ecosystem functions as importantly as trait identity and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Yanhui Hou
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Yanxia Hu
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Ruilun Zheng
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Xiaona Li
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
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5
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John GP, Garnica-Díaz CJ. Embracing the complexity of leaf shape: a commentary on 'Anatomical determinants of gas exchange and hydraulics vary with leaf shape in soybean'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:i-iii. [PMID: 37283295 PMCID: PMC10332391 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on:Bishal G. Tamang, Yanqun Zhang, Michelle A. Zambrano and Elizabeth A. Ainsworth Anatomical determinants of gas exchange and hydraulics vary with leaf shape in soybean, Annals of Botany, Volume 131, Issue 6, 9 May 2023, Pages 909–920, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac118
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace P John
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Claudia J Garnica-Díaz
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
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6
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Bahmani K, Robinson A, Majumder S, LaVardera A, Dowell JA, Goolsby EW, Mason CM. Broad diversity in monoterpene-sesquiterpene balance across wild sunflowers: Implications of leaf and floral volatiles for biotic interactions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:2051-2067. [PMID: 36317693 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16093] [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: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE As plant lineages diversify across environmental gradients, species are predicted to encounter divergent biotic pressures. This study investigated the evolution of volatile secondary metabolism across species of Helianthus. METHODS Leaves and petals of 40 species of wild Helianthus were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine volatile secondary metabolite profiles. RESULTS Across all species, 500 compounds were identified; 40% were sesquiterpenes, 18% monoterpenes, 3% diterpenes, 4% fatty acid derivatives, and 35% other compounds such as phenolics and small organic molecules. Qualitatively, annuals and species from more arid western climates had leaf compositions with a higher proportion of total monoterpenes, while erect perennials and species from more mesic eastern habitats contained a higher proportion of total sesquiterpenes. Among species, mass-based leaf monoterpene and sesquiterpene abundance were identified as largely orthogonal axes of variation by principal component analysis. Profiles for leaves were not strongly correlated with those of petals. CONCLUSIONS Volatile metabolites were highly diverse among wild Helianthus, indicating the value of this genus as a model system and rich genetic resource. The independence of leaf and petal volatile profiles indicates a low level of phenotypic integration between vegetative and reproductive structures, implying vegetative defense and reproductive defense or pollinator attraction functions mediated by terpene profiles in these two organs can evolve without major trade-offs. The major biosynthetic pathways for the major terpenes in wild Helianthus are already well described, providing a road map to deeper inquiry into the drivers of this diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keivan Bahmani
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | | | - Sambadi Majumder
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | | | - Jordan A Dowell
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eric W Goolsby
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Chase M Mason
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
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7
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Fletcher LR, Scoffoni C, Farrell C, Buckley TN, Pellegrini M, Sack L. Testing the association of relative growth rate and adaptation to climate across natural ecotypes of Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:413-432. [PMID: 35811421 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ecophysiologists have reported a range of relationships, including intrinsic trade-offs across and within species between plant relative growth rate in high resource conditions (RGR) vs adaptation to tolerate cold or arid climates, arising from trait-based mechanisms. Few studies have considered ecotypes within a species, in which the lack of a trade-off would contribute to a wide species range and resilience to climate change. For 15 ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana in a common garden we tested for associations between RGR vs adaptation to cold or dry native climates and assessed hypotheses for its mediation by 15 functional traits. Ecotypes native to warmer, drier climates had higher leaf density, leaf mass per area, root mass fraction, nitrogen per leaf area and carbon isotope ratio, and lower osmotic potential at full turgor. Relative growth rate was statistically independent of the climate of the ecotype native range and of individual functional traits. The decoupling of RGR and cold or drought adaptation in Arabidopsis is consistent with multiple stress resistance and avoidance mechanisms for ecotypic climate adaptation and would contribute to the species' wide geographic range and resilience as the climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila R Fletcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Christine Scoffoni
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Colin Farrell
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Thomas N Buckley
- Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Matteo Pellegrini
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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8
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Bartlett MK. Cycads defy expectations for the coordination between drought and mechanical resistance. A commentary on: 'Correlations between leaf economics, mechanical resistance and drought tolerance across 41 cycad species'. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:ix-xi. [PMID: 35366305 PMCID: PMC9486914 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
This article comments on: Yi-Yi Meng, Wei Xiang, Yin Wen, Dong-Liu Huang, Kun-Fang Cao, and Shi-Dan Zhu, Correlations between leaf economics, mechanical resistance and drought tolerance across 41 cycad species, Annals of Botany, Volume 130, Issue 3, 1 September 2022, Pages 345–354 https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab146
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9
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Giraldo‐Kalil LJ, Campo J, Paz H, Núñez‐Farfán J. Patterns of leaf trait variation underlie ecological differences among sympatric tree species of Damburneya in a tropical rainforest. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1394-1409. [PMID: 36031775 PMCID: PMC9826457 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Although ecological differentiation driven by altitude and soil is hypothesized to promote coexistence of sympatric tree species of Damburneya (Lauraceae), the mechanistic role of leaf functional variation on ecological differentiation among co-occurring species remains unexplored. We aimed to determine whether the patterns of leaf trait variation reflect ecological differences among sympatric Damburneya species. We tested whether trait correlations underlying functional strategies and average species traits vary in response to local soil heterogeneity along an altitudinal gradient, potentially affecting species distributions. METHODS At two contrasting altitudes (100, 1100 m a.s.l.) in a Mexican tropical rainforest, we characterized soil chemical and physical properties and sampled four Damburneya species to quantify five leaf functional traits. We used linear models to analyze paired and multivariate trait correlations, spatial and interspecific effects on trait variation, and trait response to local soil heterogeneity. Relative contributions of intra- and interspecific variation to local trait variability were quantified with an ANOVA. RESULTS Soil nutrient availability was higher at low altitude, but all species had a high leaf N:P ratio across altitudes suggesting a limited P supply for plants. Species distribution differed altitudinally, with some species constrained to low or high altitude, potentially reflecting soil nutrient availability. Leaf traits responded to altitude and local soil properties, suggesting interspecific differences in functional strategies according to the leaf economics spectrum (conservative vs. acquisitive). CONCLUSIONS The interspecific divergence in functional strategies in response to local environmental conditions suggests that trait variation could underlie ecological differentiation among Damburneya sympatric species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Giraldo‐Kalil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Ciudad de MéxicoMéxico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Circuito de Posgrados, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Coyoacán, C. P. 04510, Ciudad de MéxicoMéxico
| | - Julio Campo
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Ciudad de MéxicoMéxico
| | - Horacio Paz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y SustentabilidadUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)MoreliaMéxico
| | - Juan Núñez‐Farfán
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Ciudad de MéxicoMéxico
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Maccagni A, Willi Y. Trait divergence and trade-offs among Brassicaceae species differing in elevational distribution. Evolution 2022; 76:1986-2003. [PMID: 35779006 PMCID: PMC9545065 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Species have restricted geographic distributions and the causes are still largely unknown. Temperature has long been associated with distribution limits, suggesting that there are ubiquitous constraints to the evolution of the climate niche. Here, we investigated the traits involved in such constraints by macroevolutionary comparisons involving 100 Brassicaceae species differing in elevational distribution. Plants were grown under three temperature treatments (regular frost, mild, regular heat) and phenotyped for phenological, morphological, and thermal resistance traits. Trait values were analyzed by assessing the effect of temperature and elevational distribution, by comparing models of evolutionary trajectories, and by correlative approaches to identify trade-offs. Analyses pointed to size, leaf morphology, and growth under heat as among the most discriminating traits between low- and high-elevation species, with high-elevation species growing faster under the occurrence of regular heat bouts, at the cost of reduced size. Mixed models and evolutionary models supported adaptive divergence for these traits, and correlation analysis indicated their involvement in moderate trade-offs. Finally, we found asymmetry in trait evolution, with evolvability across traits being 50% less constrained under regular frost. Overall, results suggest that trade-offs between traits under adaptive divergence contribute to the disparate distribution of species along the elevational gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Maccagni
- Department of Environmental SciencesUniversity of BaselBaselCH‐4056Switzerland,Botanical Garden of Canton TicinoBrissagoCH‐6614Switzerland
| | - Yvonne Willi
- Department of Environmental SciencesUniversity of BaselBaselCH‐4056Switzerland
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Tellez PH, Arnold AE, Leo AB, Kitajima K, Van Bael SA. Traits along the leaf economics spectrum are associated with communities of foliar endophytic symbionts. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:927780. [PMID: 35966664 PMCID: PMC9366602 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.927780] [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: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaf traits of plants worldwide are classified according to the Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES), which links leaf functional traits to evolutionary life history strategies. As a continuum ranging from thicker, tough leaves that are low in nitrogen (N) to thinner, softer, leaves that are high in N, the LES brings together physical, chemical, and ecological traits. Fungal endophytes are common foliar symbionts that occur in healthy, living leaves, especially in tropical forests. Their community composition often differs among co-occurring host species in ways that cannot be explained by environmental conditions or host phylogenetic relationships. Here, we tested the over-arching hypothesis that LES traits act as habitat filters that shape communities of endophytes both in terms of composition, and in terms of selecting for endophytes with particular suites of functional traits. We used culture-based and culture-free surveys to characterize foliar endophytes in mature leaves of 30 phylogenetically diverse plant species with divergent LES traits in lowland Panama, and then measured functional traits of dominant endophyte taxa in vitro. Endophytes were less abundant and less diverse in thick, tough, leaves compared to thin, softer, leaves in the same forest, even in closely related plants. Endophyte communities differed according to leaf traits, including leaf punch strength and carbon and nitrogen content. The most common endophyte taxa in leaves at different ends of the LES differ in their cellulase, protease, chitinase, and antipathogen activity. Our results extend the LES framework for the first time to diverse and ecologically important endophytes, opening new hypotheses regarding the degree to which foliar symbionts respond to, and extend, the functional traits of leaves they inhabit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H Tellez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - A Elizabeth Arnold
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Ashton B Leo
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Kaoru Kitajima
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Division of Forest and Biomaterial Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sunshine A Van Bael
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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12
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Wang J, Ouyang F, An S, Wang L, Xu N, Ma J, Wang J, Zhang H, Kong L. Variation, coordination, and trade-offs between needle structures and photosynthetic-related traits across five Picea species: consequences on plant growth. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:242. [PMID: 35581540 PMCID: PMC9112436 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03593-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Picea species are distributed and planted world-wide due to their great ecological and economic values. It has been reported that Picea species vary widely in growth traits in a given environment, which reflects genetic and phenotypic differences among species. However, key physiological processes underlying tree growth and the influencing factors on them are still unknown. RESULTS Here, we examined needle structures, needle chemical components, physiological characteristics and growth traits across five Picea species in a common garden in Tianshui, Gansu province in China: Picea glauca, P. mariana, P. likiangensis, P. koraiensis, and P. crassifolia, among which P. glauca and P. mariana were introduced from North America, P. likiangensis was from Lijiang, Yunan province in China, P. koraiensis was from Yichun, Heilongjiang province in China, and P. crassifolia was native to the experimental site. It was found that nearly all traits varied significantly among species. Tissue-level anatomical characteristics and leaf mass per area (LMA) were affected by needle size, but the variations of them were not associated with the variations in photosynthetic and biochemical capacity among species. Variations in area-based maximum photosynthesis (Pnmax) were affected by stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm) and biochemical parameters including maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), and maximum electron transport rate (Jmax). The fraction of N allocated to different photosynthetic apparatus displayed contrasting values among species, which contributed to the species variations in photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) and Pnmax. Additionally, all growth traits were positively correlated with Pnmax and PNUE. CONCLUSION Needle structures are less important than needle biochemical parameters in determining the variations in photosynthetic capacity across the five Picea species. Pnmax and PNUE are closedly associated with the fraction of N allocated to photosynthetic apparatus (Pphoto) compared with leaf N content per area (Narea). The tremendous growth differences among the five Picea species were substantially related to the interspecies variation in Pnmax and PNUE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junchen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangqun Ouyang
- Beijing Floriculture Engineering Technology Research Centre, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Sanping An
- Research Institute of Forestry of Xiaolong Mountain, Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Secondary Forest Cultivation, Tianshui, 741022, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifang Wang
- Research Institute of Forestry of Xiaolong Mountain, Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Secondary Forest Cultivation, Tianshui, 741022, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Xu
- Research Institute of Forestry of Xiaolong Mountain, Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Secondary Forest Cultivation, Tianshui, 741022, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianwei Ma
- Research Institute of Forestry of Xiaolong Mountain, Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Secondary Forest Cultivation, Tianshui, 741022, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hanguo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Lisheng Kong
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Li Y, Liu C, Sack L, Xu L, Li M, Zhang J, He N. Leaf trait network architecture shifts with species-richness and climate across forests at continental scale. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1442-1457. [PMID: 35397188 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Variation in the architecture of trait networks among ecosystems has been rarely quantified, but can provide high resolution of the contrasting adaptation of the whole phenotype. We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) from 35 structural, anatomical and compositional leaf traits for 394 tree species in nine forests from tropical to cold-temperate zones in China. Our analyses supported the hypothesis that LTNs would increase in modular complexity across forests in parallel with species-richness and climatic warmth and moisture, due to reduced phenotypic constraints and greater opportunities for niche differentiation. Additionally, we found that within LTNs, leaf economics traits including leaf thickness would have central importance, acting as hub traits with high connectivity due to their contributions to multiple functions. Across the continent, the greater species richness and trait diversity observed in forests under resource-rich climates enable greater complexity in whole phenotype structure and function as indicated by the trait network architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, China
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14
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Solé-Medina A, Robledo-Arnuncio JJ, Ramírez-Valiente JA. Multi-trait genetic variation in resource-use strategies and phenotypic plasticity correlates with local climate across the range of a Mediterranean oak (Quercus faginea). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:462-478. [PMID: 35028942 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Resource-use strategies are hypothesized to evolve along climatic gradients. However, our understanding of the environmental factors driving divergent evolution of resource-use strategies and the relationship between trait genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity is far from complete. Using the Mediterranean tree Quercus faginea as study system, we tested the hypothesis that a conservative resource-use strategy with increased drought tolerance and reduced phenotypic plasticity has evolved in areas with longer and more severe dry seasons. We conducted a glasshouse experiment in which we measured leaf morphological, physiological, growth and allocation traits in seedlings from 10 range-wide climatically contrasting populations, grown under two different watering treatments. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a genetic gradient of resource-use strategies and phenotypic plasticity associated with provenance climate. In particular, populations from harsher (drier and colder) environments had more sclerophyllous leaves, lower growth rates, better physiological performance under dry conditions and reduced multi-trait phenotypic plasticity compared to populations from more mesic and milder environments. Our results suggest that contrasting precipitation and temperature regimes play an important role in the adaptive intraspecific evolution of multivariate phenotypes and their plasticity, resulting in coordinated morphology, physiology, growth and allometry according to alternative resource-use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Solé-Medina
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Juan José Robledo-Arnuncio
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente
- Department of Forest Ecology & Genetics, Forest Research Centre (INIA, CSIC), Ctra. de la Coruña km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre, CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) 10 Edifici C, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
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15
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Lawrence EH, Springer CJ, Helliker BR, Poethig RS. The carbon economics of vegetative phase change. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:1286-1297. [PMID: 35128680 PMCID: PMC10939109 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Across plant species and biomes, a conserved set of leaf traits govern the economic strategy used to assimilate and invest carbon. As plants age, they face new challenges that may require shifts in this leaf economic strategy. In this study, we investigate the role of the developmental transition, vegetative phase change (VPC), in altering carbon economics as plants age. We used overexpression of microRNA 156 (miR156), the master regulator of VPC, to modulate the timing of VPC in Populus tremula x alba, Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays to understand the impact of this transition on leaf economic traits, including construction cost, payback time and return on investment. Here, we find that VPC causes a shift from a low-cost, quick return juvenile strategy to a high-cost, high-return adult strategy. The juvenile strategy is advantageous in light-limited conditions, whereas the adult strategy provides greater returns in high light. The transition between these strategies is correlated with the developmental decline in the level of miR156, suggesting that is regulated by the miR156/SPL pathway. Our results provide an ecophysiological explanation for the existence of juvenile and adult leaf types and suggest that natural selection for these alternative economic strategies could be an important factor in plant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica H. Lawrence
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Clint J. Springer
- Department of Biology, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brent R. Helliker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - R. Scott Poethig
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Li Y, Liu C, Xu L, Li M, Zhang J, He N. Leaf Trait Networks Based on Global Data: Representing Variation and Adaptation in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:710530. [PMID: 34950156 PMCID: PMC8688851 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.710530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The interdependence of multiple traits allows plants to perform multiple functions. Acquiring an accurate representation of the interdependence of plant traits could advance our understanding of the adaptative strategies of plants. However, few studies focus on complex relationships among multiple traits. Here, we proposed use of leaf trait networks (LTNs) to capture the complex relationships among traits, allowing us to visualize all relationships and quantify how they differ through network parameters. We established LTNs using six leaf economic traits. It showed that significant differences in LTNs of different life forms and growth forms. The trait relationships of broad-leaved trees were tighter than conifers; thus, broad-leaved trees could be more efficient than conifers. The trait relationships of shrubs were tighter than trees because shrubs require multiple traits to co-operate efficiently to perform multiple functions for thriving in limited resources. Furthermore, leaf nitrogen concentration and life span had the highest centrality in LTNs; consequently, the environmental selection of these two traits might impact the whole phenotype. In conclusion, LTNs are useful tools for identifying key traits and quantifying the interdependence of multiple traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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17
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He D. Leaf economic strategies of a sclerophyllous plant (Eurya japonica): commonalities and particularities of trait correlation structures in low-moisture and low-phosphorus habitats. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2021; 48:1017-1028. [PMID: 34266540 DOI: 10.1071/fp21119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sclerophylly proves an advantageous strategy in a variety of stressful environments. However, it is less clear how multiple phenotypic traits in sclerophyllous plants are integrated to accomplish proper functions under specific stressors. This study measured 10 leaf traits in a sclerophyllous species, Eurya japonica Thunb., in the Zhoushan Archipelago, eastern China, to examine how the structures of trait correlation (i.e. phenotypic integration) vary between two habitats with contrasting moisture and phosphorus (P) availability. Overall, the trait correlation matrices were similar between the two habitats under study (Mantel r > 0.5), reflecting a consistent trade-off between leaf outspreading (i.e. leaf area/mass ratio) and water-use efficiency (measured by δ13C). Stomatal conductance was correlated with leaf area, thickness and area/mass ratio only in the dry, P-rich habitat, whereas it was robustly correlated with leaf P per unit area in the wet, P-poor habitat. Moreover, leaf water-use efficiency was robustly correlated with leaf P and N per unit area in the dry habitat, but not so in the low-P one. These differences in trait correlation structures illustrate that the pathways of strategic compromise under contrasting stressors were locally specialised. This study highlights the importance of phenotypic integration as an emergent 'trait' in sustaining viable strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong He
- Putuo Island Ecosystem Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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18
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Neto-Bradley BM, Muir CD, Whitton J, Pennell MW. Phylogenetic history of vascular plant metabolism revealed using a macroevolutionary common garden. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210605. [PMID: 34074123 PMCID: PMC8170189 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0605] [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: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the fundamental biophysics of C3 photosynthesis is highly conserved across plants, substantial leaf structural and enzymatic variation translates into variability in rates of carbon assimilation. Although this variation is well documented, it remains poorly understood how photosynthetic rates evolve, and whether macroevolutionary changes are related to the evolution of leaf morphology and biochemistry. A substantial challenge in large-scale comparative studies is disentangling evolutionary adaptation from environmental acclimation. We overcome this by using a 'macroevolutionary common garden' approach in which we measured metabolic traits (Jmax and Vcmax) from 111 phylogenetically diverse species in a shared environment. We find substantial phylogenetic signal in these traits at moderate phylogenetic timescales, but this signal dissipates quickly at deeper scales. Morphological traits exhibit phylogenetic signal over much deeper timescales, suggesting that these are less evolutionarily constrained than metabolic traits. Furthermore, while morphological and biochemical traits (LMA, Narea and Carea) are weakly predictive of Jmax and Vcmax, evolutionary changes in these traits are mostly decoupled from changes in metabolic traits. This lack of tight evolutionary coupling implies that it may be incorrect to use changes in these functional traits in response to global change to infer that photosynthetic strategy is also evolving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M. Neto-Bradley
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Jeannette Whitton
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Matthew W. Pennell
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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19
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Nelson TC, Muir CD, Stathos AM, Vanderpool DD, Anderson K, Angert AL, Fishman L. Quantitative trait locus mapping reveals an independent genetic basis for joint divergence in leaf function, life-history, and floral traits between scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis) populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:844-856. [PMID: 34036561 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1660] [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: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Across taxa, vegetative and floral traits that vary along a fast-slow life-history axis are often correlated with leaf functional traits arrayed along the leaf economics spectrum, suggesting a constrained set of adaptive trait combinations. Such broad-scale convergence may arise from genetic constraints imposed by pleiotropy (or tight linkage) within species, or from natural selection alone. Understanding the genetic basis of trait syndromes and their components is key to distinguishing these alternatives and predicting evolution in novel environments. METHODS We used a line-cross approach and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to characterize the genetic basis of twenty leaf functional/physiological, life history, and floral traits in hybrids between annualized and perennial populations of scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis). RESULTS We mapped both single and multi-trait QTLs for life history, leaf function and reproductive traits, but found no evidence of genetic co-ordination across categories. A major QTL for three leaf functional traits (thickness, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal resistance) suggests that a simple shift in leaf anatomy may be key to adaptation to seasonally dry habitats. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the co-ordination of resource-acquisitive leaf physiological traits with a fast life-history and more selfing mating system results from environmental selection rather than functional or genetic constraint. Independent assortment of distinct trait modules, as well as a simple genetic basis to leaf physiological traits associated with drought escape, may facilitate adaptation to changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Nelson
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Christopher D Muir
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96822, USA
| | - Angela M Stathos
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Daniel D Vanderpool
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Kayli Anderson
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Amy L Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lila Fishman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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20
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Martin AR, Isaac ME. The leaf economics spectrum's morning coffee: plant size-dependent changes in leaf traits and reproductive onset in a perennial tree crop. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:483-493. [PMID: 33502446 PMCID: PMC7988517 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Size-dependent changes in plant traits are an important source of intraspecific trait variation. However, there are few studies that have tested if leaf trait co-variation and/or trade-offs follow a within-genotype leaf economics spectrum (LES) related to plant size and reproductive onset. To our knowledge, there are no studies on any plant species that have tested whether or not the shape of a within-genotype LES that describes how traits covary across whole plant sizes, is the same as the shape of a within-genotype LES that represents environmentally driven trait plasticity. METHODS We quantified size-dependent variation in eight leaf traits in a single coffee genotype (Coffea arabica var. Caturra) in managed agroecosystems with different environmental conditions (light and fertilization treatments), and evaluated these patterns with respect to reproductive onset. We also evaluated if trait covariation along a within-genotype plant-size LES differed from a within-genotype environmental LES defined with trait data from coffee growing in different environmental conditions. KEY RESULTS Leaf economics traits related to resource acquisition - maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations - declined linearly with plant size. Structural traits - leaf mass, leaf thickness, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) - and leaf area increased with plant size beyond reproductive onset, then declined in larger plants. Three primary LES traits (mass-based A, leaf N and LMA) covaried across a within-genotype plant-size LES, with plants moving towards the 'resource-conserving' end of the LES as they grow larger; in coffee these patterns were nearly identical to a within-genotype environmental LES. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that a plant-size LES exists within a single genotype. Our findings indicate that in managed agroecosystems where resource availability is high the role of reproductive onset in driving within-genotype trait variability, and the strength of covariation and trade-offs among LES traits, are less pronounced compared with plants in natural systems. The consistency in trait covariation in coffee along both plant-size and environmental LES axes indicates strong constraints on leaf form and function that exist within plant genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- For correspondence. E-mail
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21
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Welles SR, Funk JL. Patterns of intraspecific trait variation along an aridity gradient suggest both drought escape and drought tolerance strategies in an invasive herb. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:461-471. [PMID: 32949134 PMCID: PMC7988521 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In water-limited landscapes, some plants build structures that enable them to survive with minimal water (drought resistance). Instead of making structures that allow survival through times of water limitation, annual plants may invoke a drought escape strategy where they complete growth and reproduction when water is available. Drought escape and resistance each require a unique combination of traits and therefore plants are likely to have a suite of trait values that are consistent with a single drought response strategy. In environments where conditions are variable, plants may additionally evolve phenotypically plastic trait responses to water availability. Invasive annual species commonly occur in arid and semi-arid environments and many will be subject to reduced water availability associated with climate change. Assessing intraspecific trait variation across environmental gradients is a valuable tool for understanding how invasive plants establish and persist in arid environments. METHODS In this study, we used a common garden experiment with two levels of water availability to determine how traits related to carbon assimilation, water use, biomass allocation and flowering phenology vary in California wild radish populations across an aridity gradient. KEY RESULTS We found that populations from arid environments have rapid flowering and increased allocation to root biomass, traits associated with both drought escape and tolerance. Early flowering was associated with higher leaf nitrogen concentration and lower leaf mass per area, traits associated with high resource acquisition. While trait values varied across low- and high-water treatments, these shifts were consistent across populations, indicating no differential plasticity across the aridity gradient. CONCLUSIONS While previous studies have suggested that drought escape and drought resistance are mutually exclusive drought response strategies, our findings suggest that invasive annuals may employ both strategies to succeed in novel semi-arid environments. As many regions are expected to become more arid in the future, investigations of intraspecific trait variation within low water environments help to inform our understanding of potential evolutionary responses to increased aridity in invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana R Welles
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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22
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Funk JL, Larson JE, Ricks-Oddie J. Plant traits are differentially linked to performance in a semiarid ecosystem. Ecology 2021; 102:e03318. [PMID: 33630332 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A central principle in trait-based ecology is that trait variation has an adaptive value. However, uncertainty over which plant traits influence individual performance across environmental gradients may limit our ability to use traits to infer ecological processes at larger scales. To better understand which traits are linked to performance under different precipitation regimes, we measured above- and belowground traits, growth, and reproductive allocation for four annual and four perennial species from a coastal sage scrub community in California under conditions of 50%, 100%, and 150% ambient precipitation. Across water treatments, annual species displayed morphological trait values consistent with high rates of resource acquisition (e.g., low leaf mass per area, low root tissue density, high specific root length), and aboveground measures of resource acquisition (including photosynthetic rate and leaf N concentration) were positively associated with plant performance (reproductive allocation). Results from a structural equation model demonstrated that leaf traits explained 38% of the variation in reproductive allocation across the water gradient in annual species, while root traits accounted for only 6%. Although roots play a critical role in water uptake, more work is needed to understand the mechanisms by which root trait variation can influence performance in water-limited environments. Perennial species showed lower trait plasticity than annuals across the water gradient and were more variable as a group in terms of trait-performance relationships, indicating that species rely on different functional strategies to respond to drought. Our finding that species identity drives much of the variation in trait values and trait-performance relationships across a water gradient may simplify efforts to model ecological processes, such as productivity, that are potentially influenced by environmentally induced shifts in trait values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California, 92866, USA.,Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Julie E Larson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
| | - Joni Ricks-Oddie
- Center for Statistical Consulting, University of California, Irvine, California, 92797, USA.,Institute for Clinical and Translation Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California, 92797, USA
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23
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Bradshaw M, Goolsby E, Mason C, Tobin PC. Evolution of Disease Severity and Susceptibility in the Asteraceae to the Powdery Mildew Golovinomyces latisporus: Major Phylogenetic Structure Coupled With Highly Variable Disease Severity at Fine Scales. PLANT DISEASE 2021; 105:268-275. [PMID: 32787655 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-06-20-1375-re] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pathogen host range and pathogen severity are dependent on interactions with their hosts and are hypothesized to have evolved as products of a coevolutionary arms race. An understanding of the factors that affect host range and pathogen severity is especially crucial in introduced pathogens that infect evolutionarily naïve hosts and cause substantial damage to ecosystems. Powdery mildews are detrimental pathogens found worldwide in managed and natural systems. Golovinomyces latisporus is a powdery mildew species that is especially damaging to plants within Asteraceae and to plants within the genus Helianthus in particular. In this study, we evaluated 126 species within Asteraceae to measure the role of host plant morphophysiological traits and evolutionary history on susceptibility to G. latisporus and disease severity. We observed phylogenetic signal in both susceptibility and severity within and among major clades of the Asteraceae. In general, there was a major phylogenetic structure of host severity to G. latisporus; however, there was some fine-scale phylogenetic variability. Phylogenetic statistical methods showed that chlorophyll content, biomass, stomatal index, and trichome density were not associated with disease severity, thus providing evidence that phylogenetic structure, rather than observed plant morphophysiological traits, is the most reliable predictor of pathogen severity. This work sheds light on the role that evolutionary history plays in plant susceptibility and severity to disease and underscores the relative unimportance of commonly assessed host plant traits in powdery mildew severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bradshaw
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Eric Goolsby
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816
| | - Chase Mason
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816
| | - Patrick C Tobin
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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24
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Yao G, Nie Z, Turner NC, Li F, Gao T, Fang X, Scoffoni C. Combined high leaf hydraulic safety and efficiency provides drought tolerance in Caragana species adapted to low mean annual precipitation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:230-244. [PMID: 32749703 PMCID: PMC7754512 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Clarifying the coordination of leaf hydraulic traits with gas exchange across closely-related species adapted to varying rainfall can provide insights into plant habitat distribution and drought adaptation. The leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf ), stomatal conductance (gs ), net assimilation (A), vein embolism and abscisic acid (ABA) concentration during dehydration were quantified, as well as pressure-volume curve traits and vein anatomy in 10 Caragana species adapted to a range of mean annual precipitation (MAP) conditions and growing in a common garden. We found a positive correlation between Ψleaf at 50% loss of Kleaf (Kleaf P50 ) and maximum Kleaf (Kleaf-max ) across species. Species from low-MAP environments exhibited more negative Kleaf P50 and turgor loss point, and higher Kleaf-max and leaf-specific capacity at full turgor, along with higher vein density and midrib xylem per leaf area, and a higher ratio of Kleaf-max : maximum gs . Tighter stomatal control mediated by higher ABA accumulation during dehydration in these species resulted in an increase in hydraulic safety and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi ) during drought. Our results suggest that high hydraulic safety and efficiency combined with greater stomatal sensitivity triggered by ABA production and leading to greater WUEi provides drought tolerance in Caragana species adapted to low-MAP environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang‐Qian Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystemsSchool of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Zheng‐Fei Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystemsSchool of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Neil C. Turner
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystemsSchool of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture and UWA School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western AustraliaM082, 35 Stirling HighwayCrawleyWA6009Australia
| | - Feng‐Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystemsSchool of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Tian‐Peng Gao
- The Engineering Research Center of Mining Pollution Treatment and Ecological Restoration of Gansu ProvinceLanzhou City UniversityLanzhou730070China
| | - Xiang‐Wen Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐ecosystemsSchool of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhou730000China
| | - Christine Scoffoni
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State University Los Angeles5151 State University DriveLos AngelesCA90032USA
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25
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Zhao J, Segar ST, McKey D, Chen J. Macroevolution of defense syndromes in
Ficus
(Moraceae). ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan666303China
| | - Simon T. Segar
- Department of Crop and Environment Sciences Harper Adams University NewportTF10 8NBUnited Kingdom
| | - Doyle McKey
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS–University of Montpellier–University Paul–Valéry–EPHE–SupAgro Montpellier–INRA–IRD Montpellier34293France
| | - Jin Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan666303China
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26
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McCormack ML, Kaproth MA, Cavender-Bares J, Carlson E, Hipp AL, Han Y, Kennedy PG. Climate and phylogenetic history structure morphological and architectural trait variation among fine-root orders. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1824-1834. [PMID: 32654151 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fine roots mediate below-ground resource acquisition, yet understanding of how fine-root functional traits vary along environmental gradients, within branching orders and across phylogenetic scales remains limited. Morphological and architectural fine-root traits were measured on individual root orders of 20 oak species (genus Quercus) from divergent climates of origin that were harvested after three growing seasons in a glasshouse. These were then compared with similar measurements obtained from a phylogenetically diverse dataset of woody species from the Fine-Root Ecology Database (FRED). For the oaks, only precipitation seasonality and growing season moisture availability were correlated to aspects of root diameter and branching. Strong correlations among root diameters and architecture of different branch orders were common, while correlations between diameter and length were weakly negative. By contrast, the FRED dataset showed strong positive correlations between diameter and length and fewer correlations between root diameter and architectural traits. Our findings suggest that seasonal patterns of water availability are more important drivers of root adaptation in oaks than annual averages in precipitation and temperature. Furthermore, contrasting patterns of trait relationships between the oak and FRED datasets suggest that branching patterns are differentially constrained at narrow vs broad phylogenetic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Luke McCormack
- Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60523, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Matthew A Kaproth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University Mankato, Mankato, MN, 56001, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Eva Carlson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Andrew L Hipp
- Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60523, USA
- The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Ying Han
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
| | - Peter G Kennedy
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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27
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Wang Y, Donovan LA, Temme AA. Plasticity and the role of mass-scaling in allocation, morphology, and anatomical trait responses to above- and belowground resource limitation in cultivated sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.). PLANT DIRECT 2020; 4:e00274. [PMID: 33103045 PMCID: PMC7576876 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the face of resource limitations, plants show plasticity in multiple trait categories, including biomass allocation, morphology, and anatomy, yet inevitably also grow less. The extent to which passive mass-scaling plays a role in trait responses that contribute to increased potential for resource acquisition is poorly understood. Here, we assessed the role of mass-scaling on the direction, magnitude, and coordination of trait plasticity to light and/or nutrient limitation in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus). We grew seedlings of 10 sunflower genotypes for 3 weeks in a factorial of light (50% shade) and nutrient (10% supply) limitation in the greenhouse and measured a suite of allocational, morphological, and anatomical traits for leaves, stems, fine roots, and tap roots. Under resource limitation, plants were smaller and more biomass was allocated to the organ capturing the most limiting resource, as expected. Traits varied in the magnitude of plasticity and the extent to which the observed response was passive (scaled with plant mass) and/or had an additional active component. None of the allocational responses were primarily passive. Plastic changes to specific leaf area and specific root length were primarily active, and adjusted toward more acquisitive trait values under light and nutrient limitation, respectively. For many traits, the observed response was a mixture of active and passive components, and for some traits, the active adjustment was antagonistic to the direction of passive adjustment, for example, stem height, and tap root and stem theoretical hydraulic conductance. Passive scaling with size played a major role in the coordinated response to light, but correcting for mass clarified that the active responses to both limitations were more similar in magnitude, although still resource and organ specific. Our results demonstrate that both passive plasticity and active plasticity can contribute to increased uptake capacity for limiting resources in a manner that is resource, organ, and trait specific. Indeed, passive adjustments (scaling with mass) of traits due to resource stress extend well beyond just mass allocation traits. For a full understanding of plants' response to environmental stress, both passive and active plasticity need to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- College of ForestryShandong Agriculture UniversityTaianShandongChina
- Department of Plant BiologyFranklin College of Arts and SciencesThe University of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Lisa A. Donovan
- Department of Plant BiologyFranklin College of Arts and SciencesThe University of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - Andries A. Temme
- Department of Plant BiologyFranklin College of Arts and SciencesThe University of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
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28
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Leaf Habit and Stem Hydraulic Traits Determine Functional Segregation of Multiple Oak Species along a Water Availability Gradient. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11080894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Oaks are a dominant woody plant genus in the northern hemisphere that occupy a wide range of habitats and are ecologically diverse. We implemented a functional trait approach that included nine functional traits related to leaves and stems in order to explain the species coexistence of 21 oak species along a water availability gradient in a temperate forest in Mexico. This particular forest is characterized as a biodiversity hotspot, with many oak species including some endemics. Our main aim was to investigate whether the different oak species had specific trait associations that allow them to coexist along an environmental gradient at regional scale. First, we explored trait covariation and determined the main functional dimensions in which oaks were segregated. Second, we explored how environmental variation has selected for restricted functional dimensions that shape oak distributions along the gradient, regardless of their leaf life span or phylogeny (section level). Third, we quantified the niche overlap between the oak functional spaces at different levels. The analyzed species showed three functional dimensions of trait variation: a primary axis related to the leaf economic spectrum, which corresponds to the segregation of the species according to leaf habit; a second axis that reflects the stem hydraulic properties and corresponds to species segregation followed by phylogenetic segregation, reflecting some degree of trait conservatism, and a third axis, represented mainly by leaf area and plant height, that corresponds to species segregation. Finally, our findings indicated that the functional space measured with leaf traits and stem traits such as hydraulic capacity was integrally linked to niche differentiation. This linkage suggests that the earliest mechanism of species segregation was related to habitat suitability and that the stem hydraulic trade-off reflects differences between phylogenetic sections; these traits may promote coexistence between distantly related oak species.
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29
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Ramírez-Valiente JA, López R, Hipp AL, Aranda I. Correlated evolution of morphology, gas exchange, growth rates and hydraulics as a response to precipitation and temperature regimes in oaks (Quercus). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:794-809. [PMID: 31733106 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is hypothesised that tree distributions in Europe are largely limited by their ability to cope with the summer drought imposed by the Mediterranean climate in the southern areas and by their competitive potential in central regions with more mesic conditions. We investigated the extent to which leaf and plant morphology, gas exchange, leaf and stem hydraulics and growth rates have evolved in a coordinated way in oaks (Quercus) as a result of adaptation to contrasting environmental conditions in this region. We implemented an experiment in which seedlings of 12 European/North African oaks were grown under two watering treatments, a well-watered treatment and a drought treatment in which plants were subjected to three cycles of drought. Consistent with our hypothesis, species from drier summers had traits conferring more tolerance to drought such as small sclerophyllous leaves and lower percent loss of hydraulic conductivity. However, these species did not have lower growth rates as expected by a trade-off with drought tolerance. Overall, our results revealed that climate is an important driver of functional strategies in oaks and that traits have evolved along two coordinated functional axes to adapt to different precipitation and temperature regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Alberto Ramírez-Valiente
- Centro de Investigación Forestal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Carretera de La Coruña Km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Rosana López
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Andrew L Hipp
- The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60532-1293, USA
- The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Ismael Aranda
- Centro de Investigación Forestal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Carretera de La Coruña Km 7.5, Madrid, 28040, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua (INAGEA), Carretera de Valldemossa, Palma de Mallorca, 07122, Spain
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30
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He N, Li Y, Liu C, Xu L, Li M, Zhang J, He J, Tang Z, Han X, Ye Q, Xiao C, Yu Q, Liu S, Sun W, Niu S, Li S, Sack L, Yu G. Plant Trait Networks: Improved Resolution of the Dimensionality of Adaptation. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:908-918. [PMID: 32595068 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are frequently used to evaluate plant adaptation across environments. Yet, traits tend to have multiple functions and interactions, which cannot be accounted for in traditional correlation analyses. Plant trait networks (PTNs) clarify complex relationships among traits, enable the calculation of metrics for the topology of trait coordination and the importance of given traits in PTNs, and how they shift across communities. Recent studies of PTNs provide new insights into some important topics, including trait dimensionality, trait spectra (including the leaf economic spectrum), stoichiometric principles, and the variation of phenotypic integration along gradients of resource availability. PTNs provide improved resolution of the multiple dimensions of plant adaptation across scales and responses to shifting resources, disturbance regimes, and global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinsheng He
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunwang Xiao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- National Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shirong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, China's State Forestry Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shenggong Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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31
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Pérez F, Lavandero N, Ossa CG, Hinojosa LF, Jara-Arancio P, Arroyo MTK. Divergence in Plant Traits and Increased Modularity Underlie Repeated Transitions Between Low and High Elevations in the Andean Genus Leucheria. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:714. [PMID: 32582248 PMCID: PMC7287153 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding why some plant lineages move from one climatic region to another is a mayor goal of evolutionary biology. In the southern Andes plant lineages that have migrated along mountain ranges tracking cold-humid climates coexist with lineages that have shifted repeatedly between warm-arid at low elevations and cold habitats at high elevations. Transitions between habitats might be facilitated by the acquisition of common traits favoring a resource-conservative strategy that copes with drought resulting from either low precipitation or extreme cold. Alternatively, transitions might be accompanied by phenotypic divergence and accelerated evolution of plant traits, which in turn may depend on the level of coordination among them. Reduced integration and evolution of traits in modules are expected to increase evolutionary rates of traits, allowing diversification in contrasting climates. To examine these hypotheses, we conducted a comparative study in the herbaceous genus Leucheria. We reconstructed ancestral habitat states using Maximum Likelihood and a previously published phylogeny. We performed a Phylogenetic Principal Components Analysis on traits, and then we tested the relationship between PC axes, habitat and climate using Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS). Finally, we compared the evolutionary rates of traits, and the levels of modularity among the three main Clades of Leucheria. Our results suggest that the genus originated at high elevations and later repeatedly colonized arid-semiarid shrublands and humid-forest at lower elevations. PGLS analysis suggested that transitions between habitats were accompanied by shifts in plant strategies: cold habitats at high elevations favored the evolution of traits related to a conservative-resource strategy (thicker and dissected leaves, with high mass per area, and high biomass allocation to roots), whereas warm-arid habitats at lower elevations favored traits related to an acquisitive-resource strategy. As expected, we detected higher levels of modularity in the clades that switched repeatedly between habitats, but higher modularity was not associated with accelerated rates of trait evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Pérez
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nicolás Lavandero
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carmen Gloria Ossa
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Santiago, Chile
| | - Luis Felipe Hinojosa
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paola Jara-Arancio
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias para la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mary T. Kalin Arroyo
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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32
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Dowell JA, Reynolds EC, Pliakas TP, Mandel JR, Burke JM, Donovan LA, Mason CM. Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Floral Traits in Cultivated Sunflower (Helianthus annuus). J Hered 2020; 110:275-286. [PMID: 30847479 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esz013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral morphology and pigmentation are both charismatic and economically relevant traits associated with cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Recent work has linked floral morphology and pigmentation to pollinator efficiency and seed yield. Understanding the genetic architecture of such traits is essential for crop improvement, and gives insight into the role of genetic constraints in shaping floral diversity. A diversity panel of 288 sunflower genotypes was phenotyped for a variety of morphological, phenological, and color traits in both a greenhouse and a field setting. Association mapping was performed using 5788 SNP markers using a mixed linear model approach. Several dozen markers across 10 linkage groups were significantly associated with variation in morphological and color trait variation. Substantial trait plasticity was observed between greenhouse and field phenotyping, and associations differed between environments. Color traits mapped more strongly than morphology in both settings, with markers together explaining 16% of petal carotenoid content in the greenhouse, and 17% and 24% of variation in disc anthocyanin presence in the field and greenhouse, respectively. Morphological traits like disc size mapped more strongly in the field, with markers together explaining up to 19% of disc size variation. Loci identified here through association mapping within cultivated germplasm differ from those identified through biparental crosses between modern cultivated sunflower and either its wild progenitor or domesticated landraces. Several loci lie within genomic regions involved in domestication. Differences between phenotype expression under greenhouse and field conditions highlight the importance of plasticity in determining floral morphology and pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Dowell
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
| | - Erin C Reynolds
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | | | - Jennifer R Mandel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
| | - John M Burke
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Lisa A Donovan
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Chase M Mason
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL.,Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.,Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Boston, MA
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33
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Oke TA, Turetsky MR. Evaluating
Sphagnum
traits in the context of resource economics and optimal partitioning theories. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tobi A. Oke
- Marine Science Inst., The Univ. of Texas Austin 750 Channel View Drive Port Aransas TX 78373 USA
| | - Merritt R. Turetsky
- Inst. of Arctic and Alpine Research, Univ. of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA, and: Dept of Integrative Biology, Univ. of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
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34
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Agrawal AA. A scale‐dependent framework for trade‐offs, syndromes, and specialization in organismal biology. Ecology 2020; 101:e02924. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anurag A. Agrawal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
- Department of Entomology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
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35
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Ji W, LaZerte SE, Waterway MJ, Lechowicz MJ. Functional ecology of congeneric variation in the leaf economics spectrum. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:196-208. [PMID: 31400239 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Variation in resource availability can lead to phenotypic plasticity in the traits comprising the world-wide leaf economics spectrum (LES), potentially impairing plant function and complicating the use of tabulated values for LES traits in ecological studies. We compared 14 Carex (Cyperaceae) species in a factorial experiment (unshaded/shaded × sufficient/insufficient P) to analyze how changes in the network of allometric scaling relationships among LES traits influenced growth under favorable and resource-limited conditions. Changes in leaf mass per area (LMA) shifted the scaling relationships among LES traits expressed per unit area vs mass in ways that helped to sustain growth under resource limitation. Increases in area-normalized photosynthetic capacity and foliar nitrogen (N) were correlated with increased growth, offsetting losses associated with mass-normalized dark respiration and foliar N. These shifts increased the contributions to growth associated with photosynthetic N-use efficiency and the N : P ratio. Plasticity in LMA is at the hub of the functional role of the LES as an integrated and resilient complex system that balances the relationships among area- and mass-based aspects of gas exchange and foliar nutrient traits to sustain at least some degree of plant growth under differing availabilities of above- and below-ground resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Ji
- College of Landscape Architecture and Arts, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Stefanie E LaZerte
- Department of Biology, Brandon University, 270 - 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9, Canada
| | - Marcia J Waterway
- Department of Plant Science, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, 21, 111 Lakeshore Road, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Martin J Lechowicz
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
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36
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Delph LF. Water availability drives population divergence and sex-specific responses in a dioecious plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1346-1355. [PMID: 31538332 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Water availability is an important abiotic factor, resulting in differences between plant species growing in xeric and mesic habitats. Species with populations occurring in both habitat types allow examination of whether water availability has acted as a selective force at the intraspecific level. Investigating responses to water availability with a dioecious species allows determination of whether males and females, which often have different physiologies and life histories, respond differently. METHODS An experiment varying water availability was performed under an outdoor rain-out shelter using plants from two mesic and two xeric populations of the dioecious plant Silene latifolia. Early growth rate, flowering propensity, flower size, and specific leaf area were measured. At the end of the season, the plants were harvested, aboveground and root biomass were measured, and the total number of flowers and fruit produced were counted. RESULTS Compared to the two mesic populations, plants from the two xeric populations grew more slowly, were less likely to flower, took longer to flower, had thicker leaves, invested less in aboveground biomass and more in root biomass, produced fewer flowers and fruit, but were more likely to live. Many traits exhibited significant habitat type × treatment interactions. Compared to the xeric populations, males-but not females-from mesic populations had less root biomass and greatly reduced their flower production in response to low water availability. CONCLUSIONS Mesic and xeric populations responded in ways congruent with water availability being a selective force for among-population divergence, especially for males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda F Delph
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, USA
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37
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Sartori K, Vasseur F, Violle C, Baron E, Gerard M, Rowe N, Ayala-Garay O, Christophe A, Jalón LGD, Masclef D, Harscouet E, Granado MDR, Chassagneux A, Kazakou E, Vile D. Leaf economics and slow-fast adaptation across the geographic range of Arabidopsis thaliana. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10758. [PMID: 31341185 PMCID: PMC6656729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46878-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Life history strategies of most organisms are constrained by resource allocation patterns that follow a 'slow-fast continuum'. It opposes slow growing and long-lived organisms with late investment in reproduction to those that grow faster, have earlier and larger reproductive effort and a short longevity. In plants, the Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES) depicts a leaf-level trade-off between the rate of carbon assimilation and leaf lifespan, as stressed in functional ecology from interspecific comparative studies. However, it is still unclear how the LES is connected to the slow-fast syndrome. Interspecific comparisons also impede a deep exploration of the linkage between LES variation and adaptation to climate. Here, we measured growth, morpho-physiological and life-history traits, at both the leaf and whole-plant levels, in 378 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the LES is tightly linked to variation in whole-plant functioning, and aligns with the slow-fast continuum. A genetic analysis further suggested that phenotypic differentiation results from the selection of different slow-fast strategies in contrasted climates. Slow growing and long-lived plants were preferentially found in cold and arid habitats while fast growing and short-lived ones in more favorable habitats. Our findings shed light on the role of the slow-fast continuum for plant adaptation to climate. More broadly, they encourage future studies to bridge functional ecology, genetics and evolutionary biology to improve our understanding of plant adaptation to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Sartori
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France.
| | - François Vasseur
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Etienne Baron
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Marianne Gerard
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Nick Rowe
- Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Oscar Ayala-Garay
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
- Programa de Recursos Genéticos y Productividad (RGP)-Fisiología Vegetal, Colegio de Postgraduados, 56230, Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Ananda Christophe
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Laura Garcia de Jalón
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Diane Masclef
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
| | - Erwan Harscouet
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Maria Del Rey Granado
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Agathe Chassagneux
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune sauvage, DRE Unité, Ongulés sauvages, Birieux, France
| | - Elena Kazakou
- Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier, France
| | - Denis Vile
- Univ Montpellier, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, LEPSE, Montpellier, France
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Lowry DB, Popovic D, Brennan DJ, Holeski LM. Mechanisms of a locally adaptive shift in allocation among growth, reproduction, and herbivore resistance in
Mimulus guttatus
*. Evolution 2019; 73:1168-1181. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David B. Lowry
- Department of Plant BiologyMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and BehaviorMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
- Plant Resilience Institute,Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
| | - Damian Popovic
- Department of Plant BiologyMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
- Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and BehaviorMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
| | - Darlene J. Brennan
- Department of Plant BiologyMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824
| | - Liza M. Holeski
- Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona 86011
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Mitchell N, Holsinger KE. Microscale trait-environment associations in two closely-related South African shrubs. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:211-222. [PMID: 30768876 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1234] [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: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Plant traits are often associated with the environments in which they occur, but these associations often differ across spatial and phylogenetic scales. Here we study the relationship between microenvironment, microgeographical location, and traits within populations using co-occurring populations of two closely related evergreen shrubs in the genus Protea. METHODS We measured a suite of functional traits on 147 plants along a single steep mountainside where both species occur, and we used data-loggers and soil analyses to characterize the environment at 10 microsites spanning the elevational gradient. We used Bayesian path analyses to detect trait-environment relationships in the field for each species. We used complementary data from greenhouse grown seedlings derived from wild collected seed to determine whether associations detected in the field are the result of genetic differentiation. KEY RESULTS Microenvironmental variables differed substantially across our study site. We found strong evidence for six trait-environment associations, although these differed between species. We were unable to detect similar associations in greenhouse-grown seedlings. CONCLUSIONS Several leaf traits were associated with temperature and soil variation in the field, but the inability to detect these in the greenhouse suggests that differences in the field are not the result of genetic differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Mitchell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA
| | - Kent E Holsinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA
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Cavender-Bares J. Diversification, adaptation, and community assembly of the American oaks (Quercus), a model clade for integrating ecology and evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:669-692. [PMID: 30368821 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Contents Summary 669 I. Model clades for the study and integration of ecology and evolution 670 II. Oaks: an important model clade 671 III. Insights from the history of the American oaks for understanding community assembly and ecosystem dominance 673 IV. Bridging the gap between micro- and macroevolutionary processes relevant to ecology 679 V. How do we reconcile evidence for adaptive evolution with niche conservatism and long-term stasis? 682 VI. High plasticity and within-population genetic variation contribute to population persistence 683 VII. Emerging technologies for tracking functional change 685 VIII. Conclusions 685 Acknowledgements 686 References 686 SUMMARY: Ecologists and evolutionary biologists are concerned with explaining the diversity and composition of the natural world and are aware of the inextricable linkages between ecological and evolutionary processes that maintain the Earth's life support systems. Yet examination of these linkages remains challenging due to the contrasting nature of focal systems and research approaches. Model clades provide a critical means to integrate ecology and evolution, as illustrated by the oaks (genus Quercus), an important model clade, given their ecological dominance, remarkable diversity, and growing phylogenetic, genomic, and ecological data resources. Studies of the clade reveal that their history of sympatric parallel adaptive radiation continues to influence community assembly today, highlighting questions on the nature and extent of coexistence mechanisms. Flexible phenology and hydraulic traits, despite evolutionary stasis, may have enabled adaptation to a wide range of environments within and across species, contributing to their high abundance and diversity. The oaks offer fundamental insights at the intersection of ecology and evolution on the role of diversification in community assembly processes, on the importance of flexibility in key functional traits in adapting to new environments, on factors contributing to persistence of long-lived organisms, and on evolutionary legacies that influence ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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Fletcher LR, Cui H, Callahan H, Scoffoni C, John GP, Bartlett MK, Burge DO, Sack L. Evolution of leaf structure and drought tolerance in species of Californian Ceanothus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2018; 105:1672-1687. [PMID: 30368798 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Studies across diverse species have established theory for the contribution of leaf traits to plant drought tolerance. For example, species in more arid climates tend to have smaller leaves of higher vein density, higher leaf mass per area, and more negative osmotic potential at turgor loss point (πTLP ). However, few studies have tested these associations for species within a given lineage that have diversified across an aridity gradient. METHODS We analyzed the anatomy and physiology of 10 Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae) species grown in a common garden for variation between and within "wet" and "dry" subgenera (Ceanothus and Cerastes, respectively) and analyzed a database for 35 species for leaf size and leaf mass per area (LMA). We used a phylogenetic generalized least squares approach to test hypothesized relationships among traits, and of traits with climatic aridity in the native range. We also tested for allometric relationships among anatomical traits. KEY RESULTS Leaf form, anatomy, and drought tolerance varied strongly among species within and between subgenera. Cerastes species had specialized anatomy including hypodermis and encrypted stomata that may confer superior water storage and retention. The osmotic potentials at turgor loss point (πTLP ) and full turgor (πo ) showed evolutionary correlations with the aridity index (AI) and precipitation of the 10 species' native distributions, and LMA with potential evapotranspiration for the 35 species in the larger database. We found an allometric correlation between upper and lower epidermal cell wall thicknesses, but other anatomical traits diversified independently. CONCLUSIONS Leaf traits and drought tolerance evolved within and across lineages of Ceanothus consistently with climatic distributions. The πTLP has signal to indicate the evolution of drought tolerance within small clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila R Fletcher
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hongxia Cui
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hilary Callahan
- Biology Department, Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Christine Scoffoni
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Grace P John
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Megan K Bartlett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Dylan O Burge
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Moore TE, Schlichting CD, Aiello-Lammens ME, Mocko K, Jones CS. Divergent trait and environment relationships among parallel radiations in Pelargonium (Geraniaceae): a role for evolutionary legacy? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 219:794-807. [PMID: 29749630 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits in closely related lineages are expected to vary similarly along common environmental gradients as a result of shared evolutionary and biogeographic history, or legacy effects, and as a result of biophysical tradeoffs in construction. We test these predictions in Pelargonium, a relatively recent evolutionary radiation. Bayesian phylogenetic mixed effects models assessed, at the subclade level, associations between plant height, leaf area, leaf nitrogen content and leaf mass per area (LMA), and five environmental variables capturing temperature and rainfall gradients across the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Trait-trait integration was assessed via pairwise correlations within subclades. Of 20 trait-environment associations, 17 differed among subclades. Signs of regression coefficients diverged for height, leaf area and leaf nitrogen content, but not for LMA. Subclades also differed in trait-trait relationships and these differences were modulated by rainfall seasonality. Leave-one-out cross-validation revealed that whether trait variation was better predicted by environmental predictors or trait-trait integration depended on the clade and trait in question. Legacy signals in trait-environment and trait-trait relationships were apparently lost during the earliest diversification of Pelargonium, but then retained during subsequent subclade evolution. Overall, we demonstrate that global-scale patterns are poor predictors of patterns of trait variation at finer geographic and taxonomic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy E Moore
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
| | - Carl D Schlichting
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
| | | | - Kerri Mocko
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
| | - Cynthia S Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269-3043, USA
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43
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Anderegg LDL, Berner LT, Badgley G, Sethi ML, Law BE, HilleRisLambers J. Within‐species patterns challenge our understanding of the leaf economics spectrum. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:734-744. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leander D. L. Anderegg
- Department of Biology University of Washington Box 351800 Seattle WA 98195 USA
- Department of Global Ecology Carnegie Institution for Science 260 Panama StStanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Logan T. Berner
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University 330 Richardson Hall Corvallis OR 97331 USA
- School of Informatics, Cumputing, and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University 1295 S. Knoles Drive Flagstaff AZ, 86011 USA
| | - Grayson Badgley
- Department of Global Ecology Carnegie Institution for Science 260 Panama StStanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Meera L. Sethi
- Department of Biology University of Washington Box 351800 Seattle WA 98195 USA
| | - Beverly E. Law
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University 330 Richardson Hall Corvallis OR 97331 USA
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Males J, Griffiths H. Economic and hydraulic divergences underpin ecological differentiation in the Bromeliaceae. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2018; 41:64-78. [PMID: 28346742 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Leaf economic and hydraulic theories have rarely been applied to the ecological differentiation of speciose herbaceous plant radiations. The role of character trait divergences and network reorganization in the differentiation of the functional types in the megadiverse Neotropical Bromeliaceae was explored by quantifying a range of leaf economic and hydraulic traits in 50 diverse species. Functional types, which are defined by combinations of C3 or Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, terrestrial or epiphytic habits, and non-specialized, tank-forming or atmospheric morphologies, segregated clearly in trait space. Most classical leaf economic relationships were supported, but they were weakened by the presence of succulence. Functional types differed in trait-network architecture, suggesting that rewiring of trait-networks caused by innovations in habit and photosynthetic pathway is an important aspect of ecological differentiation. The hydraulic data supported the coupling of leaf hydraulics and gas exchange, but not the hydraulic safety versus efficiency hypothesis, and hinted at an important role for the extra-xylary compartment in the control of bromeliad leaf hydraulics. Overall, our findings highlight the fundamental importance of structure-function relationships in the generation and maintenance of ecological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Males
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Howard Griffiths
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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Prieto I, Querejeta JI, Segrestin J, Volaire F, Roumet C. Leaf carbon and oxygen isotopes are coordinated with the leaf economics spectrum in Mediterranean rangeland species. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iván Prieto
- CEFECNRSUniv MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3EPHEIRD Montpellier France
- Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura‐Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS‐CSIC) Murcia Spain
| | - José I. Querejeta
- Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura‐Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS‐CSIC) Murcia Spain
| | - Jules Segrestin
- CEFECNRSUniv MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3EPHEIRD Montpellier France
| | - Florence Volaire
- CEFEINRACNRSUniv. MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3EPHEIRD Montpellier France
| | - Catherine Roumet
- CEFECNRSUniv MontpellierUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3EPHEIRD Montpellier France
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46
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Herben T, Klimešová J, Chytrý M. Effects of disturbance frequency and severity on plant traits: An assessment across a temperate flora. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Herben
- Institute of BotanyCzech Academy of Sciences Průhonice Czech Republic
- Department of BotanyFaculty of ScienceCharles University Praha Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Klimešová
- Institute of BotanyCzech Academy of Sciences Třeboň Czech Republic
| | - Milan Chytrý
- Department of Botany and ZoologyMasaryk University Brno Czech Republic
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47
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Li L, Ma Z, Niinemets Ü, Guo D. Three Key Sub-leaf Modules and the Diversity of Leaf Designs. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:1542. [PMID: 28932233 PMCID: PMC5592238 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Earth harbors a highly diverse array of plant leaf forms. A well-known pattern linking diverse leaf forms with their photosynthetic function across species is the global leaf economics spectrum (LES). However, within homogeneous plant functional groups such as tropical woody angiosperms or temperate deciduous woody angiosperms, many species can share a similar position in the LES but differ in other vital leaf traits, and thus function differently under the given suite of environmental drivers. How diverse leaves differentiate from each other has yet to be fully explained. Here, we propose a new perspective for linking leaf structure and function by arguing that a leaf may be divided into three key sub-modules, the light capture module, the water-nutrient flow module and the gas exchange module. Each module consists of a set of leaf tissues corresponding to a certain resource acquisition function, and the combination and configuration of different modules may differ depending on overall leaf functioning in a given environment. This modularized-leaf perspective differs from the whole-leaf perspective used in leaf economics theory and may serve as a valuable tool for tracing the evolution of leaf form and function. This perspective also implies that the evolutionary direction of various leaf designs is not to optimize a single critical trait, but to optimize the combination of different traits to better adapt to the historical and current environments. Future studies examining how different modules are synchronized for overall leaf functioning should offer critical insights into the diversity of leaf designs worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Li
- Center for Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Ecological Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Zeqing Ma
- Center for Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Ecological Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life SciencesTartu, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of SciencesTallinn, Estonia
| | - Dali Guo
- Center for Forest Ecosystem Studies and Qianyanzhou Ecological Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
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Ramírez-Valiente JA, Cavender-Bares J. Evolutionary trade-offs between drought resistance mechanisms across a precipitation gradient in a seasonally dry tropical oak (Quercus oleoides). TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:889-901. [PMID: 28419347 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpx040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In seasonally dry tropical forest regions, drought avoidance during the dry season coupled with high assimilation rates in the wet season is hypothesized to be an advantageous strategy for forest trees in regions with severe and long dry seasons. In contrast, where dry seasons are milder, drought tolerance coupled with a conservative resource-use strategy is expected to maximize carbon assimilation throughout the year. Tests of this hypothesis, particularly at the intraspecific level, have been seldom conducted. In this study, we tested the extent to which drought resistance mechanisms and rates of carbon assimilation have evolved under climates with varying dry season length and severity within Quercus oleoidesCham. and Schlect., a tropical dry forest species that is widely distributed in Central America. For this purpose, we conducted a greenhouse experiment where seedlings originating from five populations that vary in rainfall patterns were grown under different watering treatments. Our results revealed that populations from xeric climates with more severe dry seasons exhibited large mesophyllous leaves (with high specific leaf area, SLA), and leaf abscission in response to drought, consistent with a drought-avoidance strategy. In contrast, populations from more mesic climates with less severe dry seasons had small and thick sclerophyllous leaves with low SLA and reduced water potential at the turgor loss point (πtlp), consistent with a drought-tolerance strategy. Mesic populations also showed high plasticity in πtlp in response to water availability, indicating that osmotic adjustment to drought is an important component of this strategy. However, populations with mesophyllous leaves did not have higher maximum carbon assimilation rates under well-watered conditions. Furthermore, SLA was negatively associated with mass-based photosynthetic rates, contrary to expectations of the leaf economics spectrum, indicating that drought-resistance strategies are not necessarily tightly coupled with resource-use strategies. Overall, our study demonstrates the importance of considering intraspecific variation in analyses of the vulnerability of tropical trees to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Ramírez-Valiente
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Avda Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Jeannine Cavender-Bares
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Ramírez-Valiente JA, Center A, Sparks JP, Sparks KL, Etterson JR, Longwell T, Pilz G, Cavender-Bares J. Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:585. [PMID: 28536582 PMCID: PMC5423273 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Widely distributed species are normally subjected to spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions. In sessile organisms like plants, adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity of key functional traits are the main mechanisms through which species can respond to environmental heterogeneity and climate change. While extended research has been carried out in temperate species in this regard, there is still limited knowledge as to how species from seasonally-dry tropical climates respond to spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions. In fact, studies of intraspecific genetically-based differences in functional traits are still largely unknown and studies in these ecosystems have largely focused on in situ comparisons where environmental and genetic effects cannot be differentiated. In this study, we tested for ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity in leaf economics spectrum (LES) traits, water use efficiency and growth rates under natural and manipulated precipitation regimes in a common garden experiment where seedlings of eight populations of the neotropical live oak Quercus oleoides were established. We also examined the extent to which intraspecific trait variation was associated with plant performance under different water availability. Similar to interspecific patterns among seasonally-dry tropical tree species, live oak populations with long and severe dry seasons had higher leaf nitrogen content and growth rates than mesic populations, which is consistent with a "fast" resource-acquisition strategy aimed to maximize carbon uptake during the wet season. Specific leaf area (SLA) was the best predictor of plant performance, but contrary to expectations, it was negatively associated with relative and absolute growth rates. This observation was partially explained by the negative association between SLA and area-based photosynthetic rates, which is contrary to LES expectations but similar to other recent intraspecific studies on evergreen oaks. Overall, our study shows strong intraspecific differences in functional traits in a tropical oak, Quercus oleoides, and suggests that precipitation regime has played an important role in driving adaptive divergence in this widespread species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alyson Center
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN, USA
- Department of Biology, Normandale Community CollegeBloomington, MN, USA
| | - Jed P. Sparks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Kimberlee L. Sparks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Julie R. Etterson
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota DuluthDuluth, MN, USA
| | - Timothy Longwell
- Herbarium Paul C. Standley, Escuela Agricola PanamericanaTegucigalpa, Honduras
- Biltmore Environmental ConsultantsLoveland, CO, USA
| | - George Pilz
- Herbarium Paul C. Standley, Escuela Agricola PanamericanaTegucigalpa, Honduras
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50
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Mason CM, Goolsby EW, Davis KE, Bullock DV, Donovan LA. Importance of whole-plant biomass allocation and reproductive timing to habitat differentiation across the North American sunflowers. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:1131-1142. [PMID: 28203721 PMCID: PMC5604586 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Trait-based plant ecology attempts to use small numbers of functional traits to predict plant ecological strategies. However, a major gap exists between our understanding of organ-level ecophysiological traits and our understanding of whole-plant fitness and environmental adaptation. In this gap lie whole-plant organizational traits, including those that describe how plant biomass is allocated among organs and the timing of plant reproduction. This study explores the role of whole-plant organizational traits in adaptation to diverse environments in the context of life history, growth form and leaf economic strategy in a well-studied herbaceous system. METHODS A phylogenetic comparative approach was used in conjunction with common garden phenotyping to assess the evolution of biomass allocation and reproductive timing across 83 populations of 27 species of the diverse genus Helianthus (the sunflowers). KEY RESULTS Broad diversity exists among species in both relative biomass allocation and reproductive timing. Early reproduction is strongly associated with resource-acquisitive leaf economic strategy, while biomass allocation is less integrated with either reproductive timing or leaf economics. Both biomass allocation and reproductive timing are strongly related to source site environmental characteristics, including length of the growing season, temperature, precipitation and soil fertility. CONCLUSIONS Herbaceous taxa can adapt to diverse environments in many ways, including modulation of phenology, plant architecture and organ-level ecophysiology. Although leaf economic strategy captures one key aspect of plant physiology, on their own leaf traits are not particularly predictive of ecological strategies in Helianthus outside of the context of growth form, life history and whole-plant organization. These results highlight the importance of including data on whole-plant organization alongside organ-level ecophysiological traits when attempting to bridge the gap between functional traits and plant fitness and environmental adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase M. Mason
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Eric W. Goolsby
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Kaleigh E. Davis
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Devon V. Bullock
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lisa A. Donovan
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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