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Wang M, Kong D, Mo X, Wang Y, Yang Q, Kardol P, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Simpson MJ, Zeng H, Reich PB, Bergmann J, Tharayil N, Wang J. Molecular-level carbon traits underlie the multidimensional fine root economics space. NATURE PLANTS 2024:10.1038/s41477-024-01700-4. [PMID: 38740944 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01700-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Carbon influences the evolution and functioning of plants and their roots. Previous work examining a small number of commonly measured root traits has revealed a global multidimensionality of the resource economics traits in fine roots considering carbon as primary currency but without considering the diversity of carbon-related traits. To address this knowledge gap, we use data from 66 tree species from a tropical forest to illustrate that root economics space co-varies with a novel molecular-level traits space based on nuclear magnetic resonance. Thinner fine roots exhibit higher proportions of carbohydrates and lower diversity of molecular carbon than thicker roots. Mass-denser fine roots have more lignin and aromatic carbon compounds but less bioactive carbon compounds than lighter roots. Thus, the transition from thin to thick fine roots implies a shift in the root carbon economy from 'do-it-yourself' soil exploration to collaboration with mycorrhizal fungi, while the shift from light to dense fine roots emphasizes a shift from acquisitive to conservative root strategy. We reveal a previously undocumented role of molecular-level carbon traits that potentially undergird the multidimensional root economics space. This finding offers new molecular insight into the diversity of root form and function, which is fundamental to our understanding of plant evolution, species coexistence and adaptations to heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Deliang Kong
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Xiaohan Mo
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yinghui Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qingpei Yang
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hui Zeng
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St, Paul, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Institute for Global Change Biology and School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Junjian Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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2
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Hou J, McCormack ML, Reich PB, Sun T, Phillips RP, Lambers H, Chen HYH, Ding Y, Comas LH, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Solly EF, Freschet GT. Linking fine root lifespan to root chemical and morphological traits-A global analysis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320623121. [PMID: 38607930 PMCID: PMC11032481 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320623121] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Fine root lifespan is a critical trait associated with contrasting root strategies of resource acquisition and protection. Yet, its position within the multidimensional "root economics space" synthesizing global root economics strategies is largely uncertain, and it is rarely represented in frameworks integrating plant trait variations. Here, we compiled the most comprehensive dataset of absorptive median root lifespan (MRL) data including 98 observations from 79 woody species using (mini-)rhizotrons across 40 sites and linked MRL to other plant traits to address questions of the regulators of MRL at large spatial scales. We demonstrate that MRL not only decreases with plant investment in root nitrogen (associated with more metabolically active tissues) but also increases with construction of larger diameter roots which is often associated with greater plant reliance on mycorrhizal symbionts. Although theories linking organ structure and function suggest that root traits should play a role in modulating MRL, we found no correlation between root traits associated with structural defense (root tissue density and specific root length) and MRL. Moreover, fine root and leaf lifespan were globally unrelated, except among evergreen species, suggesting contrasting evolutionary selection between leaves and roots facing contrasting environmental influences above vs. belowground. At large geographic scales, MRL was typically longer at sites with lower mean annual temperature and higher mean annual precipitation. Overall, this synthesis uncovered several key ecophysiological covariates and environmental drivers of MRL, highlighting broad avenues for accurate parametrization of global biogeochemical models and the understanding of ecosystem response to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Hou
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | | | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN55108
- Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
- Hawkesbury Institute Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW2753, Australia
| | - Tao Sun
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
| | | | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA6009, Australia
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ONP7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Yiyang Ding
- Department of Forest Sciences/Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, HelsinkiFI-00014, Finland
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, HelsinkiFI-00014, Finland
| | - Louise H. Comas
- Department of Soil & Crop Science, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO80523
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Water Management Research Unit, Ft. Collins, CO80526
| | | | - Emily F. Solly
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–Umwelt Forschungs Zentrum, Leipzig04318, Germany
| | - Gregoire T. Freschet
- Station d’écologie théorique et expérimentale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Moulis09200, France
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3
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Cusack DF, Christoffersen B, Smith-Martin CM, Andersen KM, Cordeiro AL, Fleischer K, Wright SJ, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Lugli LF, McCulloch LA, Sanchez-Julia M, Batterman SA, Dallstream C, Fortunel C, Toro L, Fuchslueger L, Wong MY, Yaffar D, Fisher JB, Arnaud M, Dietterich LH, Addo-Danso SD, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Weemstra M, Ng JC, Norby RJ. Toward a coordinated understanding of hydro-biogeochemical root functions in tropical forests for application in vegetation models. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:351-371. [PMID: 38416367 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest-climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics that represent important functional processes in tropical forests. We focus on: (1) fine-root strategies for soil resource exploration, (2) coupling and trade-offs in fine-root water vs nutrient acquisition, and (3) aboveground-belowground linkages in plant resource acquisition and use. We suggest avenues for representing these extremely diverse plant communities in computationally manageable and ecologically meaningful groups in models for linked aboveground-belowground hydro-nutrient functions. Tropical forests are undergoing warming, shifting rainfall regimes, and exacerbation of soil nutrient scarcity caused by elevated atmospheric CO2. The accurate model representation of tropical forest functions is crucial for understanding the interactions of this biome with the climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela F Cusack
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Bradley Christoffersen
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA
| | - Chris M Smith-Martin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | | | - Amanda L Cordeiro
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Katrin Fleischer
- Department Biogeochemical Signals, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - S Joseph Wright
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Nathaly R Guerrero-Ramírez
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of Temperate Zones, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Gottingen, 37077, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL), University of Göttingen, Gottingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Laynara F Lugli
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, 85354, Germany
| | - Lindsay A McCulloch
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency, 1850 Table Mesa Dr., Boulder, CO, 80305, USA
| | - Mareli Sanchez-Julia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Sarah A Batterman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, 0843-03092, Panama
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Caroline Dallstream
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Av. du Docteur-Penfield, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Claire Fortunel
- AMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, 34398, France
| | - Laura Toro
- Yale Applied Science Synthesis Program, The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Lucia Fuchslueger
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1030, Austria
| | - Michelle Y Wong
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Daniela Yaffar
- Functional Forest Ecology, Universität Hamburg, Barsbüttel, 22885, Germany
| | - Joshua B Fisher
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Marie Arnaud
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IEES), UMR 7618, CNRS-Sorbonne University-INRAE-UPEC-IRD, Paris, 75005, France
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences & BIFOR, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lee H Dietterich
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, 1231 Libbie Coy Way, A104, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1476, USA
- U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, 19003, USA
| | - Shalom D Addo-Danso
- Forests and Climate Change Division, CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, P.O Box UP 63 KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Monique Weemstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Jing Cheng Ng
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Richard J Norby
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
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4
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Medeiros JS, Burns JH, Dowrey C, Duong F, Speroff S. Leaf habit and plant architecture integrate whole-plant economics and contextualize trait-climate associations within ecologically diverse genus Rhododendron. AOB PLANTS 2024; 16:plae005. [PMID: 38406260 PMCID: PMC10888519 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Plant resource strategies negotiate a trade-off between fast growth and stress resistance, characterized by specific leaf area (SLA). How SLA relates to leaf structure and function or plant climate associations remains open for debate, and leaf habit and plant architecture may alter the costs versus benefits of individual traits. We used phylogenetic canonical correspondence analysis and phylogenetic least squares to understand the relationship of anatomy and gas exchange to published data on root, wood, architectural and leaf economics traits and climate. Leaf anatomy was structured by leaf habit and carbon to nitrogen ratio was a better predictor of gas exchange than SLA. We found significant correspondence of leaf anatomy with branch architecture and wood traits, gas exchange corresponded with climate, while leaf economics corresponded with climate, architecture, wood and root traits. Species from the most seasonal climates had the highest trait-climate correspondence, and different aspects of economics and anatomy reflected leaf carbon uptake versus water use. Our study using phylogenetic comparative methods including plant architecture and leaf habit provides insight into the mechanism of whole-plant functional coordination and contextualizes individual traits in relation to climate, demonstrating the evolutionary and ecological relevance of trait-trait correlations within a genus with high biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean H Burns
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106USA
| | - Callie Dowrey
- Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Rd, Kirtland, OH 44094, USA
| | - Fiona Duong
- Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Rd, Kirtland, OH 44094, USA
| | - Sarah Speroff
- New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110USA
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5
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Zhang Y, Cao J, Lu M, Kardol P, Wang J, Fan G, Kong D. The origin of bi-dimensionality in plant root traits. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:78-88. [PMID: 37777374 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots show extraordinary diversity in form and function in heterogeneous environments. Mounting evidence has shown global bi-dimensionality in root traits, the root economics spectrum (RES), and an orthogonal dimension describing mycorrhizal collaboration; however, the origin of the bi-dimensionality remains unresolved. Here, we propose that bi-dimensionality arises from the cylindrical geometry of roots, allometry between root cortex and stele, and independence between root cell wall thickness and cell number. Root geometry and mycorrhizal collaboration may both underlie the bi-dimensionality. Further, we emphasize why plant roots should be cylindrical rather than flat. Finally, we highlight the need to integrate organ-, cellular-, and molecular-level processes driving the bi-dimensionality in plant roots to fully understand plant diversity and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jingjing Cao
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | | | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 75007, Sweden; Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
| | - Junjian Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Guoqiang Fan
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Deliang Kong
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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6
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Liu X, LeRoy CJ, Wang G, Guo Y, Song S, Wang Z, Wu J, Luan F, Song Q, Fang X, Yang Q, Huang D, Liu J. Leaf defenses of subtropical deciduous and evergreen trees to varying intensities of herbivory. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16350. [PMID: 37953769 PMCID: PMC10637251 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Generally, deciduous and evergreen trees coexist in subtropical forests, and both types of leaves are attacked by numerous insect herbivores. However, trees respond and defend themselves from herbivores in different ways, and these responses may vary between evergreen and deciduous species. We examined both the percentage of leaf area removed by herbivores as well as the percentage of leaves attacked by herbivores to evaluate leaf herbivore damage across 14 subtropical deciduous and evergreen tree species, and quantified plant defenses to varying intensities of herbivory. We found that there was no significant difference in mean percentage of leaf area removed between deciduous and evergreen species, yet a higher mean percentage of deciduous leaves were damaged compared to evergreen leaves (73.7% versus 60.2%). Although percent leaf area removed was mainly influenced by hemicellulose concentrations, there was some evidence that the ratio of non-structural carbohydrates:lignin and the concentration of tannins contribute to herbivory. We also highlight that leaf defenses to varying intensities of herbivory varied greatly among subtropical plant species and there was a stronger response for deciduous trees to leaf herbivore (e.g., increased nitrogen or lignin) attack than that of evergreen trees. This work elucidates how leaves respond to varying intensities of herbivory, and explores some of the underlying relationships between leaf traits and herbivore attack in subtropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Liu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | | | - Guobing Wang
- Department of Scientific Research, Administration of Jiangxi Guanshan National Nature Reserve, Yichun, China
| | - Yuan Guo
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shuwang Song
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhipei Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jingfang Wu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | | | - Qingni Song
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiong Fang
- College of Land Resources and Environment, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qingpei Yang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Dongmei Huang
- School of Humanities and Public Administration, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
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Huangfu C, Wang B, Hu W. Mycorrhizal colonization had little effect on growth of Carex thunbergii but inhibited its nitrogen uptake under deficit water supply. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:217-227. [PMID: 37464876 PMCID: PMC10583201 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad095] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant nitrogen (N) acquisition via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) serves as a dominant pathway in the N nutrition of many plants, but the functional impact of AMF in acquisition of N by wetland plants has not been well quantified. Subtropical lake-wetland ecosystems are characterized by seasonal changes in the water table and low N availability in soil. Yet, it is unclear whether and how AMF alters the N acquisition pattern of plants for various forms of N and how this process is influenced by soil water conditions. METHODS We performed a pot study with Carex thunbergii that were either colonized by AMF or not colonized and also subjected to different water conditions. We used 15N labelling to track plant N uptake. KEY RESULTS Colonization by AMF had little effect on the biomass components of C. thunbergii but did significantly affect the plant functional traits and N acquisition in ways that were dependent on the soil water conditions. The N uptake rate of AMF-colonized plants was significantly lower than that of the non-colonized plants in conditions of low soil water. A decreased NO3- uptake rate in AMF-colonized plants reduced the N:P ratio of the plants. Although C. thunbergii predominantly took up N in the form of NO3-, higher water availability increased the proportion of N taken up as NH4+, irrespective of the inoculation status. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize the importance of AMF colonization in controlling the N uptake strategies of plants and can improve predictions of N budget under the changing water table conditions in this subtropical wetland ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaohe Huangfu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Beibei Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Wuqiong Hu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
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8
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Vasey GL, Urza AK, Chambers JC, Pringle EG, Weisberg PJ. Clinal variations in seedling traits and responses to water availability correspond to seed-source environmental gradients in a foundational dryland tree species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:203-216. [PMID: 36905361 PMCID: PMC10583205 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In dryland ecosystems, conifer species are threatened by more frequent and severe droughts, which can push species beyond their physiological limits. Adequate seedling establishment will be critical for future resilience to global change. We used a common garden glasshouse experiment to determine how seedling functional trait expression and plasticity varied among seed sources in response to a gradient of water availability, focusing on a foundational dryland tree species of the western USA, Pinus monophylla. We hypothesized that the expression of growth-related seedling traits would show patterns consistent with local adaptation, given clinal variation among seed source environments. METHODS We collected P. monophylla seeds from 23 sites distributed across rangewide gradients of aridity and seasonal moisture availability. A total of 3320 seedlings were propagated with four watering treatments representing progressively decreasing water availability. Above- and below-ground growth-related traits of first-year seedlings were measured. Trait values and trait plasticity, here representing the degree of variation among watering treatments, were modelled as a function of watering treatment and environmental conditions at the seed source locations (i.e. water availability, precipitation seasonality). KEY RESULTS We found that, under all treatments, seedlings from more arid climates had larger above- and below-ground biomass compared to seedlings from sites experiencing lower growing-season water limitation, even after accounting for differences in seed size. Additionally, trait plasticity in response to watering treatments was greatest for seedlings from summer-wet sites that experience periodic monsoonal rain events. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that P. monophylla seedlings respond to drought through plasticity in multiple traits, but variation in trait responses suggests that different populations are likely to respond uniquely to changes in local climate. Such trait diversity will probably influence the potential for future seedling recruitment in woodlands that are projected to experience extensive drought-related tree mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia L Vasey
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 186, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Alexandra K Urza
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 920 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Jeanne C Chambers
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 920 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Elizabeth G Pringle
- Department of Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 0314, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Peter J Weisberg
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Mail Stop 186, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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9
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Li J, Le X, Chen X, Niklas KJ, Li X, Wu P, Zhou Y, Zhong Q, Hu D, Cheng D. The allocation of anatomical traits determines the trade-off between fine root resource acquisition-transport function. Oecologia 2023; 202:845-854. [PMID: 37624444 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05443-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Cortex radius (CR) and stele radius (SR) are important functional traits associated with the nutrient acquisition and transport functions of fine roots, respectively. However, for developmental and anatomical reasons, the resource acquisition-transport relationship of fine roots is expected to be different for different root orders. To address this issue, critical fine root anatomical traits were examined for the first three orders of roots of 59 subtropical woody plants. Designating the most distal fine roots as order one, SR scaled isometrically with respect to root radius (RR) (i.e., SR ∝ RR1.0) in the three root orders, whereas CR scaled allometrically with respect to RR (i.e., CR ∝ RR>1.0) with the numerical values of scaling exponents increasing significantly with increasing root orders thereby indicating a disproportional increase in CR with increasing root orders. There were also differences between normalized root tissue (CR/RR and SR/RR) and RR in different root orders. A negative isometric relationship (i.e., SR/RR ∝ RR-1.0) existed between SR/RR and RR in three order roots, whereas the allometric exponent between CR/RR and RR increased with root order (from 0.88 to 1.55). Collectively, the data indicate that root anatomical and functional traits change as a function of RR and that these changes need to be considered when modeling fine root resource acquisition-transport functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Li
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xingui Le
- Yangjifeng National Nature Reserve Administration of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Karl J Niklas
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Xueqin Li
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Panpan Wu
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yongjiao Zhou
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Quanlin Zhong
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Dandan Hu
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Dongliang Cheng
- Institute of Geography, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China.
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10
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Montagnoli A, Terzaghi M, Miali A, Chiatante D, Dumroese RK. Unusual late-fall wildfire in a pre-Alpine Fagus sylvatica forest reduced fine roots in the shallower soil layer and shifted very fine-root growth to deeper soil depth. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6380. [PMID: 37076574 PMCID: PMC10115845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33580-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
After an unusual, late-fall wildfire in a European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest in the pre-Alps of northern Italy, the finest roots (0‒0.3 mm diameter) were generally the most responsive to fire, with the effect more pronounced at the shallowest soil depth. While roots 0.3‒1 mm in diameter had their length and biomass at the shallowest soil depth reduced by fire, fire stimulated more length and biomass at the deepest soil depth compared to the control. Fire elevated the total length of dead roots and their biomass immediately and this result persisted through the first spring, after which control and fire-impacted trees had similar fine root turnover. Our results unveiled the fine-root response to fire when subdivided by diameter size and soil depth, adding to the paucity of data concerning fire impacts on beech roots in a natural condition and providing the basis for understanding unusual fire occurrence on root traits. This study suggests that F. sylvatica trees can adapt to wildfire by plastically changing the distribution of fine-root growth, indicating a resilience mechanism to disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Montagnoli
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant, 3, 21100, Varese, Italy.
| | - Mattia Terzaghi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza Umberto I, 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessio Miali
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant, 3, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Donato Chiatante
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via Dunant, 3, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - R Kasten Dumroese
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Moscow, ID, USA
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11
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Schaffer‐Morrison SAZ, Zak DR. Mycorrhizal fungal and tree root functional traits: Strategies for integration and future directions. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Donald R. Zak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
- School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
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12
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Fine-resolution global maps of root biomass carbon colonized by arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Sci Data 2023; 10:56. [PMID: 36697422 PMCID: PMC9877027 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01913-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the recognized importance of mycorrhizal associations in ecosystem functioning, the actual abundance patterns of mycorrhizal fungi belowground are still unknown. This information is key for better quantification of mycorrhizal impacts on ecosystem processes and for incorporating mycorrhizal pathways into global biogeochemical models. Here we present the first high-resolution maps of fine root stocks colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi (MgC ha-1). The maps were assembled by combining multiple open-source databases holding information on root biomass carbon, the proportion of AM and EcM tree biomass, plot-level relative abundance of plant species and intensity of AM and EcM root colonization. We calculated root-associated AM and EcM abundance in 881 spatial units, defined as the combination of ecoregions and land cover types across six continents. The highest AM abundances are observed in the (sub-)tropics, while the highest EcM abundances occur in the taiga regions. These maps serve as a basis for future research where continuous spatial estimates of root mycorrhizal stocks are needed.
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13
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Asefa M, Worthy SJ, Cao M, Song X, Lozano YM, Yang J. Above- and below-ground plant traits are not consistent in response to drought and competition treatments. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:939-950. [PMID: 36001733 PMCID: PMC9851322 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Our understanding of plant responses to biotic and abiotic drivers is largely based on above-ground plant traits, with little focus on below-ground traits despite their key role in water and nutrient uptake. Here, we aimed to understand the extent to which above- and below-ground traits are co-ordinated, and how these traits respond to soil moisture gradients and plant intraspecific competition. METHODS We chose seedlings of five tropical tree species and grew them in a greenhouse for 16 weeks under a soil moisture gradient [low (drought), medium and high (well-watered) moisture levels] with and without intraspecific competition. At harvest, we measured nine above- and five below-ground traits of all seedlings based on standard protocols. KEY RESULTS In response to the soil moisture gradient, above-ground traits are found to be consistent with the leaf economics spectrum, whereas below-ground traits are inconsistent with the root economics spectrum. We found high specific leaf area and total leaf area in well-watered conditions, while high leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness and stem dry matter content were observed in drought conditions. However, below-ground traits showed contrasting patterns, with high specific root length but low root branching index in the low water treatment. The correlations between above- and below-ground traits across the soil moisture gradient were variable, i.e. specific leaf area was positively correlated with specific root length, while it was negatively correlated with root average diameter across moisture levels. However, leaf dry matter content was unexpectedly positively correlated with both specific root length and root branching index. Intraspecific competition has influenced both above- and below-ground traits, but interacted with soil moisture to affect only below-ground traits. Consistent with functional equilibrium theory, more biomass was allocated to roots under drought conditions, and to leaves under sufficient soil moisture conditions. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the response of below-ground traits to plant intraspecific competition and soil moisture conditions may not be inferred using above-ground traits, suggesting that multiple resource use axes are needed to understand plant ecological strategies. Lack of consistent leaf-root trait correlations across the soil moisture gradient highlight the multidimensionality of plant trait relationships which needs more exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengesha Asefa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, 196, Ethiopia
| | - Samantha J Worthy
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Min Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Xiaoyang Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
- Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Yudi M Lozano
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Plant Ecology, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jie Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
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14
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Dai D, Yang J, Wu Y, Zhang W, Wu X, Liu Y, Xing H, Liu Y. Correlation between fine root traits and pathogen richness depends on plant mycorrhizal types. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Dai
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Jiarong Yang
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Yougui Wu
- Fengyangshan‐Baishanzu National Nature Reserve Zhejiang Province China
| | - Wenhua Zhang
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Xian Wu
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Yajing Liu
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Hua Xing
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Yu Liu
- ECNU‐Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Study, Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Shanghai Inst. of Pollution Control and Ecological Security Shanghai China
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15
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Wang T, Huang L, Zhang X, Wang M, Tan D. Root Morphology and Biomass Allocation of 50 Annual Ephemeral Species in Relation to Two Soil Condition. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:plants11192495. [PMID: 36235362 PMCID: PMC9570868 DOI: 10.3390/plants11192495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Different organ morphologies determine the manner in which plants acquire resources, and the proportion of biomass of each organ is a critical driving force for organs to function in the future. Regrettably, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of root traits and seedling biomass allocation. Accordingly, we investigated and collected the seedling root morphological traits and biomass allocation of 50 annual ephemeral species to clarify the adaptation to environment. The findings of this study showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between root tissue density (RTD) and root diameter (RD) (p < 0.05), which did not conform to the hypothesis of the one-dimensional root economics spectrum (RES). On this basis, we divided 50 plant species into those rooted in dense or gravelly sand (DGS) or loose sand (LS) groups according to two soil conditions to determine the differences in root strategy and plant strategy between the two groups of plants. Our study revealed that the species rooting DGS tend to adopt a high penetration root strategy. However, the species rooting LS adopt high resource acquisition efficiency. At the whole-plant level, 50 species of ephemerals were distributed along the resource acquisition and conservation axis. Species rooting DGS tend to adopt the conservation strategy of high stem biomass fraction and low resource acquisition efficiency, while species rooting LS tend to adopt the acquisition strategy of high root and leaf biomass fraction and high resource acquisition efficiency. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the restoration and protection of vegetation in desert areas.
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16
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Effects of long-term enclosing on distributions of carbon and nitrogen in semia-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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17
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Karimi E, Aliasgharzad N, Esfandiari E, Hassanpouraghdam MB, Neu TR, Buscot F, Reitz T, Breitkreuz C, Tarkka MT. Biofilm forming rhizobacteria affect the physiological and biochemical responses of wheat to drought. AMB Express 2022; 12:93. [PMID: 35834031 PMCID: PMC9283637 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01432-8] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can attenuate the adverse effects of water deficit on plant growth. Since drought stress tolerance of bacteria has earlier been associated to biofilm formation, we aimed to investigate the role of bacterial biofilm formation in their PGPR activity upon drought stress. To this end, a biofilm-forming bacterial collection was isolated from the rhizospheres of native arid grassland plants, and characterized by their drought tolerance and evaluated on their plant growth promoting properties. Most bacterial strains formed biofilm in vitro. Most isolates were drought tolerant, produced auxins, showed 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity and solubilized mineral phosphate and potassium, but at considerably different levels. Greenhouse experiments with the most promising isolates, B1, B2 and B3, under three levels of water deficit and two wheat varieties led to an increased relative water content and increased harvest index at both moderate and severe water deficit. However, the bacteria did not affect these plant parameters upon regular watering. In addition, decreased hydrogen peroxide levels and increased glutathione S-transferase activity occurred under water deficit. Based on these results, we conclude that by improving root traits and antioxidant defensive system of wheat, arid grassland rhizospheric biofilm forming bacilli may promote plant growth under water scarcity. Numerous biofilm forming PGPR reside in grass rhizospheres from arid grasslands. Drought tolerance of wheat is enhanced by bacterial inoculations. Wheat variety and the level of drought stress modify the plant’s response to the bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmaeil Karimi
- Department of Soil Science, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran
| | | | - Ezatollah Esfandiari
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran
| | | | - Thomas R Neu
- Department of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - François Buscot
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Reitz
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claudia Breitkreuz
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany
| | - Mika T Tarkka
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany. .,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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18
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Whole-Plant Seedling Functional Traits Suggest Lianas Also Support “Fast-Slow” Plant Economics Spectrum. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13070990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Lianas are predicted to perform better than trees during seasonal drought among tropical forests, which has substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. Here, we use whole-plant trait comparison to test whether lianas allocated on the resource acquisitive end of the continuum of woody plant strategies. We measured morphological and biomass allocation traits for seedlings of 153 species of trees and lianas occurring in a tropical forest in Thailand during the dry season. We first compared trait differences between lianas and trees directly, and then classified all species based on their trait similarities. We found that liana seedlings had significantly higher specific leaf areas and specific stem lengths than co-occurring tree seedlings. Trait similarity classification resulted in a liana-dominated cluster and a tree-dominated cluster. Compared to the tree-dominated cluster, species in the liana-dominated cluster were characterized by a consistent pattern of lower dry matter content and cheaper and more efficient per dry mass unit investment in both above- and below-ground organs. The consistency of all organs operating in tandem for dry matter content, together with optimized investment in them per mass unit, implied that the lianas and trees can be highly overlapped on the strategy gradient of the resource acquisition continuum.
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19
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Kotowska MM, Samhita S, Hertel D, Triadiati T, Beyer F, Allen K, Link RM, Leuschner C. Consequences of tropical rainforest conversion to tree plantations on fine root dynamics and functional traits. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martyna M. Kotowska
- Dept of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Inst. for Plant Sciences, Univ. of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Sasya Samhita
- Dept of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Inst. for Plant Sciences, Univ. of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Dietrich Hertel
- Dept of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Inst. for Plant Sciences, Univ. of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Triadiati Triadiati
- Dept of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB Univ. Bogor Indonesia
| | - Friderike Beyer
- Chair of Silviculture, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Univ. of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Kara Allen
- Manaaki Whenua‐Landcare Research Lincoln New Zealand
| | - Roman M. Link
- Chair of Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology, Julius von Sachs Inst. of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Dept of Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, Albrecht‐von‐Haller Inst. for Plant Sciences, Univ. of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
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20
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Yan H, Freschet GT, Wang H, Hogan JA, Li S, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Fu X, Wang R, Dai X, Jiang L, Meng S, Yang F, Zhang M, Kou L. Mycorrhizal symbiosis pathway and edaphic fertility frame root economics space among tree species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:1639-1653. [PMID: 35243647 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The root economics space (RES) is multidimensional and largely shaped by belowground biotic and abiotic influences. However, how root-fungal symbioses and edaphic fertility drive this complexity remains unclear. Here, we measured absorptive root traits of 112 tree species in temperate and subtropical forests of China, including traits linked to functional differences between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) hosts. Our data, from known mycorrhizal tree species, revealed a 'fungal-symbiosis' dimension distinguishing AM from ECM species. This divergence likely resulted from the contrasting mycorrhizal evolutionary development of AM vs ECM associations. Increased root tissue cortical space facilitates AM symbiosis, whereas increased root branching favours ECM symbiosis. Irrespective of mycorrhizal type, a 'root-lifespan' dimension reflecting aspects of root construction cost and defence was controlled by variation in specific root length and root tissue density, which was fully independent of root nitrogen content. Within this function-based RES, we observed a substantial covariation of axes with soil phosphorus and nitrate levels, highlighting the role played by these two axes in nutrient acquisition and conservation. Overall, our findings demonstrate the importance of evolved mycorrhizal symbiosis pathway and edaphic fertility in framing the RES, and provide theoretical and mechanistic insights into the complexity of root economics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yan
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Grégoire T Freschet
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Huimin Wang
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - James Aaron Hogan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, International Center of Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA
| | - Shenggong Li
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, International Center of Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Xiaoli Fu
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruili Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Xiaoqin Dai
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shengwang Meng
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Fengting Yang
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhang
- 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, China
| | - Liang Kou
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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21
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Whole-Tree Response of Non-Structural Carbohydrates, Carbon and Nitrogen Concentrations in Two Temperate Tree Species to 10-Year Nitrogen Fertilization. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13020302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term nitrogen fertilization on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and nitrogen (N) status and their interaction in mature trees at the whole-tree scale. Ten g N m−2 yr−1 of ammonium nitrate fertilizer were applied to 26-year-old Larix gmelinii Rupr. (larch) and Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr. (ash) trees in Northeastern China from 2002 to 2012. NSC, total carbon (C) and total N concentrations in different compartments were examined. For both species, concentrations of NSC and their components (soluble sugars and starch) tended to increase in aboveground organs but decrease in fine roots following N fertilization, with significant (p < 0.05) changes only observed in ash stems and larch roots. N fertilization increased N concentrations and decreased the C:N ratio in all organs, especially in foliage and roots, while the effects of fertilization on total C concentrations varied with tree species and organs. Concentrations of NSC (mainly reflected in soluble sugar) were generally negatively correlated with N concentration in fine roots but positively related to N concentration in aboveground woody organs in both control and fertilized treatments. However, fertilization strengthened this correlation in fine roots and weakened this relationship in aboveground organs. This study provides a decade-long insight into the effect of currently increasing N deposition on tree growth and function.
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22
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Ning Z, Li Y, Zhao X, Han D, Zhan J. Comparison of Leaf and Fine Root Traits Between Annuals and Perennials, Implicating the Mechanism of Species Changes in Desertified Grasslands. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:778547. [PMID: 35185947 PMCID: PMC8854787 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.778547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Annual species show traits, such as shortleaf lifetimes, higher specific leaf area, and leaf nutrient concentrations, that provided a more rapid resource acquisition compared to perennials. However, the comparison of root traits between the annuals and perennials is extremely limited, as well as the trade-offs of leaf and fine root traits, and resource allocation between leaf and root, which may provide insight into the mechanism of species changes in arid and semi-arid areas. With lab analysis and field observation, 12 traits of leaf and fine root of 54 dominant species from Horqin Sandy Land, Northeastern China were measured. The organization of leaf and fine root traits, and coordination between leaf and fine root traits of annual and perennial plants were examined. Results showed that there were differences between annuals and perennials in several leaves and fine root traits important in resource acquisition and conservation. Annuals had higher leaf area (LA), specific LA (SLA), and specific root length (SRL) but lower leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf carbon concentration (LC), and fine root dry-matter content (FRDMC) than perennials. Leaf nitrogen (LN) concentration and fine root nitrogen concentration (FRN) were negatively related to LTD and FRDMC in annuals, while FRN was positively related to FRTD and fine root carbon concentration (FRC), and LA was positively related to LN in perennials. These implied that annuals exhibited tough tissue and low palatability, but perennials tend to have smaller leaves to reduce metabolism when N is insufficient. Annuals showed significant positive correlations between FRC/FRDMC and LDMC/LTD/LC, suggesting a proportional allocation of photosynthate between leaf and fine root. In perennials, significant negative correlations were detected between LN, LC, and SRL, fine root tissue density (FRTD), as well as between LA and FRTD/FRC. These indicated that perennials tend to allocate more photosynthate to construct a deeper and rigid roots system to improve resource absorption capacity in resource-limited habitats. Our findings suggested that annuals and perennials differed considerably in terms of adaptation, resource acquisition, and allocation strategies, which might be partly responsible for species changes in desertified grasslands. More broadly, this work might be conducive to understand the mechanism of species changes and could also provide support to the management and restoration of desertified grassland in arid and semi-arid areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Ning
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Li
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xueyong Zhao
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dan Han
- Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Industries Demonstration Zone, Xi’an, China
| | - Jin Zhan
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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23
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Ávila-Lovera E, Goldsmith GR, Kay KM, Funk JL. Above- and below-ground functional trait coordination in the Neotropical understory genus Costus. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plab073. [PMID: 35035869 PMCID: PMC8757582 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The study of plant functional traits and variation among and within species can help illuminate functional coordination and trade-offs in key processes that allow plants to grow, reproduce and survive. We studied 20 leaf, above-ground stem, below-ground stem and fine-root traits of 17 Costus species from forests in Costa Rica and Panama to answer the following questions: (i) Do congeneric species show above-ground and below-ground trait coordination and trade-offs consistent with theory of resource acquisition and conservation? (ii) Is there correlated evolution among traits? (iii) Given the diversity of habitats over which Costus occurs, what is the relative contribution of site and species to trait variation? We performed a principal components analysis (PCA) to assess for the existence of a spectrum of trait variation and found that the first two PCs accounted for 21.4 % and 17.8 % of the total trait variation, respectively, with the first axis of variation being consistent with a continuum of resource-acquisitive and resource-conservative traits in water acquisition and use, and the second axis of variation being related to the leaf economics spectrum. Stomatal conductance was negatively related to both above-ground stem and rhizome specific density, and these relationships became stronger after accounting for evolutionary relatedness, indicating correlated evolution. Despite elevation and climatic differences among sites, high trait variation was ascribed to individuals rather than to sites. We conclude that Costus species present trait coordination and trade-offs that allow species to be categorized as having a resource-acquisitive or resource-conservative functional strategy, consistent with a whole-plant functional strategy with evident coordination and trade-offs between above-ground and below-ground function. Our results also show that herbaceous species and species with rhizomes tend to agree with trade-offs found in more species-rich comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleinis Ávila-Lovera
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Gregory R Goldsmith
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Kathleen M Kay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Jennifer L Funk
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
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Siqueira JA, Otoni WC, Araújo WL. The hidden half comes into the spotlight: Peeking inside the black box of root developmental phases. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100246. [PMID: 35059627 PMCID: PMC8760039 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2021.100246] [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: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Efficient use of natural resources (e.g., light, water, and nutrients) can be improved with a tailored developmental program that maximizes the lifetime and fitness of plants. In plant shoots, a developmental phase represents a time window in which the meristem triggers the development of unique morphological and physiological traits, leading to the emergence of leaves, flowers, and fruits. Whereas developmental phases in plant shoots have been shown to enhance food production in crops, this phenomenon has remained poorly investigated in roots. In light of recent advances, we suggest that root development occurs in three main phases: root apical meristem appearance, foraging, and senescence. We provide compelling evidence suggesting that these phases are regulated by at least four developmental pathways: autonomous, non-autonomous, hormonal, and periodic. Root developmental pathways differentially coordinate organ plasticity, promoting morphological alterations, tissue regeneration, and cell death regulation. Furthermore, we suggest how nutritional checkpoints may allow progression through the developmental phases, thus completing the root life cycle. These insights highlight novel and exciting advances in root biology that may help maximize the productivity of crops through more sustainable agriculture and the reduced use of chemical fertilizers.
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Ji L, Liu Y, Wang J, Lu Z, Zhang L, Yang Y. Differential Variation in Non-structural Carbohydrates in Root Branch Orders of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. Seedlings Across Different Drought Intensities and Soil Substrates. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:692715. [PMID: 34956247 PMCID: PMC8692739 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.692715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) facilitate plant adaptation to drought stress, characterize tree growth and survival ability, and buffer against external disturbances. Previous studies have focused on the distribution and dynamics of NSCs among different plant organs under drought conditions. However, discussion about the NSC levels of fine roots in different root branch orders is limited, especially the relationship between fine root trait variation and NSC content. The objective of the study was to shed light on the synergistic variation in fine root traits and NSC content in different root branch orders under different drought and soil substrate conditions. The 2-year-old Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. potted seedlings were planted in three different soil substrates (humus, loam, and sandy-loam soil) and subjected to four drought intensities (CK, mild drought, moderate drought, and severe drought) for 2 months. With increasing drought intensity, the biomass of fine roots decreased significantly. Under the same drought intensity, seedlings in sandy-loam soil had higher root biomass, and the coefficient of variation of 5th-order roots (37.4, 44.5, and 53% in humus, loam, and sandy-loam soil, respectively) was higher than that of lower-order roots. All branch order roots of seedlings in humus soil had the largest specific root length (SRL) and specific root surface area (SRA), in addition to the lowest diameter. With increasing drought intensity, the SRL and average diameter (AD) of all root branch orders increased and decreased, respectively. The fine roots in humus soil had a higher soluble sugar (SS) content and lower starch (ST) content compared to the loam and sandy-loam soil. Additionally, the SS and ST contents of fine roots showed decreasing and increasing tendencies with increasing drought intensities, respectively. SS and ST explained the highest degree of the total variation in fine root traits, which were 32 and 32.1%, respectively. With increasing root order, the explanation of the variation in root traits by ST decreased (only 6.8% for 5th-order roots). The observed response in terms of morphological traits of different fine root branch orders of F. mandshurica seedlings to resource fluctuations ensures the maintenance of a low cost-benefit ratio in the root system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ji
- Jilin Academy of Forestry, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Jilin Academy of Forestry, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Jilin Academy of Forestry, Changchun, China
| | - Zhimin Lu
- Jilin Academy of Forestry, Changchun, China
| | - Lijie Zhang
- School of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
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26
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Freschet GT, Pagès L, Iversen CM, Comas LH, Rewald B, Roumet C, Klimešová J, Zadworny M, Poorter H, Postma JA, Adams TS, Bagniewska‐Zadworna A, Bengough AG, Blancaflor EB, Brunner I, Cornelissen JHC, Garnier E, Gessler A, Hobbie SE, Meier IC, Mommer L, Picon‐Cochard C, Rose L, Ryser P, Scherer‐Lorenzen M, Soudzilovskaia NA, Stokes A, Sun T, Valverde‐Barrantes OJ, Weemstra M, Weigelt A, Wurzburger N, York LM, Batterman SA, Gomes de Moraes M, Janeček Š, Lambers H, Salmon V, Tharayil N, McCormack ML. A starting guide to root ecology: strengthening ecological concepts and standardising root classification, sampling, processing and trait measurements. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:973-1122. [PMID: 34608637 PMCID: PMC8518129 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the context of a recent massive increase in research on plant root functions and their impact on the environment, root ecologists currently face many important challenges to keep on generating cutting-edge, meaningful and integrated knowledge. Consideration of the below-ground components in plant and ecosystem studies has been consistently called for in recent decades, but methodology is disparate and sometimes inappropriate. This handbook, based on the collective effort of a large team of experts, will improve trait comparisons across studies and integration of information across databases by providing standardised methods and controlled vocabularies. It is meant to be used not only as starting point by students and scientists who desire working on below-ground ecosystems, but also by experts for consolidating and broadening their views on multiple aspects of root ecology. Beyond the classical compilation of measurement protocols, we have synthesised recommendations from the literature to provide key background knowledge useful for: (1) defining below-ground plant entities and giving keys for their meaningful dissection, classification and naming beyond the classical fine-root vs coarse-root approach; (2) considering the specificity of root research to produce sound laboratory and field data; (3) describing typical, but overlooked steps for studying roots (e.g. root handling, cleaning and storage); and (4) gathering metadata necessary for the interpretation of results and their reuse. Most importantly, all root traits have been introduced with some degree of ecological context that will be a foundation for understanding their ecological meaning, their typical use and uncertainties, and some methodological and conceptual perspectives for future research. Considering all of this, we urge readers not to solely extract protocol recommendations for trait measurements from this work, but to take a moment to read and reflect on the extensive information contained in this broader guide to root ecology, including sections I-VII and the many introductions to each section and root trait description. Finally, it is critical to understand that a major aim of this guide is to help break down barriers between the many subdisciplines of root ecology and ecophysiology, broaden researchers' views on the multiple aspects of root study and create favourable conditions for the inception of comprehensive experiments on the role of roots in plant and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire T. Freschet
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleCNRS2 route du CNRS09200MoulisFrance
| | - Loïc Pagès
- UR 1115 PSHCentre PACA, site AgroparcINRAE84914Avignon cedex 9France
| | - Colleen M. Iversen
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Louise H. Comas
- USDA‐ARS Water Management Research Unit2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg D, Suite 320Fort CollinsCO80526USA
| | - Boris Rewald
- Department of Forest and Soil SciencesUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesVienna1190Austria
| | - Catherine Roumet
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Jitka Klimešová
- Department of Functional EcologyInstitute of Botany CASDukelska 13537901TrebonCzech Republic
| | - Marcin Zadworny
- Institute of DendrologyPolish Academy of SciencesParkowa 562‐035KórnikPoland
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG‐2)Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbHD‐52425JülichGermany
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNSW2109Australia
| | | | - Thomas S. Adams
- Department of Plant SciencesThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
| | - Agnieszka Bagniewska‐Zadworna
- Department of General BotanyInstitute of Experimental BiologyFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUniwersytetu Poznańskiego 661-614PoznańPoland
| | - A. Glyn Bengough
- The James Hutton InstituteInvergowrie, Dundee,DD2 5DAUK
- School of Science and EngineeringUniversity of DundeeDundee,DD1 4HNUK
| | | | - Ivano Brunner
- Forest Soils and BiogeochemistrySwiss Federal Research Institute WSLZürcherstr. 1118903BirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Johannes H. C. Cornelissen
- Department of Ecological ScienceFaculty of ScienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamDe Boelelaan 1085Amsterdam1081 HVthe Netherlands
| | - Eric Garnier
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Forest DynamicsSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLZürcherstr. 1118903BirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Terrestrial EcosystemsETH Zurich8092ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt PaulMN55108USA
| | - Ina C. Meier
- Functional Forest EcologyUniversity of HamburgHaidkrugsweg 122885BarsbütelGermany
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation GroupDepartment of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchPO Box 476700 AAWageningenthe Netherlands
| | | | - Laura Rose
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleCNRS2 route du CNRS09200MoulisFrance
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)Senckenberganlage 2560325Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Peter Ryser
- Laurentian University935 Ramsey Lake RoadSudburyONP3E 2C6Canada
| | | | - Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia
- Environmental Biology DepartmentInstitute of Environmental SciencesCMLLeiden UniversityLeiden2300 RAthe Netherlands
| | - Alexia Stokes
- INRAEAMAPCIRAD, IRDCNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellier34000France
| | - Tao Sun
- Institute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyang110016China
| | - Oscar J. Valverde‐Barrantes
- International Center for Tropical BotanyDepartment of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFL33199USA
| | - Monique Weemstra
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- Systematic Botany and Functional BiodiversityInstitute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityJohannisallee 21-23Leipzig04103Germany
| | - Nina Wurzburger
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia140 E. Green StreetAthensGA30602USA
| | - Larry M. York
- Biosciences Division and Center for Bioenergy InnovationOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Sarah A. Batterman
- School of Geography and Priestley International Centre for ClimateUniversity of LeedsLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesMillbrookNY12545USA
| | - Moemy Gomes de Moraes
- Department of BotanyInstitute of Biological SciencesFederal University of Goiás1974690-900Goiânia, GoiásBrazil
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawley (Perth)WA 6009Australia
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaCrawley (Perth)WAAustralia
| | - Verity Salmon
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | - M. Luke McCormack
- Center for Tree ScienceMorton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Rt. 53LisleIL60532USA
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Jiang X, Jia X, Gao S, Jiang Y, Wei N, Han C, Zha T, Liu P, Tian Y, Qin S. Plant Nutrient Contents Rather Than Physical Traits Are Coordinated Between Leaves and Roots in a Desert Shrubland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:734775. [PMID: 34764966 PMCID: PMC8576145 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.734775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although leaf economics spectrum (LES) has been extensively tested with regional and global datasets, the correlation among functional traits of desert plants remains largely unclear. Moreover, examinations on whether and how leaf and root traits are coordinated have yielded mixed results. We investigated variations in leaf and fine-root traits across 48 species in a desert community of northern China to test the hypotheses that (1) the leaf-trait syndrome of plant species in desert shrublands follows the predictions of the global LES, and is paralleled by a similar root-trait syndrome, (2) functional traits related to nutrient contents and resource uptake are tightly coordinated between leaves and fine roots in desert ecosystems where plant growth is limited primarily by dry and nutrient-poor conditions, and (3) traits as well as their relationships vary among functional groups. Our results partially supported the LES theory. Specific leaf area (SLA) was correlated with leaf tissue density, phosphorus content, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, but not with leaf nitrogen content. Specific root length (SRL) was not correlated with other fine-root traits, and fine-root traits were largely independent of each other. Therefore, fine-root traits did not mirror the leaf-trait syndrome. Fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus contents, nitrogen-to-phosphorous ratio, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio all increased with analogous leaf traits, whereas SRL was not correlated with SLA. After phylogenetic effects were considered, nutrient contents and their ratios still displayed stronger coordination between leaves and fine roots than did SRL and SLA. The overall pattern of trait variations and relationships suggested differentiation among functional groups. Our results suggest that despite the absence of a root-trait syndrome, fine-root functions in the studied desert community were probably coordinated with leaf functions with respect to nutrient allocation and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Jia
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengjie Gao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Wei
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Han
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianshan Zha
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shugao Qin
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Weigelt A, Mommer L, Andraczek K, Iversen CM, Bergmann J, Bruelheide H, Fan Y, Freschet GT, Guerrero-Ramírez NR, Kattge J, Kuyper TW, Laughlin DC, Meier IC, van der Plas F, Poorter H, Roumet C, van Ruijven J, Sabatini FM, Semchenko M, Sweeney CJ, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, York LM, McCormack ML. An integrated framework of plant form and function: the belowground perspective. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:42-59. [PMID: 34197626 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant trait variation drives plant function, community composition and ecosystem processes. However, our current understanding of trait variation disproportionately relies on aboveground observations. Here we integrate root traits into the global framework of plant form and function. We developed and tested an overarching conceptual framework that integrates two recently identified root trait gradients with a well-established aboveground plant trait framework. We confronted our novel framework with published relationships between above- and belowground trait analogues and with multivariate analyses of above- and belowground traits of 2510 species. Our traits represent the leaf and root conservation gradients (specific leaf area, leaf and root nitrogen concentration, and root tissue density), the root collaboration gradient (root diameter and specific root length) and the plant size gradient (plant height and rooting depth). We found that an integrated, whole-plant trait space required as much as four axes. The two main axes represented the fast-slow 'conservation' gradient on which leaf and fine-root traits were well aligned, and the 'collaboration' gradient in roots. The two additional axes were separate, orthogonal plant size axes for height and rooting depth. This perspective on the multidimensional nature of plant trait variation better encompasses plant function and influence on the surrounding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Weigelt
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Karl Andraczek
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Colleen M Iversen
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Joana Bergmann
- Sustainable Grassland Systems, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Paulinenaue, 14641, Germany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 06108, Germany
| | - Ying Fan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Grégoire T Freschet
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station (SETE), National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Nathaly R Guerrero-Ramírez
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Biogeography, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jens Kattge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Functional Biogeography, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Thom W Kuyper
- Soil Biology Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel C Laughlin
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, 82071, USA
| | - Ina C Meier
- Functional Forest Ecology, Department of Biology, Universität Hamburg, Barsbüttel-Willinghusen, 22885, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Catherine Roumet
- CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, University Montpellier, Montpellier, 34293, France
| | - Jasper van Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
| | - Francesco Maria Sabatini
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 06108, Germany
| | - Marina Semchenko
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51005, Estonia
| | - Christopher J Sweeney
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Larry M York
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - M Luke McCormack
- The Root Lab, Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, 60515, USA
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Li Z, Wan L, Li S, Li X, He F, Tong Z. Plastic response of Medicago sativa L. root system traits and cold resistance to simulated rainfall events. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11962. [PMID: 34589294 PMCID: PMC8435203 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change (rainfall events and global warming) affects the survival of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in winter. Appropriate water management can quickly reduce the mortality of alfalfa during winter. To determine how changes in water affect the cold resistance of alfalfa, we explored the root system traits under different rainfall events and the effects on cold resistance in three alfalfa cultivars. These were exposed to three simulated rainfall events (SRE) × two phases in a randomized complete block design with six replications. The three cultivars were WL168, WL353 and WL440, and the three SRE were irrigation once every second day (D2), every four days (D4) and every eight days (D8). There were two phases: before cold acclimation and after cold acclimation. Our results demonstrated that a period of exposure to low temperature was required for alfalfa to achieve maximum cold resistance. The root system tended toward herringbone branching under D8, compared with D2 and D4, and demonstrated greater root biomass, crown diameter, root volume, average link length and topological index. Nevertheless, D8 had less lateral root length, root surface area, specific root length, root forks and fractal dimensions. Greater root biomass and topological index were beneficial to cold resistance in alfalfa, while more lateral roots and root forks inhibited its ability to survive winter. Alfalfa roots had higher proline, soluble sugar and starch content in D8 than in D2 and D4. In contrast, there was lower malondialdehyde in D8, indicating that alfalfa had better cold resistance following a longer irrigation interval before winter. After examining root biomass, root system traits and physiological indexes we concluded that WL168 exhibited stronger cold resistance. Our results contribute to greater understanding of root and cold stress, consequently providing references for selection of cultivars and field water management to improve cold resistance of alfalfa in the context of changes in rainfall patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhensong Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liqiang Wan
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianglin Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng He
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zongyong Tong
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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The Exudation of Surplus Products Links Plant Functional Traits and Plant-Microbial Stoichiometry. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10080840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The rhizosphere is a hot spot of soil microbial activity and is largely fed by root exudation. The carbon (C) exudation flux, coupled with plant growth, is considered a strategy of plants to facilitate nutrient uptake. C exudation is accompanied by a release of nutrients. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) co-limit the productivity of the plant-microbial system. Therefore, the C:N:P stoichiometry of exudates should be linked to plant nutrient economies, plant functional traits (PFT) and soil nutrient availability. We aimed to identify the strongest links in C:N:P stoichiometry among all rhizosphere components. A total of eight grass species (from conservative to exploitative) were grown in pots under two different soil C:nutrient conditions for a month. As a result, a wide gradient of plant–microbial–soil interactions were created. A total of 43 variables of plants, exudates, microbial and soil C:N:P stoichiometry, and PFTs were evaluated. The variables were merged into four groups in a network analysis, allowing us to identify the strongest connections among the variables and the biological meaning of these groups. The plant–soil interactions were shaped by soil N availability. Faster-growing plants were associated with lower amounts of mineral N (and P) in the soil solution, inducing a stronger competition for N with microorganisms in the rhizosphere compared to slower-growing plants. The plants responded by enhancing their N use efficiency and root:shoot ratio, and they reduced N losses via exudation. Root growth was supported either by reallocated foliar reserves or by enhanced ammonium uptake, which connected the specific leaf area (SLA) to the mineral N availability in the soil. Rapid plant growth enhanced the exudation flux. The exudates were rich in C and P relative to N compounds and served to release surplus metabolic products. The exudate C:N:P stoichiometry and soil N availability combined to shape the microbial stoichiometry, and N and P mining. In conclusion, the exudate flux and its C:N:P stoichiometry reflected the plant growth rate and nutrient constraints with a high degree of reliability. Furthermore, it mediated the plant–microbial interactions in the rhizosphere.
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Endo I, Kobatake M, Tanikawa N, Nakaji T, Ohashi M, Makita N. Anatomical patterns of condensed tannin in fine roots of tree species from a cool-temperate forest. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:59-71. [PMID: 33608716 PMCID: PMC8318258 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Condensed tannin (CT) is an important compound in plant biological structural defence and for tolerance of herbivory and environmental stress. However, little is known of the role and location of CT within the fine roots of woody plants. To understand the role of CT in fine roots across diverse species of woody dicot, we evaluated the localization of CT that accumulated in root tissue, and examined its relationships with the stele and cortex tissue in cross-sections of roots in 20 tree species forming different microbial symbiotic groups (ectomycorrhiza and arbuscular mycorrhiza). METHODS In a cool-temperate forest in Japan, cross-sections of sampled roots in different branching order classes, namely, first order, second to third order, fourth order, and higher than fourth order (higher order), were measured in terms of the length-based ratios of stele diameter and cortex thickness to root diameter. All root samples were then stained with ρ-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde solution and we determined the ratio of localized CT accumulation area to the root cross-section area (CT ratio). KEY RESULTS Stele ratio tended to increase with increasing root order, whereas cortex ratio either remained unchanged or decreased with increasing order in all species. The CT ratio was significantly positively correlated to the stele ratio and negatively correlated to the cortex ratio in second- to fourth-order roots across species during the shift from primary to secondary root growth. Ectomycorrhiza-associated species mostly had a higher stele ratio and lower cortex ratio than arbuscular mycorrhiza-associated species across root orders. Compared with arbuscular mycorrhiza species, there was greater accumulation of CT in response to changes in the root order of ectomycorrhiza species. CONCLUSIONS Different development patterns of the stele, cortex and CT accumulation along the transition from root tip to secondary roots could be distinguished between different mycorrhizal associations. The CT in tissues in different mycorrhizal associations could help with root protection in specific branching orders during shifts in stele and cortex development before and during cork layer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izuki Endo
- School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Miwa Kobatake
- Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
| | - Natsuko Tanikawa
- Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
| | - Tatsuro Nakaji
- Uryu Experimental Forest, Hokkaido University, Moshiri, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mizue Ohashi
- School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Naoki Makita
- Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
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Primka EJ, Adams TS, Buck A, Eissenstat DM. Topographical shifts in fine root lifespan in a mixed, mesic temperate forest. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254672. [PMID: 34260660 PMCID: PMC8279377 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Root lifespan, often is estimated in landscape- and ecosystem-level carbon models using linear approximations. In water manipulation experiments, fine root lifespan can vary with soil water content. Soil water content is generally structured by complex topography, which is largely unaccounted for in landscape- and ecosystem-scale carbon models. Topography governs the range of soil water content experienced by roots which may impact their lifespan. We hypothesized that root lifespan varied nonlinearly across a temperate, mesic, forested catchment due to differences in soil water content associated with topographic position. We expected regions of the landscape that were too wet or too dry would have soils that were not optimal for roots and thus result in shorter root lifespans. Specifically, we hypothesized that root lifespan would be longest in areas that consistently had soil water content in the middle of the soil water content spectrum, while in soils at either very low or very high soil water content, root lifespan would be relatively short. We tested this hypothesis by collecting and analyzing two years of minirhizotron and soil moisture data in plots widely distributed in the Shale Hills catchment of the Susquehanna-Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory in Pennsylvania. We found that fine root lifespans were longer in traditionally wetter topographic regions, but detected no short term (biweekly) effect of soil moisture on root lifespan. Additionally, depth in soil, soil series, slope face orientation, and season of birth strongly affected root lifespans across the catchment. In contrast, lifespan was unaffected by root diameter or mycorrhizal association. Failure to account for these variables could result in erroneous estimates of fine root lifespan and, consequentially, carbon flux in temperate forested regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward J. Primka
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Thomas S. Adams
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Buck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David M. Eissenstat
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Ecology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Marqués L, Peltier DMP, Camarero JJ, Zavala MA, Madrigal-González J, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Ogle K. Disentangling the Legacies of Climate and Management on Tree Growth. Ecosystems 2021; 25:215-235. [PMID: 35210936 PMCID: PMC8827397 DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00650-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLegacies of past climate conditions and historical management govern forest productivity and tree growth. Understanding how these processes interact and the timescales over which they influence tree growth is critical to assess forest vulnerability to climate change. Yet, few studies address this issue, likely because integrated long-term records of both growth and forest management are uncommon. We applied the stochastic antecedent modelling (SAM) framework to annual tree-ring widths from mixed forests to recover the ecological memory of tree growth. We quantified the effects of antecedent temperature and precipitation up to 4 years preceding the year of ring formation and integrated management effects with records of harvesting intensity from historical forest management archives. The SAM approach uncovered important time periods most influential to growth, typically the warmer and drier months or seasons, but variation among species and sites emerged. Silver fir responded primarily to past climate conditions (25–50 months prior to the year of ring formation), while European beech and Scots pine responded mostly to climate conditions during the year of ring formation and the previous year, although these responses varied among sites. Past management and climate interacted in such a way that harvesting promoted growth in young silver fir under wet and warm conditions and in old European beech under drier and cooler conditions. Our study shows that the ecological memory associated with climate legacies and historical forest management is species-specific and context-dependent, suggesting that both aspects are needed to properly evaluate forest functioning under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marqués
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich), Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Edificio Ciencias, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Drew M. P. Peltier
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
| | - J. Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, (IPE–CSIC), Avda. Montañana, 1005, 50192 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Zavala
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Edificio Ciencias, Campus Universitario, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Madrigal-González
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene, University of Geneva, 66 Boulevard Carl Vogt, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Ecología, Edafología, Parasitología, Química agrícola, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Kiona Ogle
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011 USA
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Lu C, Kotze DJ, Setälä HM. Evergreen trees stimulate carbon accumulation in urban soils via high root production and slow litter decomposition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 774:145129. [PMID: 33609825 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban soils can, when not sealed, store a considerable amount of carbon (C) especially under cool climates. Soil C sequestration is controlled by plant functional type, but the mechanisms by which plant types affect C accumulation in urbanised settings is poorly known. We selected 27 urban parks of varying ages (young: 5-15, old: >70 years) and 10 reference forests (>80 years) in southern Finland to study whether the ability of soils to store C relates to (i) the decomposition rate of different litter types (recalcitrant vs. labile), and/or (ii) organic matter (OM) input via root production among three common plant functional types (deciduous trees, evergreen trees, grass/lawn). Our results suggest that the high soil C accumulation under evergreen trees can result from low needle litter decomposability, accompanied by a low soil CO2 efflux. Furthermore, high root production by evergreen trees compared to deciduous trees and lawns, likely reflects the high % OM under evergreen trees. We showed that plant effects on C inputs and outputs are modulated, either directly or indirectly, by park age so that these effects are accentuated in old parks. Our results suggest that despite the capacity of evergreen trees to accumulate C in soils in urban parks, this capacity is far less compared to soils in forests of the same age. OM content under deciduous trees did not differ between old parks and reference forests, suggesting that the raking of leaves in the fall has a surprisingly small impact on OM and C accumulation in urban parks. Soil OM content is an important measure that controls various ecosystem services in cities and elsewhere. Therefore, increasing the proportion of evergreen trees in urban parks in cool cities is a good option to boost the ecosystem services capacity in the often strongly disturbed urban soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyi Lu
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, FIN-15140 Lahti, Finland.
| | - D Johan Kotze
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, FIN-15140 Lahti, Finland
| | - Heikki M Setälä
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Niemenkatu 73, FIN-15140 Lahti, Finland
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Pierick K, Leuschner C, Homeier J. Topography as a factor driving small-scale variation in tree fine root traits and root functional diversity in a species-rich tropical montane forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:129-138. [PMID: 33278844 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the variation in tree fine root traits and their functional diversity along a local topographic gradient in a Neotropical montane forest to test if fine root trait variation along the gradient is consistent with the predictions of the root economics spectrum on a shift from acquisitive to conservative traits with decreasing resource supply. We measured five fine root functional traits in 179 randomly selected tree individuals of 100 species and analysed the variation of single traits (using Bayesian phylogenetic multilevel models) and of functional trait diversity with small-scale topography. Fine roots exhibited more conservative traits (thicker diameters, lower specific root length and nitrogen concentration) at upper slope compared with lower slope positions, but the largest proportion of variation (40-80%) was explained by species identity and phylogeny. Fine root functional diversity decreased towards the upper slopes. Our results suggest that local topography and the related soil fertility and moisture gradients cause considerable small-scale variation in fine root traits and functional diversity along tropical mountain slopes, with conservative root traits and greater trait convergence being associated with less favourable soil conditions due to environmental filtering. We provide evidence of a high degree of phylogenetic conservation in fine root traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Pierick
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Christoph Leuschner
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
- Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Büsgenweg 1, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
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Taseski GM, Keith DA, Dalrymple RL, Cornwell WK. Shifts in fine root traits within and among species along a fine-scale hydrological gradient. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:473-481. [PMID: 32966560 PMCID: PMC7988525 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Lessons from above-ground trait ecology and resource economics theory may not be directly translatable to below-ground traits due to differences in function, trade-offs and environmental constraints. Here we examine root functional traits within and across species along a fine-scale hydrological gradient. We ask two related questions: (1) What is the relative magnitude of trait variation across the gradient for within- versus among-species variation? (2) Do correlations among below-ground plant traits conform with predictions from resource-economic spectrum theory? METHODS We sampled four below-ground fine-root traits (specific root length, branching intensity, root tissue density and root dry matter content) and four above-ground traits (specific leaf area, leaf size, plant height and leaf dry matter content) in vascular plants along a fine-scale hydrological gradient within a wet heathland community in south-eastern Australia. Below-ground and above-ground traits were sampled both within and among species. KEY RESULTS Root traits shifted both within and among species across the hydrological gradient. Within- and among-species patterns for root tissue density showed similar declines towards the wetter end of the gradient. Other root traits showed a variety of patterns with respect to within- and among-species variation. Filtering of species has a stronger effect compared with the average within-species shift: the slopes of the relationships between soil moisture and traits were steeper across species than slopes of within species. Between species, below-ground traits were only weakly linked to each other and to above-ground traits, but these weak links did in some cases correspond with predictions from economic theory. CONCLUSIONS One of the challenges of research on root traits has been considerable intraspecific variation. Here we show that part of intraspecific root trait variation is structured by a fine-scale hydrological gradient, and that the variation aligns with among-species trends in some cases. Patterns in root tissue density are especially intriguing and may play an important role in species and individual response to moisture conditions. Given the importance of roots in the uptake of resources, and in carbon and nutrient turnover, it is vital that we establish patterns of root trait variation across environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy M Taseski
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David A Keith
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rhiannon L Dalrymple
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - William K Cornwell
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Schwieger S, Blume-Werry G, Ciesiolka F, Anadon-Rosell A. Root biomass and root traits of Alnus glutinosa show size-dependent and opposite patterns in a drained and a rewetted forest peatland. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:337-346. [PMID: 33211793 PMCID: PMC7872119 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Forest peatlands represent 25 % of global peatlands and store large amounts of carbon (C) as peat. Traditionally they have been drained in order to increase forestry yield, which may cause large losses of C from the peat. Rewetting aims to stop these losses and to restore the initial storage function of the peatlands. As roots represent major peat-forming elements in these systems, we sampled roots with diameter <5 mm in a drained and a rewetted forest peatland in north-east Germany to evaluate differences in tree biomass investments below ground, root functional characteristics and root age. METHODS We cored soil next to Alnus glutinosa stems and sorted root biomass into <1, 1-2 and 2-5 mm diameter classes. We measured biomass distribution and specific root area (SRA) in 10-cm depth increments down to 50 cm, and estimated root age from annual growth rings. KEY RESULTS Root biomass in the rewetted site was more than double that in the drained site. This difference was mostly driven by very fine roots <1 mm, which accounted for 51 % of the total root biomass and were mostly (75 %) located in the upper 20 cm. For roots <1 mm, SRA did not differ between the sites. However, SRA of the 1-2 mm and 2-5 mm diameter roots was higher in the drained than in the rewetted site. Root age did not differ between sites. CONCLUSIONS The size-dependent opposite patterns between root biomass and their functional characteristics under contrasting water regimes indicate differences between fine and coarse roots in their response to environmental changes. Root age distribution points to similar root turnover rates between the sites, while higher root biomass in the rewetted site clearly indicates larger tree C stocks below ground under rewetting, supporting the C sink function of the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schwieger
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gesche Blume-Werry
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Felix Ciesiolka
- Experimental Plant Ecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
- Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alba Anadon-Rosell
- Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University, Greifswald, Germany
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Zhang H, He Q, Pandey SP, Jiang K, Wang C. Can Overgrazing Responses Be Disentangled by Above- and Below-Ground Traits? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.573948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding functional traits that capture species response to overgrazing can help optimize ecosystem functioning. However, most studies have ignored the effects of life-form on the response of above- and below-ground traits to overgrazing. Here, we determined whether the above- and below-ground traits respond similarly to overgrazing; and does the response of above- and below-ground traits to overgrazing vary between the species of annual vs. perennial life-forms. We compared common grassland species between fenced and overgrazed meadows at four elevations (from 3000 to 3600 m), spanning an area of ∼200 square kilometers on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We found overgrazing resulted in large removal of perennial species at all elevations, which forced perennial species to alter their above- and below-ground traits so that they could shift from resource conservation to resource acquisition to avoid overgrazing. In contrast, overgrazing promoted annual species at all elevation, thus annual species did not make any response to overgrazing. These findings bridge the gap in the literature for the influence of annual vs. perennial life-forms on species-specific response at both above-, and below-ground levels during overgrazing. More important, these results can facilitate selecting species for sustainable ecosystem managements and restoration from overgrazing.
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Withington JM, Goebel M, Bułaj B, Oleksyn J, Reich PB, Eissenstat DM. Remarkable Similarity in Timing of Absorptive Fine-Root Production Across 11 Diverse Temperate Tree Species in a Common Garden. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:623722. [PMID: 33584764 PMCID: PMC7875864 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.623722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Long-term minirhizotron observations of absorptive fine roots provide insights into seasonal patterns of belowground root production and carbon dynamics. Our objective was to compare root dynamics over time across mature individuals of 11 temperate trees species: five evergreen and six deciduous. We analyzed the timing and growth on 1st-and 2nd-order roots in minirhizotron images down to a vertical depth of 35 cm, as well as monthly and total annual length production. Production patterns were related to total annual precipitation of the actual and previous year of root production over 6 years. The main or largest peak of annual fine-root production occurred between June and September for almost all species and years. In most years, when peaks occurred, the timing of peak root production was synchronized across all species. A linear mixed model revealed significant differences in monthly fine-root length production across species in certain years (species x year, P < 0.0001), which was strongly influenced by three tree species. Total annual root production was much higher in 2000-2002, when there was above-average rainfall in the previous year, compared with production in 2005-2007, which followed years of lower-than-average rainfall (2003-2006). Compared to the wetter period all species experienced a decline of at least 75% in annual production in the drier years. Total annual root length production was more strongly associated with previous year's (P < 0.001) compared with the actual year's precipitation (P = 0.003). Remarkably similar timing of monthly absorptive fine-root growth can occur across multiple species of diverse phylogeny and leaf habit in a given year, suggesting a strong influence of extrinsic factors on absorptive fine-root growth. The influence of previous year precipitation on annual absorptive fine-root growth underscores the importance of legacy effects in biological responses and suggests that a growth response of temperate trees to extreme precipitation or drought events can be exacerbated across years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Withington
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, United States
| | - Marc Goebel
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Bartosz Bułaj
- Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jacek Oleksyn
- Department of Forest Resources, The University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, The University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - David M. Eissenstat
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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40
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Gap Size in Hyrcanian Forest Affects the Lignin and N Concentrations of the Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) Fine Roots but Does Not Change Their Morphological Traits in the Medium Term. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12020137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlights: Fine roots play an important role in plant growth as well as in carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Gaining a wider knowledge of their dynamics under forest gap opening would improve our understanding of soil carbon input and below-ground carbon stock accumulation. Single-tree selection is increasingly recognized as an alternative regime of selection cutting sustaining biodiversity and carbon stock, along with timber production, among ecosystem functions. However, the fine root response in terms of morphological and chemical composition to the resulting harvest-created gaps remains unclear. Background and Objectives: This paper investigates the effect in the medium term (i.e., 6 years after logging) of differently sized harvest-created gaps on fine root dynamics and chemical composition. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 differently sized gaps (86.05–350.7 m2) and the adjacent 20 m distant closed canopies (control) were selected in a temperate Fagus orientalis forest (Hyrcanian region, Iran). Eight soil cores were collected at the cardinal points of the gap edge, including four facing the gap area—the same at the adjacent intact forest. Results: For the selected edge trees, the different size of gaps, the core position, and the tree orientation did not affect the investigated morphological traits, except for the slightly higher specific root length (SRL) for the larger fine root fraction (1–2 mm) in the side facing the gap area. Differently, the investigated chemical traits such as N concentration and cellulose:lignin ratio significantly increased with increasing gap size, the opposite for C:N ratio and lignin. Moreover, N concentration and C:N significantly decreased and increased with the fine root diameter, respectively. Conclusions: This work highlighted that, in the medium term and within the adopted size range, artificial gap opening derived from single-tree selection practice affected the chemistry rather than the biomass and morphology of gap-facing fine roots of edge trees. The medium term of six years after gap creation might have been long enough for the recovery of the fine root standing biomass to the pre-harvest condition, particularly near the stem of edge trees. A clear size threshold did not come out; nevertheless, 300 m2 may be considered a possible cut-off determining a marked change in the responses of fine roots.
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41
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Keller AB, Brzostek ER, Craig ME, Fisher JB, Phillips RP. Root‐derived inputs are major contributors to soil carbon in temperate forests, but vary by mycorrhizal type. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:626-635. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B. Keller
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington IM USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USA
| | | | - Matthew E. Craig
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Joshua B. Fisher
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and EngineeringUniversity of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
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42
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Han M, Zhu B. Linking root respiration to chemistry and morphology across species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:190-201. [PMID: 33058350 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Root respiration is a critical physiological trait involved in root resource acquisition strategies, yet it is less represented in root trait syndrome. Here we compiled a large dataset of root respiration associated with root chemical and morphological traits from 245 plant species. Our results demonstrated that root respiration correlated positively with root nitrogen concentration (RNC) and negatively with root tissue density (RTD) across and within woody and non-woody species. However, the relationships between root respiration and specific root length (SRL) and root diameter (RD) were weak or even insignificant. Such root respiration-traits relationships were not completely in line with predictions by the root economics spectrum (RES). Furthermore, the principal component analysis showed that root trait syndrome was multidimensional. Root respiration was associated more strongly with the RNC-RTD axis (the classical RES) than with the orthogonal SRL-RD axis for woody species, but not for non-woody species. Collectively, the linkages of root physiological, chemical, and morphological traits provide a better understanding of root trait covariation and root resource acquisition strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengguang Han
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Biao Zhu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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43
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Lozano YM, Aguilar‐Trigueros CA, Flaig IC, Rillig MC. Root trait responses to drought are more heterogeneous than leaf trait responses. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yudi M. Lozano
- Plant Ecology Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Carlos A. Aguilar‐Trigueros
- Plant Ecology Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
| | - Isabel C. Flaig
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Matthias C. Rillig
- Plant Ecology Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Berlin‐Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) Berlin Germany
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44
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Nikolova PS, Bauerle TL, Häberle KH, Blaschke H, Brunner I, Matyssek R. Fine-Root Traits Reveal Contrasting Ecological Strategies in European Beech and Norway Spruce During Extreme Drought. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1211. [PMID: 32903505 PMCID: PMC7438540 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Trees adjust multiple structural and functional organ-specific characteristics, "traits", to cope with diverse soil conditions. Studies on traits are widely used to uncover ecological species adaptability to varying environments. However, fine-root traits are rarely studied for methodological reasons. We analyzed the adaptability of the fine-root systems of European beech and Norway spruce to extreme drought within species-specific tree groups at Kranzberger Forst (Germany), focusing on the seasonality of morphological, physiological, and biochemical key traits in view of carbon (C) and nitrogen dynamics. We hypothesized that fine roots of both species adjust to seasonal drought: with beech representing a "fast" (i.e. with fast C turnover), and spruce a "slow" (i.e. with long-term C retention) ecological strategy. We identified three functional fine-root categories, based on root function (absorptive or transport fine roots), and mycorrhizal status of the absorptive fine-roots (mycorrhizal or non-mycorrhizal). Solely the non-mycorrhizal absorptive roots adjusted in a species-specific manner supporting fine-root ecological strategy hypothesis. During drought, beech produced thin ephemeral (absorptive non-mycorrhizal) fine roots with high specific fine-root area and high respiratory activity, representing fast C turnover and enabling effective resource exploitation. These adjustments reflect a "fast" ecological strategy. Conversely, spruce absorptive fine roots did not respond to the soil moisture deficit by growth but instead increased root suberization. Drastically lowered respiratory activity of this functional category facilitated C retention and structural persistence during drought, indicating a "slow" ecological strategy in spruce. Absorptive mycorrhizal fine roots maintained respiration throughout the drought event in both tree species, but in spruce this was the only fine-root category with high respiration. This suggests, that spruce relies heavily on mycorrhizal associations as a method of drought resistance. Accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates and high C concentrations were observed in the transport fine roots of both species, indicating drought-induced osmotic protection of these roots. Thus, functional classification enabled us to determine that fine-root branches of each species are not tied to one sole ecological strategy. The suggested approach helps to better understand the complex interplay between structure and function belowground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petia Simeonova Nikolova
- Forest Resources and Management, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Taryn L. Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Karl-Heinz Häberle
- Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Helmut Blaschke
- Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Ivano Brunner
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Matyssek
- Ecophysiology of Plants, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
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45
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Qi Y, Huang JL, Zhang SB. Correlated evolution of leaf and root anatomic traits in Dendrobium (Orchidaceae). AOB PLANTS 2020; 12:plaa034. [PMID: 32818052 PMCID: PMC7426005 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The whole-plant economic spectrum concept predicts that leaf and root traits evolve in coordination to cope with environmental stresses. However, this hypothesis is difficult to test in many species because their leaves and roots are exposed to different environments, above- and below-ground. In epiphytes, both leaves and roots are exposed to the atmosphere. Thus, we suspect there are consistent water conservation strategies in leaf and root traits of epiphytes due to similar selection pressures. Here, we measured the functional traits of 21 species in the genus Dendrobium, which is one of the largest epiphytic taxa in the family Orchidaceae, and used phylogenetically independent contrasts to test the relationships among traits, and between traits and the environment. Our results demonstrate that species with a thicker velamen tended to have thicker roots, a thicker root cortex and vascular cylinder, and a larger number of vessels in the root. Correspondingly, these species also had higher leaf mass per area, and thicker leaf lower cuticles. Leaf and root traits associated with water conservation showed significantly positive relationships. The number of velamen layers, leaf density and the ratio of vascular cylinder radius to root radius were significantly affected by the species' differing environments. Thus, traits related to water conservation and transport may play an important role in helping Dendrobium cope with the cool and dry conditions found at high elevations. These findings confirmed the hypothesis that leaf and root traits have evolved in coordination, and also provide insights into trait evolution and ecological adaptation in epiphytic orchids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Qi
- Key Laboratory for Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Lin Huang
- Key Laboratory for Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shi-Bao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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46
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Akatsuki M, Makita N. Influence of fine root traits on in situ exudation rates in four conifers from different mycorrhizal associations. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:1071-1079. [PMID: 32333786 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa051] [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: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots can exude organic compounds into the soil that are useful for plant survival because they can degrade microorganisms around the roots and enhance allelopathy against other plant invasions. We developed a method to collect carbon (C) exudation on a small scale from tree fine roots by C-free filter traps. We quantified total C through root exudation in four conifers from different microbial symbiotic groups (ectomycorrhiza (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM)) in a cool-temperate forest in Japan. We determined the relationship of mass-based exudation rate from three diameter classes (<0.5, 0.5-1.0, and 1.0-2.5 mm) of the intact root system with root traits such as morphological traits including root diameter, specific root length (SRL), specific root area (SRA), root tissue density (RTD) and chemical traits including root nitrogen (N) content and C/N. Across species, the mass-based root exudation rate was found to correlate with diameter, SRA, RTD, N and C/N. When comparing mycorrhizal types, there were significant relationships between the exudation and diameter, SRL, SRA, root N and C/N in ECM species; however, these were not significant in AM species. Our results show that relationships between in situ root exudation and every measured trait of morphology and chemistry were strongly driven by ECM roots and not by AM roots. These differences might explain the fact that ECM roots in this study potentially covaried by optimizing the exudation and root morphology in forest trees, while exudation in AM roots did not change with changes in root morphology. In addition, the contrasting results may be attributable to the effect of degree and position of ECM and AM colonization in fine root system. Differences in fine root exudation relationships to root morphology for the two types of mycorrhizae will help us better understand the underlying mechanisms of belowground C allocation in forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiko Akatsuki
- Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Naoki Makita
- Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
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47
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Lozano YM, Rillig MC. Effects of Microplastic Fibers and Drought on Plant Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:6166-6173. [PMID: 32289223 PMCID: PMC7241422 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics in soils can affect plant performance, as shown in studies using individual plants. However, we currently have no information about potential effects on plant community productivity and structure. In a plant community consisting of seven plant species that co-occur in temperate grassland ecosystems, we thus investigated the effect of microplastics (i.e., microfibers) and drought, a factor with which microfibers might interact, on plant productivity and community structure. Our results showed that at the community level, shoot and root mass decreased with drought but increased with microfibers, an effect likely linked to reduced soil bulk density, improved aeration, and better penetration of roots in the soil. Additionally, we observed that microfibers affected plant community structure. Species such as Calamagrostis, invasive in Europe, and the allelophatic Hieracium, became more dominant with microfibers, while species that potentially have the ability to facilitate the establishment of other plant species (e.g., Holcus), decreased in biomass. As microfibers affect plant species dominance, the examination of cascade effects on ecosystem functions should be a high priority for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudi M. Lozano
- Freie
Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology,
Plant Ecology, D-14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg
Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C. Rillig
- Freie
Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology,
Plant Ecology, D-14195, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg
Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195, Berlin, Germany
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48
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Zhang YL, Moser B, Li MH, Wohlgemuth T, Lei JP, Bachofen C. Contrasting Leaf Trait Responses of Conifer and Broadleaved Seedlings to Altered Resource Availability Are Linked to Resource Strategies. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9050621. [PMID: 32413963 PMCID: PMC7285355 DOI: 10.3390/plants9050621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
(1) Understanding tree seedling responses to water, nutrient, and light availability is crucial to precisely predict potential shifts in composition and structure of forest communities under future climatic conditions. (2) We exposed seedlings of widespread Central European tree species with contrasting leaf habit, deciduous broadleaves (DB) and evergreen conifers (EC), to factorial combinations of manipulated precipitation (100% and 50% of ambient), shade (40% and 60% of full sunlight), and nutrient availability (low and high NPK), and measured specific leaf area, C/N ratio, soluble sugars, starch and non-structural carbohydrate concentration, and δ13C of the leaves. (3) We found contrasting effects of water and nutrient availability on foliar traits of the two species groups: EC exhibited higher tolerance to low resource availability but also less plasticity in foliar traits, which is congruent with a “slow” resource strategy. In contrast, foliage of DB reacted particularly to altered nutrient availability, corresponding to a “fast” resource strategy with high foliar plasticity and rapid adjustments to resource fluctuations, commonly adopted by species with high growth rates. (4) We conclude that DB will respond to environmental change with foliar acclimation, while EC will either tolerate, to some extent, or shift their distribution range in response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Li Zhang
- Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Y.-L.Z.); (J.-P.L.)
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; (M.-H.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Barbara Moser
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; (M.-H.L.); (T.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mai-He Li
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; (M.-H.L.); (T.W.)
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Thomas Wohlgemuth
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; (M.-H.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Jing-Pin Lei
- Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (Y.-L.Z.); (J.-P.L.)
| | - Christoph Bachofen
- Environmental Sciences and Engineering, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
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49
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Root Traits Determine Variation in Nonstructural Carbohydrates (NSCs) under Different Drought Intensities and Soil Substrates in Three Temperate Tree Species. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11040415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) are a key factor in the physiological regulation of plants and can reflect buffering capacity of plants under diverse environmental conditions. The effects of diverse environmental conditions on plant NSCs and tissue or organ scales have been thoroughly studied, but their effects on fine root (root diameter < 2 mm) NSC concentrations are still not completely understood. Our aims were to explore the synergistic fluctuations in root traits and NSC concentrations under diverse environmental conditions. This study was conducted on two-year-old temperate seedling tree species (Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr., and Phellodendron amurense Rupr.) with different drought intensities and soil substrates. The specific root length (SRL) and specific root surface area (SRA) were significantly affected by drought intensities and soil substrates, while the root tissue density (RTD) and average diameter (AD) were not significantly affected by water intensities and soil substrates in all three species. The root C, N, and P concentration did not change according to drought stress but were significantly affected by the soil substrates in all three species. Similarly, the soluble sugar (SS) and starch (ST) concentrations were significantly affected by both the drought stress and the soil substrates in all three species. The AD explained 6.8% of the total variations in soluble sugar, while the SRL explains 32.1% of the total variation in starch. The root tip C, N, and P concentrations were not significantly correlated with NSCs under different treatments. The total variations in root tip morphology, chemistry, and NSC concentrations are greater among species than compared to different drought intensities and soil substrates. However, the root NSC concentrations were closely related to root morphological traits (SRL and AD) rather than chemical traits. On the basis of different soil resources, the species with thinner diameters have higher SS concentrations, while those of a thicker diameter have higher ST concentrations.
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50
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Weemstra M, Kiorapostolou N, Ruijven J, Mommer L, Vries J, Sterck F. The role of fine‐root mass, specific root length and life span in tree performance: A whole‐tree exploration. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Monique Weemstra
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Natasa Kiorapostolou
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
- Department Territorio e Sistemi Agro‐Forestali University of Padova Legnaro Italy
| | - Jasper Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Jorad Vries
- Centre for Crop System Analysis Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Frank Sterck
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Wageningen the Netherlands
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