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Hu Y, Li X, Wang S, Lv P, Yue P, Chen M, Zuo X. Patterns and driving factors of functional traits of desert species with different elevational distributions in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:371. [PMID: 38724940 PMCID: PMC11080261 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Variations in functional traits serve as measures of plants' ability to adapt to environment. Exploring the patterns of functional traits of desert plants along elevational gradients is helpful to understand the responses and adaptation strategies of species to changing environments. However, it is unknown whether the relationship between functional traits and elevation is affected by differences in the species' elevational distributions (elevation preference and species' range). Importantly, most researches have concerned with differences in mean trait values and ignored intraspecific trait variation. Here, we measured functional traits of desert plants along a wide elevational gradient in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas and explored functional trait patterns over elevation in species with different elevational distributions. We decomposed trait variation and further investigated characterizations of intraspecific variation. Ultimately, the main drivers of trait variation were identified using redundancy analysis. We found that species' elevational distributions significantly influenced the relationship of functional traits such as plant height, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, leaf nitrogen and carbon content with elevation. Species with a lower elevational preference showed greater trait variation than species with a higher elevational preference, suggesting that species that prefer high elevation are more conservative facing environmental changes. We provide evidence that interspecific trait variation in leaf thickness and leaf carbon content decreased with increasing species' range, indicating that increased variations in resistance traits within species make greater responsiveness to environmental changes, enabling species a wider range. Elevation, temperature and precipitation were the main drivers of trait variation in species with a low elevational preference, while the effect of precipitation on trait variation in species with a high elevational preference was not significant. This study sheds new insights on how plants with different elevational distributions regulate their ecological strategies to cope with changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiangyun Li
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Shaokun Wang
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Peng Lv
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Min Chen
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China.
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2
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Rauschkolb R, Bucher SF, Hensen I, Ahrends A, Fernández-Pascual E, Heubach K, Jakubka D, Jiménez-Alfaro B, König A, Koubek T, Kehl A, Khuroo AA, Lindstädter A, Shafee F, Mašková T, Platonova E, Panico P, Plos C, Primack R, Rosche C, Shah MA, Sporbert M, Stevens AD, Tarquini F, Tielbörger K, Träger S, Vange V, Weigelt P, Bonn A, Freiberg M, Knickmann B, Nordt B, Wirth C, Römermann C. Spatial variability in herbaceous plant phenology is mostly explained by variability in temperature but also by photoperiod and functional traits. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2024; 68:761-775. [PMID: 38285109 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02621-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Whereas temporal variability of plant phenology in response to climate change has already been well studied, the spatial variability of phenology is not well understood. Given that phenological shifts may affect biotic interactions, there is a need to investigate how the variability in environmental factors relates to the spatial variability in herbaceous species' phenology by at the same time considering their functional traits to predict their general and species-specific responses to future climate change. In this project, we analysed phenology records of 148 herbaceous species, which were observed for a single year by the PhenObs network in 15 botanical gardens. For each species, we characterised the spatial variability in six different phenological stages across gardens. We used boosted regression trees to link these variabilities in phenology to the variability in environmental parameters (temperature, latitude and local habitat conditions) as well as species traits (seed mass, vegetative height, specific leaf area and temporal niche) hypothesised to be related to phenology variability. We found that spatial variability in the phenology of herbaceous species was mainly driven by the variability in temperature but also photoperiod was an important driving factor for some phenological stages. In addition, we found that early-flowering and less competitive species characterised by small specific leaf area and vegetative height were more variable in their phenology. Our findings contribute to the field of phenology by showing that besides temperature, photoperiod and functional traits are important to be included when spatial variability of herbaceous species is investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Rauschkolb
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
| | - Solveig Franziska Bucher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Isabell Hensen
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | | | - Katja Heubach
- Palmengarten and Botanical Garden Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Desiree Jakubka
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Borja Jiménez-Alfaro
- Biodiversity Research Institute, IMIB (Univ.Oviedo-CSIC-Princ.Asturias), Mieres, Spain
| | - Andreas König
- Palmengarten and Botanical Garden Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tomáš Koubek
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandra Kehl
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anzar A Khuroo
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
| | - Anja Lindstädter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany with Botanical Garden, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Faizan Shafee
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
| | - Tereza Mašková
- Institute of Plant Sciences, Ecology and Conservation Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Patrizia Panico
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carolin Plos
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Christoph Rosche
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Manzoor A Shah
- Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
| | - Maria Sporbert
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Flavio Tarquini
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Katja Tielbörger
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sabrina Träger
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Vibekke Vange
- Ringve Botanical Garden, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Patrick Weigelt
- Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Campus Institute Data Science, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Aletta Bonn
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin Freiberg
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Life Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Birgit Nordt
- Botanic Garden Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Wirth
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Life Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Christine Römermann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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3
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Puglielli G, Bricca A, Chelli S, Petruzzellis F, Acosta ATR, Bacaro G, Beccari E, Bernardo L, Bonari G, Bolpagni R, Boscutti F, Calvia G, Campetella G, Cancellieri L, Canullo R, Carbognani M, Carboni M, Carranza ML, Castellani MB, Ciccarelli D, Coppi A, Cutini M, Dalla Vecchia A, Dalle Fratte M, de Francesco MC, De Frenne P, De Sanctis M, de Simone L, Di Cecco V, Fanelli G, Farris E, Ferrara A, Fenu G, Filibeck G, Gasperini C, Gargano D, Kindermann E, La Bella G, Lastrucci L, Lazzaro L, Maccherini S, Marignani M, Mugnai M, Naselli-Flores L, Passalacqua NG, Pavanetto N, Petraglia A, Rota F, Santoianni LA, Schettino A, Selvi F, Stanisci A, Trotta G, Vangansbeke P, Varricchione M, Vuerich M, Wellstein C, Tordoni E. Intraspecific variability of leaf form and function across habitat types. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14396. [PMID: 38456670 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14396] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Trait-based ecology has already revealed main independent axes of trait variation defining trait spaces that summarize plant adaptive strategies, but often ignoring intraspecific trait variability (ITV). By using empirical ITV-level data for two independent dimensions of leaf form and function and 167 species across five habitat types (coastal dunes, forests, grasslands, heathlands, wetlands) in the Italian peninsula, we found that ITV: (i) rotated the axes of trait variation that define the trait space; (ii) increased the variance explained by these axes and (iii) affected the functional structure of the target trait space. However, the magnitude of these effects was rather small and depended on the trait and habitat type. Our results reinforce the idea that ITV is context-dependent, calling for careful extrapolations of ITV patterns across traits and spatial scales. Importantly, our study provides a framework that can be used to start integrating ITV into trait space analyses.
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Grants
- Ente Parco Nazionale del Pollino (Rotonda, Italy) in the frame of the project "Un laboratorio naturale permanente nel Parco Nazionale del Pollino"
- National Biodiversity Future Center NBFC, CUP J33C22001190001
- European Union - NextGenerationEU within the framework of National Biodiversity Future Center (Spoke 4, Activity 4)
- NBFC to the University of Florence, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033
- NBFC to University of Roma Tre/Department of Science, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033. Grant of Excellence Departments 2018- 2022, MIUR Italy
- NBFC to University of Molise/Department of Bioscience and Territory, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, "Dalla ricerca all'impresa", Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033, MIUR Italy
- PID2021-122214NA-I00 MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by FEDER "ESF Investing in your future"
- Grant of Excellence Departments 2018- 2022, MIUR Italy
- G.Bo. and SM acknowledge the support of NBFC to University of Siena, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, 'Dalla ricerca all', Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Puglielli
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alessandro Bricca
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Stefano Chelli
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | | | | | - Giovanni Bacaro
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Eleonora Beccari
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liliana Bernardo
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Bonari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rossano Bolpagni
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Boscutti
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giacomo Calvia
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Laura Cancellieri
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | | | - Marta Carboni
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Carranza
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Coppi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Alice Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Dalle Fratte
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Maria Carla de Francesco
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium
| | - Michele De Sanctis
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Valter Di Cecco
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Giuliano Fanelli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emmanuele Farris
- Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Arianna Ferrara
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Goffredo Filibeck
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Cristina Gasperini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Domenico Gargano
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - Elisabeth Kindermann
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Greta La Bella
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Lazzaro
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Simona Maccherini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michela Marignani
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Michele Mugnai
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Luigi Naselli-Flores
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Pavanetto
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Rota
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Angela Stanisci
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Giacomo Trotta
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Pieter Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium
| | - Marco Varricchione
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biosciences and Territory, ENVIXLAB, University of Molise, Pesche, Italy
| | - Marco Vuerich
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Enrico Tordoni
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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4
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Cantwell-Jones A, Tylianakis JM, Larson K, Gill RJ. Using individual-based trait frequency distributions to forecast plant-pollinator network responses to environmental change. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14368. [PMID: 38247047 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14368] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Determining how and why organisms interact is fundamental to understanding ecosystem responses to future environmental change. To assess the impact on plant-pollinator interactions, recent studies have examined how the effects of environmental change on individual interactions accumulate to generate species-level responses. Here, we review recent developments in using plant-pollinator networks of interacting individuals along with their functional traits, where individuals are nested within species nodes. We highlight how these individual-level, trait-based networks connect intraspecific trait variation (as frequency distributions of multiple traits) with dynamic responses within plant-pollinator communities. This approach can better explain interaction plasticity, and changes to interaction probabilities and network structure over spatiotemporal or other environmental gradients. We argue that only through appreciating such trait-based interaction plasticity can we accurately forecast the potential vulnerability of interactions to future environmental change. We follow this with general guidance on how future studies can collect and analyse high-resolution interaction and trait data, with the hope of improving predictions of future plant-pollinator network responses for targeted and effective conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Cantwell-Jones
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, Private Bag 4800, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Keith Larson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Richard J Gill
- Georgina Mace Centre for The Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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5
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Islam T, Hamid M, Nawchoo IA, Khuroo AA. Leaf functional traits vary among growth forms and vegetation zones in the Himalaya. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167274. [PMID: 37741392 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Compression of life zones along elevational gradients in mountains supports diverse vegetation types, and therefore offers ideal setting to study plant functional traits. Functional traits, the features that enable plants to live in varied environmental conditions, help in understanding ecological interactions, evolutionary adaptations, and predicting plant response to global change drivers. To date, little is known how the trait diversity varies across different growth forms and vegetation zones in mountains. Here, we aimed to investigate interspecific leaf trait variability among different growth forms and vegetation zones along a wide elevation gradient (2000-4200 m) in Kashmir Himalaya. We measured leaf functional traits (specific leaf area-SLA, leaf thickness - LT, leaf dry matter content -LDMC) of 76 plant species corresponding to three growth forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) and three vegetation zones (Himalayan dry temperate forests, subalpine forests and alpine grasslands). Our results revealed high trait variability across the regional species pool studied. We found significant variation in leaf functional traits among the different growth forms, with higher values of LT and LDMC recorded for woody species than herbaceous ones. Among different vegetation zones, the SLA was found to be significantly higher at lower to middle elevations, while the other leaf traits (LT and LDMC) showed an opposite trend. Across all the vegetative zones, we also found a negative correlation between SLA and the other leaf traits, and the latter showed a positive trait-trait correlation. Overall, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of trait-trait, trait-growth form and trait-vegetation zone relationships. Our findings suggest that the variation in leaf functional traits among different growth forms seems to be a trade-off mechanism between resource acquisition and leaf construction, and also help in identifying species' adaptive functional traits that are critical for plant survival in the face of ongoing climate change in the Himalaya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tajamul Islam
- Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Maroof Hamid
- Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Irshad A Nawchoo
- Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
- Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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6
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Gómez JM, González-Megías A, Armas C, Narbona E, Navarro L, Perfectti F. The role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping ecological networks. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S47-S61. [PMID: 37840020 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14192] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity-mediated changes in interaction dynamics and structure may scale up and affect the ecological network in which the plastic species are embedded. Despite their potential relevance for understanding the effects of plasticity on ecological communities, these effects have seldom been analysed. We argue here that, by boosting the magnitude of intra-individual phenotypic variation, plasticity may have three possible direct effects on the interactions that the plastic species maintains with other species in the community: may expand the interaction niche, may cause a shift from one interaction niche to another or may even cause the colonization of a new niche. The combined action of these three factors can scale to the community level and eventually expresses itself as a modification in the topology and functionality of the entire ecological network. We propose that this causal pathway can be more widespread than previously thought and may explain how interaction niches evolve quickly in response to rapid changes in environmental conditions. The implication of this idea is not solely eco-evolutionary but may also help to understand how ecological interactions rewire and evolve in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Gómez
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Adela González-Megías
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Cristina Armas
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis Navarro
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Francisco Perfectti
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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7
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Linck EB, Williamson JL, Bautista E, Beckman EJ, Benham PM, DuBay SG, Flores LM, Gadek CR, Johnson AB, Jones MR, Núñez-Zapata J, Quiñonez A, Schmitt CJ, Susanibar D, Tiravanti C J, Verde-Guerra K, Wright NA, Valqui T, Storz JF, Witt CC. Blood Variation Implicates Respiratory Limits on Elevational Ranges of Andean Birds. Am Nat 2023; 201:741-754. [PMID: 37130238 DOI: 10.1086/723222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe extent to which species ranges reflect intrinsic physiological tolerances is a major question in evolutionary ecology. To date, consensus has been hindered by the limited tractability of experimental approaches across most of the tree of life. Here, we apply a macrophysiological approach to understand how hematological traits related to oxygen transport shape elevational ranges in a tropical biodiversity hot spot. Along Andean elevational gradients, we measured traits that affect blood oxygen-carrying capacity-total and cellular hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit, the volume percentage of red blood cells-for 2,355 individuals of 136 bird species. We used these data to evaluate the influence of hematological traits on elevational ranges. First, we asked whether the sensitivity of hematological traits to changes in elevation is predictive of elevational range breadth. Second, we asked whether variance in hematological traits changed as a function of distance to the nearest elevational range limit. We found that birds showing greater hematological sensitivity had broader elevational ranges, consistent with the idea that a greater acclimatization capacity facilitates elevational range expansion. We further found reduced variation in hematological traits in birds sampled near their elevational range limits and at high absolute elevations, patterns consistent with intensified natural selection, reduced effective population size, or compensatory changes in other cardiorespiratory traits. Our findings suggest that constraints on hematological sensitivity and local genetic adaptation to oxygen availability promote the evolution of the narrow elevational ranges that underpin tropical montane biodiversity.
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8
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Botta-Dukát Z. Quartile coefficient of variation is more robust than CV for traits calculated as a ratio. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4671. [PMID: 36949089 PMCID: PMC10033673 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31711-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparing within-species variations of traits can be used in testing ecological theories. In these comparisons, it is useful to remove the effect of the difference in mean trait values, therefore measures of relative variation, most often the coefficient of variation (CV), are used. The studied traits are often calculated as the ratio of the size or mass of two organs: e.g. specific leaf area (SLA) is the ratio of leaf size and leaf mass. Often the inverse of these ratios is also meaningful; for example, the inverse of SLA is often referred to as LMA (leaf mass per area). Relative variation of a trait and its inverse should not considerably differ. However, it is illustrated that using the coefficient of variation may result in differences that could influence the interpretation, especially if there are outlier trait values. The alternative way for estimating CV from the standard deviation of log-transformed data assuming log-normal distribution and Kirkwood's geometric coefficient of variation free from this problem, but they proved to be sensitive to outlier values. Quartile coefficient of variation performed best in the tests: it gives the same value for a trait and its inverse and it is not sensitive to outliers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Botta-Dukát
- Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány 2-4., Vácrátót, H-2163, Hungary.
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9
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McWilliam M, Madin JS, Chase TJ, Hoogenboom MO, Bridge TCL. Intraspecific variation reshapes coral assemblages under elevated temperature and acidity. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2513-2524. [PMID: 36209480 PMCID: PMC9828647 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Insights into assemblages that can persist in extreme environments are still emerging. Ocean warming and acidification select against species with low physiological tolerance (trait-based 'filtering'). However, intraspecific trait variation can promote species adaptation and persistence, with potentially large effects on assemblage structure. By sampling nine coral traits (four morphological, four tissue and one skeletal) along an offshore-inshore gradient in temperature and pH, we show that distantly related coral species undergo consistent intraspecific changes as they cross into warm, acidic environments. Intraspecific variation and species turnover each favoured colonies with greater tissue biomass, higher symbiont densities and reduced skeletal investments, indicating strong filtering on colony physiology within and across species. Physiological tissue traits were highly variable within species and were independent of morphology, enabling morphologically diverse species to cross into sites of elevated temperature and acidity. Widespread intraspecific change can therefore counter the loss of biodiversity and morphological structure across a steep environmental gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike McWilliam
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaKāne'oheHawaiiUSA,Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaKāne'oheHawaiiUSA
| | - Tory J. Chase
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,Department of Geography and the EnvironmentVillanova UniversityVillanovaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Mia O. Hoogenboom
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia,Biodiversity and Geosciences ProgramMuseum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland MuseumTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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10
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Pearse IS, McIntyre P, Cacho NI, Strauss SY. Fitness homeostasis across an experimental water gradient predicts species' geographic range and climatic breadth. Ecology 2022; 103:e3827. [PMID: 35857374 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Species range sizes and realized niche breadths vary tremendously. Understanding the source of this variation has been a long-term aim in evolutionary ecology and is a major tool in efforts to ameliorate the impacts of changing climates on species distributions. Species ranges that span a large climatic envelope can be achieved by a collection of specialized genotypes locally adapted to a small range of conditions, by genotypes with stable fitness across variable environments, or a combination of these factors. We asked whether fitness expressed along a key niche axis, water availability, could explain a species' realized niche breadth--its geographic range and climate breadth-- in 11 species from a clade of jewelflowers whose range sizes vary by two orders of magnitude. Specifically, we explored whether the range size of a species was related to the ability of genotypes (maternal families) to maintain fitness across a range of experimental water availabilities based on 30-year historical field precipitation regimes. We operationally characterized fitness homeostasis through the coefficient of variation (CV) in fitness of a genotype (family) across the experimental water gradient. We found that species with genotypes that had high fitness homeostasis -- low variation in fitness over our treatments --had larger climatic niche breadth and geographic range in their field distributions. The result was robust to alternate measures of fitness homeostasis. Our results show that the fitness homeostasis of genotypes can be a major factor contributing to niche breadth and range size in this clade. Fitness homeostasis can buffer species from loss of genetic diversity and under changing climates, provides time for adaptation to future conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave #C, Ft Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Patrick McIntyre
- Nature Serve, Western Regional Office, 1680 38th St., Suite 120, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - N Ivalú Cacho
- Instituto de Biología, 3er Circuito de CU s/n, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Copilco Coyoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX 04510, Mexico
| | - Sharon Y Strauss
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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11
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Boyd JN, Odell J, Cruse‐Sanders J, Rogers W, Anderson JT, Baskauf C, Brzyski J. Phenotypic plasticity and genetic diversity elucidate rarity and vulnerability of an endangered riparian plant. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Nagel Boyd
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
| | - Jared Odell
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
| | - Jennifer Cruse‐Sanders
- Department of Genetics Odum School of Ecology, Davison Life Sciences, University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Jill T. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee USA
- Department of Genetics Odum School of Ecology, Davison Life Sciences, University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
- State Botanical Garden of Georgia University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Carol Baskauf
- Department of Biology Austin Peay State University Clarksville Tennessee USA
| | - Jessica Brzyski
- Department of Biology Seton Hill University Greensburg Pennsylvania USA
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12
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Lourenço J, Enquist BJ, von Arx G, Sonsin-Oliveira J, Morino K, Thomaz LD, Milanez CRD. Hydraulic tradeoffs underlie local variation in tropical forest functional diversity and sensitivity to drought. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:50-63. [PMID: 34981534 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests are important to the regulation of climate and the maintenance of biodiversity on Earth. However, these ecosystems are threatened by climate change, as temperatures rise and droughts' frequency and duration increase. Xylem anatomical traits are an essential component in understanding and predicting forest responses to changes in water availability. We calculated the community-weighted means and variances of xylem anatomical traits of hydraulic and structural importance (plot-level trait values weighted by species abundance) to assess their linkages to local adaptation and community assembly in response to varying soil water conditions in an environmentally diverse Brazilian Atlantic Forest habitat. Scaling approaches revealed community-level tradeoffs in xylem traits not observed at the species level. Towards drier sites, xylem structural reinforcement and integration balanced against hydraulic efficiency and capacitance xylem traits, leading to changes in plant community diversity. We show how general community assembly rules are reflected in persistent fiber-parenchyma and xylem hydraulic tradeoffs. Trait variation across a moisture gradient is larger between species than within species and is realized mainly through changes in species composition and abundance, suggesting habitat specialization. Modeling efforts to predict tropical forest diversity and drought sensitivity may benefit from adding hydraulic architecture traits into the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehová Lourenço
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Geography, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA
| | - Georg von Arx
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, CH-3012, Switzerland
| | - Julia Sonsin-Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação (PPG) em Botânica, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - Universidade de Brasília - UNB, Brasília, DF, 70919-970, Brazil
| | - Kiyomi Morino
- Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Luciana Dias Thomaz
- Herbário VIES, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Camilla Rozindo Dias Milanez
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil
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13
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Stabilizing selection on Atlantic cod supergenes through a millennium of extensive exploitation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114904119. [PMID: 35165196 PMCID: PMC8872764 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114904119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological disruption due to human impacts is evident worldwide, and a key to mitigation lies in characterizing the underlying mechanisms of species and ecosystem stability. Here we show that three extensive “supergenes” are maintained in Atlantic cod by stabilizing selection, tying these genes to the persistence of a keystone species distributed across the northern Atlantic Ocean. Removal of this species has caused severe ecosystem reshuffling in several areas of its range. Genomic inference of historic stock sizes further shows that cod has been under pressure in the North Sea system since the Viking period, in line with zooarchaeological records. Expansion of fisheries in Northern Europe through the past millennium is well documented and supports the inferred long-term declines. Life on Earth has been characterized by recurring cycles of ecological stasis and disruption, relating biological eras to geological and climatic transitions through the history of our planet. Due to the increasing degree of ecological abruption caused by human influences many advocate that we now have entered the geological era of the Anthropocene, or “the age of man.” Considering the ongoing mass extinction and ecosystem reshuffling observed worldwide, a better understanding of the drivers of ecological stasis will be a requisite for identifying routes of intervention and mitigation. Ecosystem stability may rely on one or a few keystone species, and the loss of such species could potentially have detrimental effects. The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) has historically been highly abundant and is considered a keystone species in ecosystems of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Collapses of cod stocks have been observed on both sides of the Atlantic and reported to have detrimental effects that include vast ecosystem reshuffling. By whole-genome resequencing we demonstrate that stabilizing selection maintains three extensive “supergenes” in Atlantic cod, linking these genes to species persistence and ecological stasis. Genomic inference of historic effective population sizes shows continued declines for cod in the North Sea–Skagerrak–Kattegat system through the past millennia, consistent with an early onset of the marine Anthropocene through industrialization and commercialization of fisheries throughout the medieval period.
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14
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Environmental optima for an ecosystem engineer: a multidisciplinary trait-based approach. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22986. [PMID: 34837006 PMCID: PMC8626476 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02351-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A complex interplay of biotic and abiotic factors underpins the distribution of species and operates across different levels of biological organization and life history stages. Understanding ecosystem engineer reproductive traits is critical for comprehending and managing the biodiversity-rich habitats they create. Little is known about how the reproduction of the reef-forming worm, Sabellaria alveolata, varies across environmental gradients. By integrating broad-scale environmental data with in-situ physiological data in the form of biochemical traits, we identified and ranked the drivers of intraspecific reproductive trait variability (ITV). ITV was highest in locations with variable environmental conditions, subjected to fluctuating temperature and hydrodynamic conditions. Our trait selection pointed to poleward sites being the most physiologically stressful, with low numbers of irregularly shaped eggs suggesting potentially reduced reproductive success. Centre-range individuals allocated the most energy to reproduction, with the highest number of intermediate-sized eggs, whilst equatorward sites were the least physiologically stressful, thus confirming the warm-adapted nature of our model organism. Variation in total egg diameter and relative fecundity were influenced by a combination of environmental conditions, which changed depending on the trait and sampling period. An integrated approach involving biochemical and reproductive traits is essential for understanding macro-scale patterns in the face of anthropogenic-induced climate change across environmental and latitudinal gradients.
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15
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Lourenço J, Newman EA, Ventura JA, Milanez CRD, Thomaz LD, Wandekoken DT, Enquist BJ. Soil‐associated drivers of plant traits and functional composition in Atlantic Forest coastal tree communities. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jehová Lourenço
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Centre d’étude de la forêt Université du Québec à Montréal 141 Avenue du Président‐Kennedy Montreal Quebec H2X 1Y4 Canada
| | - Erica A. Newman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
- Arizona Institutes for Resilience University of Arizona Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
| | - José A. Ventura
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
- Instituto Capixaba de Pesquisa Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
| | - Camilla Rozindo Dias Milanez
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
| | - Luciana Dias Thomaz
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Herbário VIES Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
| | - Douglas Tinoco Wandekoken
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós‐graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Vitória Espírito Santo Brasil
| | - Brian J. Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona 85721 USA
- The Santa Fe Institute Santa Fe New Mexico 87501 USA
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16
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Hofhansl F, Chacón‐Madrigal E, Brännström Å, Dieckmann U, Franklin O. Mechanisms driving plant functional trait variation in a tropical forest. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3856-3870. [PMID: 33976780 PMCID: PMC8093716 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant functional trait variation in tropical forests results from taxonomic differences in phylogeny and associated genetic differences, as well as, phenotypic plastic responses to the environment. Accounting for the underlying mechanisms driving plant functional trait variation is important for understanding the potential rate of change of ecosystems since trait acclimation via phenotypic plasticity is very fast compared to shifts in community composition and genetic adaptation. We here applied a statistical technique to decompose the relative roles of phenotypic plasticity, genetic adaptation, and phylogenetic constraints. We examined typically obtained plant functional traits, such as wood density, plant height, specific leaf area, leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry mass content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf phosphorus content. We assumed that genetic differences in plant functional traits between species and genotypes increase with environmental heterogeneity and geographic distance, whereas trait variation due to plastic acclimation to the local environment is independent of spatial distance between sampling sites. Results suggest that most of the observed trait variation could not be explained by the measured environmental variables, thus indicating a limited potential to predict individual plant traits from commonly assessed parameters. However, we found a difference in the response of plant functional traits, such that leaf traits varied in response to canopy-light regime and nutrient availability, whereas wood traits were related to topoedaphic factors and water availability. Our analysis furthermore revealed differences in the functional response of coexisting neotropical tree species, which suggests that endemic species with conservative ecological strategies might be especially prone to competitive exclusion under projected climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Hofhansl
- International Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
| | | | - Åke Brännström
- International Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
- Department of Mathematics and Mathematical StatisticsUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Ulf Dieckmann
- International Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of BiosystemsThe Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai)HayamaJapan
| | - Oskar Franklin
- International Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisLaxenburgAustria
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17
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Stotz GC, Salgado-Luarte C, Vigil AT, De La Cruz HJ, Pastén-Marambio V, Gianoli E. Habitat-islands in the coastal Atacama Desert: loss of functional redundancy, but not of functional diversity, with decreased precipitation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:669-680. [PMID: 33515007 PMCID: PMC8052923 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa206] [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: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Aridity is increasing in many regions of the world, but microclimatic conditions may buffer plant communities from the direct effects of decreased precipitation, creating habitat islands. However, reduced precipitation can also impact these communities indirectly by decreasing the suitability of the surrounding habitat, thus limiting incoming propagules and increasing the chances of population decline and species loss. We test whether decreased precipitation results in loss of species and functional diversity within habitat islands, evaluating in particular whether declines in species diversity and abundance are less likely to result in loss of functional diversity if species/individual loss is stochastic (i.e. independent of species/individual traits) and communities/populations are functionally redundant. METHODS Lomas communities are discrete plant communities embedded in the Atacama Desert, maintained by the microclimatic conditions created by fog. We recorded species and functional diversity in six Lomas communities along a 500 km long precipitation gradient in northern Chile. Functional traits were measured in 20 individuals per species, in those species that accounted for approx. 75 % of the abundance at each site. We calculated functional diversity and functional redundancy of the community, and intraspecific functional variation. KEY RESULTS Decreased precipitation was associated with lower species diversity and lower species abundances. However, no traits or functional strategies increased or decreased consistently with precipitation, suggesting stochastic species/individual loss. Species with stress-tolerant strategies were predominant in all sites. Although species diversity decreased with decreasing precipitation, functional diversity remained unchanged. Lower functional redundancy in the drier sites suggests that mainly functionally redundant species were lost. Likewise, intraspecific functional variation was similar among communities, despite the lower species abundance in drier sites. CONCLUSIONS Decreased precipitation can impact habitat island communities indirectly by decreasing the suitability of the surrounding habitat. Our results support the idea that a stochastic loss of species/individuals from functionally redundant communities and populations does not result in loss of functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela C Stotz
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de la Serena, Casilla, La Serena, Chile
| | | | - Alonso T Vigil
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de la Serena, Casilla, La Serena, Chile
| | - Henry J De La Cruz
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de la Serena, Casilla, La Serena, Chile
| | - Víctor Pastén-Marambio
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de la Serena, Casilla, La Serena, Chile
- ONG Ecoterra, La Serena, Chile
| | - Ernesto Gianoli
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de la Serena, Casilla, La Serena, Chile
- Departmento de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
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18
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Moncunill-Solé B. Eco-evolutionary adaptations of ochotonids (Mammalia: Lagomorpha) to islands: new insights into Late Miocene pikas from the Gargano palaeo-archipelago (Italy). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Climate change strongly affects the range of ochotonids (Order Lagomorpha), fragmenting their habitats and restricting them to ecological islands. The present paper discusses the adaptations of extinct ochotonids to insular stressors, providing baseline data for the management and conservation of extant species. For this purpose, the body mass (BM) and locomotion of the endemic Prolagus apricenicus and Prolagus imperialis from the Gargano palaeo archipelago (Late Miocene) were assessed. P. apricenicus was a small-sized ochotonid (BM 150–250 g) and P. imperialis was probably the largest Prolagus that ever lived (BM 500–750 g). The eco-evolutionary BM dynamics suggest a targeted ecological niche for P. apricenicus, whereas the BM of P. imperialis rose abruptly as a result of growth-rate increase. In both species, the locomotion was stable and less cursorial, with leaping skills, resembling extant rocky ochotonids. Convergent eco-evolutionary patterns are observed in extinct insular ochotonids, concerning an increase of BM (giants), more efficient chewing, less cursorial and more stable locomotion, leaping skills, as well as a slower life history (longer lifespan). Such adaptations are triggered by the specific selective pressures of insular regimes. The present results point to the long-lasting insular Prolagus species as reference taxa for addressing the management of extant rocky ochotonids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Moncunill-Solé
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Roma, Italy
- Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
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19
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Mi X, Sun Z, Song Y, Liu X, Yang J, Wu J, Ci X, Li J, Lin L, Cao M, Ma K. Rare tree species have narrow environmental but not functional niches. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangcheng Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Zhenhua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Yunfeng Song
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research InstituteChinese Academy of Sciences Menglun China
| | - Junjie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Xiuqin Ci
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Luxiang Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research InstituteChinese Academy of Sciences Menglun China
| | - Min Cao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical GardenChinese Academy of Sciences Kunming China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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20
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Carscadden KA, Emery NC, Arnillas CA, Cadotte MW, Afkhami ME, Gravel D, Livingstone SW, Wiens JJ. Niche Breadth: Causes and Consequences for Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1086/710388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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21
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Meyerson LA, Pyšek P, Lučanová M, Wigginton S, Tran C, Cronin JT. Plant genome size influences stress tolerance of invasive and native plants via plasticity. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura A. Meyerson
- Department of Natural Resources Science The University of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USA
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Department of Invasion Ecology Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences CZ‐252 43 Průhonice Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Viničná 7 CZ‐128 44 Prague Czech Republic
| | - Magdalena Lučanová
- Department of Evolutionary Biology of Plants Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences CZ‐252 43 Průhonice Czech Republic
- Department of Botany Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia CZ‐370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Sara Wigginton
- Department of Natural Resources Science The University of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USA
| | - Cao‐Tri Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana 70803 USA
| | - James T. Cronin
- Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana 70803 USA
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22
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Carvalho B, Bastias CC, Escudero A, Valladares F, Benavides R. Intraspecific perspective of phenotypic coordination of functional traits in Scots pine. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228539. [PMID: 32053614 PMCID: PMC7018023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits have emerged as a key to understand species responses to environmental conditions. The concerted expression of multiple traits gives rise to the phenotype of each individual, which is the one interacting with the environment and evolving. However, patterns of trait covariation and how they vary in response to environmental conditions remain poorly understood, particularly at the intraspecific scale. Here, we have measured traits at different scales and in different organs, and analysed their covariation in a large number of conspecifics distributed in two contrasting environments. We expected significant correlations among traits, not only within clusters of traits as found in global, multispecies studies, but also among clusters, with more relationships within clusters, due to genetic constraints, and among clusters due to more coordinated phenotypes than community level, multispecies studies. We surveyed 100 Pinus sylvestris trees in a Mediterranean mountainous area distributed in two contrasting elevations. We measured 13 functional traits, in three clusters (leaf, stem and whole-plant traits), and analysed their variation and coordination. We found significant coordination among traits belonging to different clusters that reveals coordinated phenotypes. However, we found fewer correlations within trait clusters than initially expected. Trait correlation structures (number, intensity and type of correlations among traits) differed among individuals at different elevations. We observed more correlations within trait clusters at low elevation compared to those at high elevation. Moreover, the higher number of correlations among different trait clusters and the lower trait variation at the higher elevation suggests that variability decreases under more stressful conditions. Altogether, our results reveal that traits at intraspecific scale are coordinated in a broad network and not only within clusters of traits but also that this trait covariation is significantly affected by environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Carvalho
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina C. Bastias
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Valladares
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Benavides
- Departamento Biogeografía y Cambio Global, LINCGlobal, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Kumordzi BB, Aubin I, Cardou F, Shipley B, Violle C, Johnstone J, Anand M, Arsenault A, Bell FW, Bergeron Y, Boulangeat I, Brousseau M, De Grandpré L, Delagrange S, Fenton NJ, Gravel D, Macdonald SE, Hamel B, Higelin M, Hébert F, Isabel N, Mallik A, McIntosh AC, McLaren JR, Messier C, Morris D, Thiffault N, Tremblay J, Munson AD. Geographic scale and disturbance influence intraspecific trait variability in leaves and roots of North American understorey plants. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bright B. Kumordzi
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubin
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Françoise Cardou
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Bill Shipley
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, UMR 5175 CNRS – Université de Montpellier – Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier – EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Jill Johnstone
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Madhur Anand
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - André Arsenault
- Atlantic Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service and School of Science and the Environment Memorial University of Newfoundland Corner Brook NL Canada
| | - F. Wayne Bell
- Ontario Forest Research Institute Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Yves Bergeron
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | | | - Maxime Brousseau
- Département de biologie and Centre d'étude de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Louis De Grandpré
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Sylvain Delagrange
- Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée Université du Québec en Outaouais Ripon QC Canada
| | - Nicole J. Fenton
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
| | - S. Ellen Macdonald
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Benoit Hamel
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Sault Ste Marie ON Canada
| | - Morgane Higelin
- Institut de recherche sur les forêts Université du Québec en Abitibi‐Témiscamingue Rouyn‐Noranda QC Canada
| | - François Hébert
- Direction de la recherche forestière Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec QC Canada
| | - Nathalie Isabel
- Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Azim Mallik
- Department of Biology Lakehead University Thunder Bay ON Canada
| | | | - Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso TX USA
| | - Christian Messier
- Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée Université du Québec en Outaouais Ripon QC Canada
- Centre d'Étude de la Forêt Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Dave Morris
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Thunder Bay ON Canada
| | - Nelson Thiffault
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
- Canadian Wood Fibre Centre Natural Resources Canada Québec QC Canada
| | - Jean‐Pierre Tremblay
- Département de biologie and Centre d'étude de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
| | - Alison D. Munson
- Centre d’étude de la forêt, Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec QC Canada
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Sobral M, Guitián J, Guitián P, Violle C, Larrinaga AR. Exploring sub-individual variability: role of ontogeny, abiotic environment and seed-dispersing birds. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:688-694. [PMID: 30537398 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Within-individual trait variation - otherwise known as sub-individual variation - is an important component of phenotypic variation, with both a genetic and epigenetic basis. We explore its adaptive value and the effects of ontogeny and the environment on sub-individual variability. We conducted a field study to analyse the effects of tree age, soil pH, soil water content and soil nutrients on sub-individual variability in fruit size of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) in three sites in northwest Spain. Additionally, we examined how bird-mediated selection influences average and sub-individual variation in fruit size. Results show that average and sub-individual variations in fruit size were related to fitness affecting seed dispersal. Older trees produced larger fruits, but tree age did not affect sub-individual variation in fruit size. Abiotic environmental factors differently affected sub-individual variation and average fruit size. Seed-dispersing birds exerted correlated selection on average and variation in fruit size, favouring trees with larger and less variable fruit size at one site. Our work suggests that the fruit size variation within individual trees, the sub-individual variation, is modified by abiotic environmental factors and, additionally, is an adaptive trait that responds to natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sobral
- Departamento de Zooloxía Xenética e Antropoloxía Física, Santiago de Compostela, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - J Guitián
- Departamento de Bioloxía Celular e Ecoloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - P Guitián
- Departamento de Botánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - C Violle
- CEFE Montpellier, Univ. Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - A R Larrinaga
- Forest Genetics and Ecology Group, Biologic Mission of Galicia-Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC-Spanish National Research Council), Carballeira, 8, Salcedo, Pontevedra
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Midolo G, De Frenne P, Hölzel N, Wellstein C. Global patterns of intraspecific leaf trait responses to elevation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2485-2498. [PMID: 31056841 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Elevational gradients are often used to quantify how traits of plant species respond to abiotic and biotic environmental variations. Yet, such analyses are frequently restricted spatially and applied along single slopes or mountain ranges. Since we know little on the response of intraspecific leaf traits to elevation across the globe, we here perform a global meta-analysis of leaf traits in 109 plant species located in 4 continents and reported in 71 studies published between 1983 and 2018. We quantified the intraspecific change in seven morpho-ecophysiological leaf traits along global elevational gradients: specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf area (LA), nitrogen concentration per unit of area (Narea), nitrogen concentration per unit mass (Nmass), phosphorous concentration per unit mass (Pmass) and carbon isotope composition (δ13 C). We found LMA, Narea, Nmass and δ13 C to significantly increase and SLA to decrease with increasing elevation. Conversely, LA and Pmass showed no significant pattern with elevation worldwide. We found significantly larger increase in Narea, Nmass, Pmass and δ13 C with elevation in warmer regions. Larger responses to increasing elevation were apparent for SLA of herbaceous compared to woody species, but not for the other traits. Finally, we also detected evidences of covariation across morphological and physiological traits within the same elevational gradient. In sum, we demonstrate that there are common cross-species patterns of intraspecific leaf trait variation across elevational gradients worldwide. Irrespective of whether such variation is genetically determined via local adaptation or attributed to phenotypic plasticity, the leaf trait patterns quantified here suggest that plant species are adapted to live on a range of temperature conditions. Since the distribution of mountain biota is predominantly shifting upslope in response to changes in environmental conditions, our results are important to further our understanding of how plants species of mountain ecosystems adapt to global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Midolo
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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Tonin R, Gerdol R, Tomaselli M, Petraglia A, Carbognani M, Wellstein C. Intraspecific Functional Trait Response to Advanced Snowmelt Suggests Increase of Growth Potential but Decrease of Seed Production in Snowbed Plant Species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:289. [PMID: 30923530 PMCID: PMC6426784 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In ecological theory, it is currently unclear if intraspecific trait responses to environmental variation are shared across plant species. We use one of the strongest environmental variations in alpine ecosystems, i.e., advanced snowmelt due to climate warming, to answer this question for alpine snowbed plants. Snowbeds are extreme habitats where long-lasting snow cover represents the key environmental factor affecting plant life. Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits is a key to understanding the performance and vulnerability of species in a rapidly changing environment. We sampled snowbed species after an above-average warm winter to assess their phenotypic adjustment to advanced snowmelt, based on differences in the natural snowmelt dynamics with magnitudes reflecting predicted future warming. We measured nine functional traits related to plant growth and reproduction in seven vascular species, comparing snowbeds of early and late snowmelt across four snowbed sites in the southern Alps in Italy. The early snowbeds provide a proxy for the advanced snowmelt caused by climatic warming. Seed production was reduced under advanced snowmelt in all seed-forming snowbed species. Higher specific leaf area (SLA) and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC) were indicative of improved growth potential in most seed-forming species under advanced snowmelt. We conclude, first, that in the short term, advanced snowmelt can improve snowbed species' growth potential. However, in the long term, results from other studies hint at increasing competition in case of ongoing improvement of conditions for plant growth under continued future climate warming, representing a risk for snowbed species. Second, a lower seed production can negatively affect the seed rain. A reduction of propagule pressure can be crucial in a context of loss of the present snowbed sites and the formation of new ones at higher altitudes along with climate warming. Finally, our findings encourage using plant functional traits at the intraspecific level across species as a tool to understand the future ecological challenges of plants in changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Tonin
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Renato Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marcello Tomaselli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Petraglia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Carbognani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Camilla Wellstein
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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27
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Fajardo A, Siefert A. The interplay among intraspecific leaf trait variation, niche breadth and species abundance along light and soil nutrient gradients. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP) Conicyt–Regional R10C1003, Univ. Austral de Chile Camino Baguales s/n, CL‐595601 Coyhaique Chile
| | - Andrew Siefert
- Dept of Evolution and Ecology, Univ. of California Davis, CA USA
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Perez TM, Valverde-Barrantes O, Bravo C, Taylor TC, Fadrique B, Hogan JA, Pardo CJ, Stroud JT, Baraloto C, Feeley KJ. Botanic gardens are an untapped resource for studying the functional ecology of tropical plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 374:rstb.2017.0390. [PMID: 30455208 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional traits are increasingly used to understand the ecology of plants and to predict their responses to global changes. Unfortunately, trait data are unavailable for the majority of plant species. The lack of trait data is especially prevalent for hard-to-measure traits and for tropical plant species, potentially owing to the many inherent difficulties of working with species in remote, hyperdiverse rainforest systems. The living collections of botanic gardens provide convenient access to large numbers of tropical plant species and can potentially be used to quickly augment trait databases and advance our understanding of species' responses to climate change. In this review, we quantitatively assess the availability of trait data for tropical versus temperate species, the diversity of species available for sampling in several exemplar tropical botanic gardens and the validity of garden-based leaf and root trait measurements. Our analyses support the contention that the living collections of botanic gardens are a valuable scientific resource that can contribute significantly to research on plant functional ecology and conservation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Perez
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA .,Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
| | - Oscar Valverde-Barrantes
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Catherine Bravo
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.,Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
| | - Tyeen C Taylor
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.,Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
| | - Belén Fadrique
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
| | - J Aaron Hogan
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Christine J Pardo
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.,Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
| | - James T Stroud
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Kenneth J Feeley
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA .,Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL 33156, USA
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Schellenberger Costa D, Gerschlauer F, Kiese R, Fischer M, Kleyer M, Hemp A. Plant niche breadths along environmental gradients and their relationship to plant functional traits. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David Schellenberger Costa
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Oldenburg; Oldenburg Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution; Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Friederike Gerschlauer
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany
| | - Ralf Kiese
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences; University of Bern; Bern Switzerland
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Center; Frankfurt Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences; University of Oldenburg; Oldenburg Germany
| | - Andreas Hemp
- Department of Plant Systematics; University of Bayreuth; Bayreuth Germany
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He D, Chen Y, Zhao K, Cornelissen JHC, Chu C. Intra- and interspecific trait variations reveal functional relationships between specific leaf area and soil niche within a subtropical forest. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 121:1173-1182. [PMID: 29415250 PMCID: PMC5946913 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims How functional traits vary with environmental conditions is of fundamental importance in trait-based community ecology. However, how intraspecific variability in functional traits is connected to species distribution is not well understood. This study investigated inter- and intraspecific variation of a key functional trait, i.e. specific leaf area (leaf area per unit dry mass; SLA), in relation to soil factors and tested if trait variation is more closely associated with specific environmental regimes for low-variability species than for high-variability species. Methods In a subtropical evergreen forest plot (50 ha, southern China), 106 700 leaves from 5335 individuals of 207 woody species were intensively collected, with 30 individuals sampled for most species to ensure a sufficient sample size representative of intraspecific variability. Soil conditions for each plant were estimated by kriging from more than 1700 observational soil locations across the plot. Intra- and interspecific variation in SLA were separately related to environmental factors. Based on the species-specific variation of SLA, species were categorized into three groups: low-, intermediate- and high-intraspecific variability. Intraspecific habitat ranges and the strength of SLA-habitat relationships were compared among these three groups. Key Results Interspecific variation in SLA overrides the intraspecific variation (77 % vs. 8 %). Total soil nitrogen (TN, positively) and total organic carbon (TOC, negatively) are the most important explanatory factors for SLA variation at both intra- and interspecific levels. SLA, both within and between species, decreases with decreasing soil nitrogen availability. As predicted, species with low intraspecific variability in SLA have narrower habitat ranges with respect to soil TOC and TN and show a stronger SLA-habitat association than high-variability species. Conclusions For woody plants low SLA is a phenotypic and probably adaptive response to nitrogen stress, which drives the predominance of species with ever-decreasing SLA towards less fertile habitats. Intraspecific variability in SLA is positively connected to species' niche breadth, suggesting that low-variability species may play a more deterministic role in structuring plant assemblages than high-variability species. This study highlights the importance of quantifying intraspecific trait variation to improve our understanding of species distributions across a vegetated landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong He
- Department of Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongfa Chen
- Department of Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangning Zhao
- Department of Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - J H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chengjin Chu
- Department of Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Abstract
The reasons why the range size of closely related species often varies significantly have intrigued scientists for many years. Among other hypotheses, species with high trait variation were suggested to occupy more diverse environments, have more continuity in their distributions, and consequently have larger range sizes. Here, using 34 tree species of lowlands tropical rainforest in southern Costa Rica, we explored whether inherent trait variability expressed at the local scale in functional traits is related to the species’ total geographical range size. We formed 17 congeneric pairs of one narrow endemic and one widespread species, sampled 335 individuals and measured eight functional traits: leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, leaf phosphorus content, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus ratio, and wood specific gravity. We tested whether there are significant differences in the locally expressed variation of individual traits or in multidimensional trait variance between the species in congeneric pairs and whether species’ range size could hence be predicted from local trait variability. However, we could not find such differences between widely distributed and narrow range species. We discuss the possible reasons for these findings including the fact that higher trait variability of widespread species may result from successive local adaptations during range expansion and may hence often be an effect rather than the cause of larger ranges.
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32
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Aubin I, Boisvert-Marsh L, Kebli H, McKenney D, Pedlar J, Lawrence K, Hogg EH, Boulanger Y, Gauthier S, Ste-Marie C. Tree vulnerability to climate change: improving exposure-based assessments using traits as indicators of sensitivity. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- I. Aubin
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - L. Boisvert-Marsh
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - H. Kebli
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - D. McKenney
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - J. Pedlar
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - K. Lawrence
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Sault Ste Marie Ontario P6A 2E5 Canada
| | - E. H. Hogg
- Northern Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Edmonton Alberta T6H 3S5 Canada
| | - Y. Boulanger
- Laurentian Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Quebec City Quebec G1V 4C7 Canada
| | - S. Gauthier
- Laurentian Forestry Centre; Canadian Forest Service; Natural Resources Canada; Quebec City Quebec G1V 4C7 Canada
| | - C. Ste-Marie
- Geological Survey of Canada; Natural Resources Canada; Ottawa Ontario K1A 0E8 Canada
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Males J. Geography, environment and organismal traits in the diversification of a major tropical herbaceous angiosperm radiation. AOB PLANTS 2018; 10:ply008. [PMID: 29479409 PMCID: PMC5814923 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/ply008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The generation of plant diversity involves complex interactions between geography, environment and organismal traits. Many macroevolutionary processes and emergent patterns have been identified in different plant groups through the study of spatial data, but rarely in the context of a large radiation of tropical herbaceous angiosperms. A powerful system for testing interrelated biogeographical hypotheses is provided by the terrestrial bromeliads, a Neotropical group of extensive ecological diversity and importance. In this investigation, distributional data for 564 species of terrestrial bromeliads were used to estimate variation in the position and width of species-level hydrological habitat occupancy and test six core hypotheses linking geography, environment and organismal traits. Taxonomic groups and functional types differed in hydrological habitat occupancy, modulated by convergent and divergent trait evolution, and with contrasting interactions with precipitation abundance and seasonality. Plant traits in the Bromeliaceae are intimately associated with bioclimatic differentiation, which is in turn strongly associated with variation in geographical range size and species richness. These results emphasize the ecological relevance of structural-functional innovation in a major plant radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Males
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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Mitchell RM, Wright JP, Ames GM. Species' traits do not converge on optimum values in preferred habitats. Oecologia 2017; 186:719-729. [PMID: 29238864 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-4041-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Plant trait expression is shaped by filters, which can alter trait means and variances, theoretically driving species toward an "optimum" trait value for a set of environmental conditions. Recent research has highlighted the ubiquity of intraspecific variation in functional traits, which can cause plants to diverge from a hypothesized "optimum". We examined whether species occurring in "core" habitats (where they occur frequently, abundantly, and consistently) express traits that are nearer to "optimum", as captured by the community-weighted mean (CWM). We also asked whether trait variance showed signs of environmental filtering. We used cluster analysis to group plots based on environmental factors along a wet-to-dry ecotone. We used indicator species analysis to identify species with strong associations within each cluster. Trait means and variances were compared, and evidence of variance filtering was tested using a null-model approach. Trait means and trait variances respond to local-scale environmental filtering and species in core habitats were not necessarily nearer to the CWM than in other habitats. Intraspecific trait variability shows a strong signal of filtering, as variability was reduced for nearly all species and all traits compared to estimates of variability generated in the absence of environmental filtering. Our results provide strong evidence that species traits are not necessarily near "optimum" trait values in core habitats, and that trait distributions within species are strongly shaped by the environment. Future analyses should account for this divergence when calculating metrics of functional diversity, and extrapolating to ecosystem function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Mitchell
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, 525 S. Beaver St, Box 5694, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA.
| | - Justin P Wright
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Greg M Ames
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
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Asner GP, Martin RE, Anderson CB, Kryston K, Vaughn N, Knapp DE, Bentley LP, Shenkin A, Salinas N, Sinca F, Tupayachi R, Quispe Huaypar K, Montoya Pillco M, Ccori Álvarez FD, Díaz S, Enquist BJ, Malhi Y. Scale dependence of canopy trait distributions along a tropical forest elevation gradient. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:973-988. [PMID: 27349599 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Average responses of forest foliar traits to elevation are well understood, but far less is known about trait distributional responses to elevation at multiple ecological scales. This limits our understanding of the ecological scales at which trait variation occurs in response to environmental drivers and change. We analyzed and compared multiple canopy foliar trait distributions using field sampling and airborne imaging spectroscopy along an Andes-to-Amazon elevation gradient. Field-estimated traits were generated from three community-weighting methods, and remotely sensed estimates of traits were made at three scales defined by sampling grain size and ecological extent. Field and remote sensing approaches revealed increases in average leaf mass per unit area (LMA), water, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) and polyphenols with increasing elevation. Foliar nutrients and photosynthetic pigments displayed little to no elevation trend. Sample weighting approaches had little impact on field-estimated trait responses to elevation. Plot representativeness of trait distributions at landscape scales decreased with increasing elevation. Remote sensing indicated elevation-dependent increases in trait variance and distributional skew. Multiscale invariance of LMA, leaf water and NSC mark these traits as candidates for tracking forest responses to changing climate. Trait-based ecological studies can be greatly enhanced with multiscale studies made possible by imaging spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Asner
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Roberta E Martin
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Christopher B Anderson
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Katherine Kryston
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Nicholas Vaughn
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - David E Knapp
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Lisa Patrick Bentley
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Alexander Shenkin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Norma Salinas
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Sección Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Avenida Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima, 32, Perú
| | - Felipe Sinca
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Raul Tupayachi
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Milenka Montoya Pillco
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av. de la Cultura, Nro. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | | | - Sandra Díaz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0001, USA
- The Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
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Carscadden KA, Cadotte MW, Gilbert B. Trait dimensionality and population choice alter estimates of phenotypic dissimilarity. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2273-2285. [PMID: 28405291 PMCID: PMC5383497 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ecological niche is a multi-dimensional concept including aspects of resource use, environmental tolerance, and interspecific interactions, and the degree to which niches overlap is central to many ecological questions. Plant phenotypic traits are increasingly used as surrogates of species niches, but we lack an understanding of how key sampling decisions affect our ability to capture phenotypic differences among species. Using trait data of ecologically distinct monkeyflower (Mimulus) congeners, we employed linear discriminant analysis to determine how (1) dimensionality (the number and type of traits) and (2) variation within species influence how well measured traits reflect phenotypic differences among species. We conducted analyses using vegetative and floral traits in different combinations of up to 13 traits and compared the performance of commonly used functional traits such as specific leaf area against other morphological traits. We tested the importance of intraspecific variation by assessing how population choice changed our ability to discriminate species. Neither using key functional traits nor sampling across plant functions and organs maximized species discrimination. When using few traits, vegetative traits performed better than combinations of vegetative and floral traits or floral traits alone. Overall, including more traits increased our ability to detect phenotypic differences among species. Population choice and the number of traits used had comparable impacts on discriminating species. We addressed methodological challenges that have undermined cross-study comparability of trait-based approaches. Our results emphasize the importance of sampling among-population trait variation and suggest that a high-dimensional approach may best capture phenotypic variation among species with distinct niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A. Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto‐ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Toronto‐ScarboroughTorontoONCanada
| | - Benjamin Gilbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
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37
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Mitchell RM, Wright JP, Ames GM. Intraspecific variability improves environmental matching, but does not increase ecological breadth along a wet-to-dry ecotone. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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38
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Meyerson LA, Cronin JT, Bhattarai GP, Brix H, Lambertini C, Lučanová M, Rinehart S, Suda J, Pyšek P. Do ploidy level and nuclear genome size and latitude of origin modify the expression of Phragmites australis traits and interactions with herbivores? Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1200-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Xu Q, Zhu C, Fan Y, Song Z, Xing S, Liu W, Yan J, Sang T. Population transcriptomics uncovers the regulation of gene expression variation in adaptation to changing environment. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25536. [PMID: 27150248 PMCID: PMC4858677 DOI: 10.1038/srep25536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression variation plays an important role in plant adaptation, but little is known about the factors impacting the expression variation when population adapts to changing environment. We used RNA-seq data from 80 individuals in 14 Miscanthus lutarioriparius populations, which were transplanted into a harsh environment from native habitat, to investigate the expression level, expression diversity and genetic diversity for genes expressed in both environments. The expression level of genes with lower expression level or without SNP tended to be more changeable in new environment, which suggested highly expressed genes experienced stronger purifying selection than those at lower level. Low proportion of genes with population effect confirmed the weak population structure and frequent gene flow in these populations. Meanwhile, the number of genes with environment effect was the most frequent compared with that with population effect. Our results showed that environment and genetic diversity were the main factors determining gene expression variation in population. This study could facilitate understanding the mechanisms of global gene expression variation when plant population adapts to changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Caiyun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yangyang Fan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhihong Song
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shilai Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Juan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Speciality Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Tao Sang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.,State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
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Matsuoka Y, Takumi S, Kawahara T. Intraspecific lineage divergence and its association with reproductive trait change during species range expansion in central Eurasian wild wheat Aegilops tauschii Coss. (Poaceae). BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:213. [PMID: 26419628 PMCID: PMC4589133 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0496-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background How species ranges form in landscapes is a matter of long-standing evolutionary interest. However, little is known about how natural phenotypic variations of ecologically important traits contribute to species range expansion. In this study, we examined the phylogeographic patterns of phenotypic changes in life history (seed production) and phenological (flowering time) traits during the range expansion of Aegilops tauschii Coss. from the Transcaucasus and Middle East to central Asia. Results Our comparative analyses of the patterns of natural variations for those traits and their association with the intraspecific lineage structure showed that (1) the eastward expansion to Asia was driven by an intraspecific sublineage (named TauL1b), (2) high seed production ability likely had an important role at the initial dispersal stage of TauL1b’s expansion to Asia, and (3) the phenological change to early flowering phenotypes was one of the key adaptation events for TauL1b to further expand its range in Asia. Conclusions This study provides for the first time a broad picture of the process of Ae. tauschii’s eastward range expansion in which life history and phenological traits may have had respective roles in its dispersal and adaptation in Asia. The clear association of seed production and flowering time patterns with the intraspecific lineage divergence found in this study invites further genetic research to bring the mechanistic understanding of the changes in these key functional traits during range expansion within reach. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0496-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shigeo Takumi
- Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Kobe, Japan.
| | - Taihachi Kawahara
- Laboratory of Crop Evolution, Plant Germ-plasm Institute, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Mozume, Muko, Kyoto, Japan.
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41
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Petter G, Wagner K, Wanek W, Sánchez Delgado EJ, Zotz G, Cabral JS, Kreft H. Functional leaf traits of vascular epiphytes: vertical trends within the forest, intra‐ and interspecific trait variability, and taxonomic signals. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Petter
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Katrin Wagner
- Functional Ecology Group Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences University of Oldenburg Oldenburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wanek
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | | | - Gerhard Zotz
- Functional Ecology Group Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences University of Oldenburg Oldenburg Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama Republic of Panama
| | - Juliano Sarmento Cabral
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Holger Kreft
- Biodiversity, Macroecology & Conservation Biogeography Group University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
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42
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Herrera CM, Medrano M, Bazaga P. Continuous within-plant variation as a source of intraspecific functional diversity: Patterns, magnitude, and genetic correlates of leaf variability in Helleborus foetidus (Ranunculaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:225-232. [PMID: 25667075 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Continuous within-plant variation in quantitative traits of reiterated, homologous structures is a component of intraspecific variation, but its contribution to functional diversity remains largely unexplored. For the perennial Helleborus foetidus, we measured functional leaf traits to quantify the contribution of within-plant variation to intraspecific functional variance and evaluate whether within-plant variability itself deserves separate consideration. METHODS Within-individual variation in eight leaf traits was quantified for 138 plants sampled from 10 widely spaced locations in the Sierra de Cazorla, southeastern Spain. An amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique was used to look for associations between within-plant variability and specific AFLP markers. KEY RESULTS Leaflets from basal positions in ramets were longer, heavier, had greater surface area and larger stomata, and lower specific area, stomatal index, and stomatal density than those from distal positions. Continuous variation between leaves from the same ramet was the main source of population-wide variance for most traits. Within-plant variability differed among populations. Individuals differed in within-plant variability, which was largely independent of trait means and associated with genetic characteristics. Up to four AFLP markers were associated with the within-plant variability level of a given leaf trait. CONCLUSIONS Subindividual variability in continuous leaf traits was independent of plant means and related to genetic features. The within-individual component generally exceeded the between-individual component of intraspecific variance. Within-plant variation may broaden the ecological breadth and enhance stability and persistence of plant populations and communities and may provide novel insights when incorporated in trait-based community ecology models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M Herrera
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de La Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mónica Medrano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de La Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pilar Bazaga
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n, Isla de La Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Hu YK, Pan X, Liu GF, Li WB, Dai WH, Tang SL, Zhang YL, Xiao T, Chen LY, Xiong W, Zhou MY, Song YB, Dong M. Novel evidence for within-species leaf economics spectrum at multiple spatial scales. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2015; 6:901. [PMID: 26579151 PMCID: PMC4620397 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2015.00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Leaf economics spectrum (LES), characterizing covariation among a suite of leaf traits relevant to carbon and nutrient economics, has been examined largely among species but hardly within species. In addition, very little attempt has been made to examine whether the existence of LES depends on spatial scales. To address these questions, we quantified the variation and covariation of four leaf economic traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents) in a cosmopolitan wetland species (Phragmites australis) at three spatial (inter-regional, regional, and site) scales across most of the species range in China. The species expressed large intraspecific variation in the leaf economic traits at all of the three spatial scales. It also showed strong covariation among the four leaf economic traits across the species range. The coordination among leaf economic traits resulted in LES at all three scales and the environmental variables determining variation in leaf economic traits were different among the spatial scales. Our results provide novel evidence for within-species LES at multiple spatial scales, indicating that resource trade-off could also constrain intraspecific trait variation mainly driven by climatic and/or edaphic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Kun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Xu Pan
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of ForestryBeijing, China
| | - Guo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Wen-Bing Li
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Hong Dai
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Shuang-Li Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Ya-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Tao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Yao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
| | - Yao-Bin Song
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yao-Bin Song, ; Ming Dong,
| | - Ming Dong
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal UniversityHangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yao-Bin Song, ; Ming Dong,
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45
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Medrano M, Herrera CM, Bazaga P. Epigenetic variation predicts regional and local intraspecific functional diversity in a perennial herb. Mol Ecol 2014; 23:4926-38. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Medrano
- Estación Biológica de Doñana; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n Isla de La Cartuja Sevilla 41092 Spain
| | - Carlos M. Herrera
- Estación Biológica de Doñana; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n Isla de La Cartuja Sevilla 41092 Spain
| | - Pilar Bazaga
- Estación Biológica de Doñana; Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC); Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n Isla de La Cartuja Sevilla 41092 Spain
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