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Norby RJ, Baxter T, Živković T, Weston DJ. Shading contributes to Sphagnum decline in response to warming. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10542. [PMID: 37732286 PMCID: PMC10507575 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental warming of an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota has caused a rapid decline in the productivity and areal cover of Sphagnum mosses, affecting whole-ecosystem carbon balance and biogeochemistry. Direct effects of elevated temperature and the attendant drying are most likely the primary cause of the effects on Sphagnum, but there may also be responses to the increased shading from shrubs, which increased with increasing temperature. To evaluate the independent effects of reduction in light availability and deposition of shrub litter on Sphagnum productivity, small plots with shrubs removed were laid out adjacent to the warming experiment on hummocks and hollows in three blocks and with five levels of shading. Four plots were covered with neutral density shade cloth to simulate shading from shrubs of 30%-90% reduction in light; one plot was left open. Growth of Sphagnum angustifolium/fallax and S. divinum declined linearly with increasing shade in hollows, but there was no response to shade on hummocks, where higher irradiance in the open plots may have been inhibitory. Shading caused etiolation of Sphagnum-they were thin and spindly under the deepest shade. A dense mat of shrub litter, corresponding to the amount of shrub litter produced in response to warming, did not inhibit Sphagnum growth or cause increases in potentially toxic base cations. CO2 exchange and chlorophyll-a fluorescence of S. angustifolium/fallax from the 30% and 90% shade cloth plots were measured in the laboratory. Light response curves indicate that maximal light saturated photosynthesis was 42% greater for S. angustifolium/fallax grown under 30% shade cloth relative to plants grown under 90% shade cloth. The response of Sphagnum growth in response to increasing shade is consistent with the hypothesis that increased shade resulting from shrub expansion in response to experimental warming contributed to reduced Sphagnum growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Norby
- Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Taylor Baxter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - Tatjana Živković
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
- Biological Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
| | - David J Weston
- Biological Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
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Tucker MR, Biffi D, Williams DA. Thermal refugia and persistence of Texas horned lizards ( Phrynosoma cornutum) in small towns. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10245. [PMID: 37424931 PMCID: PMC10329262 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Vegetation loss is a primary cause of habitat degradation and results in a decline in reptile species abundance due to loss of refuge from predators and hot temperatures, and foraging opportunities. Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) have disappeared from many areas in Texas, especially from urbanized areas, probably in large part due to loss of suitable habitat. This species still occurs in some small towns in Texas that still contain suitable habitat. Long-term data from Kenedy and Karnes City, Texas indicate that when study sites experienced significant shrub and vegetation removal horned lizards declined by 79%. We hypothesize the decline was due to the degradation of the thermal landscape for these lizards. We determined the preferred temperature range (T set25 - T set75) of lizards at our study sites and took field measurements of body temperature (T b). Temperature loggers were also placed in three microhabitats across our study sites. Shrubs and vegetation provided the highest quality thermal environment, especially for about 5 h midday when temperatures in the open and buried under the surface in the open exceeded the lizards' critical maximum temperature (CTmax) or were above their preferred temperature range. Horned lizard density was positively related to the thermal quality of the habitat across our sites. Texas horned lizards in these towns require a heterogeneous mix of closely spaced microhabitats and especially thermal refugia, such as shrubs and vegetation along fence lines and in open fields. Maintaining thermal refugia is one of the most important and practical conservation actions that can be taken to help small ectotherms persist in modified human landscapes and cope with increasing temperatures due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R. Tucker
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Daniella Biffi
- Andrews Institute of Mathematics & Science EducationTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Dean A. Williams
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
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3
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Leotta L, Toscano S, Ferrante A, Romano D, Francini A. New Strategies to Increase the Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Woody Ornamental Plants in Mediterranean Climate. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:2022. [PMID: 37653939 PMCID: PMC10223706 DOI: 10.3390/plants12102022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The native flora of different Mediterranean countries, often woody species, was widely recognized for its ornamental potential. The shrubs, in particular, are a typology of plants very widespread in the Mediterranean environment and constituent the 'Macchia', the typical vegetation of this ecosystem. The use of native shrubs for the realization of ornamental green areas has been recently examined for their adaptability to abiotic stress. Abiotic stresses, in fact, are the major limiting growth factor in urban and peri-urban areas. The identification and use of tolerant ornamental species allow the reduction of management costs and preserve the aesthetical value of green areas. Tolerance to drought stress, for instance, in the Mediterranean climate can improve the ecosystem services of these plants in the urban environment. In this review, the possibility to early individuate different plant species' mechanisms to tolerate or avoid the stresses is analysed, as well as the possibility to increase abiotic stress tolerance through genetic and agronomic strategies. The exploration of wild or spontaneous species can be a good source for selecting tolerant plants to be used as ornamental plants in urban areas. Among agronomic strategies, biostimulants, mulching, and plant combination can provide a useful solution to counteract abiotic stress in the urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Leotta
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95131 Catania, Italy;
| | - Stefania Toscano
- Department of Science Veterinary, Università degli Studi di Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy;
| | - Antonio Ferrante
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Daniela Romano
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95131 Catania, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Francini
- Centro di Ricerca in Produzioni Vegetali, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
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Zuliani M, Ghazian N, Owen M, Westphal MF, Butterfield HS, Lortie CJ. Shrub density effects on the presence of an endangered lizard of the Carrizo Plain National Monument, California. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10128. [PMID: 37214602 PMCID: PMC10199236 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive associations between animals and foundational shrub species are frequent in desert ecosystems for shelter, resources, refuge, and other key ecological processes. Herein, we tested the impact of the density of the shrub species Ephedra californica on the presence and habitat use of the federally endangered lizard species, Gambelia sila. To do this, we used a 3-year radio telemetry dataset and satellite-based counts of shrub density across sites at the Carrizo Plain National Monument in San Luis Obispo County, CA. The effect of shrub density on lizard presence was contrasted with previous shrub cover analyses to determine whether measures of shrub density were superior to shrub cover in predicting lizard presence. Increasing shrub density increased lizard presence. As shrub density increased, lizards were located more frequently "above ground" versus "below ground" in burrows. Male lizards had significantly larger home ranges than females, but both sexes were similarly associated with increasing shrub densities. Shrub density and shrub cover models did not significantly differ in their prediction of lizard presence. These findings suggest that both habitat measures are effective analogs and that ecologically, both cover and the density of foundation shrub species are key factors for some desert lizards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Zuliani
- Department of Biological ScienceYork UniversityTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Nargol Ghazian
- Department of Biological ScienceYork UniversityTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Malory Owen
- Department of Biological ScienceYork UniversityTorontoOntarioCanada
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Ge M, Korrensalo A, Laiho R, Lohila A, Makiranta P, Pihlatie M, Tuittila ES, Kohl L, Putkinen A, Koskinen M. Plant phenology and species-specific traits control plant CH 4 emissions in a northern boreal fen. New Phytol 2023; 238:1019-1032. [PMID: 36751911 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aerenchymatic transport is an important mechanism through which plants affect methane (CH4 ) emissions from peatlands. Controlling environmental factors and the effects of plant phenology remain, however, uncertain. We identified factors controlling seasonal CH4 flux rate and investigated transport efficiency (flux rate per unit of rhizospheric porewater CH4 concentration). We measured CH4 fluxes through individual shoots of Carex rostrata, Menyanthes trifoliata, Betula nana and Salix lapponum throughout growing seasons in 2020 and 2021 and Equisetum fluviatile and Comarum palustre in high summer 2021 along with water-table level, peat temperature and porewater CH4 concentration. CH4 flux rate of C. rostrata was related to plant phenology and peat temperature. Flux rates of M. trifoliata and shrubs B. nana and S. lapponum were insensitive to the investigated environmental variables. In high summer, flux rate and efficiency were highest for C. rostrata (6.86 mg m-2 h-1 and 0.36 mg m-2 h-1 (μmol l-1 )-1 , respectively). Menyanthes trifoliata showed a high flux rate, but limited efficiency. Low flux rates and efficiency were detected for the remaining species. Knowledge of the species-specific CH4 flux rate and their different responses to plant phenology and environmental factors can significantly improve the estimation of ecosystem-scale CH4 dynamics in boreal peatlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Ge
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Aino Korrensalo
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, Joensuu, 80101, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, PO Box 2, Helsinki, 00791, Finland
| | - Raija Laiho
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, PO Box 2, Helsinki, 00791, Finland
| | - Annalea Lohila
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, PO Box 503, Helsinki, 00560, Finland
| | - Päivi Makiranta
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, PO Box 2, Helsinki, 00791, Finland
| | - Mari Pihlatie
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki, 00560, Finland
| | - Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
- School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, Joensuu, 80101, Finland
| | - Lukas Kohl
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki, 00560, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, Kuopio, 70211, Finland
| | - Anuliina Putkinen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki, 00560, Finland
| | - Markku Koskinen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, Helsinki, 00560, Finland
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Calvia G, Casula P, Farris E, Fenu G, Fantini S, Bacchetta G. Shrub Cover and Soil Moisture Affect Taxus baccata L. Regeneration at Its Southern Range. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:plants12091819. [PMID: 37176876 PMCID: PMC10181193 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The effect of key ecological and anthropic factors on the recruitment of the common yew (Taxus baccata L.) in Sardinia (Italy) has been analyzed. After bibliographic and cartographic research, followed by field surveys, we found 232 sites where yew grows in Sardinia (as opposed to 69 previously reported in the literature). Among them, we selected 40 sites, located in 14 different mountain chains, characterized by a number of individuals ranging from 11 to 836 adult yews with an average diameter at breast height (DBH) from 13 to 130 cm. By means of generalized linear modeling, we investigated and weighted the effect of ecological, structural, and anthropic factors on the amount of T. baccata recruitment. Our analyses showed that stand recruitment was positively correlated to shrub cover and soil moisture. In particular, shrub cover had a stronger effect, clearly showing that a thicker shrub layer, both bushy and/or spiny, corresponded to a higher number of yew seedlings and saplings. Secondarily, moister sites had a higher number of seedlings and saplings, showing that habitat suitability improved with higher humidity. On the contrary, recruitment was negatively correlated to browsing (both from livestock and wild animals). Our data confirm that the presence of a protective layer of shrubs is a crucial factor for seedling and sapling survival, mostly in relation to protection from summer drought and the browsing of large herbivores. Finally, guidelines for the conservation and restoration of T. baccata communities, referred to as the EU priority habitat 9580* (Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods), have been outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Calvia
- Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Viale Sant'Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Paolo Casula
- Servizio Tecnico, Agenzia Forestas, Viale Luigi Merello 86, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Emmanuele Farris
- Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, 07100 Sassari, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fenu
- Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Viale Sant'Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sergio Fantini
- Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Viale Sant'Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
- Servizio Tecnico, Agenzia Forestas, Viale Luigi Merello 86, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Bacchetta
- Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Viale Sant'Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
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Castro H, Dias MC, Sousa JP, Freitas H. Functional Groups Response to Water Deficit in Mediterranean Ecosystems. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:1471. [PMID: 37050097 PMCID: PMC10096716 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced drought, more frequent rainfall events and increased inter-annual variability of precipitation are the main trends of climate expected for the Mediterranean. Drought is one of the most important stressors for plants and significantly impacts plant communities causing changes in plant composition and species dominance. Through an experiment under controlled conditions, we assessed the response of Mediterranean species from different functional groups (annual grass, annual forb, annual legume, and perennial shrub) to moderate and severe water deficit. Changes in plant traits (leaf dry matter), biomass and physiology (water status, photosynthesis, pigments, and carbohydrate) were evaluated. The studied species differed in their response to water deficit. Ornithopus compressus, the legume, showed the strongest response, particularly under severe conditions, decreasing leaf relative water content (RWC), pigments and carbohydrates. The grass, Agrostis pourreti and the forb, Tolpis barbata, maintained RWC, indicating a higher ability to cope with water deficit. Finally, the shrub, Cistus salviifolius, had the lowest response to stress, showing a higher ability to cope with water deficit. Despite different responses, plant biomass was negatively affected by severe water deficit in all species. These data provide background for predicting plant diversity and species composition of Mediterranean grasslands and Montado under climate change conditions.
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8
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Swoczyna T, Kalaji HM, Bussotti F, Mojski J, Pollastrini M. Environmental stress - what can we learn from chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis in woody plants? A review. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:1048582. [PMID: 36589121 PMCID: PMC9795016 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1048582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChF) signal analysis has become a widely used and rapid, non-invasive technique to study the photosynthetic process under stress conditions. It monitors plant responses to various environmental factors affecting plants under experimental and field conditions. Thus, it enables extensive research in ecology and benefits forestry, agriculture, horticulture, and arboriculture. Woody plants, especially trees, as organisms with a considerable life span, have a different life strategy than herbaceous plants and show more complex responses to stress. The range of changes in photosynthetic efficiency of trees depends on their age, ontogeny, species-specific characteristics, and acclimation ability. This review compiles the results of the most commonly used ChF techniques at the foliar scale. We describe the results of experimental studies to identify stress factors that affect photosynthetic efficiency and analyse the experience of assessing tree vigour in natural and human-modified environments. We discuss both the circumstances under which ChF can be successfully used to assess woody plant health and the ChF parameters that can be useful in field research. Finally, we summarise the advantages and limitations of the ChF method in research on trees, shrubs, and woody vines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Swoczyna
- Department of Environment Protection and Dendrology, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Hazem M. Kalaji
- Department of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Filippo Bussotti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Jacek Mojski
- Twój Swiat Jacek Mojski, Łukow, Poland
- Fundacja Zielona Infrastruktura, Łukow, Poland
| | - Martina Pollastrini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Xu GQ, Kandlikar GS, Vaz MC. Evolutionary lability underlies drought adaptation of Australian shrubs along aridity gradients. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:949531. [PMID: 36275606 PMCID: PMC9585297 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.949531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Leaf drought tolerance traits influence plant survival in water deficit conditions, and these traits are influenced by both the plant's evolutionary history and the environment in which the plant is currently growing. However, due to the substantial phenotypic plasticity in leaf traits, we still do not know to what degree variation in leaf traits is governed by species' phylogenetic history or by their environment. To explore this question, we re-examined a drought tolerance dataset from 37 native Australian shrub species with varying climate origins growing in a common garden located in Melbourne, Australia. We previously measured seven leaf morphophysiological traits, and here, we estimated how phylogenetically conserved these traits are. We quantified phylogeny and the strength of correlation between the morphological traits and physiological traits before and after accounting for shared phylogenetic history. We also evaluated the relationship between species' leaf traits and the climate of their native ranges. We present three main findings: (a) most leaf drought tolerance traits had weak phylogenetic signals, which is consistent with the convergent evolution of these traits. (b) There is weak but consistent coordination between distinct leaf drought tolerance traits, which can be masked due to species' phylogenetic histories. (c) Leaf drought tolerance traits show strong correlations with the climate of species' origins, and this relationship is only weakly impacted by phylogenetic signals. Therefore, the role of phylogeny on the coordination among leaf functional traits and their links to climate were limited. A better understanding of trait-environment relationships might be more pivotal than understanding the evolution of these traits for improving the predictions of species' response to climate change-type drought, especially for shrub species that span substantial aridity gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Qing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Gaurav S. Kandlikar
- Division of Biological Sciences and Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Marcel C. Vaz
- Wilkes University, Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes-Barre, PA, United States
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Sonti NF, Groffman PM, Nowak DJ, Henning JG, Avolio ML, Rosi EJ. Urban net primary production: Concepts, field methods, and Baltimore, Maryland, USA case study. Ecol Appl 2022; 32:e2562. [PMID: 35138007 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Given the large and increasing amount of urban, suburban, and exurban land use on Earth, there is a need to accurately assess net primary productivity (NPP) of urban ecosystems. However, the heterogeneous and dynamic urban mosaic presents challenges to the measurement of NPP, creating landscapes that may appear more similar to a savanna than to the native landscape replaced. Studies of urban biomass have tended to focus on one type of vegetation (e.g., lawns or trees). Yet a focus on the ecology of the city should include the entire urban ecosystem rather than the separate investigation of its parts. Furthermore, few studies have attempted to measure urban aboveground NPP (ANPP) using field-based methods. Most studies project growth rates from measurements of tree diameter to estimate annual ANPP or use remote sensing approaches. In addition, field-based methods for measuring NPP do not address any special considerations for adapting such field methods to urban landscapes. Frequent planting and partial or complete removal of herbaceous and woody plants can make it difficult to accurately quantify increments and losses of plant biomass throughout an urban landscape. In this study, we review how ANPP of urban landscapes can be estimated based on field measurements, highlighting the challenges specific to urban areas. We then estimated ANPP of woody and herbaceous vegetation over a 15-year period for Baltimore, MD, USA using a combination of plot-based field data and published values from the literature. Baltimore's citywide ANPP was estimated to be 355.8 g m-2 , a result that we then put into context through comparison with other North American Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and mean annual precipitation. We found our estimate of Baltimore citywide ANPP to be only approximately half as much (or less) than ANPP at forested LTER sites of the eastern United States, and more comparable to grassland, oldfield, desert, or boreal forest ANPP. We also found that Baltimore had low productivity for its level of precipitation. We conclude with a discussion of the significance of accurate assessment of primary productivity of urban ecosystems and critical future research needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy F Sonti
- USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter M Groffman
- Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, USA
| | - David J Nowak
- USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Jason G Henning
- The Davey Institute and USDA Forest Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meghan L Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Emma J Rosi
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York, USA
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11
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Fajardo A. Wood density relates negatively to maximum plant height across major angiosperm and gymnosperm orders. Am J Bot 2022; 109:250-258. [PMID: 34766624 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Wood density is a crucial plant functional trait related to plant life history strategies. Its ecological importance in small-stature growth forms (e.g., shrubs) has not been extensively examined. Given that hydraulic conduit dimensions vary positively with plant height and that there is a negative relationship between conduits' diameter and wood density, I hypothesized an also negative relationship between wood density and plant height. Knowing that bark and pith proportions are significant in small-diameter stems, I additionally disentangled the contribution of wood, bark, and pith to stem density. METHODS I determined density in small-diameter stems across 153 species spanning all major angiosperm and gymnosperm orders by considering a diversity of growth forms (trees, treelets, shrubs, vines, and hemiparasites). Stem cross sections were dissected to consider the densities of wood with bark and pith; wood with pith and without bark; wood with bark and no pith; and wood without bark and pith. Secondary growth was also measured. RESULTS Trees showed similar wood densities as non-self-supporting vines, and both showed significantly less dense wood than treelets, shrubs, and hemiparasites. General comparisons showed that wood was significantly denser than all other tissues, and these differences did not depend on growth form. Wood density was significantly and negatively related to growth rate and pith area proportions but not to bark thickness proportion. CONCLUSIONS An implicit negative relationship between maximum plant height and stem density emerges as a property of plants likely linked to hydraulic conductive size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinario (I3), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, 3460000, Chile
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Xavier V, Finimundy TC, Heleno SA, Amaral JS, Calhelha RC, Vaz J, Pires TCSP, Mediavilla I, Esteban LS, Ferreira ICFR, Barros L. Chemical and Bioactive Characterization of the Essential Oils Obtained from Three Mediterranean Plants. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247472. [PMID: 34946554 PMCID: PMC8708991 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cupressus sempervirens L., Juniperus communis L. and Cistus ladanifer L. are Mediterranean arboreal and shrub species that possess essential oils (EO) in their leaves and branches. This study aimed at characterizing the EOs obtained by steam distillation from the three species collected in different locations from Spain (Almazán, Andévalo, Barriomartín, Cerezal, Ermitas and Huéscar). For this purpose, volatiles composition was determined by GC-MS, and different bioactivities were evaluated. The highest content in terpenes was observed in C. sempervirens (Huéscar origin) followed by J. communis (Almazán origin), corresponding to 92% and 91.9% of total compounds, respectively. With exception of C. ladanifer from Cerezal that presented viridiflorol as the most abundant compound, all the three species presented in common the α-pinene as the major compound. The EOs from C. ladanifer showed high antibacterial potential, presenting MIC values from 0.3 to 1.25 mg/mL. Concerning other bioactivities, C. ladanifer EO revealed an oxidation inhibition of 83%, while J. communis showed cytotoxicity in the MCF-7 cell line, and C. sempervirens and C. ladanifer EOs exhibited the highest potential on NCI-H460 cell lines. Nevertheless, some EOs revealed toxicity against non-tumoral cells but generally presented a GI50 value higher than that of the tumor cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Xavier
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Tiane C. Finimundy
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Sandrina A. Heleno
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Joana S. Amaral
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo C. Calhelha
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Josiana Vaz
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Tânia C. S. P. Pires
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Irene Mediavilla
- CEDER-CIEMAT, Autovía de Navarra A-15, Salida 56, 42290 Lubia, Spain;
| | - Luis Saúl Esteban
- CEDER-CIEMAT, Autovía de Navarra A-15, Salida 56, 42290 Lubia, Spain;
- Correspondence: (L.S.E.); (L.B.)
| | - Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
| | - Lillian Barros
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal; (V.X.); (T.C.F.); (S.A.H.); (J.S.A.); (R.C.C.); (J.V.); (T.C.S.P.P.); (I.C.F.R.F.)
- Correspondence: (L.S.E.); (L.B.)
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Gaudenti N, Nix E, Maier P, Westphal MF, Taylor EN. Habitat heterogeneity affects the thermal ecology of an endangered lizard. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14843-14856. [PMID: 34765145 PMCID: PMC8571645 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate change is already contributing to the extirpation of numerous species worldwide, and sensitive species will continue to face challenges associated with rising temperatures throughout this century and beyond. It is especially important to evaluate the thermal ecology of endangered ectotherm species now so that mitigation measures can be taken as early as possible. A recent study of the thermal ecology of the federally endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) suggested that they face major activity restrictions due to thermal constraints in their desert habitat, but that large shade-providing shrubs act as thermal buffers to allow them to maintain surface activity without overheating. We replicated this study and also included a population of G. sila with no access to large shrubs to facilitate comparison of the thermal ecology of G. sila populations in shrubless and shrubbed sites. We found that G. sila without access to shrubs spent more time sheltering inside rodent burrows than lizards with access to shrubs, especially during the hot summer months. Lizards from a shrubbed site had higher midday body temperatures and therefore poorer thermoregulatory accuracy than G. sila from a shrubless site, suggesting that greater surface activity may represent a thermoregulatory trade-off for G. sila. Lizards at both sites are currently constrained from using open, sunny microhabitats for much of the day during their short active seasons, and our projections suggest that climate change will exacerbate these restrictions and force G. sila to use rodent burrows for shelter even more than they do now, especially at sites without access to shrubs. The continued management of shrubs and of burrowing rodents at G. sila sites is therefore essential to the survival of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Gaudenti
- Biological Sciences DepartmentCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis ObispoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Emmeleia Nix
- Central Coast Field OfficeUS Bureau of Land ManagementMarinaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paul Maier
- Biological Sciences DepartmentCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis ObispoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Emily N. Taylor
- Biological Sciences DepartmentCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis ObispoCaliforniaUSA
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Ibanez T, Ainsworth A, Gross J, Price JP, Webb EL, Hart PJ. Rarity patterns of woody plant species are associated with life form and diversification rates in Pacific islands forests. Am J Bot 2021; 108:946-957. [PMID: 34160827 PMCID: PMC9328433 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Rarity is a complex and central concept in ecology and conservation biology. Yet, it is still poorly understood why some species are rare and others common. Here, we aimed to understand the drivers of species rarity patterns in woody plant communities. METHODS We analyzed the local abundance and landscape frequency of 121 woody plant species across 238 plots on American Samoa and Hawaiian islands. We first assessed whether taxonomy, life form (shrub, small tree, large tree), and dispersal syndrome (dispersed by animals or by other means) are associated with the rarity of species. We then analyzed phylogenetic patterns in plant rarity and tested whether rarity patterns are associated with species evolutionary distinctiveness and the number of species within genera and families. RESULTS Large trees were less abundant but more frequent than shrub species. Animal-dispersed species tended to be less abundant than species dispersed by other means, while species frequency was not associated with dispersal syndromes. Relative frequency in Hawai'i exhibited a more robust phylogenetic signal than did abundance. Both evolutionary distinctiveness and taxa species richness were significantly associated with the frequency of shrub species in Hawai'i. CONCLUSIONS Life form appears consistently associated with the rarity of species. High diversification rate is probably a key factor explaining landscape-scale rarity of native species on isolated archipelagos like Hawai'i. At the landscape scale, rarity appears to be inversely associated with evolutionary distinctiveness, but at the local scale, species abundance may be not associated with evolutionary distinctiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ibanez
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
- Present address:
AMAPUniv MontpellierCIRADCNRSINRAEIRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Alison Ainsworth
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program, Pacific Island NetworkP.O. Box 52Hawai'i Volcanoes National ParkHI96718USA
| | - Jacob Gross
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program, Pacific Island NetworkP.O. Box 52Hawai'i Volcanoes National ParkHI96718USA
| | - Jonathan P. Price
- Department of Geography and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
| | - Edward L. Webb
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore14 Science Drive 4117543Singapore
| | - Patrick J. Hart
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
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Dial RJ, Schulz B, Lewis‐Clark E, Martin K, Andersen H. Using fractal self-similarity to increase precision of shrub biomass estimates. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:4866-4873. [PMID: 33976854 PMCID: PMC8093737 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We show that aerial tips are self-similar fractals of whole shrubs and present a field method that applies this fact to improves accuracy and precision of biomass estimates of tall-shrubs, defined here as those with diameter at root collar (DRC) ≥ 2.5 cm. Power function allometry of biomass to stem diameter generates a disproportionate prediction error that increases rapidly with diameter. Thus, biomass should be modeled as a single measure of stem diameter only if stem diameter is less than a threshold Dmax . When stem diameter exceeds Dmax , then the stem internode should be treated as a conic frustrum requiring two additional measures: a second, node-adjacent diameter and a length. If the second diameter is less than Dmax , then the power function allometry can be applied to the aerial tip; otherwise an additional internode is measured. This "two-component" allometry-internodes as frustra and aerial tips as shrubs-can reduce estimated biomass error propagated to the plot-level by as much as 50% or more where very large shrubs are present Dmax is any diameter such that the ratio of single-component to two-component uncertainty exceeds the ratio of two-component to single-component measurement time. Guidelines for estimating Dmax based on pilot field data are provided. Tall shrubs are increasing in abundance and distribution across Arctic, alpine, boreal, and dryland ecosystems. Estimating their biomass is important for both ecological studies and carbon accounting. Reducing field-sample prediction error increases precision in multi-stage modeling because additional measures efficiently improve plot-level biomass precision, reducing uncertainty for shrub biomass estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman J. Dial
- Institute of Culture and EnvironmentAlaska Pacific UniversityAnchorageAKUSA
| | - Bethany Schulz
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationAnchorageAKUSA
| | - Eric Lewis‐Clark
- Institute of Culture and EnvironmentAlaska Pacific UniversityAnchorageAKUSA
| | - Kaili Martin
- Institute of Culture and EnvironmentAlaska Pacific UniversityAnchorageAKUSA
| | - Hans‐Erik Andersen
- USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research StationUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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16
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Fazan L, Song YG, Kozlowski G. The Woody Planet: From Past Triumph to Manmade Decline. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:E1593. [PMID: 33213013 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Woodiness evolved in land plants approximately 400 Mya, and very soon after this evolutionary invention, enormous terrestrial surfaces on Earth were covered by dense and luxurious forests. Forests store close to 80% of the biosphere’s biomass, and more than 60% of the global biomass is made of wood (trunks, branches and roots). Among the total number of ca. 374,000 plant species worldwide, approximately 45% (138,500) are woody species—e.g., trees, shrubs or lianas. Furthermore, among all 453 described vascular plant families, 191 are entirely woody (42%). However, recent estimations demonstrate that the woody domination of our planet was even greater before the development of human civilization: 1.4 trillion trees, comprising more than 45% of forest biomass, and 35% of forest cover disappeared during the last few thousands of years of human dominance on our planet. The decline in the woody cover of Planet Earth did not decelerate during the last few centuries or decades. Ongoing overexploitation, land use and climate change have pushed ten thousand woody species to the brink of extinction. Our review highlights the importance, origin and past triumph of woody species and summarizes the unprecedented recent decline in woody species on our planet.
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17
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Vuorinen KEM, Rao SJ, Hester AJ, Speed JDM. Herbivory and climate as drivers of woody plant growth: Do deer decrease the impacts of warming? Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02119. [PMID: 32160360 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Vegetation at ecotone transitions between open and forested areas is often heavily affected by two key processes: climate change and management of large herbivore densities. These both drive woody plant state shifts, determining the location and the nature of the limit between open and tree or shrub-dominated landscapes. In order to adapt management to prevailing and future climate, we need to understand how browsing and climatic factors together affect the growth of plants at biome borders. To disentangle herbivory and climate effects, we combined long-term tree growth monitoring and dendroecology to investigate woody plant growth under different temperatures and red deer (Cervus elaphus) herbivory pressures at forest-moorland ecotones in the Scottish highlands. Reforestation and deer densities are core and conflicting management concerns in the area, and there is an urgent need for additional knowledge. We found that deer herbivory and climate had significant and interactive effects on tree growth: in the presence of red deer, pine (Pinus sylvestris) growth responded more strongly to annual temperature than in the absence of deer, possibly reflecting differing plant-plant competition and facilitation conditions. As expected, pine growth was negatively related to deer density and positively to temperature. However, at the tree population level, warming decreased growth when more than 60% of shoots were browsed. Heather (Calluna vulgaris) growth was negatively related to temperature and the direction of the response to deer switched from negative to positive when mean annual temperatures fell below 6.0°C. In addition, our models allow estimates to be made of how woody plant growth responds under specific combinations of temperature and herbivory, and show how deer management can be adapted to predicted climatic changes in order to more effectively achieve reforestation goals. Our results support the hypothesis that temperature and herbivory have interactive effects on woody plant growth, and thus accounting for just one of these two factors is insufficient for understanding plant growth mechanics at biome transitions. Furthermore, we show that climate-driven woody plant growth increases can be negated by herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katariina E M Vuorinen
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway
| | - Shaila J Rao
- The National Trust for Scotland, Mar Lodge Estate, Braemar, AB35 5YJ, UK
| | - Alison J Hester
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - James D M Speed
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7491, Norway
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Wang Y, Yang XD, Ali A, Lv GH, Long YX, Wang YY, Ma YG, Xu CC. Flowering Phenology Shifts in Response to Functional Traits, Growth Form, and Phylogeny of Woody Species in a Desert Area. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:536. [PMID: 32435256 PMCID: PMC7219254 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Climatic factors are considered the major driving forces for variation of flowering phenology among species. Yet, whether flowering phenology of woody species varies with functional traits, growth form, and phylogeny in arid regions is unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the relationships of three characteristics of flowering phenology (i.e., first flowering date, end of flowering date, and flowering duration) against functional traits, growth form, and phylogeny across 59 woody plant species across 3 years in Ürümqi city of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, in Northwest China. The results showed that, plant functional traits and growth form had significant influences on the variability of flowering phenology among species. The contributions of fruit type (34.7-43.5%) and flower color (30.1-30.7%) to the variability of flowering phenology were larger than those of pollination mode (4.6-14.4%), life form (8.4-14%) and maximum plant height (9.7-13.1%). Trees had the significant correlations in terms of flowering duration against first flowering date and end of flowering date, while shrubs showed the opposite pattern. The values of phylogenetic signal (Blomberg's K) of the three characteristics of flowering phenology ranged from 0.36 to 0.43, which were significantly lower than the expectation of the Brownian motion model. Our results suggested that functional traits, growth form and phylogeny all affected variability of flowering phenology among species. Our results provide a new perspective for correctly evaluating the relationship between global climate change and plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Department of Geography and Spatial Information Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Yang
- Department of Geography and Spatial Information Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Arshad Ali
- Department of Forest Resources Management, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guang-Hui Lv
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yan-Xin Long
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
| | - Ya-Yun Wang
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
| | - Yong-Gang Ma
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
| | - Chang-Chun Xu
- Institute of Resources and Environment Science, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Ürümqi, China
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Bilska K, Wojciechowska N, Alipour S, Kalemba EM. Ascorbic Acid-The Little-Known Antioxidant in Woody Plants. Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:E645. [PMID: 31847411 PMCID: PMC6943661 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8120645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are constantly produced by metabolically active plant cells. The concentration of ROS may determine their role, e.g., they may participate in signal transduction or cause oxidative damage to various cellular components. To ensure cellular homeostasis and minimize the negative effects of excess ROS, plant cells have evolved a complex antioxidant system, which includes ascorbic acid (AsA). AsA is a multifunctional metabolite with strong reducing properties that allows the neutralization of ROS and the reduction of molecules oxidized by ROS in cooperation with glutathione in the Foyer-Halliwell-Asada cycle. Antioxidant enzymes involved in AsA oxidation and reduction switches evolved uniquely in plants. Most experiments concerning the role of AsA have been performed on herbaceous plants. In addition to extending our understanding of this role in additional taxa, fundamental knowledge of the complex life cycle stages of woody plants, including their development and response to environmental factors, will enhance their breeding and amend their protection. Thus, the role of AsA in woody plants compared to that in nonwoody plants is the focus of this paper. The role of AsA in woody plants has been studied for nearly 20 years. Studies have demonstrated that AsA is important for the growth and development of woody plants. Substantial changes in AsA levels, as well as reduction and oxidation switches, have been reported in various physiological processes and transitions described mainly in leaves, fruits, buds, and seeds. Evidently, AsA exhibits a dual role in the photoprotection of the photosynthetic apparatus in woody plants, which are the most important scavengers of ozone. AsA is associated with proper seed production and, thus, woody plant reproduction. Similarly, an important function of AsA is described under drought, salinity, temperature, light stress, and biotic stress. This report emphasizes the involvement of AsA in the ecological advantages, such as nutrition recycling due to leaf senescence, of trees and shrubs compared to nonwoody plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Bilska
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (K.B.); (N.W.); (S.A.)
| | - Natalia Wojciechowska
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (K.B.); (N.W.); (S.A.)
- Department of General Botany, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Shirin Alipour
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (K.B.); (N.W.); (S.A.)
- Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Ewa Marzena Kalemba
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland; (K.B.); (N.W.); (S.A.)
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Ansley RJ, Cooper C, Zhang T. Invasion promotes invasion: Facilitation of C 3 perennial grass dominance in mixed C 3/C 4 grassland by an invasive C 3 woody sprouter ( Prosopis glandulosa). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13438-13449. [PMID: 31871656 PMCID: PMC6912915 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Southern Great Plains (SGP) of the United States, encroachment of the native invasive woody legume, honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.), has caused a decline in C4 mid-grass abundance. Prosopis glandulosa invasion has also facilitated growth of the C3 mid-grass species, Texas wintergrass (Nassella leucotricha [Trin & Rupr.] Pohl) initially beneath its canopy but extending to interspaces between P. glandulosa as stand density increases. Little is known about the stability of the Prosopis/Nassella association or C4 grass recovery following P. glandulosa disturbance.We quantified C3 and C4 grass production in interspaces, and basal cover in interspaces and P. glandulosa subcanopy microsites for 9 years following P. glandulosa suppression (top-kill) and compared this to untreated P. glandulosa woodland (woodland).The Prosopis/Nassella association limited the window of C4 mid-grass recovery to only a few years. Nassella leucotricha dominated grass production during the first 3 years after top-kill. C4 mid-grass recovery began in year 4, but was interrupted by severe drought in years 5 through 7. Recovery resumed in year 8, due to above-average summer rainfall, but P. glandulosa regrowth was large enough by this time to limit C4 mid-grass production to a third of its potential. Nassella leucotricha basal cover remained dominant and stable in woodland subcanopy microsites, even during drought, and only briefly declined in top-kill subcanopy microsites before returning to pretreatment levels by year 8 as P. glandulosa regrowth increased and provided shade. Synthesis and applications. A single suppression event had little impact on disrupting the Prosopis/Nassella association and allowing C4 mid-grass recovery. The coupling of a deciduous, N-fixing C3 woody species with this C3 perennial grass may be a vegetative "state" that is resistant to multiple woody suppression disturbances and permanently limits the transition back to C4 grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert James Ansley
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management DepartmentOklahoma State UniversityStillwaterOKUSA
| | - Caitlyn Cooper
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension CenterVernonTXUSA
| | - Tian Zhang
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension CenterVernonTXUSA
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Wyka TP, Zadworny M, Mucha J, Żytkowiak R, Nowak K, Oleksyn J. Biomass and nitrogen distribution ratios reveal a reduced root investment in temperate lianas vs. self-supporting plants. Ann Bot 2019; 124:777-790. [PMID: 31050704 PMCID: PMC6868367 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The reliance on external support by lianas has been hypothesized to imply a reduction in the biomass cost of stem construction and root anchorage, and an increased investment in leaves, relative to self-supporting plants. These evolutionary trade-offs have not been adequately tested in an ontogenetic context and on the whole-plant scale. Moreover, the hypothesis may be extended to other potentially limiting resources, such as nitrogen (N.). METHODS Plants belonging to five con-familiar pairs of temperate liana/shrub species were cultivated in 120 L barrels and sequentially harvested over up to three growing seasons. To account for the ontogenetic drift, organ biomass and nitrogen fractions were adjusted for plant biomass and N pool, respectively. KEY RESULTS Lianas invested, on average, relatively less biomass in the root fraction in comparison with shrubs. This was offset by only insignificant increases in leaf or stem investment. Even though liana stems and roots showed higher N concentration in comparison with shrubs, plant N distribution was mostly driven by, and largely matched, the pattern of biomass distribution. Lianas also showed a greater relative growth rate than shrubs. The differences between the growth forms became apparent only when ontogenetic drift was controlled for. These results were confirmed regardless of whether reproductive biomass was included in the analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that temperate lianas, in spite of their diverse, species-specific resource distribution patterns, preferentially allocate resources to above-ground organs at the expense of roots. By identifying this trade-off and demonstrating the lack of a general trend for reduction in stem investment in lianas, we significantly modify the prevailing view of liana allocation strategies and evolutionary advantages. Such a resource distribution pattern, along with the cheap unit leaf area and stem unit length construction, situates lianas as a group close to the fast acquisition/rapid growth end of the life strategy spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz P Wyka
- Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, General Botany Laboratory, Umultowska, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marcin Zadworny
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Parkowa, Kornik, Poland
| | - Joanna Mucha
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Parkowa, Kornik, Poland
| | - Roma Żytkowiak
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Parkowa, Kornik, Poland
| | - Kinga Nowak
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Parkowa, Kornik, Poland
| | - Jacek Oleksyn
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Dendrology, Parkowa, Kornik, Poland
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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22
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Winkler DE, Belnap J, Hoover D, Reed SC, Duniway MC. Shrub persistence and increased grass mortality in response to drought in dryland systems. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:3121-3135. [PMID: 31025434 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Droughts in the southwest United States have led to major forest and grassland die-off events in recent decades, suggesting plant community and ecosystem shifts are imminent as native perennial grass populations are replaced by shrub- and invasive plant-dominated systems. These patterns are similar to those observed in arid and semiarid systems around the globe, but our ability to predict which species will experience increased drought-induced mortality in response to climate change remains limited. We investigated meteorological drought-induced mortality of nine dominant plant species in the Colorado Plateau Desert by experimentally imposing a year-round 35% precipitation reduction for eight continuous years. We distributed experimental plots across numerous plant, soil, and parent material types, resulting in 40 distinct sites across a 4,500 km2 region of the Colorado Plateau Desert. For all 8 years, we tracked c. 400 individual plants and evaluated mortality responses to treatments within and across species, and through time. We also examined the influence of abiotic and biotic site factors in driving mortality responses. Overall, high mortality trends were driven by dominant grass species, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Responses varied widely from year to year and dominant shrub species were generally resistant to meteorological drought, likely due to their ability to access deeper soil water. Importantly, mortality increased in the presence of invasive species regardless of treatment, and native plant die-off occurred even under ambient conditions, suggesting that recent climate changes are already negatively impacting dominant species in these systems. Results from this long-term drought experiment suggest major shifts in community composition and, as a result, ecosystem function. Patterns also show that, across multiple soil and plant community types, native perennial grass species may be replaced by shrubs and invasive annuals in the Colorado Plateau Desert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Winkler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - David Hoover
- Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
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23
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Killingbeck KT. Stem succulence controls flower and fruit production but not stem growth in the desert shrub ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Am J Bot 2019; 106:223-230. [PMID: 30801675 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY The C3 desert shrub ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) completely lacks xeromorphic leaves but is uncommonly both stem succulent and repetitively drought deciduous (documented to have produced many foliation-defoliation cycles during a growing season). Both adaptations conserve water in this xerophyte, but are the roles of succulence and deciduousness merely redundant? The observation that year-to-year reproductive effort was relatively consistent while vegetative growth was not offered a critical clue that, coupled with long-term precipitation data, helped answer this question. METHODS At two sites in the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico, United States, 22 ocotillos were studied annually for more than two decades to explore the relationships among reproductive effort, vegetative stem growth, and patterns of precipitation. KEY RESULTS Vegetative stem growth occurred in mid- to late summer (July-September), the season of maximum precipitation in the Chihuahuan Desert, and was significantly related to summer precipitation received in the year of growth. Reproductive effort occurred in early to late spring (April-June), which with winter account for minimum precipitation during the year, but was significantly related to summer precipitation received in the previous year, suggesting the importance of stem succulence and stored water. CONCLUSIONS While highly variable summer precipitation was responsible for enormous fluctuations in annual ocotillo stem growth, stem succulence insulated reproductive effort from such immense variability. Stem-stored water allowed the production of flowers and fruits to proceed relatively consistently during the driest years and during the driest time of year in the Chihuahuan Desert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith T Killingbeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
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24
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Hopping KA, Knapp AK, Dorji T, Klein JA. Warming and land use change concurrently erode ecosystem services in Tibet. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:5534-5548. [PMID: 30086187 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau comprise the largest alpine ecosystem in the world and provide critical ecosystem services, including forage production and carbon sequestration, on which people depend from local to global scales. However, the provision of these services may be threatened by climate warming combined with land use policies that are altering if and how pastoralists can continue to graze livestock, the dominant livelihood practice in this region for millennia. We synthesized findings from a climate warming and yak grazing experiment with landscape-level observations in central Tibet to gain insight into the trajectories of change that Tibet's alpine meadows will undergo in response to expected changes in climate and land use. We show that within 5 years, experimental warming drove an alpine community with intact, sedge-dominated turfs into a degraded state. With removal of livestock, consistent with policy intended to reverse degradation, a longer-term shift to a more shrub-dominated community will likely occur. Neither degraded nor shrub meadows produce forage or sequester carbon to the same degree as intact meadows, indicating that climate warming and drying will reduce the ability of Tibet's alpine meadows to provide key ecosystem services, and that livestock reduction policies intended to counteract trajectories of land degradation instead endanger contemporary livelihoods on the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Hopping
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Alan K Knapp
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Tsechoe Dorji
- Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology and Biodiversity, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Science, Beijing, China
| | - Julia A Klein
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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25
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Baruch Z, Jones AR, Hill KE, McInerney FA, Blyth C, Caddy-Retalic S, Christmas MJ, Gellie NJC, Lowe AJ, Martin-Fores I, Nielson KE, Breed MF. Functional acclimation across microgeographic scales in Dodonaea viscosa. AoB Plants 2018; 10:ply029. [PMID: 29942458 PMCID: PMC6007226 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/ply029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Intraspecific plant functional trait variation provides mechanistic insight into persistence and can infer population adaptive capacity. However, most studies explore intraspecific trait variation in systems where geographic and environmental distances co-vary. Such a design reduces the certainty of trait-environment associations, and it is imperative for studies that make trait-environment associations be conducted in systems where environmental distance varies independently of geographic distance. Here we explored trait variation in such a system, and aimed to: (i) quantify trait variation of parent and offspring generations, and associate this variation to parental environments; (ii) determine the traits which best explain population differences; (iii) compare parent and offspring trait-trait relationships. We characterized 15 plant functional traits in eight populations of a shrub with a maximum separation ca. 100 km. Populations differed markedly in aridity and elevation, and environmental distance varied independently of geographic distance. We measured traits in parent populations collected in the field, as well as their offspring reared in greenhouse conditions. Parent traits regularly associated with their environment. These associations were largely lost in the offspring generation, indicating considerable phenotypic plasticity. An ordination of parent traits showed clear structure with strong influence of leaf area, specific leaf area, stomatal traits, isotope δ13C and δ15N ratios, and Narea, whereas the offspring ordination was less structured. Parent trait-trait correlations were in line with expectations from the leaf economic spectrum. We show considerable trait plasticity in the woody shrub over microgeographic scales (<100 km), indicating it has the adaptive potential within a generation to functionally acclimate to a range of abiotic conditions. Since our study shrub is commonly used for restoration in southern Australia and local populations do not show strong genetic differentiation in functional traits, the potential risks of transferring seed across the broad environmental conditions are not likely to be a significant issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Baruch
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Alice R Jones
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kathryn E Hill
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Francesca A McInerney
- Sprigg Geobiology Centre and School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Colette Blyth
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stefan Caddy-Retalic
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Sprigg Geobiology Centre and School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Matthew J Christmas
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nicholas J C Gellie
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lowe
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Irene Martin-Fores
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kristine E Nielson
- Sprigg Geobiology Centre and School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Martin F Breed
- School of Biological Sciences and the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Corresponding author’s e-mail address:
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Lortie CJ, Gruber E, Filazzola A, Noble T, Westphal M. The Groot Effect: Plant facilitation and desert shrub regrowth following extensive damage. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:706-715. [PMID: 29321907 PMCID: PMC5756850 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deserts are increasing in extent globally, but existing deserts are decreasing in health. The basic biology and ecology of foundation plant species in deserts are limited. This is a direct study that provides an estimate of the capacity for a locally dominant foundation shrub species in California to recover from damage. Desert shrubs are cleared and damaged by humans for many purposes including agriculture, oil and gas production, and sustainable energy developments; we need to know whether foundation species consistently facilitate the abundance and diversity of other plants in high-stress ecosystems and whether they can recover. A total of 20 Ephedra californica shrubs were clipped to the ground at a single site and systematically resampled for regrowth 2 years later. These shrubs were damaged once and regrew rapidly, and relatively, larger shrubs were not more resilient. This study provides evidence for what we termed the "Groot Effect" because smaller individuals of this shrub species can recover from significant aboveground damage and continue to have positive effects on other plant species (similar to the popular culture reference to a benefactor tree species). The density of other plant species was consistently facilitated while effects on diversity varied with season. These findings confirm that E. californica is a foundation species that can be an important restoration tool within the deserts of California in spite of extreme cycles of drought and physical damage to its canopy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva Gruber
- Department of Wildlife Humboldt State University Arcata CA USA
| | | | - Taylor Noble
- Department of Biology York University Toronto ON Canada
| | - Michael Westphal
- Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office Marina CA USA
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27
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French K, Robinson SA, Lia J. Thermotolerance capacities of native and exotic coastal plants will lead to changes in species composition under increased heat waves. Conserv Physiol 2017; 5:cox029. [PMID: 28491321 PMCID: PMC5419204 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
With an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, plants are likely to reach their thermal limits and show slower growth or increased mortality. We investigated differences amongst coastal native and invasive shrubs and grasses to investigate if particular species might be more at risk in the future. Using an ecologically relevant experimental set of heat waves over a month, we assessed changes in biomass and photosynthetic efficiency in a laboratory setting using 25 coastal Australian species divided into native and exotic shrubs, and native and exotic grasses. We also compared three C3 and three C4 grasses within the native and exotic groups. Overall, native shrubs suffered higher mortality, lower growth and increased photosynthetic stress. There was some evidence that C3 grasses, had lower growth with heat waves, compared to C4 species although, in general, grasses showed evidence of photosynthetic acclimation over the month. Increases in leaf abscission suggest that part of the acclimation process was to develop new, thermally tolerant leaves. Our results indicate that in the future we would expect an increase in exotic shrubs and grasses occupying spaces in coastal plant communities that arise from native mortality following extreme heat events. Management of these coastal communities will need to focus strongly on maintaining a diverse native shrub composition that can resist climate-based disturbances (such as wildfire), as well as controlling the extent and biomass of exotic species, if coastal communities are to remain healthy and diverse in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris French
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
| | - Jodie Lia
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522,Australia
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28
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Paul KI, Roxburgh SH, Chave J, England JR, Zerihun A, Specht A, Lewis T, Bennett LT, Baker TG, Adams MA, Huxtable D, Montagu KD, Falster DS, Feller M, Sochacki S, Ritson P, Bastin G, Bartle J, Wildy D, Hobbs T, Larmour J, Waterworth R, Stewart HTL, Jonson J, Forrester DI, Applegate G, Mendham D, Bradford M, O'Grady A, Green D, Sudmeyer R, Rance SJ, Turner J, Barton C, Wenk EH, Grove T, Attiwill PM, Pinkard E, Butler D, Brooksbank K, Spencer B, Snowdon P, O'Brien N, Battaglia M, Cameron DM, Hamilton S, McAuthur G, Sinclair J. Testing the generality of above-ground biomass allometry across plant functional types at the continent scale. Glob Chang Biol 2016; 22:2106-24. [PMID: 26683241 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Accurate ground-based estimation of the carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems is critical to quantifying the global carbon budget. Allometric models provide cost-effective methods for biomass prediction. But do such models vary with ecoregion or plant functional type? We compiled 15 054 measurements of individual tree or shrub biomass from across Australia to examine the generality of allometric models for above-ground biomass prediction. This provided a robust case study because Australia includes ecoregions ranging from arid shrublands to tropical rainforests, and has a rich history of biomass research, particularly in planted forests. Regardless of ecoregion, for five broad categories of plant functional type (shrubs; multistemmed trees; trees of the genus Eucalyptus and closely related genera; other trees of high wood density; and other trees of low wood density), relationships between biomass and stem diameter were generic. Simple power-law models explained 84-95% of the variation in biomass, with little improvement in model performance when other plant variables (height, bole wood density), or site characteristics (climate, age, management) were included. Predictions of stand-based biomass from allometric models of varying levels of generalization (species-specific, plant functional type) were validated using whole-plot harvest data from 17 contrasting stands (range: 9-356 Mg ha(-1) ). Losses in efficiency of prediction were <1% if generalized models were used in place of species-specific models. Furthermore, application of generalized multispecies models did not introduce significant bias in biomass prediction in 92% of the 53 species tested. Further, overall efficiency of stand-level biomass prediction was 99%, with a mean absolute prediction error of only 13%. Hence, for cost-effective prediction of biomass across a wide range of stands, we recommend use of generic allometric models based on plant functional types. Development of new species-specific models is only warranted when gains in accuracy of stand-based predictions are relatively high (e.g. high-value monocultures).
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Affiliation(s)
- Keryn I Paul
- CSIRO Agriculture and CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Stephen H Roxburgh
- CSIRO Agriculture and CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jerome Chave
- UMR 5174 Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS & Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, 31062, France
| | - Jacqueline R England
- CSIRO Agriculture and CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, Vic, 3169, Australia
| | - Ayalsew Zerihun
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia
| | - Alison Specht
- School of Geography Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
- CESAB, Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité, Immeuble Henri Poincaré, 2ème étage Domaine du Petit Arbois, Avenue Louis Philibert, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Tom Lewis
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, 4556, Australia
| | - Lauren T Bennett
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 4 Water Street, Creswick, Vic, 3363, Australia
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Vic, 3121, Australia
| | - Thomas G Baker
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 4 Water Street, Creswick, Vic, 3363, Australia
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Vic, 3121, Australia
| | - Mark A Adams
- Centre for Carbon Water and Food, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, University of Sydney, Werombi Road, Camden, NSW, Australia
| | - Dan Huxtable
- Equinox Environmental Pty Ltd., 6 Craigie Cres, Manning, WA, 6152, Australia
| | | | - Daniel S Falster
- Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Mike Feller
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 3041-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Stan Sochacki
- School of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, 90 South St, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter Ritson
- FarmWoods, 3/104 South Street, Fremantle, WA, 6160, Australia
| | - Gary Bastin
- Department of Land Resource Management, PO Box 1120, Alice Springs, NT, 0871, Australia
| | - John Bartle
- Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Bentley Delivery Centre, Locked Bag 104, Perth, WA, 6983, Australia
| | - Dan Wildy
- Fares Rural Pty Ltd, PO Box 526, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia
| | - Trevor Hobbs
- Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, GPO Box 1047, Adeliade, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - John Larmour
- CSIRO Agriculture and CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Rob Waterworth
- Mullion Group, 2a Fitzroy Rd, Forrest, ACT, 2603, Australia
| | - Hugh T L Stewart
- Hugh Stewart Consulting, 8 Upland Road, Strathmore, Vic., 3041, Australia
| | - Justin Jonson
- Threshold Environmental Pty Ltd, PO Box 1124, Albany, WA, 6331, Australia
- Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management, The University of Western Australia, 1 Foreshore House, Albany, WA, 6330, Australia
| | - David I Forrester
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Freiburg University, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79108, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Mendham
- CSIRO Agriculture CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Matt Bradford
- CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 780, Atherton, Qld, 4883, Australia
| | - Anthony O'Grady
- CSIRO Agriculture CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | | | - Rob Sudmeyer
- Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Private Mail Bag 50, Esperance, WA, 6450, Australia
| | - Stan J Rance
- CSIRO Land and Water, 4Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia
| | - John Turner
- Forsci Pty Ltd., Ste 4.05/ 32 Delhi Rd, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
| | - Craig Barton
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, 2751, NSW, Australia
| | - Elizabeth H Wenk
- Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Tim Grove
- CSIRO Land and Water, 4Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA, 6913, Australia
| | - Peter M Attiwill
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., 3010, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Pinkard
- CSIRO Agriculture CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - Don Butler
- Queensland Herbarium, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Qld, 4066, Australia
| | - Kim Brooksbank
- Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA), 444 Albany Hwy, Albany, WA, 6330, Australia
| | - Beren Spencer
- Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Bentley Delivery Centre, Locked Bag 104, Perth, WA, 6983, Australia
| | - Peter Snowdon
- CSIRO Agriculture and CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Nick O'Brien
- New Forests Asset Management Pty Ltd., PO Box 434, North Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia
| | - Michael Battaglia
- CSIRO Agriculture CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag 12, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia
| | - David M Cameron
- School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
| | - Steve Hamilton
- Hamilton Environmental Services, 2345 Benalla-Tatong Road, Tatong, Vic., 3673, Australia
| | - Geoff McAuthur
- AusCarbon Pty Ltd., PO Box 395, Nedlands, WA, 6909, Australia
| | - Jenny Sinclair
- Green Collar Group, Level 1, 37 George St, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
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Dial RJ, Smeltz TS, Sullivan PF, Rinas CL, Timm K, Geck JE, Tobin SC, Golden TS, Berg EC. Shrubline but not treeline advance matches climate velocity in montane ecosystems of south-central Alaska. Glob Chang Biol 2016; 22:1841-56. [PMID: 26719133 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Tall shrubs and trees are advancing into many tundra and wetland ecosystems but at a rate that often falls short of that predicted due to climate change. For forest, tall shrub, and tundra ecosystems in two pristine mountain ranges of Alaska, we apply a Bayesian, error-propagated calculation of expected elevational rise (climate velocity), observed rise (biotic velocity), and their difference (biotic inertia). We show a sensitive dependence of climate velocity on lapse rate and derive biotic velocity as a rigid elevational shift. Ecosystem presence identified from recent and historic orthophotos ~50 years apart was regressed on elevation. Biotic velocity was estimated as the difference between critical point elevations of recent and historic logistic fits divided by time between imagery. For both mountain ranges, the 95% highest posterior density of climate velocity enclosed the posterior distributions of all biotic velocities. In the Kenai Mountains, mean tall shrub and climate velocities were both 2.8 m y(-1). In the better sampled Chugach Mountains, mean tundra retreat was 1.2 m y(-1) and climate velocity 1.3 m y(-1). In each mountain range, the posterior mode of tall woody vegetation velocity (the complement of tundra) matched climate velocity better than either forest or tall shrub alone, suggesting competitive compensation can be important. Forest velocity was consistently low at 0.1-1.1 m y(-1), indicating treeline is advancing slowly. We hypothesize that the high biotic inertia of forest ecosystems in south-central Alaska may be due to competition with tall shrubs and/or more complex climate controls on the elevational limits of trees than tall shrubs. Among tall shrubs, those that disperse farthest had lowest inertia. Finally, the rapid upward advance of woody vegetation may be contributing to regional declines in Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli), a poorly dispersing alpine specialist herbivore with substantial biotic inertia due to dispersal reluctance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman J Dial
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - T Scott Smeltz
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Patrick F Sullivan
- Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Christina L Rinas
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Katriina Timm
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Jason E Geck
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - S Carl Tobin
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Trevor S Golden
- Department of Environmental Science, Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK, USA
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Tng DYP, Apgaua DMG, Campbell MJ, Cox CJ, Crayn DM, Ishida FY, Laidlaw MJ, Liddell MJ, Seager M, Laurance SGW. Vegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia. Biodivers Data J 2016:e7599. [PMID: 27099552 PMCID: PMC4822074 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.4.e7599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Full floristic data, tree demography, and biomass estimates incorporating non-tree lifeforms are seldom collected and reported for forest plots in the tropics. Established research stations serve as important repositories of such biodiversity and ecological data. With a canopy crane setup within a tropical lowland rainforest estate, the 42-ha Daintree Rainforest Observatory (DRO) in Cape Tribulation, northern Australia is a research facility of international significance. We obtained an estimate of the vascular plant species richness for the site, by surveying all vascular plant species from various mature-phase, remnant and open vegetation patches within the site. We also integrate and report the demography and basal areas of trees ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) in a new 1-ha core plot, an extension to the pre-existing forest 1-ha plot under the canopy crane. In addition, we report for the canopy crane plot new demography and basal areas for smaller-size shrubs and treelets subsampled from nine 20 m2 quadrats, and liana basal area and abundance from the whole plot. The DRO site has an estimated total vascular plant species richness of 441 species, of which 172 species (39%) are endemic to Australia, and 4 species are endemics to the Daintree region. The 2 x 1-ha plots contains a total of 262 vascular plant species of which 116 (1531 individuals) are tree species ≥ 10 cm dbh. We estimate a stem basal area of 34.9 m2 ha-1, of which small stems (tree saplings and shrubs <10cm dbh) and lianas collectively contribute c.4.2%. Comparing the stem density-diversity patterns of the DRO forest with other tropical rainforests globally, our meta-analysis shows that DRO forests has a comparatively high stem density and moderate species diversity, due to the influence of cyclones. These data will provide an important foundation for ecological and conservation studies in lowland tropical forest. New information We present a floristic checklist, a lifeform breakdown, and demography data from two 1-ha rainforest plots from a lowland tropical rainforest study site. We also present a meta-analysis of stem densities and species diversity from comparable-sized plots across the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Y P Tng
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Deborah M G Apgaua
- Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil; Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Mason J Campbell
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Casey J Cox
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | | | - Françoise Y Ishida
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Melinda J Laidlaw
- Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts,Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael J Liddell
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Michael Seager
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Susan G W Laurance
- Centre for Tropical, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
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Panchen ZA, Primack RB, Gallinat AS, Nordt B, Stevens AD, Du Y, Fahey R. Substantial variation in leaf senescence times among 1360 temperate woody plant species: implications for phenology and ecosystem processes. Ann Bot 2015; 116:865-73. [PMID: 25808654 PMCID: PMC4640117 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Autumn leaf senescence marks the end of the growing season in temperate ecosystems. Its timing influences a number of ecosystem processes, including carbon, water and nutrient cycling. Climate change is altering leaf senescence phenology and, as those changes continue, it will affect individual woody plants, species and ecosystems. In contrast to spring leaf out times, however, leaf senescence times remain relatively understudied. Variation in the phenology of leaf senescence among species and locations is still poorly understood. METHODS Leaf senescence phenology of 1360 deciduous plant species at six temperate botanical gardens in Asia, North America and Europe was recorded in 2012 and 2013. This large data set was used to explore ecological and phylogenetic factors associated with variation in leaf senescence. KEY RESULTS Leaf senescence dates among species varied by 3 months on average across the six locations. Plant species tended to undergo leaf senescence in the same order in the autumns of both years at each location, but the order of senescence was only weakly correlated across sites. Leaf senescence times were not related to spring leaf out times, were not evolutionarily conserved and were only minimally influenced by growth habit, wood anatomy and percentage colour change or leaf drop. These weak patterns of leaf senescence timing contrast with much stronger leaf out patterns from a previous study. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that, in contrast to the broader temperature effects that determine leaf out times, leaf senescence times are probably determined by a larger or different suite of local environmental effects, including temperature, soil moisture, frost and wind. Determining the importance of these factors for a wide range of species represents the next challenge for understanding how climate change is affecting the end of the growing season and associated ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe A Panchen
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Birgit Nordt
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Albert-Dieter Stevens
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yanjun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, China and
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Primack RB, Laube J, Gallinat AS, Menzel A. From observations to experiments in phenology research: investigating climate change impacts on trees and shrubs using dormant twigs. Ann Bot 2015; 116:889-97. [PMID: 25851135 PMCID: PMC4640118 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Climate change is advancing the leaf-out times of many plant species and mostly extending the growing season in temperate ecosystems. Laboratory experiments using twig cuttings from woody plant species present an affordable, easily replicated approach to investigate the relative importance of factors such as winter chilling, photoperiod, spring warming and frost tolerance on the leafing-out times of plant communities. This Viewpoint article demonstrates how the results of these experiments deepen our understanding beyond what is possible via analyses of remote sensing and field observation data, and can be used to improve climate change forecasts of shifts in phenology, ecosystem processes and ecological interactions. SCOPE The twig method involves cutting dormant twigs from trees, shrubs and vines on a single date or at intervals over the course of the winter and early spring, placing them in containers of water in controlled environments, and regularly recording leaf-out, flowering or other phenomena. Prior to or following leaf-out or flowering, twigs may be assigned to treatment groups for experiments involving temperature, photoperiod, frost, humidity and more. Recent studies using these methods have shown that winter chilling requirements and spring warming strongly affect leaf-out and flowering times of temperate trees and shrubs, whereas photoperiod requirements are less important than previously thought for most species. Invasive plant species have weaker winter chilling requirements than native species in temperate ecosystems, and species that leaf-out early in the season have greater frost tolerance than later leafing species. CONCLUSIONS This methodology could be extended to investigate additional drivers of leaf-out phenology, leaf senescence in the autumn, and other phenomena, and could be a useful tool for education and outreach. Additional ecosystems, such as boreal, southern hemisphere and sub-tropical forests, could also be investigated using dormant twigs to determine the drivers of leaf-out times and how these ecosystems will be affected by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Primack
- Biology Department, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA,
| | - Julia Laube
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany and
| | - Amanda S Gallinat
- Biology Department, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Annette Menzel
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany and Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrasse 2a, D-85748 Garching, Germany
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Wullschleger SD, Breen AL, Iversen CM, Olson MS, Näsholm T, Ganeteg U, Wallenstein MD, Weston DJ. Genomics in a changing arctic: critical questions await the molecular ecologist. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:2301-9. [PMID: 25809088 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Molecular ecology is poised to tackle a host of interesting questions in the coming years. The Arctic provides a unique and rapidly changing environment with a suite of emerging research needs that can be addressed through genetics and genomics. Here we highlight recent research on boreal and tundra ecosystems and put forth a series of questions related to plant and microbial responses to climate change that can benefit from technologies and analytical approaches contained within the molecular ecologist's toolbox. These questions include understanding (i) the mechanisms of plant acquisition and uptake of N in cold soils, (ii) how these processes are mediated by root traits, (iii) the role played by the plant microbiome in cycling C and nutrients within high-latitude ecosystems and (iv) plant adaptation to extreme Arctic climates. We highlight how contributions can be made in these areas through studies that target model and nonmodel organisms and emphasize that the sequencing of the Populus and Salix genomes provides a valuable resource for scientific discoveries related to the plant microbiome and plant adaptation in the Arctic. Moreover, there exists an exciting role to play in model development, including incorporating genetic and evolutionary knowledge into ecosystem and Earth System Models. In this regard, the molecular ecologist provides a valuable perspective on plant genetics as a driver for community biodiversity, and how ecological and evolutionary forces govern community dynamics in a rapidly changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stan D Wullschleger
- Environmental Sciences Division, Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6301, USA
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Boelman NT, Gough L, Wingfield J, Goetz S, Asmus A, Chmura HE, Krause JS, Perez JH, Sweet SK, Guay KC. Greater shrub dominance alters breeding habitat and food resources for migratory songbirds in Alaskan arctic tundra. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:1508-20. [PMID: 25294359 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming is affecting the Arctic in multiple ways, including via increased dominance of deciduous shrubs. Although many studies have focused on how this vegetation shift is altering nutrient cycling and energy balance, few have explicitly considered effects on tundra fauna, such as the millions of migratory songbirds that breed in northern regions every year. To understand how increasing deciduous shrub dominance may alter breeding songbird habitat, we quantified vegetation and arthropod community characteristics in both graminoid and shrub dominated tundra. We combined measurements of preferred nest site characteristics for Lapland longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) and Gambel's White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) with modeled predictions for the distribution of plant community types in the Alaskan arctic foothills region for the year 2050. Lapland longspur nests were found in sedge-dominated tussock tundra where shrub height does not exceed 20 cm, whereas White-crowned sparrows nested only under shrubs between 20 cm and 1 m in height, with no preference for shrub species. Shrub canopies had higher canopy-dwelling arthropod availability (i.e. small flies and spiders) but lower ground-dwelling arthropod availability (i.e. large spiders and beetles). Since flies are the birds' preferred prey, increasing shrubs may result in a net enhancement in preferred prey availability. Acknowledging the coarse resolution of existing tundra vegetation models, we predict that by 2050 there will be a northward shift in current White-crowned sparrow habitat range and a 20-60% increase in their preferred habitat extent, while Lapland longspur habitat extent will be equivalently reduced. Our findings can be used to make first approximations of future habitat change for species with similar nesting requirements. However, we contend that as exemplified by this study's findings, existing tundra modeling tools cannot yet simulate the fine-scale habitat characteristics that are critical to accurately predicting future habitat extent for many wildlife species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie T Boelman
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, 10964, USA
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Panchen ZA, Primack RB, Nordt B, Ellwood ER, Stevens AD, Renner SS, Willis CG, Fahey R, Whittemore A, Du Y, Davis CC. Leaf out times of temperate woody plants are related to phylogeny, deciduousness, growth habit and wood anatomy. New Phytol 2014; 203:1208-1219. [PMID: 24942252 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Leaf out phenology affects a wide variety of ecosystem processes and ecological interactions and will take on added significance as leaf out times increasingly shift in response to warming temperatures associated with climate change. There is, however, relatively little information available on the factors affecting species differences in leaf out phenology. An international team of researchers from eight Northern Hemisphere temperate botanical gardens recorded leaf out dates of c. 1600 woody species in 2011 and 2012. Leaf out dates in woody species differed by as much as 3 months at a single site and exhibited strong phylogenetic and anatomical relationships. On average, angiosperms leafed out earlier than gymnosperms, deciduous species earlier than evergreen species, shrubs earlier than trees, diffuse and semi-ring porous species earlier than ring porous species, and species with smaller diameter xylem vessels earlier than species with larger diameter vessels. The order of species leaf out was generally consistent between years and among sites. As species distribution and abundance shift due to climate change, interspecific differences in leaf out phenology may affect ecosystem processes such as carbon, water, and nutrient cycling. Our open access leaf out data provide a critical framework for monitoring and modelling such changes going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe A Panchen
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Birgit Nordt
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elizabeth R Ellwood
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Albert-Dieter Stevens
- Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne S Renner
- Department of Biology, University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Charles G Willis
- Center for the Environment, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | | | | | - Yanjun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangshan, Beijing, China
| | - Charles C Davis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Rundqvist S, Hedenås H, Sandström A, Emanuelsson U, Eriksson H, Jonasson C, Callaghan TV. Tree and shrub expansion over the past 34 years at the tree-line near Abisko, Sweden. Ambio 2011; 40:683-92. [PMID: 21954730 PMCID: PMC3357856 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-011-0174-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Shrubs and trees are expected to expand in the sub-Arctic due to global warming. Our study was conducted in Abisko, sub-arctic Sweden. We recorded the change in coverage of shrub and tree species over a 32- to 34-year period, in three 50 x 50 m plots; in the alpine-tree-line ecotone. The cover of shrubs and trees (<3.5 cm diameter at breast height) were estimated during 2009-2010 and compared with historical documentation from 1976 to 1977. Similarly, all tree stems (> or =3.5 cm) were noted and positions determined. There has been a substantial increase of cover of shrubs and trees, particularly dwarf birch (Betula nana), and mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii), and an establishment of aspen (Populus tremula). The other species willows (Salix spp.), juniper (Juniperus communis), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) revealed inconsistent changes among the plots. Although this study was unable to identify the causes for the change in shrubs and small trees, they are consistent with anticipated changes due to climate change and reduced herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henrik Hedenås
- Abisko Scientific Research Station, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Terry V. Callaghan
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
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Callaghan TV, Tweedie CE, Webber PJ. Multi-decadal changes in tundra environments and ecosystems: the International Polar Year-Back to the Future Project (IPY-BTF). Ambio 2011; 40:555-7. [PMID: 21954718 PMCID: PMC3357860 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-011-0162-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Polar and alpine environments are changing rapidly due to increases in temperature, which are amplified in the Arctic, as well as changes in many local factors. The impacts on ecosystems and their function have potential consequences for local residents and the global community. Tundra areas are vast and diverse, and the knowledge of geographical variation in environmental and ecosystem change is limited to relatively few locations, or to remote sensing approaches that are limited mostly to the past few decades. The International Polar Year, IPY, provided a context, stimulus and timely opportunities for re-visiting old research sites and data sets to collate data on past changes, to pass knowledge from old to new generations of researchers and to document environmental characteristics of sites to facilitate detection and attribution of future changes. Consequently, the project "Retrospective and Prospective Vegetation Change in the Polar Regions: Back to the Future," BTF, was proposed and endorsed as an IPY activity (project #512). With national funding support, teams of researchers re-visited former sites and data sets throughout the Arctic and some alpine regions. These efforts have amounted to a gamut of "BTF" studies that are collectively geographically expansive and disciplinary diverse. A selection of these studies are introduced and presented in the current issue together with a brief synthesis of their findings.
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Callaghan TV, Tweedie CE, Åkerman J, Andrews C, Bergstedt J, Butler MG, Christensen TR, Cooley D, Dahlberg U, Danby RK, Daniёls FJA, de Molenaar JG, Dick J, Mortensen CE, Ebert-May D, Emanuelsson U, Eriksson H, Hedenås H, Henry GHR, Hik DS, Hobbie JE, Jantze EJ, Jaspers C, Johansson C, Johansson M, Johnson DR, Johnstone JF, Jonasson C, Kennedy C, Kenney AJ, Keuper F, Koh S, Krebs CJ, Lantuit H, Lara MJ, Lin D, Lougheed VL, Madsen J, Matveyeva N, McEwen DC, Myers-Smith IH, Narozhniy YK, Olsson H, Pohjola VA, Price LW, Rigét F, Rundqvist S, Sandström A, Tamstorf M, Van Bogaert R, Villarreal S, Webber PJ, Zemtsov VA. Multi-decadal changes in tundra environments and ecosystems: synthesis of the International Polar Year-Back to the Future project (IPY-BTF). Ambio 2011; 40:705-16. [PMID: 21954732 PMCID: PMC3357861 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-011-0179-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the responses of tundra systems to global change has global implications. Most tundra regions lack sustained environmental monitoring and one of the only ways to document multi-decadal change is to resample historic research sites. The International Polar Year (IPY) provided a unique opportunity for such research through the Back to the Future (BTF) project (IPY project #512). This article synthesizes the results from 13 papers within this Ambio Special Issue. Abiotic changes include glacial recession in the Altai Mountains, Russia; increased snow depth and hardness, permafrost warming, and increased growing season length in sub-arctic Sweden; drying of ponds in Greenland; increased nutrient availability in Alaskan tundra ponds, and warming at most locations studied. Biotic changes ranged from relatively minor plant community change at two sites in Greenland to moderate change in the Yukon, and to dramatic increases in shrub and tree density on Herschel Island, and in subarctic Sweden. The population of geese tripled at one site in northeast Greenland where biomass in non-grazed plots doubled. A model parameterized using results from a BTF study forecasts substantial declines in all snowbeds and increases in shrub tundra on Niwot Ridge, Colorado over the next century. In general, results support and provide improved capacities for validating experimental manipulation, remote sensing, and modeling studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry V. Callaghan
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Lilla Frescativägen 4 A, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN UK
| | - Craig E. Tweedie
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - Jonas Åkerman
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, PO Box 50005, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Johan Bergstedt
- IFM—Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Malcolm G. Butler
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108 USA
| | - Torben R. Christensen
- Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Division of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analyses, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Dorothy Cooley
- Department of Environment, Yukon Territorial Government, Dawson City, YT Canada
| | | | - Ryan K. Danby
- Department of Geography and School of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Fred J. A. Daniёls
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Hindenburgplatz 55, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes G. de Molenaar
- Gruttostraat 24, 4021EX Maurik,
The Netherlands
- Alterra, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Dick
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Penicuik, EH26 0QB UK
| | | | - Diane Ebert-May
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, 166 Plant Biology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1312 USA
| | | | | | - Henrik Hedenås
- Abisko Scientific Research Station, 981 07 Abisko, Sweden
| | - Greg. H. R. Henry
- Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, 1984 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Canada
| | - David S. Hik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - John E. Hobbie
- The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Elin J. Jantze
- Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Cecilia Johansson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Margareta Johansson
- Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - David R. Johnson
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - Jill F. Johnstone
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | | | - Catherine Kennedy
- Department of Environment, Yukon Territorial Government, Whitehorse, YT Canada
| | - Alice J. Kenney
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Frida Keuper
- Department of Systems Ecology, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Saewan Koh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Charles J. Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Hugues Lantuit
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Telegrafenberg A45, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mark J. Lara
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - David Lin
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - Vanessa L. Lougheed
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - Jesper Madsen
- Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Nadya Matveyeva
- Department of Vegetation of the Far North, Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daniel C. McEwen
- Department of Biosciences, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563 USA
| | - Isla H. Myers-Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Yuriy K. Narozhniy
- Research Laboratory of Glacioclimatology, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Håkan Olsson
- Forest Resource Management, Swedish university of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Veijo A. Pohjola
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Larry W. Price
- Department of Geography, Portland State University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Frank Rigét
- Department of Biosciences, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563 USA
| | | | | | - Mikkel Tamstorf
- Department of Biosciences, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN 56563 USA
| | - Rik Van Bogaert
- Flanders Research Foundation, Egmontstraat 5, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sandra Villarreal
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave, El Paso, TX 79968-0519 USA
| | - Patrick J. Webber
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, 166 Plant Biology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1312 USA
- P.O. Box 1380, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557 USA
| | - Valeriy A. Zemtsov
- Hydrology Department, Faculty of Geology and Geography, Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Avenue, Tomsk, Russia 634050
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