Intra- and inter-specific leaf trait responses of understorey species to changes in forest maturity

Abstract The present study was carried out to analyse the leaf functional traits of co-occurring evergreen and deciduous tree species in a tropical dry scrub forest. This study also intended to check whether the species with contrasting leaf habits differ in their leaf trait plasticity, responding to the canopy-infestation by lianas. A total of 12 leaf functional traits were studied for eight tree species with contrasting leaf habits (evergreen and deciduous) and liana-colonization status (Liana+ and Liana−). In the liana-free environment (L−), evergreen trees had significantly higher specific leaf mass (LMA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) than the deciduous species. Whereas, the deciduous trees had higher specific leaf area (SLA) and mass-based leaf nitrogen concentration (Nmass). The leaf trait-pair relationship in the present study agreed to the well-established global trait-pair relationships (SLA Vs Nmass, Lth Vs SLA, Nmass Vs Lth, Nmass Vs LDMC, LDMC Vs SLA). There was no significant difference between L+ and L− individuals in any leaf functional traits studied in the deciduous species. However, evergreen species showed marked differences in the total chlorophyll content (Chlt), chlorophyll b (Chlb), SLA, and LMA between L+ and L− individuals of the same species. Deciduous species with the acquisitive strategy can have a competitive advantage over evergreen species in the exposed environment (L−) whereas, evergreen species with shade-tolerant properties were better acclimated to the shaded environments (L+). The result revealed the patterns of convergence and divergence in some of the leaf functional traits between evergreen and deciduous species. The results also showed the differential impact of liana colonization on the host trees with contrasting leaf habits. Therefore, liana colonization can significantly impact the C-fixation strategies of the host trees by altering their light environment. Further, the magnitude of such impact may vary among species of different leaf habits. The increased proliferation of lianas in the tropical forest canopies may pose a severe threat to the whole forest carbon assimilation rates.

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Climatic factors shaping intraspecific leaf trait variation of a neotropical tree along a rainfall gradient

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0208512 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. e0208512 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Matheus L. Souza ◽

Alexandre A. Duarte ◽

Maria B. Lovato ◽

Marcilio Fagundes ◽

Fernando Valladares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climatic Factors ◽

Trait Variation ◽

Rainfall Gradient ◽

Leaf Trait ◽

Neotropical Tree

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Mapping ofRe, a gene conferring the red leaf trait in ornamental kale (Brassica oleraceaL. var.acephala)

Plant Breeding ◽

10.1111/pbr.12286 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 134 (4) ◽

pp. 494-500 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jie Ren ◽

Zhiyong Liu ◽

Ruiqing Niu ◽

Hui Feng

Keyword(s):

Leaf Trait ◽

Ornamental Kale

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Distinguishing the signatures of local environmental filtering and regional trait range limits in the study of trait-environment relationships

10.1101/528836 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Pierre Denelle ◽

Cyrille Violle ◽

François Munoz

Keyword(s):

Community Assembly ◽

Environmental Gradients ◽

Boundary Effect ◽

Extreme Environments ◽

Environmental Filtering ◽

Range Limits ◽

Species Pool ◽

Statistical Tool ◽

Leaf Trait ◽

Trait Convergence

AbstractUnderstanding the imprint of environmental filtering on community assembly along environmental gradients is a key objective of trait-gradient analyses. Depending on local constraints, this filtering generally entails that species departing from an optimum trait value have lower abundances in the community. The Community-Weighted Mean (CWM) and Variance (CWV) of trait values are then expected to depict the optimum and intensity of filtering, respectively. However, the trait distribution within the regional species pool and its limits can also affect local CWM and CWV values apart from the effect of environmental filtering. The regional trait range limits are more likely to be reached in communities at the extremes of environmental gradients. Analogous to the mid-domain effect in biogeography, decreasing CWV values in extreme environments can then represent the influence of regional trait range limits rather than stronger filtering in the local environment. We name this effect the “Trait-Gradient Boundary Effect” (TGBE). First, we use a community assembly framework to build simulated communities along a gradient from a species pool and environmental filtering with either constant or varying intensity while accounting for immigration processes. We demonstrate the significant influence of TGBE, in parallel to environmental filtering, on CWM and CWV at the extremes of the environmental gradient. We provide a statistical tool based on Approximate Bayesian Computation to decipher the respective influence of local environmental filtering and regional trait range limits. Second, as a case study, we reanalyze the functional composition of alpine plant communities distributed along a gradient of snow cover duration. We show that leaf trait convergence found in communities at the extremes of the gradient reflect an influence of trait range limits rather than stronger environmental filtering. These findings challenge correlative trait-environment relationships and call for more explicitly identifying the mechanisms responsible of trait convergence/divergence along environmental gradients.

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Quantifying Leaf Trait Covariations and Their Relationships with Plant Adaptation Strategies along an Aridity Gradient

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10101066 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1066

Author(s):

Yanzheng Yang ◽

Le Kang ◽

Jun Zhao ◽

Ning Qi ◽

Ruonan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dry Mass ◽

Leaf Nitrogen ◽

Adaptation Strategies ◽

Leaf Nitrogen Content ◽

Moisture Index ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Plant Adaptation ◽

Aridity Gradient ◽

Leaf Trait ◽

Leaf Economic Spectrum

A trait-based approach is an effective way to quantify plant adaptation strategies in response to changing environments. Single trait variations have been well depicted before; however, multi-trait covariations and their roles in shaping plant adaptation strategies along aridity gradients remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to reveal multi-trait covariation characteristics, their controls and their relevance to plant adaptation strategies. Using eight relevant plant functional traits and multivariate statistical approaches, we found the following: (1) the eight studied traits show evident covariation characteristics and could be grouped into four functional dimensions linked to plant strategies, namely energy balance, resource acquisition, resource investment and water use efficiency; (2) leaf area (LA) together with traits related to the leaf economic spectrum, including leaf nitrogen content per area (Narea), leaf nitrogen per mass (Nmass) and leaf dry mass per area (LMA), covaried along the aridity gradient (represented by the moisture index, MI) and dominated the trait–environmental change axis; (3) together, climate, soil and family can explain 50.4% of trait covariations; thus, vegetation succession along the aridity gradient cannot be neglected in trait covariations. Our findings provide novel perspectives toward a better understanding of plant adaptations to arid conditions and serve as a reference for vegetation restoration and management programs in arid regions.

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