Phylogenetic diversity and plant trait composition predict multiple ecosystem functions in green roofs

2018 ◽  
Vol 628-629 ◽  
pp. 1017-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garland Xie ◽  
Jeremy T. Lundholm ◽  
J. Scott MacIvor
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Plant Trait

scholarly journals Plant trait response of tundra shrubs to permafrost thaw and nutrient addition

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 4981-4998
Author(s):  
Maitane Iturrate-Garcia ◽  
Monique M. P. D. Heijmans ◽  
J. Hans C. Cornelissen ◽  
Fritz H. Schweingruber ◽  
Pascal A. Niklaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Nutrient Addition ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Growth Strategies ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Permafrost Thaw ◽  
Plant Trait ◽  
Thaw Depth

Abstract. Plant traits reflect growth strategies and trade-offs in response to environmental conditions. Because of climate warming, plant traits might change, altering ecosystem functions and vegetation–climate interactions. Despite important feedbacks of plant trait changes in tundra ecosystems with regional climate, with a key role for shrubs, information on responses of shrub functional traits is limited. Here, we investigate the effects of experimentally increased permafrost thaw depth and (possibly thaw-associated) soil nutrient availability on plant functional traits and strategies of Arctic shrubs in northeastern Siberia. We hypothesize that shrubs will generally shift their strategy from efficient conservation to faster acquisition of resources through adaptation of leaf and stem traits in a coordinated whole-plant fashion. To test this hypothesis, we ran a 4 year permafrost thaw and nutrient fertilization experiment with a fully factorial block design and six treatment combinations – permafrost thaw (control, unheated cable, heated cable) × fertilization (no nutrient addition, nutrient addition). We measured 10 leaf and stem traits related to growth, defence and the resource economics spectrum in four shrub species (Betula nana, Salix pulchra, Ledum palustre and Vaccinium vitis-idaea), which were sampled in the experimental plots. The plant trait data were statistically analysed using linear mixed-effect models and principal component analysis (PCA). The response to increased permafrost thaw was not significant for most shrub traits. However, all shrubs responded to the fertilization treatment, despite decreased thaw depth and soil temperature in fertilized plots. Shrubs tended to grow taller but did not increase their stem density or bark thickness. We found a similar coordinated trait response for all four species at leaf and plant level; i.e. they shifted from a conservative towards a more acquisitive resource economy strategy upon fertilization. In accordance, results point towards a lower investment into defence mechanisms, and hence increased shrub vulnerability to herbivory and climate extremes. Compared to biomass and height only, detailed data involving individual plant organ traits such as leaf area and nutrient contents or stem water content can contribute to a better mechanistic understanding of feedbacks between shrub growth strategies, permafrost thaw and carbon and energy fluxes. In combination with observational data, these experimental tundra trait data allow for a more realistic representation of tundra shrubs in dynamic vegetation models and robust prediction of ecosystem functions and related climate–vegetation–permafrost feedbacks.

scholarly journals Plant trait response of tundra shrubs to permafrost thaw and nutrient addition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitane Iturrate-Garcia ◽  
Monique M. P. D. Heijmans ◽  
J. Hans C. Cornelissen ◽  
Fritz H. Schweingruber ◽  
Pascal A. Niklaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Nutrient Addition ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Growth Strategies ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Permafrost Thaw ◽  
Plant Trait ◽  
Thaw Depth

Abstract. Plant traits reflect growth strategies and trade-offs in response to environmental conditions. Because of climate warming, plant traits might adapt, altering ecosystem functions and vegetation–climate interactions. Despite important feedbacks of plant trait changes in tundra ecosystems with regional climate, with a key role for shrubs, information on responses of shrub functional traits is limited. Here, we investigate the effects of experimentally increased permafrost thaw depth and (possibly thaw-associated) soil nutrient availability on plant functional traits and strategies of arctic shrubs in northeastern Siberia. We hypothesize that shrubs will generally shift their strategy from efficient conservation to faster acquisition of resources through adaptation of leaf and stem traits in a coordinated whole-plant fashion. Thereto we ran a 4-year permafrost thaw and nutrient fertilization experiment with a fully factorial block design and six treatment combinations – permafrost thaw (control, unheated cable, heated cable) x fertilization (no-nutrient addition, nutrient addition). We measured ten leaf and stem traits related to growth, defence and the resource economics spectrum in four shrub species, which were sampled in the experimental plots. The plant trait data were statistically analysed using linear mixed-effect models and principal component analysis (PCA). The response to increased permafrost thaw was not significant for most shrub traits. However, all shrubs responded to the fertilization treatment, despite decreased thaw depth and soil temperature in fertilized plots. Shrubs tended to grow taller, but did not increase their stem density or bark thickness. We found a similar coordinated trait response for all four species at leaf and plant level, i.e. they shifted from a conservative towards a more acquisitive resource economy strategy upon fertilization. In accordance, results point towards a lower investment into defence mechanisms, and hence increased shrub vulnerability to herbivory and climate extremes. Compared to biomass and height only, detailed data involving individual plant organ traits such as leaf area and nutrient contents or stem water content can contribute to a better mechanistic understanding of feedbacks between shrub growth strategies, permafrost thaw and carbon and energy fluxes. In combination with observational data, these experimental tundra trait data allow for a more realistic representation of tundra shrubs in dynamic vegetation models and robust prediction of ecosystem functions and related climate-vegetation-permafrost feedbacks.

scholarly journals Widespread homogenization of plant communities in the Anthropocene

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barnabas H. Daru ◽  
T. Jonathan Davies ◽  
Charles G. Willis ◽  
Emily K. Meineke ◽  
Argo Ronk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Global Assessment ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Biodiversity Decline

AbstractNative biodiversity decline and non-native species spread are major features of the Anthropocene. Both processes can drive biotic homogenization by reducing trait and phylogenetic differences in species assemblages between regions, thus diminishing the regional distinctiveness of biotas and likely have negative impacts on key ecosystem functions. However, a global assessment of this phenomenon is lacking. Here, using a dataset of >200,000 plant species, we demonstrate widespread and temporal decreases in species and phylogenetic turnover across grain sizes and spatial extents. The extent of homogenization within major biomes is pronounced and is overwhelmingly explained by non-native species naturalizations. Asia and North America are major sources of non-native species; however, the species they export tend to be phylogenetically close to recipient floras. Australia, the Pacific and Europe, in contrast, contribute fewer species to the global pool of non-natives, but represent a disproportionate amount of phylogenetic diversity. The timeline of most naturalisations coincides with widespread human migration within the last ~500 years, and demonstrates the profound influence humans exert on regional biotas beyond changes in species richness.

Agriculturally dominated landscapes reduce bee phylogenetic diversity and pollination services

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 363 (6424) ◽  
pp. 282-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Grab ◽  
Michael G. Branstetter ◽  
Nolan Amon ◽  
Katherine R. Urban-Mead ◽  
Mia G. Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Full Diversity ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Diversity Of Life

Land-use change threatens global biodiversity and may reshape the tree of life by favoring some lineages over others. Whether phylogenetic diversity loss compromises ecosystem service delivery remains unknown. We address this knowledge gap using extensive genomic, community, and crop datasets to examine relationships among land use, pollinator phylogenetic structure, and crop production. Pollinator communities in highly agricultural landscapes contain 230 million fewer years of evolutionary history; this loss was strongly associated with reduced crop yield and quality. Our study links landscape–mediated changes in the phylogenetic structure of natural communities to the disruption of ecosystem services. Measuring conservation success by species counts alone may fail to protect ecosystem functions and the full diversity of life from which they are derived.

scholarly journals Ecosystem Functions across Trophic Levels Are Linked to Functional and Phylogenetic Diversity

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e0117595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Thompson ◽  
T. Jonathan Davies ◽  
Andrew Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Urbanization as a driver of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity losses in bird communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (10) ◽  
pp. 1114-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Facundo X. Palacio ◽  
Lucía M. Ibañez ◽  
René E. Maragliano ◽  
Diego Montalti
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Urbanization is one of the most important threats to biodiversity worldwide, as it drives declines in species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity and increases functional redundancy among species. We estimated taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities, as well as the abundance of several functional groups, in bird communities from a town in east-central Argentina in 1985–1986 and 30 years after (2015–2016). In 1985–1986, we found that taxonomic diversity (abundance, species richness, and alpha diversity), functional richness, and basal phylogenetic diversity were negatively related to building cover, whereas terminal phylogenetic diversity showed a positive relationship with building cover. Moreover, the abundance of specialized functional groups (ground, aerial, and foliage insectivores; nectarivores/insectivores; ground/canopy and ground granivores) decreased with increased building cover, whereas the reverse pattern for the abundance of generalists (medium-sized/large and small omnivores) was found. In 2015–2016, by contrast, taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities were not related to building cover. Our results not only support the hypothesis that urbanization affects the potential number of ecosystem functions, but also that this relationship may change through time. Given the accelerated rate of urbanization worldwide, an integrative approach between different facets of biodiversity is promoted to gain insight into the response of bird communities in urban environments.

scholarly journals Predator phylogenetic diversity decreases predation rate via antagonistic interactions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Andrew M. MacDonald ◽  
Gustavo Q. Romero ◽  
Diane S. Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Food Webs ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Phylogenetic Distance ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Manipulative Experiment ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Prey Preferences ◽  
Antagonistic Interactions

AbstractBackground:Predator assemblages can differ substantially in their top-down effects on community composition and ecosystem function, but few studies have sought to explain this variation in terms of the phylogenetic distance between predators. The effect of a local predator assemblage will depend on three things – which predators tend to co-occur, how similar their prey preferences are, and how they interact with each other and the whole community. Phylogenetic distance between predators may correlate with each of these processes, either because related predators are more likely to share the same traits, and therefore have similar habitat and prey preferences, or because predators are more likely to compete, and therefore diverge in habitat and prey preferences. Therefore, the phylogenetic structure of predator assemblages could provide a unifying framework for predicting how predators will impact their prey - and therefore any ecosystem functions mediated by their prey.Methods:We examined the effects of predators on macroinvertebrate food webs found in bromeliads, combining field observations, laboratory feeding trials and a manipulative experiment. We determined whether the phylogenetic distance between predators could explain: the co-observed occurrence of predator species among bromeliads, overlap in prey preferences under no-choice conditions, and effects of predator composition on prey survival, prey composition and ecosystem processes.Results:We found that phylogenetic distance does not predict either the co-occurrence of predator species nor the overlap in their prey preferences. However, our manipulative experiment showed that prey mortality decreased as the phylogenetic distance between predator species increased, reflecting antagonistic interactions among more distant predators. These effects of phylogenetic distance on prey mortality did not translate into effects on ecosystem function, as measured by rates of detrital decomposition and nitrogen cycling.Discussion:We conclude that the effects of predator phylogenetic diversity on the bromeliad food web are primarily determined by antagonistic predator-predator interac-tions, rather than habitat distribution or diet overlap. This study illustrates the potential of a phylogenetic community approach to understanding food webs dynamics.

Dominance determines fish community biomass in a temperate seagrass ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Matthius Eger ◽  
Rebecca J. Best ◽  
Julia Kathleen Baum
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Community Biomass ◽  
Ecosystem Valuation ◽  
Species Abundances

Biodiversity and ecosystem function are often correlated, but there are multiple hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Ecosystem functions such as primary or secondary production may be maximized by species richness, evenness in species abundances, or the presence or dominance of species with certain traits. Here, we combined surveys of natural fish communities (conducted in July and August, 2016) with morphological trait data to examine relationships between diversity and ecosystem function (quantified as fish community biomass) across 14 subtidal eelgrass meadows in the Northeast Pacific (54° N 130° W). We employed both taxonomic and functional trait measures of diversity to investigate if ecosystem function is driven by species diversity (complementarity hypothesis) or by the presence or dominance of species with particular trait values (selection or dominance hypotheses). After controlling for environmental variation, we found that fish community biomass is maximized when taxonomic richness and functional evenness is low, and in communities dominated by species with particular trait values – those associated with benthic habitats and prey capture. While previous work on fish communities has found that species richness is positively correlated with ecosystem function, our results instead highlight the capacity for regionally prevalent and locally dominant species to drive ecosystem function in moderately diverse communities. We discuss these alternate links between community composition and ecosystem function and consider their divergent implications for ecosystem valuation and conservation prioritization.

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