Leaf physiological response to light environment of three tree fern species in a Mexican cloud forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Riaño ◽  
O. Briones
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Yield ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Light Sensitivity ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Tree Fern ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Open Canopy ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
Light Saturation Point

Abstract:Abundance and physiology of three understorey tree fern species were compared in a Mexican cloud forest. We hypothesized that the distribution of species would be associated with canopy openness and leaf physiological characteristics. In gullies (1–2% full sun), Alsophila firma was abundant, Cyathea divergens was distributed in moderately open places (4–9%), and Lophosoria quadripinnata preferred more open canopy (9–30%). Although 11 leaf traits of five plants of each species growing under closed and open canopies over 1 y did not differ within species, there were significant interspecific differences. Alsophila firma had comparatively low maximum electron transport rate ETRmax (26.8 ± 1.81 μmol m−2 s−1) and ETR light saturation point (ETRLSP: 261 ± 36.1 μmol m−2 s−1), high specific leaf area (SLA), thin leaves and decreased quantum yield during a leaf desiccation experiment. Cyathea divergens had relatively high maximum quantum yield (0.84 ± 0.004), ETRmax (37.3 ± 1.8 μmol m−2 s−1) and ETRLSP (409 ± 40.0 μmol m−2 s−1). Lophosoria quadripinnata had comparatively thick leaves, low SLA, high predawn water potential, high density (606 ± 25.5 mm−2) and small length (0.026 ± 0.002 mm) stomata. The results support the hypothesis that light sensitivity shapes tree fern distribution in the cloud forest.

Spore Germination of Three Tree Fern Species in Response to Light, Water Potential, and Canopy Openness

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Riaño Ospina ◽  
Oscar Briones ◽  
Blanca Pérez-García
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Spore Germination ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Tree Fern ◽  
Light Water ◽  
Fern Species

Clouds and cloud immersion alter photosynthetic light quality in a temperate mountain cloud forest

Botany ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Reinhardt ◽  
William K. Smith ◽  
Gregory A. Carter
Keyword(s):  
Light Quality ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Spectral Band ◽  
Red Light ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Cloud Forests ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Open Canopy ◽  
Low Cloud

Light quantity and quality strongly influence plant ecophysiology, especially in cloud forests. Only a few studies have investigated the quantitative effects of clouds on incident sunlight, and almost no studies have explored the specific effects of cloud immersion on light quality. In the present study, the spectral quantity and quality of sunlight during sunny (S), low cloud (LC), and cloud immersed (CI) days in open canopy and understory microsites are compared in high elevation cloud forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Cumulative daily radiation measured on CI days was 85% less than on S days at open sites, but about the same as S days in understory sites. LC and CI conditions enhanced blue light by 5%–15% in open sites, but decreased it by 25%–60% in understory sites. In cloudy conditions, red light decreased by 6%–11% in open areas and increased by 25%–30% in understory sites. Cloudiness also resulted in important changes in spectral band ratios, and was associated with light diffusivity. Thus, cloud regimes had a strong influence on the photosynthetic light quality of incident sunlight.

The significance of carotenoids and tocopherols in photoprotection of seven epiphytic fern species of a Mexican cloud forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Tausz ◽  
Peter Hietz ◽  
Oscar Briones
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Light Stress ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
Epiphytic Fern ◽  
Β Carotene

Epiphytes experience frequent and rapid changes in water availability andlight intensity. The role of carotenoids and tocopherols in photoprotection ofseven fern species (Asplenium cuspidatum Lam.,Phlebodium areolatum (HB ex Willd.) Smith,Polypodium puberulum Schl. & Cham.,Po. plebeium Schl. & Cham.,Elaphoglossum glaucum Moode,E. petiolatum (Sw.) Urb., andPleopeltis mexicana (Fée) Mickel & Beitel)with different adaptations against drought were investigated. The plants weresampled dark adapted (treatment I), and after light exposure with thesubstrate present (treatment II), with the substrate removed (treatment III)and with substrate and rhizomes removed (treatment IV) to induce increasing degrees of drought stress. The degree of dehydration reached does not resultin permanent damage and was also observed in the field. While none of thetreatments induced significant chlorophyll (chl) degradation, all plantsshowed strong de-epoxidation of the xanthophyll cycle on light exposure (up toa de-epoxidation state of 70%), but without an additional effect ofdesiccation. Most species showed a rapid increase (within hours) ofcarotenoids (mainly β-carotene and lutein) and α-tocopherol onexposure. In A. cuspidatum, a species with no apparentadaptations to drought, drought stress in combination with light resulted inan increase of tocopherols from 35 nmol mol–1 chl(treatment I) to 400 nmol (treatment IV). This effect was not significant inthe drought-deciduous species with succulent rhizomes,Po. puberulum (about 10 nmolmol–1 chl) and Ph. areolatum(5 to maximum 40 nmol), which experience little desiccation under fieldconditions. This short-term induction of tocopherols and carotenoids has notbeen reported for other plants under light stress and is probably related tothe epiphytic life form.

Microsatellite markers designed for tree-fern species Dicksonia sellowiana

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 563-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Nazareno ◽  
P. C. S. Angelo ◽  
V. C. Muschner ◽  
J. Santos ◽  
A. D. Schlindwein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Tree Fern ◽  
Fern Species

Cyathea brunoniana - Two confused Indian tree-fern species and proposing the conservation of Wallich’s and Hooker’s application of the name

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-335
Author(s):  
Christopher Roy Fraser-Jenkins ◽  
◽  
Bhupendra Singh Kholia ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Distinct Species ◽  
Local Distribution ◽  
Tree Fern ◽  
Specific Epithet ◽  
Sufficient Detail ◽  
Tree Ferns ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

The specific epithet brunoniana has been applied since long to two very distinct species of Cyathea (tree-ferns) in India, belonging to different subgenera, or as preferred by some recent authors, microgenera, Alsophila and Sphaeropteris. Serious nomenclatural confusion has been caused by failure to take into account the two different applications of the name and by hasty misapplication, combined with lack of knowledge of the morpho-taxonomy of the two species and of their ecology and local distribution in India. It is shown here that Alsophila brunoniana Wall. and Cyathea brunoniana (C.B.Clarke) C.B.Clarke & Baker are independent names for two quite different species, which in the genus Cyathea should be known as C. sollyana Griff. and C. brunoniana if following the ICN. However due to the confusion concerning the application of the epithet brunoniana and its unavailability for use in the genus Cyathea for the species now more widely so named, it is intended to propose to conserve the name Cyathea brunoniana (Wall.) Fraser-Jenk. against Cyathea brunoniana (C.B.Clarke) C.B. Clarke & Baker. Doing so will allow use of the name Cyathea brunoniana (Wall.) Fraser-Jenk. & Kholia instead of the little known name C. sollyana; and C. chinensis Copel. instead of Clarke & Baker’s C. brunoniana. This eventual intended nomenclature was used by Holttum (1965), but with different authorities for the former name and without looking into the nomenclatural problems re preoccupation of Cyathea brunoniana in sufficient detail.

scholarly journals Differential Effects of Lichens versus Liverworts Epiphylls on Host Leaf Traits in the Tropical Montane Rainforest, Hainan Island, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Lingyan Zhou ◽  
Fude Liu ◽  
Wenjie Yang ◽  
Hong Liu ◽  
Hongbo Shao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Saturation Point ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Light Saturation Point

Epiphylls widely colonize vascular leaves in moist tropical forests. Understanding the effects of epiphylls on leaf traits of host plants is critical for understanding ecological function of epiphylls. A study was conducted in a rain forest to investigate leaf traits of the host plantsPhotinia prunifoliacolonized with epiphyllous liverworts and foliicolous lichens as well as those of uncolonized leaves. Our results found that the colonization of lichens significantly decreased leaf water content (LWC), chlorophyll (Chl) a and a + b content, and Chl a/b ofP. prunifoliabut increased Chl b content, while that of liverworts did not affect them as a whole. The variations of net photosynthetic rates(Pn)among host leaves colonized with different coverage of lichens before or after removal treatment (a treatment to remove epiphylls from leaf surface) were greater than that colonized with liverworts. The full cover of lichens induced an increase of light compensation point (LCP) by 21% and a decrease of light saturation point (LSP) by 54% for their host leaves, whereas that of liverworts displayed contrary effects. Compared with the colonization of liverworts, lichens exhibited more negative effects on the leaf traits ofP. prunifoliain different stages of colonization. The results suggest that the responses of host leaf traits to epiphylls are affected by the epiphyllous groups and coverage, which are also crucial factors in assessing ecofunctions of epiphylls in tropical forests.

A “new” tree fern species from southeastern Brazil: Cyathea myriotricha (Cyatheaceae)

Brittonia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbin C. Moran ◽  
Jefferson Prado ◽  
Paulo H. Labiak ◽  
Judith Garrison Hanks ◽  
Eric Schuettpelz
Keyword(s):  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Tree Fern ◽  
Fern Species

Patterns of morphological leaf traits among pteridophytes along humidity and temperature gradients in the Bolivian Andes

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kessler ◽  
Yvonne Siorak ◽  
Meike Wunderlich ◽  
Caroline Wegner
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Specific Weight ◽  
Leaf Length ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Trichome Density ◽  
Humid Forest ◽  
Bolivian Andes ◽  
Fern Species

Macroecological patterns of leaf traits can be used to assess adaptive responses of plants to environmental stress. Here we present the first such study on a large number of fern species (403) along gradients of elevation (temperature) and humidity. To assess how the representation of traits such as degree of lamina dissection, leaf length, leaf mass per area (LMA), trichome density, venation density, stomatal density, and of adaptive strategies such as poikilohydry vary at the community and species levels in response to changes in humidity and temperature in the Bolivian Andes, we (1) compared whole pteridophyte communities at 14 sites, and (2) analysed intraspecific variation of the morphological traits of 17 fern species along an elevational gradient at 1700–3400 m in humid forest. Among the fern communities of the 14 sites, leaf length decreased with elevation and aridity, LMA increased with elevation, and trichome density and venation density increased with aridity. The study of intraspecific variation among 17 species showed an increase of stomatal density with elevation in six of 11 species (filmy ferns lacked stomata), an increase of specific weight in 15 species, a decrease of trichome density in seven of 10 species (other species lacked hairs), and a decrease of venation density in seven of 10 cases. Some of these trends can be interpreted adaptively: leaf thickness appears to increase in situations with low nutrient availability rather than with low water availability, whereas a dense cover of scales or hairs serves as a protection against insolation or as a vehicle for the absorption of water in poikilohydric species. In arid areas, trichome density increased with elevation, while it decreased with elevation in cloudy and humid regions. For most traits, variation was more pronounced at the community than at the species level, except for stomatal density, which varied much more strongly within than between species. Several of these morphological and anatomical characters can be used to infer palaeoclimatic conditions based on fossil pteridophyte floras.

scholarly journals Are Juglans neotropica Plantations Useful as a Refuge of Bryophytes Diversity in Tropical Areas?

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Jefferson Medina ◽  
Wilson Quizhpe ◽  
Jorge Déleg ◽  
Karina Gonzalez ◽  
Zhofre Aguirre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Open Canopy ◽  
Mixed Plantations ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Successional Forests ◽  
Mixed Plantation

Neotropical montane forests are considered biodiversity hotspots, where epiphytic bryophytes are an important component of the diversity, biomass and functioning of these ecosystems. We evaluated the richness and composition of bryophytes in secondary successional forests and mixed plantations of Juglans neotropica. In each forest type, the presence and cover of epiphytic bryophytes was registered in 400 quadrats of 20 cm × 30 cm. We analyzed the effects of canopy openness, diameter at breast height (DBH) and forest type on bryophyte richness, using a generalized linear model (GLM), as well as the changes in species composition using multivariate analysis. Fifty-five bryophyte species were recorded, of which 42 species were in secondary forests and 40 were in mixed plantations. Bryophyte richness did not change at forest level; however, at tree level, richness was higher in the mixed plantation of J. neotropica compared to the secondary forests, due to the presence of species adapted to high light conditions. On the other hand, bryophyte communities were negatively affected by the more open canopy in the mixed plantation of J. neotropica, species adapted to more humid conditions being less abundant. We conclude that species with narrow microclimatic niches are threatened by deforestation, and J. neotropica plantations do not act as refuge for drought-sensitive forest species present in secondary forests.

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