scholarly journals Research Progress on Phenotypic Plasticity of Invasive Plants in Response to Drought Stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 245 ◽  
pp. 02020
Author(s):  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Xiaojie Cai ◽  
Zhiyi Yin

Biological invasion seriously threatens ecological stability and social development. One of the bases for forming invasion is alien species’ strong phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity can help alien species adapt to environmental changes and enhance their invasive ability. China is one of the countries seriously affected by drought. Under the background of environmental drought, exploring the reasons why invasive plants can gain growth advantages and mastering the phenotypic changes of invasive plants in response to drought stress are conducive to helping us understand more about the invasion mechanism of invasive species. In this paper, the research progresses of invasive plants’ morphological plasticity and physiological plasticity under drought stress in recent years are reviewed, the invasive plants’ morphological and physiological metabolic characteristics under drought are summarized, and the growth advantages of invasive plants are discussed, which provided a scientific theoretical basis for alleviating the serious harm caused by biological invasion to China’s natural environment.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailun Yu ◽  
Xueyong Zhao ◽  
Wenda Huang ◽  
Jin Zhan ◽  
Yuanzheng He

Extensive studies have shown that the success of invasive plants in large environmental gradients can be partly attributed to related factors, including phenotypic plasticity and rapid evolution. To enhance their ability to compete and invade, invasive plants often show higher morphological and physiological plasticity to adapt to different habitat conditions. In the past two decades, invasive species have expanded to some new habitats in North and Northwest China, including arid oasis agricultural zones, which are disturbed by human activities, and the ecosystem itself is very fragile. To evaluate the ecological adaptability of invasive plants widely distributed in North and Northwest China, we studied the physiological response and tolerance mechanism of different geographical populations of Solanum rostratum Dunal to different drought-stress gradients in extremely arid regions (Xinjiang population) and semi-arid regions (Inner Mongolia population). The results showed that with the aggravation of drought stress, S. rostratum from different geographical populations adopted different physiological mechanisms to drought stress. Xinjiang population was mostly affected by root/shoot ratio and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, showing higher plasticity in the net and total photosynthetic rates, while the Inner Mongolia population mainly relied on the accumulation of osmotic adjustment substances, higher leaf dry matter content, and increased malondialdehyde to cope with drought stress. Based on these results, we concluded that the physiological responses of S. rostratum invading different habitats in northern China to drought stress were significantly different. The drought resistance of the Xinjiang population was higher than that of the Inner Mongolia population. In general, S. rostratum can be widely adapted to both harsh and mild habitats through phenotypic plasticity, threatening agricultural production and ecological environment security in northern China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
pp. 03023
Author(s):  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Ruirui Yue ◽  
Yang Li

Biological invasion generates serious threats to global biodiversity. Exotic species usually have high environmental adaptability and tolerance, which is one of the bases of their invasion. Except for biological invasion threats, other serious environmental problems like extreme cold or hot events, soil drought, saline-alkali and flood are emerging constantly on a global scale. In the background of multiple environmental problems interfering with existing habitats, exploring the growth characteristics of invasive plants in different habitats, and grasping the reasons why the invasive plants can obtain growth superiorities are in favor of propelling the understanding of their invasion mechanism. This paper gives an overview of research progress on the invasive plants’ morphological characteristics and physiological characteristics in deferent habitats, summarizes the growth specialties of invasive plants which are affected by high temperature, low temperature, drought and flood, and discusses the reasons why the invasive plants prevail in the growth competitions, which provided theoretical and realistic signification to relieve the biological invasion current status.


The Holocene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manel Leira ◽  
Maria C Freitas ◽  
Tania Ferreira ◽  
Anabela Cruces ◽  
Simon Connor ◽  
...  

We examine the Holocene environmental changes in a wet dune slack of the Portuguese coast, Poço do Barbarroxa de Baixo. Lithology, organic matter, biological proxies and high-resolution chronology provide estimations of sediment accumulation rates and changes in environmental conditions in relation to sea-level change and climate variability during the Holocene. Results show that the wet dune slack was formed 7.5 cal. ka BP, contemporaneous with the last stages of the rapid sea-level rise. This depositional environment formed under frequent freshwater flooding and water ponding that allowed the development and post-mortem accumulation of abundant plant remains. The wetland evolved into mostly palustrine conditions over the next 2000 years, until a phase of stabilization in relative sea-level rise, when sedimentation rates slowed down to 0.04 mm yr−1, between 5.3 and 2.5 cal. ka BP. Later, about 0.8 cal. ka BP, high-energy events, likely due to enhanced storminess and more frequent onshore winds, caused the collapse of the foredune above the wetlands’ seaward margin. The delicate balance between hydrology (controlled by sea-level rise and climate change), sediment supply and storminess modulates the habitat’s resilience and ecological stability. This underpins the relevance of integrating past records in coastal wet dune slacks management in a scenario of constant adaptation processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minwoo Oh ◽  
Yoonjeong Heo ◽  
Eun Ju Lee ◽  
Hyohyemi Lee

Abstract Background As trade increases, the influx of various alien species and their spread to new regions are prevalent, making them a general problem globally. Anthropogenic activities and climate change have led to alien species becoming distributed beyond their native range. As a result, alien species can be easily found anywhere, with the density of individuals varying across locations. The prevalent distribution of alien species adversely affects invaded ecosystems; thus, strategic management plans must be established to control them effectively. To this end, this study evaluated hotspots and cold-spots in the degree of distribution of invasive alien plant species, and major environmental factors related to hot spots were identified. We analyzed 10,287 distribution points of 126 species of alien plant species collected through a national survey of alien species using the hierarchical model of species communities (HMSC) framework. Results The explanatory and fourfold cross-validation predictive power of the model were 0.91 and 0.75 as area under the curve (AUC) values, respectively. Hotspots of invasive plants were found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Daegu metropolitan city, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, southwest shore, and Jeju Island. Hotspots were generally found where the highest maximum summer temperature, winter precipitation, and road density were observed. In contrast, seasonality in temperature, annual temperature range, precipitation during summer, and distance to rivers and the sea were negatively correlated to hotspots. The model showed that functional traits accounted for 55% of the variance explained by environmental factors. Species with a higher specific leaf area were found where temperature seasonality was low. Taller species were associated with a larger annual temperature range. Heavier seed mass was associated with a maximum summer temperature > 29 °C. Conclusions This study showed that hotspots contained 2.1 times more alien plants on average than cold-spots. Hotspots of invasive plants tended to appear under less stressful climate conditions, such as low fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. In addition, disturbance by anthropogenic factors and water flow positively affected hotspots. These results were consistent with previous reports on the ruderal and competitive strategies of invasive plants, not the stress-tolerant strategy. Our results supported that the functional traits of alien plants are closely related to the ecological strategies of plants by shaping the response of species to various environmental filters. Therefore, to control alien plants effectively, the occurrence of disturbed sites where alien plants can grow in large quantities should be minimized, and the waterfront of rivers must be managed.


<em>Abstract.</em>—In this paper, we review information regarding the status of the native fishes of the combined Sacramento River and San Joaquin River drainages (hereinafter the “Sacramento–San Joaquin drainage”) and the factors associated with their declines. The Sacramento–San Joaquin drainage is the center of fish evolution in California, giving rise to 17 endemic species of a total native fish fauna of 28 species. Rapid changes in land use and water use beginning with the Gold Rush in the 1850s and continuing to the present have resulted in the extinction, extirpation, and reduction in range and abundance of the native fishes. Multiple factors are associated with the declines of native fishes, including habitat alteration and loss, water storage and diversion, flow alteration, water quality, and invasions of alien species. Although native fishes can be quite tolerant of stressful physical conditions, in some rivers of the drainage the physical habitat has been altered to the extent that it is now more suited for alien species. This interaction of environmental changes and invasions of alien species makes it difficult to predict the benefits of restoration efforts to native fishes. Possible effects of climate change on California’s aquatic habitats add additional complexity to restoration of native fishes. Unless protection and restoration of native fishes is explicitly considered in future water management decisions, declines are likely to continue.


Oecologia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 192 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Le Hesran ◽  
Thomas Groot ◽  
Markus Knapp ◽  
Tibor Bukovinszky ◽  
Jovano Erris Nugroho ◽  
...  

AbstractThe ability of an organism to adapt to short-term environmental changes within its lifetime is of fundamental importance. This adaptation may occur through phenotypic plasticity. Insects and mites, in particular, are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, especially during the juvenile stages. We studied the role of phenotypic plasticity in the adaptation of eggs to different relative humidity conditions, in the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis, used worldwide as a biological control agent of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. The biocontrol efficacy of P. persimilis decreases under dry conditions, partly because P. persimilis eggs are sensitive to drought. We exposed P. persimilis adult females from two different strains to constant and variable humidity regimes and evaluated the hatching rate of their eggs in dry conditions, as well as the survival and oviposition rates of these females. Whereas the eggs laid by P. persimilis females exposed to constant high humidity did not survive in dry conditions, females exposed to constant low humidity started laying drought-resistant eggs after 24 h of exposure. Survival and oviposition rates of the females were affected by humidity: females laid fewer eggs under constant low humidity and had a shorter lifespan under constant high and constant low humidity. The humidity regimes tested had similar effects across the two P. persimilis strains. Our results demonstrate that transgenerational phenotypic plasticity, called maternal effect, allows P. persimilis females to prepare their offspring for dry conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-87
Author(s):  
Nicholas A Levis ◽  
Carly G Fuller ◽  
David W Pfennig

Abstract Intraspecific competition has long been considered a key driver of evolutionary diversification, but whether it can also promote evolutionary innovation is less clear. Here we examined the interplay between competition and phenotypic plasticity in fuelling the origins of a novel, complex phenotype – a distinctive carnivore morph found in spadefoot toad tadpoles (genus Spea) that specializes on fairy shrimp. We specifically sought to explore the possible origins of this phenotype by providing shrimp to Scaphiopus holbrookii tadpoles (the sister genus to Spea that does not produce carnivores) while subjecting them to competition for their standard diet of detritus. Previous research had shown that this species will eat shrimp when detritus is limited, and that these shrimp-fed individuals produce features that are redolent of a rudimentary Spea carnivore. In this study, we found that: (1) behavioural and morphological plasticity enabled some individuals to expand their diet to include shrimp; (2) there was heritable variation in this plasticity; and (3) individuals received a growth and development benefit by eating shrimp. Thus, novel resource use can arise via plasticity as an adaptive response to intraspecific competition. More generally, our results show how competition and plasticity may interact to pave the way for the evolution of complex, novel phenotypes, such as the distinctive carnivore morph in present-day Spea.


FLORESTA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renan Macari Falleiros ◽  
Rafael Dudeque Zenni ◽  
Sílvia Renate Ziller

Espécies exóticas invasoras são espécies introduzidas e estabelecidas que produzem descendentes viáveis e que se propagam a distâncias significativas da planta-mãe, podendo causar danos ao meio ambiente. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar as primeiras avaliações sobre esse processo de invasão e uma ação de manejo da planta exótica invasora Pinus taeda em três morros no Parque Estadual do Pico Paraná, Paraná, Brasil. O manejo foi realizado mecanicamente, com corte das plantas, e as primeiras respostas sobre a cobertura vegetal e a riqueza de espécies foram mensuradas dez meses após a ação de corte. Os resultados indicam que a população da espécie invasora no local do estudo tem aproximadamente 36 anos, que as plantas crescem num ritmo inferior à média de outros ambientes, que sob a influência de pínus a vegetação nativa apresentou menor porcentagem de cobertura e, finalmente, que após o corte e derrubada de pínus a vegetação apresentou menor riqueza. O manejo teve custo total de R$ 199,00 por hectare. Concluiu-se que os campos de altitude são habitats suscetíveis a invasão biológica por pínus e que o período de 10 meses foi insuficiente para se obterem conclusões consistentes sobre o controle mecânico por corte raso.Palavras-chave:Espécies exóticas invasoras; invasão biológica; Pinus taeda; Campos de Altitude; Parque Estadual do Pico Paraná. AbstractInvasion and managment of Pinus taeda in mountain top grasslands of Pico Paraná State Park, Paraná, Brazil. Invasive alien species are introduced from other ecosystems and establish, producing viable descendency that spread for significant distances from the mother plants, potentially cause damage to the environment. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the first responses of the invasion process and the results of Pinus taeda control on three mountain areas in the Pico Paraná State Park, Southern Brazil. The control was conducted mechanically by felling adult trees and pulling out seedlings. The first responses were measured ten months after felling, measuring plant coverage and species richness. Results indicate that the population of invasive pines in these areas is around 36 years old, growing at a slower rate when compared to the average growth in other habitats, that the pine trees impact the native vegetation by producing lower coverage and finally, that after felling the pine trees the native vegetation showed lower richness. The control method had a cost of R$ 199,00 (about US$ 100) per hectare. Conclusions are that high mountain grasslands are susceptible habitats for biological invasion by pine trees and that recurrent work needs to be done for more consistent elucidations.Keywords:Invasive alien species; biological invasion; Pinus taeda; grasslands; Atlantic Forest; invasive conifers. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nadeem ◽  
Jiajia Li ◽  
Muhammad Yahya ◽  
Alam Sher ◽  
Chuanxi Ma ◽  
...  

Climate change, food shortage, water scarcity, and population growth are some of the threatening challenges being faced in today’s world. Drought stress (DS) poses a constant challenge for agricultural crops and has been considered a severe constraint for global agricultural productivity; its intensity and severity are predicted to increase in the near future. Legumes demonstrate high sensitivity to DS, especially at vegetative and reproductive stages. They are mostly grown in the dry areas and are moderately drought tolerant, but severe DS leads to remarkable production losses. The most prominent effects of DS are reduced germination, stunted growth, serious damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, decrease in net photosynthesis, and a reduction in nutrient uptake. To curb the catastrophic effect of DS in legumes, it is imperative to understand its effects, mechanisms, and the agronomic and genetic basis of drought for sustainable management. This review highlights the impact of DS on legumes, mechanisms, and proposes appropriate management approaches to alleviate the severity of water stress. In our discussion, we outline the influence of water stress on physiological aspects (such as germination, photosynthesis, water and nutrient uptake), growth parameters and yield. Additionally, mechanisms, various management strategies, for instance, agronomic practices (planting time and geometry, nutrient management), plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), functional genomics and advanced strategies (CRISPR-Cas9) are also critically discussed. We propose that the integration of several approaches such as agronomic and biotechnological strategies as well as advanced genome editing tools is needed to develop drought-tolerant legume cultivars.


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