scholarly journals Temperature Microclimates of Plants in a Tropical Alpine Environment: How Much does Growth Form Matter?

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Sklenář ◽  
Andrea Kučerová ◽  
Jana Macková ◽  
Katya Romoleroux
Keyword(s):  
Growth Form ◽  
Alpine Environment ◽  
Tropical Alpine

scholarly journals Microclimatic Warming Leads to a Decrease in Species and Growth Form Diversity: Insights From a Tropical Alpine Grassland

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisimac A. Duchicela ◽  
Francisco Cuesta ◽  
Carolina Tovar ◽  
Priscilla Muriel ◽  
Ricardo Jaramillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Alpine Regions ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Thermal Amplitude ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Tropical Alpine

Due to warming, changes in microclimatic temperatures have shifted plant community structure and dynamics in tundra and alpine regions. The directionality and magnitude of these changes are less known for tropical alpine ecosystems. To understand the likely trajectory of these shifts in the Andes, we conducted a warming experiment in the northern Andes—using open-top chambers (OTC). In this study, we ask (1) how do OTCs affect air and soil temperatures in microclimates of tropical alpine regions, year-round and during the dry season? (2) What are the effects of 7 years of warming on (a) the aboveground biomass (AGB) and (b) the plant taxonomic and growth form diversity? We installed five monitoring blocks in 2012 at ca. 4,200 m asl with 20 OTCs and 50 control plots randomly distributed within each block. We measured AGB, plant community diversity, and growth form diversity between 2014 and 2019. After 7 years of warming, we found significant increases in mean monthly (+0.24°C), daily (+0.16°C), and night air temperatures (+0.33°C) inside the OTCs, and the OTCs intensified microclimatic conditions during the dry season. Additionally, OTCs attenuated extreme temperatures—particularly in the soil—and the number of freezing events. AGB significantly increased in OTCs, and by 2019, it was 27% higher in OTCs than in control. These changes were driven mainly by a progressive increment of tussock grasses such as Calamagrostis intermedia, typical of lower elevations. The increase of tussocks led to a significant decrease in species diversity and evenness inside OTCs, but not in species richness after accounting by sampling time. Furthermore, cushions and herbs decreased inside OTCs. Our results show that experimental warming using OTCs in equatorial regions leads to decreased daily thermal amplitude and night temperatures rather than the level of increase in mean temperatures observed in temperate regions. The increase of tussocks and decrease in diversity of species and growth forms due to prolonged modifications in microclimatic temperature might be a step toward shrub-dominated ecosystems. Further research on this topic would help understand shifts in growth form dominance and the direction and rate of change of the system.

Unexpected mechanisms sustain the stress gradient hypothesis in a tropical alpine environment

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabien Anthelme ◽  
Belen Buendia ◽  
Charlotte Mazoyer ◽  
Olivier Dangles
Keyword(s):  
Stress Gradient ◽  
Alpine Environment ◽  
Tropical Alpine

Interactions between nurse-plants and an exotic invader along a tropical alpine elevation gradient: growth-form matters

Alpine Botany ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-73
Author(s):  
Luis D. Llambí ◽  
Aure Durbecq ◽  
Karla Cáceres-Mago ◽  
Alicia Cáceres ◽  
Lirey Ramírez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Form ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Nurse Plants ◽  
Tropical Alpine

Microclimate and ecophysiological significance of the tree-like life-form of Lobelia rhynchopetalum in a tropical alpine environment

Oecologia ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masresha Fetene ◽  
Menassie Gashaw ◽  
Pascale Nauke ◽  
Erwin Beck
Keyword(s):  
Life Form ◽  
Alpine Environment ◽  
Tropical Alpine

Herbicide Tolerance Of Transgenic `Stevens' Cranberry Plants Depends on the Test Environment

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 517a-517
Author(s):  
Eric L. Zeldin ◽  
Rodney A. Serres ◽  
Brent H. McCown
Keyword(s):  
Growth Form ◽  
Herbicide Tolerance ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Shoot Tip ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Growth Environment ◽  
Commercial Formulation ◽  
Tolerance Level ◽  
Delayed Growth ◽  
Significant Injury

`Stevens' cranberry was genetically engineered to confer tolerance to the broad spectrum herbicide glufosinate. Initially, herbicide tolerance was verified by spraying greenhouse plants with the commercial formulation Liberty. Although one transformant showed significant tolerance, the tolerance level was below that required to kill goldenrod, a common weed of cranberry beds. This transformant was propagated and the plants established outdoors in a coldframe, yielding a growth form more typical of field-grown plants than that of greenhouse-grown plants. These plants, as well as untransformed cranberry and goldenrod plants, were sprayed with various levels of the herbicide. The transformed plants were not killed at glufosinate concentrations up to 1000 ppm, although delayed growth did occur. Some runner tip injury was observed at 500 ppm as well as widespread shoot tip death at higher levels. The above-ground parts of goldenrod plants were killed at 400 ppm with significant injury at 200 ppm. Untransformed cranberry plants were killed at 300 ppm and had extensive tip death even at 100 ppm. Transformed cranberry plants with confirmed “field” tolerance were re-established in the greenhouse and new vegetative growth was forced. When these plants were sprayed with glufosinate, significant shoot tip injury was observed at levels as low as 100 ppm. The degree of herbicide tolerance of transformed cranberry appears to be modulated by the growth environment, which may affect the expression of the inserted genes or the physiological sensitivity of the impacted tissues.

Form and Function of Mediterranean Shrublands

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Esler ◽  
Anna L. Jacobsen ◽  
R. Brandon Pratt
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Adaptive Traits ◽  
Shrub Species ◽  
Leaf Type ◽  
Evergreen Shrub ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
And Function

The archetypal shrub type that dominates most of the regions that experience mediterranean-type climate (MTC) is an evergreen shrub with thick and leathery leaves (sclerophyllous). The occurrence of large stands of such shrubs in all MTC regions led early biogeographers to hypothesize that the MTC selects for this growth form and leaf type and that this had led to convergent evolution (see Chapters 1 and 2). This hypothesis has received considerable research interest and continues to be examined. In this chapter we consider the structure and physiology of these archetypal MTC region shrub species and examine evidence for convergent evolution in their structure and function. We also assess the key adaptive traits that enable the shrub species that compose mediterranean-type vegetation (MTV) communities to thrive in MTC regions.

scholarly journals Integrating dark diversity and functional traits to enhance nature conservation of epiphytic lichens: a case study from Northern Italy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Pires Ferraz Trindade ◽  
Meelis Pärtel ◽  
Carlos Pérez Carmona ◽  
Tiina Randlane ◽  
Juri Nascimbene
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Epiphytic Lichens ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
High Elevations ◽  
Harsh Conditions

AbstractMountains provide a timely opportunity to examine the potential effects of climate change on biodiversity. However, nature conservation in mountain areas have mostly focused on the observed part of biodiversity, not revealing the suitable but absent species—dark diversity. Dark diversity allows calculating the community completeness, indicating whether sites should be restored (low completeness) or conserved (high completeness). Functional traits can be added, showing what groups should be focused on. Here we assessed changes in taxonomic and functional observed and dark diversity of epiphytic lichens along elevational transects in Northern Italy spruce forests. Eight transects (900–1900 m) were selected, resulting in 48 plots and 240 trees, in which lichens were sampled using four quadrats per tree (10 × 50 cm). Dark diversity was estimated based on species co-occurrence (Beals index). We considered functional traits related to growth form, photobiont type and reproductive strategy. Linear and Dirichlet regressions were used to examine changes in taxonomic metrics and functional traits along gradient. Our results showed that all taxonomic metrics increased with elevation and functional traits of lichens differed between observed and dark diversity. At low elevations, due to low completeness and harsh conditions, both restoration and conservation activities are needed, focusing on crustose species. Towards high elevations, conservation is more important to prevent species pool losses, focusing on macrolichens, lichens with Trentepohlia and sexual reproduction. Finally, dark diversity and functional traits provide a novel tool to enhance nature conservation, indicating particular threatened groups, creating windows of opportunities to protect species from both local and regional extinctions.

scholarly journals Within-Site Variability of Liana Wood Anatomical Traits: A Case Study in Laussat, French Guiana

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félicien Meunier ◽  
Sruthi M. Krishna Moorthy ◽  
Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder ◽  
Robin Kreus ◽  
Jan Van den Bulcke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Specific Gravity ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Growth Form ◽  
Vessel Diameter ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Hydraulic Architecture ◽  
Woody Vines ◽  
Wood Trait ◽  
The Individual

Research Highlights: We investigated the variability of vessel diameter distributions within the liana growth form among liana individuals originating from a single site in Laussat, French Guiana. Background and Objectives: Lianas (woody vines) are key components of tropical forests. Lianas are believed to be strong competitors for water, thanks to their presumed efficient vascular systems. However, unlike tropical trees, lianas are overlooked in field data collection. As a result, lianas are often referred to as a homogeneous growth form while little is known about the hydraulic architecture variation among liana individuals. Materials and Methods: We measured several wood hydraulic and structural traits (e.g., basic specific gravity, vessel area, and vessel diameter distribution) of 22 liana individuals in a single sandy site in Laussat, French Guiana. We compared the liana variability of these wood traits and the correlations among them with an existing liana pantropical dataset and two published datasets of trees originating from different, but species-rich, tropical sites. Results: Liana vessel diameter distribution and density were heterogeneous among individuals: there were two orders of magnitude difference between the smallest (4 µm) and the largest (494 µm) vessel diameters, a 50-fold difference existed between extreme vessel densities ranging from 1.8 to 89.3 vessels mm−2, the mean vessel diameter varied between 26 µm and 271 µm, and the individual theoretical stem hydraulic conductivity estimates ranged between 28 and 1041 kg m−1 s−1 MPa−1. Basic specific gravity varied between 0.26 and 0.61. Consequently, liana wood trait variability, even within a small sample, was comparable in magnitude with tree surveys from other tropical sites and the pantropical liana dataset. Conclusions: This study illustrates that even controlling for site and soil type, liana traits are heterogeneous and cannot be considered as a homogeneous growth form. Our results show that the liana hydraulic architecture heterogeneity across and within sites warrants further investigation in order to categorize lianas into functional groups in the same way as trees

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