scholarly journals Composition and Specialization of the Lichen Functional Traits in a Primeval Forest—Does Ecosystem Organization Level Matter?

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 485
Author(s):  
Anna Łubek ◽  
Martin Kukwa ◽  
Bogdan Jaroszewicz ◽  
Patryk Czortek
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Asexual Reproduction ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Niche Diversity ◽  
Dark Pigmentation ◽  
Ecosystem Organization

Current trends emphasize the importance of the examination of the functional composition of lichens, which may provide information on the species realized niche diversity and community assembly processes, thus enabling one to understand the specific adaptations of lichens and their interaction with the environment. We analyzed the distribution and specialization of diverse morphological, anatomical and chemical (lichen secondary metabolites) traits in lichen communities in a close-to-natural forest of lowland Europe. We considered these traits in relation to three levels of forest ecosystem organization: forest communities, phorophyte species and substrates, in order to recognize the specialization of functional traits to different levels of the forest complexity. Traits related to the sexual reproduction of mycobionts (i.e., ascomata types: lecanoroid apothecia, lecideoid apothecia, arthonioid apothecia, lirellate apothecia, stalked apothecia and perithecia) and asexual reproduction of mycobionts (pycnidia, hyphophores and sporodochia) demonstrated the highest specialization to type of substrate, tree species and forest community. Thallus type (foliose, fruticose, crustose and leprose thalli), ascospore dark pigmentation and asexual reproduction by lichenized diaspores (soredia and isidia) revealed the lowest specialization to tree species and substrate, as well as to forest community. Results indicate that lichen functional trait assemblage distribution should not only be considered at the level of differences in the internal structure of the analyzed forest communities (e.g., higher number of diverse substrates or tree species) but also studied in relation to specific habitat conditions (insolation, moisture, temperature, eutrophication) that are characteristic of a particular forest community. Our work contributes to the understanding of the role of the forest structure in shaping lichen functional trait composition, as well as enhancing our knowledge on community assembly rules of lichen species.

scholarly journals Can functional traits explain phylogenetic signal in the composition of a plant community?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daijiang Li ◽  
Anthoy R Ives ◽  
Donald M Waller
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Phylogenetic Information ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Species Abundances ◽  
Understory Plant

Phylogeny-based and functional trait-based analyses are two principle ways to study community assembly and underlying ecological processes. In principle, knowing all information about species traits would make phylogenetic information redundant, at least that component of phylogenetic signal in the distribution of species among communities that is caused by phylogenetically related species sharing similar traits. In reality, phylogenies may contain more information than a set of singular, discretely measured traits because we cannot measure all species traits and may misjudge which are most important. The extent to which functional trait information makes phylogenetic information redundant, however, has not been explicitly studied with empirical data in community ecology. Here, we use phylogenetic linear mixed models to analyze community assembly of 55 understory plant species in 30 forest sites in central Wisconsin. These communities show strong phylogenetic attraction, yet variation among sites in 20 environmental variables could not account for this pattern. Most of the 15 functional traits we measured had strong phylogenetic signal, but only three varied strongly among sites in ways that affected species' abundances. These three traits explained only 19% of variation in phylogenetic patterns of species co-occurrence. Thus, phylogenies appear to provide considerably more information about community assembly than the functional traits measured in this study, demonstrating the value of phylogeny in studying of community assembly processes even with abundant functional traits.

scholarly journals Herbaria as Functional Trait Databases

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e25766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Meeus
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Climatological Data ◽  
The Impact

Although tropical rainforests play an important role in regulating the world’s climate, they are at the same time particularly vulnerable to changes in the climate. Intense and prolonged droughts, for instance, can lead to biomass loss which will further accelerate these changes. Especially for tree species it becomes problematic, due to their long lifespan, to quickly adapt to or evade unfavorable climatic conditions affecting the composition of the forest community as a whole and consequently the ecosystem services that the rainforests provide. A long-term drying trend currently threatens tropical regions worldwide but is especially strong in the central African rainforest, the second-largest rainforest on Earth. The impact of this decrease in precipitation on the vegetation is, however, still largely unknown due to the limited amount of historical eco-climatological data. Fortunately, these kind of data do exist albeit in a poorly accessible (analog) format in herbarium collections. To investigate if trees show changes in morphology and/or physiology invoked by climatic changes in the last century, the COBECORE team (Congo Basin Eco-Climatological Data Recovery and Valorization”) is exploring the usability of herbaria as potential sources of plant leaf functional trait data using established protocols adjusted to dried leaf material. Photosynthesis as well as gas exchange and transpiration are processes regulated by a plant’s leaves, and depend on the specific leaf area (SLA) and the number and size of the stomata. The less area the latter structures occupy on the leaf the less the plant will suffer from water losses which increases the resistance to drought of plants. We explored the recently digitized African Herbarium of the Botanic Garden Meise which contains over 1.2 million African specimens with a very good coverage of the Congo Basin, dating back to 1880. Currently, we obtained average SLA measurements for 833 herbarium specimens from 59 of the most common tree species of central African rainforests. Pictures for stomata counts and size measurements were taken from over one hundred specimens mainly focused on three Prioria species, giant tree species (up to 60 metres) currently suffering from overexploitation. The data generated in this project will be valuable to understand some lower-level vegetation responses such as plant water use needed to model and predict long-term climate change impacts on vegetation.

scholarly journals Vegetation and ecoregion analysis at Sipirok Botanic Gardens, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustaid Siregar ◽  
DANANG W. PURNOMO ◽  
HARTUTININGSIH M-SIREGAR ◽  
JOKO RIDHO WITONO
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Botanic Gardens ◽  
Remnant Forest ◽  
North Sumatra

Abstract. Siregar M, Purnomo DW, Siregar HM, Witono JR. 2020. Vegetation and ecoregion analysis at Sipirok Botanic Gardens, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 2526-2535. Botanic Gardens is an ex-situ plant conservation area. Enrichment of plant collections of Botanic Gardens in Indonesia is based on ecoregion types. To find out the type of ecoregion, the existing vegetation, main native species should be known. The research aimed to analyze the existing vegetation and ecoregion type at Sipirok Botanic Gardens. Existing vegetation has been carried out using a separate plot method 20x20 m which is placed on purposively in nine locations considered to have different vegetation types, namely remnant forest, young secondary forests and shrubs, rubber plantation, and grasslands. Around 66 species belonged to 45 genera and 27 families were found in vascular plants (dbh ≥ 10 cm). There were 66 species of sapling belonged to 54 genera and 35 families, and 110 seedlings belonged to 87 genera and 50 families. The tree species that have the highest Importance Value Index are Ficus sumatrana (PU-1), Myristica fatua (PU-3), Hevea brasiliensis (PU-4 and PU-7), Artocarpus elasticus (PU-8), and Knema cinerea (PU-9). No trees were found in young secondary forest/shrub plots and grasslands. Unlike the species dominance index, the species diversity index and species equitability index are higher in natural forest plots. Beta diversity based on Jaccard similarity index and Whittaker's index shows a relatively different species composition among plots. Cluster analysis shows the tendency of grouping in 2 types of communities, namely: a) remnant forest communities, and b) secondary communities. The natural forest community is further divided into two communities consisting of remnant forest tree species and industrial/plantation plant species also secondary tree species. Secondary communities are also further divided into secondary forest communities and grasslands. Based on ecoregion analysis using previous publications, altitude, and diversity of plant species in the study site, Sipirok Botanic Gardens is a transitional zone of the Sumatran lowland rainforest and mountain rainforest.

Interspecific variation in functional traits in relation to species climatic niche optima in Andean Polylepis (Rosaceae) tree species: evidence for climatic adaptations

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna M. Toivonen ◽  
Viviana Horna ◽  
Michael Kessler ◽  
Kalle Ruokolainen ◽  
Dietrich Hertel
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Leaf Size ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Root Tip ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Climatic Niche ◽  
Genetically Determined

Plant functional traits can be genetically determined or phenotypically plastic. We assessed the degree of genetic determinism in the functional traits of Andean Polylepis tree species among 14 important traits that enable the species to withstand cold and dry conditions. We conducted a common garden experiment and related the species-specific means of the functional traits to the variables of climatic niche optima of the species (mean annual temperature and annual precipitation), deducing that if the interspecific variation in the functional trait is related to the species climatic niche optima according to the theoretically-expected pattern of climate-trait relationship, the variation of the trait must be genetically determined. In general, the traits were related either to species temperature or precipitation optima. For example, leaf size, maximum photosynthesis rate and root tip abundance were related to temperature, whereas light compensation and light saturation points were related to precipitation. Only leaf size showed a significant phylogenetic signal, indicating that most of the manifested climate–trait relationships are not caused purely by phylogeny, but are mainly a result of species specialisation along an environmental gradient. However, in many cases the relationships were rather weak. This suggests that important functional traits of Polylepis species involve both genetic and phenotypic components aiming to maximise the overall fitness of the species at high elevations.

scholarly journals When a foundation crumbles: forecasting forest community dynamics following the decline of the foundation speciesTsuga canadensis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley S. Case ◽  
Hannah L. Buckley ◽  
Audrey A. Barker-Plotkin ◽  
David A. Orwig ◽  
Aaron M. Ellison
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Adelges Tsugae ◽  
Eastern Hemlock ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Salvage Logging ◽  
Hemlock Decline

AbstractIn the forests of northeastern North America, invasive insects and pathogens are causing major declines in some tree species and a subsequent reorganization of associated forest communities. Using observations and experiments to investigate the consequences of such declines are hampered because trees are long-lived. Simulation models can provide a means to forecast possible futures based on different scenarios of tree species decline, death, and removal. Such modeling is particularly urgent for species such as eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), a foundation species in many northeast forest regions that is declining due to the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Here, we used an individual-based forest simulator, SORTIE-ND, to forecast changes in forest communities in central Massachusetts over the next 200 years under a range of scenarios: a no-adelgid, status-quo scenario; partial resistance of hemlock to the adelgid; adelgid irruption and total hemlock decline over 25 years, adelgid irruption and salvage logging of hemlock trees; and two scenarios of preemptive logging of hemlock and hemlock/white pine.We applied the model to six study plots comprising a range of initial species mixtures, abundances, and levels of hemlock dominance. Simulations indicated that eastern white pine, and to a lesser extent black birch and American beech, would gain most in relative abundance and basal area following hemlock decline. The relative dominance of these species depended on initial conditions and the amount of hemlock mortality, and their combined effect on neighborhood-scale community dynamics. Simulated outcomes were little different whether hemlock died out gradually due to the adelgid or disappeared rapidly following logging. However, if eastern hemlock were to become partially resistant to the adelgid, hemlock would be able to retain its dominance despite substantial losses of basal area. Our modeling highlights the complexities associated with secondary forest succession due to ongoing hemlock decline and loss. We emphasize the need both for a precautionary approach in deciding between management intervention or simply doing nothing in these declining hemlock forests, and for clear aims and understanding regarding desired community- and ecosystem-level outcomes.

scholarly journals Relevance of Broad-Leaved Forest Stands for Maintaining Epiphytic Bryophyte Species and Functional Trait Diversity in Forest Landscape in Latvia

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 310-318
Author(s):  
Linda Gerra-Inohosa ◽  
Līga Strazdiņa
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Life Strategy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Broad Leaved Forest ◽  
Leaved Forest

Abstract Broad-leaved trees play an important role in supporting epiphyte richness in deciduous forests. In this study we tested which broad-leaved forest stands in terms of tree composition best predicted biodiversity in regard to bryophyte species number and their functional traits. The bryoflora was surveyed in 70 stands differing in dominant broad-leaved tree species. One circular plot with diameter 30 meters was established in each stand situated in different parts of Latvia. Fifty-three of the plots were located in stands identified as protected habitats of the European Union. In total, 82 bryophyte species were recorded. At plot level the total number of species ranged between 6 and 38 species. Using principal component analysis (PCA), the ordination axes explained 41% of the variation in composition of bryophytes. The PCA axes were related to tree species composition. The presence of broad-leaved trees, especially ash, lime, and oak, was connected with higher species richness. Generalised linear models confirmed that epiphyte richness, both at the total and indicator species levels, was higher in ash stands. From the functional traits, all expected life-strategy and life-form categories were recorded. The most represented life-forms were smooth mats, tall turfs, and rough mats, while the dominant life-strategy was perennial stayers, followed by competitive perennials and long-lived shuttles. Functional trait richness was highest in Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, and Quercus robur forest stands.

scholarly journals Plant species richness and community assembly along gradients of elevation and soil nitrogen availability

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taro Ohdo ◽  
Koichi Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Soil Nitrogen ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Soil Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
High Elevations

Abstract Environmental filters affect community assembly through the functional traits of species. However, the process of community assembly remains unclear because of the complex interactions among the many biotic and abiotic factors. This study aimed to examine the community assembly process of vascular plants along gradients of elevation (45‒2500 m a.s.l.) and soil nitrogen availability. This study examined the trait distribution patterns of four functional traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen concentration) of vascular plants (trees, herbs and ferns) in central Japan, using null model testing. The number of species decreased and increased at high elevations for tree species and herb and fern species, respectively. The numbers of both tree species and herb and fern species were positively correlated with soil nitrogen availability. Community-weighted means (CWMs) of the four traits decreased with elevation. CWMs and ranges of the three leaf traits were positively correlated with soil nitrogen availability. The community-weighted variance of plant height was higher at higher elevations, indicating that niche differentiation of vertical stratum in habitats with a low canopy was important for community assembly. This study suggests that severe climatic conditions reduce the number of tree species and the canopy height at high elevations, leading to increases in the number of herb and fern species due to increased light intensity at the forest floor. The elevational change of leaf traits also indicates the change of adaptive leaf traits. It further suggests that lower nitrogen availability decreases the number of tree, herb and fern species by excluding those species with leaf traits unsuited to lower nitrogen availability. Therefore, community structure is most likely regulated by both elevation and soil nitrogen availability.

scholarly journals Functional Traits in Lichen Ecology: A Review of Challenge and Opportunity

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 766
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Ellis ◽  
Johan Asplund ◽  
Renato Benesperi ◽  
Cristina Branquinho ◽  
Luca Di Nuzzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Predictive Capacity ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Major Transition ◽  
And Function

Community ecology has experienced a major transition, from a focus on patterns in taxonomic composition, to revealing the processes underlying community assembly through the analysis of species functional traits. The power of the functional trait approach is its generality, predictive capacity such as with respect to environmental change, and, through linkage of response and effect traits, the synthesis of community assembly with ecosystem function and services. Lichens are a potentially rich source of information about how traits govern community structure and function, thereby creating opportunity to better integrate lichens into ‘mainstream’ ecological studies, while lichen ecology and conservation can also benefit from using the trait approach as an investigative tool. This paper brings together a range of author perspectives to review the use of traits in lichenology, particularly with respect to European ecosystems from the Mediterranean to the Arctic-Alpine. It emphasizes the types of traits that lichenologists have used in their studies, both response and effect, the bundling of traits towards the evolution of life-history strategies, and the critical importance of scale (both spatial and temporal) in functional trait ecology.

scholarly journals Is Phylogeny More Useful than Functional Traits for Assessing Diversity Patterns Under Community Assembly Processes?

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinshi Xu ◽  
Han Dang ◽  
Mao Wang ◽  
Yongfu Chai ◽  
Yaoxin Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Α Diversity

Phylogenetic and functional diversities and their relationship are important for understanding community assembly, which relates to forest sustainability. Thus, both diversities have been used in ecological studies evaluating community responses to environmental changes. However, it is unclear whether these diversity measures can uncover the actual community assembly processes. Herein, we examined their utility to assess such assembly processes by analyzing similarities in phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic α- and β-diversities along an elevational gradient. Additionally, we examined the relationships among environment, phylogeny, and functional traits within the community. Based on our results, we evaluated whether phylogenetic or functional diversity could better reveal the actual community assembly processes. We found that taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional α-diversities were correlated with one another. Although the functional α-diversity showed a linear correlation with the elevational gradient, taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversities showed unimodal patterns. Both phylogenetic and functional β-diversities correlated with taxonomic β-diversity, but there was no significant relationship between the former. Overall, our results evidenced that phylogenetic diversity and taxonomic diversity showed similar patterns, whereas functional diversity showed a relatively independent pattern, which may be due to limitations in the functional trait dimensions used in the present study. Although it is difficult to unravel whether the environment shapes phylogeny or functional traits within a community, phylogenetic diversity is a good proxy for assessing the assembly processes, whereas functional diversity may improve knowledge on the community by maximizing information about the functional trait dimensions.

Langfristige Entwicklung von zwei Waldgesellschaften im Białowieża-Urwald

2008 ◽  
Vol 159 (4) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Brzeziecki ◽  
Feliks Eugeniusz Bernadzki
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Strong Trend ◽  
Long Term Study

The results of a long-term study on the natural forest dynamics of two forest communities on one sample plot within the Białowieża National Park in Poland are presented. The two investigated forest communities consist of the Pino-Quercetum and the Tilio-Carpinetum type with the major tree species Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Betula sp., Quercus robur, Tilia cordata and Carpinus betulus. The results reveal strong temporal dynamics of both forest communities since 1936 in terms of tree species composition and of general stand structure. The four major tree species Scots pine, birch, English oak and Norway spruce, which were dominant until 1936, have gradually been replaced by lime and hornbeam. At the same time, the analysis of structural parameters indicates a strong trend towards a homogenization of the vertical stand structure. Possible causes for these dynamics may be changes in sylviculture, climate change and atmospheric deposition. Based on the altered tree species composition it can be concluded that a simple ≪copying≫ (mimicking) of the processes taking place in natural forests may not guarantee the conservation of the multifunctional character of the respective forests.

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