scholarly journals Variations and determinants of carbon content in plants: a global synthesis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhui Ma ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Di Tian ◽  
Dongting Zou ◽  
Zhengbing Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Plant Organs ◽  
C Cycle ◽  
Plant Ecological ◽  
Global Vegetation

Abstract. Abstract. Plant carbon (C) content is one of the most important plant traits and is critical in the assessment of global C cycle and ecological stoichiometry. However, the global variation in plant C content remains poorly understood. We conducted a global analysis of the plant C content by synthesizing data from 4318 species to provide specific values of C content and to assess their variation across plant organs and life forms. Our results showed that C content varied markedly across plant organs. Plant organ C content ranged from 45.01 % in reproductive organs to 47.88 % in stems at global scales, which were significantly lower than a canonical value of 50 % that has been widely employed in previous studies. Plant C content in leaves was higher than that in roots. Across life forms, woody plants exhibited higher C content than herbaceous plants. Conifers, relative to broad-leaved woody species, had higher C content in roots, leaves and stems. Plant C content tended to decrease with the increasing latitude. The life form explained more variation of the C content than climate due to plant structural requirements. Our findings suggest that specific C content values from different organs and life forms may be more suitable to evaluate global vegetation C stock and plant ecological stoichiometry.

scholarly journals Variations and determinants of carbon content in plants: a global synthesis

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 693-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhui Ma ◽  
Feng He ◽  
Di Tian ◽  
Dongting Zou ◽  
Zhengbing Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Form ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
C Cycle ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Global Vegetation ◽  
Global Mean

Abstract. Plant carbon (C) content is one of the most important plant traits and is critical to the assessment of global C cycle and ecological stoichiometry; however, the global variations in plant C content remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a global analysis of the plant C content by synthesizing data from 4318 species to document specific values and their variation of the C content across plant organs and life forms. Plant organ C contents ranged from 45.0 % in reproductive organs to 47.9 % in stems at global scales, which were significantly lower than the widely employed canonical value of 50 %. Plant C content in leaves (global mean of 46.9 %) was higher than that in roots (45.6 %). Across life forms, woody plants exhibited higher C content than herbaceous plants. Conifers, relative to broad-leaved woody species, had higher C content in roots, leaves, and stems. Plant C content tended to show a decrease with increasing latitude. The life form explained more variation of the C content than climate. Our findings suggest that specific C content values of different organs and life forms developed in our study should be incorporated into the estimations of regional and global vegetation biomass C stocks.

scholarly journals Correlations between morphological fruit types, fruit and seed colors, and functional groups

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Ramírez ◽  
Yeni Barrios ◽  
Herbert Briceño
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Seed Color ◽  
Successional Stage ◽  
Fleshy Fruits ◽  
Phylogenetic Relations ◽  
Cam Species

Abstract: The associations between morphological fruit types, fruit and seed colors, and functional plant traits: life forms, epiphytism, physiology, nutritional relationships, fruit phenology, and successional stage, were determined for 1,139 plant species from contrasting plant communities. Texture and dehiscence were closely related. Dehiscence is largely associated with dry tissues; indehiscence, however, is an attribute of both dry and fleshy fruits. The number of morphological fruit types was 28 or 55 for Gray's and Spjut's classifications, respectively. Fruits were predominantly dark in color (brown, purple-black, black or green), whilst seeds had both dark and light colors (brown, beige, or black). The most representative associations were mainly found between the more abundant fruit types and the colors most common. Asymmetries in the level of specialization, whereby less common fruit and seed colors tended to be associated with the most common fruit types, were also found. Fleshy fruits showed more variation as regards their coloration, and only drupes and berries showed a tendency towards a specific color: purple-black. The relationships among fruit type and color, seed color, and functional plant traits revealed the following trends: trees produced both fleshy and dry fruits; shrubs produced fleshy fruits; and herbaceous species, dry fruits. Woody species tended to have dark or bright colors, depending on their seed dispersal mechanisms and phylogenetic relations. Epiphytes were associated with dry-dehiscent fruits and brown seeds, and parasitic-hemiparasitic species had predominantly fleshy-indehiscent fruits. Pioneer species were more likely to have dry fruits, whereas fleshy fruits tended to be more frequent in late successional stage species. The C4 species, mostly herbs, had mainly one-seeded dry fruits, but multi-seeded fruits in succulent-CAM species showed morphologically diverse fruit types. Unripe and ripe fruits showed seasonal changes, especially during the rainy-dry transition period for the most abundant morphological fruit types, dry fruits during the dry period and fleshy fruited species was positively associated with the rainy season. All these trends are discussed with regard to their environmental significance and the relationships between fruit morphology, colors and functional groups. .

scholarly journals Protective Role of Ice Barriers: How Reproductive Organs of Early Flowering and Mountain Plants Escape Frost Injuries

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031
Author(s):  
Clara Bertel ◽  
Jürgen Hacker ◽  
Gilbert Neuner
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Early Flowering ◽  
Ice Formation ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Infrared Video

In the temperate zone of Europe, plants flowering in early spring or at high elevation risk that their reproductive organs are harmed by episodic frosts. Focusing on flowers of two mountain and three early-flowering colline to montane distributed species, vulnerability to ice formation and ice management strategies using infrared video thermography were investigated. Three species had ice susceptible flowers and structural ice barriers, between the vegetative and reproductive organs, that prevent ice entrance from the frozen stems. Structural ice barriers as found in Anemona nemorosa and Muscari sp. have not yet been described for herbaceous species that of Jasminum nudiflorum corroborates findings for woody species. Flowers of Galanthus nivalis and Scilla forbesii were ice tolerant. For all herbs, it became clear that the soil acts as a thermal insulator for frost susceptible below ground organs and as a thermal barrier against the spread of ice between individual flowers and leaves. Both ice barrier types presumably promote that the reproductive organs can remain supercooled, and can at least for a certain time-period escape from effects of ice formation. Both effects of ice barriers appear significant in the habitat of the tested species, where episodic freezing events potentially curtail the reproductive success.

scholarly journals Floristic composition of the Montane Forest in the Almadina-Barro Preto axis, Southern Bahia, Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Macielle Macedo Coelho ◽  
André Márcio Amorim
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Southern Bahia ◽  
Arboreal Habit

The aim of this study is to survey the angiosperms of two montane forest remnants in the southern Bahia, Brazil: Corcovado (SCO) and Pedra Lascada (SPL). Both fragments are located in the municipality of Almadina and Barro Preto, respectively, and are 18 km distant from each other. We sampled 899 species of angiosperms distributed in 437 genera and 116 families. The SCO was the richest area with 678 species, distributed in 367 genera and 100 families. SPL showed 466 species in 269 genera and 88 families. The percentage of species identified was 85.8% and of this total, 37.7% are endemic to the Atlantic Forest, 11.2% are endemic to southern Bahia and northern Espírito Santo and 7% are disjunct between the Atlantic Forest and Amazon. The remaining percentages (44.3%) were of species widely distributed. The richest families in the two areas were Orchidaceae (10%), Rubiaceae (7%), Bromeliaceae (5.5%), Melastomataceae (4.2%) and Poaceae (4%). The richest genera were Psychotria (2%),Piper (1.8%), Ocotea (1.6%),Vriesea (1.5%) and Peperomia (1.4%). More than half of the recorded species showed non-arboreal habit, regarding life forms documented. That comes against the assertion that many authors in the tropical forests, where species richness in angiosperms is expected for non-woody species, especially in montane forests. Twelve species have been identified as new, but seven others already described from collections previously obtained in these two areas. Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae and Bromeliaceae showed significant richness in this study these families are commonly reported as the richest in other inventories in the Atlantic Forest in southern Bahia reinforcing their importance to the regional flora. The high levels of richness, endemism, and the growing numbers of new taxonomic discoveries from the SPL and SCO sites indicate the biological importance of these two forest remnants. The implementation of parks or other protected environmental reserves would be essential to the conservation of its species.

How well do seed production traits correlate with leaf traits, whole-plant traits and plant ecological strategies?

Plant Ecology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 215 (11) ◽  
pp. 1351-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Pierce ◽  
Arianna Bottinelli ◽  
Ilaria Bassani ◽  
Roberta M. Ceriani ◽  
Bruno E. L. Cerabolini
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Ecological Strategies ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Plant Ecological

scholarly journals Patterns and ecological determinants of woody plant height in eastern Eurasia and its relation to primary productivity

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 791-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiheng Wang ◽  
Yaoqi Li ◽  
Xiangyan Su ◽  
Shengli Tao ◽  
Xiao Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Height ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Geographical Patterns ◽  
Historical Climate ◽  
Geographic Patterns ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Abstract Aims Plant height is a key functional trait related to aboveground biomass, leaf photosynthesis and plant fitness. However, large-scale geographical patterns in community-average plant height (CAPH) of woody species and drivers of these patterns across different life forms remain hotly debated. Moreover, whether CAPH could be used as a predictor of ecosystem primary productivity is unknown. Methods We compiled mature height and distributions of 11 422 woody species in eastern Eurasia, and estimated geographic patterns in CAPH for different taxonomic groups and life forms. Then we evaluated the effects of environmental (including current climate and historical climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)) and evolutionary factors on CAPH. Lastly, we compared the predictive power of CAPH on primary productivity with that of LiDAR-derived canopy-height data from a global survey. Important Findings Geographic patterns of CAPH and their drivers differed among taxonomic groups and life forms. The strongest predictor for CAPH of all woody species combined, angiosperms, all dicots and deciduous dicots was actual evapotranspiration, while temperature was the strongest predictor for CAPH of monocots and tree, shrub and evergreen dicots, and water availability for gymnosperms. Historical climate change since the LGM had only weak effects on CAPH. No phylogenetic signal was detected in family-wise average height, which was also unrelated to the tested environmental factors. Finally, we found a strong correlation between CAPH and ecosystem primary productivity. Primary productivity showed a weaker relationship with CAPH of the tallest species within a grid cell and no relationship with LiDAR-derived canopy height reported in the global survey. Our findings suggest that current climate rather than historical climate change and evolutionary history determine the geographical patterns in CAPH. However, the relative effects of climatic factors representing environmental energy and water availability on spatial variations of CAPH vary among plant life forms. Moreover, our results also suggest that CAPH can be used as a good predictor of ecosystem primary productivity.

Spring and summer hydraulic conductivity of 14 woody species of the sub-boreal forest in British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 2727-2733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian R Wang
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Hydraulic Properties ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
High Water ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Huber Value ◽  
Successional Species

Four hydraulic properties of the xylem, the Huber value (HV), hydraulic conductivity (Kh), and specific (Ks) and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity (K1) were studied during the spring before leaf-out and during the summer after full leaf-out for 14 co-occurring tree and shrub species in the sub-boreal mixedwood forests of central British Columbia. The 14 studied species were divided into deciduous and evergreen angiosperm and gymnosperm groups, including one deciduous gymnosperm species, the tamarack, Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch. I tested whether species with different life forms and classification divisions have different hydraulic properties. HVs were statistically similar for all angiosperms but significantly different among gymnosperms. Long-lived, late-successional species had higher HVs than pioneer and early-successional species. Ks and K1 values for all species except one, subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt., were significantly higher in the spring than in the summer. Conductivity was higher in angiosperms than in gymnosperms in both the spring and the summer, and was highest in deciduous species in both seasons. The results indicate that requirements for mechanical strength may account for the high HVs in conifers, and that the high HVs compensate for low Ks and K1 values. The high hydraulic conductivities observed in the spring coincide with high water availability and high water demand by trees with emerging leaves. The subsequent reduction in Ks and K1 values could be caused by drought-induced embolism and cavitation in early summer.

scholarly journals Contribution of Soil and Litter Nutrient Characteristics to Plant Nutrients in a Natural Secondary Mixed Forest in the Qinling Mountains, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Pang ◽  
Jing Tian ◽  
Lanxin Liu ◽  
Lina Han ◽  
Dexiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Plant Functional Groups ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Functional Difference ◽  
Qinling Mountains ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Plant Organs ◽  
N:P Ratios

Abstract Soil and litter play important roles in ecosystem nutrient stroage and cycling, which both affect plant growth and ecosystem productivity. However, the potential contributions of soil and litter nutrient characteristics to the nutrient characteristics of different plant functional groups (PFGs) remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations of different organs of three PFGs (trees, shrubs and herbs), litter and soil in nine natural secondary mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains. The results showed that leaves had the highest N and P concentrations and N:P ratios at the organ level, whereas the C:N and C:P values were lowest in leaves. At the PFG level, the N and P concentrations of the same organs in herbaceous plants were significantly higher than those in woody species, while the N:P ratio was significantly lower in herb leaves than in tree and shrub leaves. Tree organs had significantly higher C concentrations and C:N and C:P ratios than shrub and herb organs. The leaf N:P ratios of all PFGs were less than 14, suggested that plant growth was limited by N in the study region. The nutrient contents and stoichiometric ratios in plant organs had different degrees of linkages with those in litter and soil. Soil nutrient characteristics were the main factors affecting the nutrient characteristics of the different PFGs, and litter nutrient characteristics also had important contributions to the nutrient characteristics of PFGs, showing the following order: herbs > trees > shrubs. Our results indicate that the functional difference in plant organs resulted in diverse nutrient concentrations; and varied nutrient connections exist among different ecosystem components. Furthermore, nutrient characteristics of litter and soil can together affect the nutrient characteristics of PFGs.

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