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89 results for “Intraspecific trait variation”
Intraspecific variation in plant economic traits predicts trembling aspen resistance to a generalist insect herbivore
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Size-dependent intraspecific variation in wood traits has little impact on aboveground carbon estimates in a tropical forest landscape
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Data for: Substantial intraspecific trait variation across a hydrological gradient in northern Australian fishes
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Intraspecific trait variation shows the predominant influence of functional divergence on species co-occurrence
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Data from: Intraspecific leaf trait variation mediates edge effects on litter decomposition rate in fragmented forests
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Exploring intraspecific and interspecific variation of coral reef algae using a novel trait-based framework
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Intraspecific trait variation alters the outcome of competition in freshwater ciliates
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Data from: Along with intraspecific functional trait variation, individual performance is key to resolving community assembly processes
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Plant intraspecific functional trait variation is related to within-habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity in Trifolium montanum L.
<p>Intraspecific trait variation (ITV), based on available genetic diversity, is one of the major means plant populations can respond to environmental variability. The study of functional trait variation and diversity has become popular in ecological research, e.g. as a proxy for plant performance influencing fitness. Up to now, it is unclear which aspects of intraspecific functional trait variation (iFDCV) can be attributed to the environment or genetics under natural conditions. Here, we examined 260 individuals from 13 locations of the rare (semi-)dry calcareous grassland species Trifolium montanum L. in terms of iFDCV, within-habitat heterogeneity, and genetic diversity. The iFDCV was assessed by measuring functional traits (releasing height, biomass, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, Fv/Fm, performance index, stomatal pore surface, and stomatal pore area index). Abiotic within-habitat heterogeneity was derived from altitude, slope exposure, slope, leaf area index, soil depth, and further soil factors. Based on microsatellites, we calculated expected heterozygosity (He) because it best-explained, among other indices, iFDCV. We performed multiple linear regression models quantifying relationships among iFDCV, abiotic within-habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity, and also between separate functional traits and abiotic within-habitat heterogeneity or genetic diversity. We found that abiotic within-habitat heterogeneity influenced iFDCV twice as strong compared to genetic diversity. Both aspects together explained 77% of variation in iFDCV (Radj² = 0.77, F2, 10 = 21.66, p < 0.001). The majority of functional traits (releasing height, biomass, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, Fv/Fm and performance index) were related to abiotic habitat conditions indicating responses to environmental heterogeneity. In contrast, morphology-related functional traits (releasing height, biomass and leaf area) were only related to genetics. Our results suggest that both within-habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity affect iFDCV, and are thus crucial to consider when aiming to understand or predict changes of plant species performance under changing environmental conditions.</p>
Data from: Intraspecific variation in host plant traits mediates taxonomic and functional composition of local insect herbivore communities
<p class="abstract_para">Host plant phenotypic traits affect the structure of the associated consumer community and mediate species interactions. We compare herbivore assemblages from the canopy of the phenotypically variable tree <em class="fi">Metrosideros polymorpha</em> on Hawai'i Island. Multiple distinct varieties of <em class="fi">M. polymorpha</em> frequently co‐occur, with variation in morphological traits. Using this system, we identify host and insect traits that underlie patterns of herbivore abundance and quantify the strength of host‐insect trait interactions.</p> <p class="abstract_para">The dataset includes host plant phenotypic traits (specific leaf area, leaf water content, foliar nutrients, trichome presence), as well as collection information. The dataset also contains the herbivorous insect community associated with this host plant, their abundances and life history traits. R code for analyses in this article is also included.</p>
Cis-regulatory variation in the shavenbaby gene underlies intraspecific phenotypic variation, mirroring interspecific divergence in the same trait
<p>Despite considerable progress in recent decades in dissecting the genetic causes of natural morphological variation, there is limited understanding of how variation within species ultimately contributes to species differences. We have studied patterning of the non-sensory hairs, commonly known as "trichomes," on the dorsal cuticle of first-instar larvae of <i>Drosophila</i>. Most <i>Drosophila</i> species produce a dense lawn of trichomes, but a subset of dorsal trichomes were lost in <i>D. sechellia </i>and <i>D. ezoana </i>due entirely to regulatory evolution of the <i>shavenbaby</i> (<i>svb</i>) gene. Here we describe intraspecific variation in dorsal trichome patterns of first-instar larvae of <i>D. virilis</i> that is similar to the trichome pattern variation identified previously between species.<b> </b>We found that 67% of this difference is explained by a QTL that contains <i>svb </i>and that <i>svb</i> expression correlates with trichome variation within <i>D. virilis</i> <i>.</i> Despite using an experimental design with reasonable power to detect a second locus accounting for the remainder of the variance in trichome number, only a single QTL could be mapped, suggesting that multiple other loci each make a small contribution to trichome patterning. Thus, the genetic architecture of intraspecific variation and interspecific differences exhibit similarities and differences that may reflect differences between short-term and long-term evolutionary processes.</p>
Human mediated land use change drives intraspecific plant trait variation
<p>In the Anthropocene, more than three quarters of ice-free land has experienced some form of human driven habitat modification, with agriculture dominating 40% of the Earth's surface. This land use change alters the quality, availability, and configuration of habitat resources, affecting the community composition of plants and insects, as well as their interactions with each other. Landscapes dominated by agriculture are known to support a lower abundance and diversity of pollinators and frequently larger populations of key herbivore pests. In turn, insect communities subsidized by agriculture may spill into remaining natural habitats with consequences for wild plants persisting in (semi) natural habitats. Adaptive responses by wild plants may allow them to persist in highly modified landscapes; yet how landscape-mediated variation in insect communities affects wild plant traits related to reproduction and defense remains largely unknown. We synthesize the evidence for plant trait changes across land use gradients and propose potential mechanisms by which landscape-mediated changes in insect communities may be driving these trait changes. Further, we present results from a common garden experiment on three wild <i>Brassica </i>species demonstrating variation in both defensive and reproductive traits along an agricultural land use gradient. Our framework illustrates the potential for plant adaptation under land use change and predicts how defense and reproduction trait expression may shift in low diversity landscapes. We highlight areas of future research into plant population and community effects of land use change.</p>
Data from: Trait plasticity and tradeoffs shape intraspecific variation in competitive response in a foundation tree species
<ul> <li>The ability to tolerate neighboring plants (i.e., degree of competitive response) is a key determinant of plant success in high-competition environments. Plant genotypes adjust their functional trait expression under high levels of competition, which may help explain intraspecific variation in competitive response. However, the relationships between traits and competitive response are not well understood, especially in trees. In this study, we investigated among-genotype associations between tree trait plasticity and competitive response. </li> <li>We manipulated competition intensity in experimental stands of trembling aspen (<i>Populus tremuloides</i>) to address the covariance between competition-induced changes in functional trait expression and aspects of competitive ability at the genotype level. </li> <li>Genotypic variation in the direction and magnitude of functional trait responses, especially those of crown foliar mass, phytochemistry, and leaf physiology, was associated with genotypic variation in competitive response. Traits exhibited distinct plastic responses to competition, with varying degrees of genotypic variation and covariance with other trait responses. </li> <li>The combination of genotypic diversity and covariance among functional traits led to tree responses to competition that were coordinated among traits yet variable among genotypes. Such relationships between tree traits and competitive success have the potential to shape stand-level trait distributions over space and time. </li> </ul>
Data from: Intraspecific trait variation and trade-offs within and across populations of a toxic dinoflagellate
Intraspecific trait diversity can promote the success of a species, as complementarity of functional traits within populations may enhance its competitive success and facilitates resilience to changing environmental conditions. Here, we experimentally determined the variation and relationships between traits in 15 strains of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii derived from two populations. Measured traits included growth rate, cell size, elemental composition, nitrogen uptake kinetics, toxin production and allelochemical potency. Our results demonstrate substantial variation in all analyzed traits both within and across populations, particularly in nitrogen affinity, which was even comparable to interspecific variation across phytoplankton species. We found distinct trade-offs between maximum nitrogen uptake rate and affinity, and between defensive and competitive traits. Furthermore, we identified differences in trait variation between the genetically similar populations. The observed high trait variation may facilitate development and resilience of harmful algal blooms under dynamic environmental conditions.
Global gradients in intraspecific variation in vegetative and floral traits are partially associated with climate and species richness
<p><span><b>Aim</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>Intraspecific trait variation (ITV) within natural plant communities can be large, influencing local ecological processes and dynamics. Here, we shed light on how ITV in vegetative and floral traits responds to large-scale abiotic and biotic gradients (i.e. climate and species richness). Specifically, we tested if associations of ITV with temperature, precipitation and species richness were consistent with any of from four hypotheses relating to stress-tolerance and competition. Furthermore, we estimated the degree of correlation between ITV in vegetative and floral traits and how they vary along the gradients. </span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Location</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>Global.</span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Time period</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>1975-2016.</span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Major taxa studied</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>Herbaceous and woody plants.</span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Methods</b></span></p> <p class="SemEspaamento1"><span>We compiled a dataset of 18,112 measurements of the absolute extent of ITV (measured as coefficient of variation) in nine vegetative and seven floral traits from 2,774 herbaceous and woody species at 2,306 locations. </span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Results</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>Large-scale associations between ITV and climate were trait-specific and more prominent for vegetative traits, especially leaf morphology, than for floral traits. ITV showed pronounced associations with climate, with lower ITV values in colder areas and higher values in drier areas. The associations of ITV with species richness were inconsistent across traits. Species-specific associations across gradients were often idiosyncratic and covariation in ITV was weaker between vegetative and floral traits than within the two trait groups.</span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span><b>Main conclusions</b></span></p> <p class="CuerpoA"><span>Our results show that, depending on the traits considered, ITV either increased or decreased with climate stress and species richness, suggesting that both factors can constrain or enhance ITV, which might foster plant-population persistence under stressful conditions. Given the species-specific responses and covariation in ITV, associations can be hard to predict for traits and species not yet studied. We conclude that considering ITV can improve our understanding of how plants cope with stressful conditions and environmental change across spatial and biological scales. </span></p>
Data from: The interplay among intraspecific leaf trait variation, niche breadth and species abundance along light and soil nutrient gradients
It is assumed that widespread, generalist species have high phenotypic variation, but we know little about how intraspecific trait variation (ITV) relates to species abundance and niche breadth. In the temperate rainforest of southern Chile, we hypothesized that species with wide niche breadth would exhibit 1) high among-plot ITV, 2) a strong relationship between trait values and the environment, and 3) a close fit between traits and local environment trait optima. We measured leaf functional traits (leaf area, LMA, leaf N and P concentrations) of saplings in woody species, and compared the relative abundance of each species with its niche breadth, measured as the range of light, soil N and P availability. We used the slope of the linear regression of species' trait-environment relationships to assess the strength and direction of these relationships, and measured the degree to which species' trait values track the environmental optimum across plots. In some cases, species having wide niche breadth had high ITV in leaf N and also matched traits (LMA and leaf P) to local optima along the light gradient; they also had high ITV in general and matched leaf P to local optima along the soil P gradient. The relationship between species with wide niche breadth and the strength of intraspecific trait-environment relationships was generally weak and varied depending on the niche dimension and trait in question. Species varied considerably in the strength of trait-environment relationships and total magnitude of ITV, and this variation was not generally strongly related to species abundances or niche breadth patterns. In conclusion, trait variation at the community level is not driven by a few abundant, widely distributed species, but depends on the aggregate trait responses of both abundant and rare species. This makes it difficult to scale individual species trait responses up to the community level.
Data from: Intraspecific variation in seed dispersal of a Neotropical tree and its relationship to fruit and tree traits
The distribution of wind-dispersed seeds around a parent tree depends on diaspore and tree traits, as well as wind conditions and surrounding vegetation. This study of a neotropical canopy tree, Platypodium elegans, explored the extent to which parental variation in diaspore and tree traits explained (1) rate of diaspore descent in still air, (2) distributions of diaspores dispersed from a 40-m tower in the forest, and (3) natural diaspore distributions around the parent tree. The geometric mean rate of descent in still air among 20 parents was highly correlated with geometric mean wing loading1/2 (r = 0.84). However, diaspore traits and rate of descent predicted less variation in dispersal distance from the tower, although descent rate−1 consistently correlated with dispersal distance. Measured seed shadows, particularly their distribution edges, differed significantly among six parents (DBH range 62–181 cm) and were best fit by six separate anisotropic dispersal kernels and surveyed fecundities. Measured rate of descent and tree traits, combined in a mechanistic seed dispersal model, did not significantly explain variation among parents in natural seed dispersal distances, perhaps due to the limited power to detect effects with only six trees. Seedling and sapling distributions were at a greater mean distance from the parents than seed distributions; saplings were heavily concentrated at far distances. Variation among parents in the distribution tails so critical for recruitment could not be explained by measured diaspore or tree traits with this sample size, and may be determined more by wind patterns and the timing of abscission in relation to wind conditions. Studies of wind dispersal need to devote greater field efforts at recording the "rare" dispersal events that contribute to far dispersal distances, following their consequences, and in understanding the mechanisms that generate them.
Data from: The reciprocal relationship between competition and intraspecific trait variation
Trait differences among plants are expected to influence the outcome of competition; competition should be strongest between similar species (or individuals) under limiting similarity, and between dissimilar species within competitive hierarchies. These hypotheses are often used to infer competitive dynamics from trait patterns within communities. However, plant traits are frequently plastic in response to competition. This variation is poorly accounted for in trait-based studies of competition and community assembly. To explore the relationship between trait responses and competitive outcomes, we grew 15 species alone, in monoculture and in mixture. We measured traits relating to leaf and root tissue morphology as well as biomass allocation and related competition-induced changes in these traits to intra- and interspecific competition using multi-model inference. Additionally, we tested how traits from different competitive environments influenced potential community assembly inferences. The competitive environment had large effects on species' traits, although many effects were species specific. Differences among species in how competition affected trait expression were linked to both intra- and interspecific competition, frequently affecting competitive hierarchies. Intraspecific competition was lower for species that limited competition-induced increases in root allocation and had less variability in this trait overall. Interspecific competition was lower for species with larger leaves and lower specific leaf area than their neighbours. Switching to more stress-tolerant strategies by increasing root diameter and leaf tissue density also reduced competition. However, dissimilarity in root tissue density also minimized competition, consistent with limiting similarity affecting competitive outcomes. Moreover, changes in these traits were linked to changes in functional diversity, suggesting that competition affects functional diversity by affecting trait expression. Synthesis. Both trait hierarchies and trait dissimilarity affect the outcome of competition by acting on different traits, although competition-induced changes in trait expression can alter competitive outcomes. Moreover, the magnitude of these trait changes suggests that the source environment where plant traits are collected can affect the inferences drawn from trait patterns within communities. Combined, our results suggest that considering the effect of competition on trait expression is critical to understanding the relationship between traits and community assembly.
Intraspecific variation of Phragmites australis: Clinal adaption of functional traits and phenotypic plasticity vary with latitude of origin
<p>1. Widespread plant species generally have high intraspecific variation in functional traits, which is reflected in their great variety of phenotypes. This variety can result from both genetic differences due to local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. With high intraspecific variation and nearly global distribution, the common reed <i>Phragmites australis</i> is a suitable model species for studying the underlying mechanisms of intraspecific trait variation. </p> <p>2. In this study, 71 genotypes of <i>P. australis</i> from seven phylogeographic groups were transplanted into two replicate common gardens located in very different climates: northern Europe and mid-east Asia. We measured seven functional traits of all these genotypes over the growing season, including shoot height, maximum biomass per shoot, shoot density, node number per stem, leaf lifespan, flowering occurrence and flowering date. Our aim was to assess the relative effects of genetic (phylogeographic origin) and environmental (common garden) status, and interactions between them, on intraspecific variation in functional traits of <i>P. australis</i>. </p> <p>3. We found common garden having the strongest influence on most functional traits studied. All traits except flowering occurrence varied significantly across gardens, revealing the important role of phenotypic plasticity on trait variation of <i>P. australis</i>. We also found significant differences in trait variation among the different phylogeographic groups of <i>P. australis</i> and, thus, evidence for genetically determined intraspecific variation in the morphological and life-history traits addressed in this study. All functional traits showed significant (p≤0.0054), albeit minor to moderately explained (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> ≤0.57), latitudinal patterns in both gardens. Covariation of multiple traits was similar in the two gardens. Phenotypic plasticity was trait-specific, and the plasticity of shoot height and maximum biomass per shoot increased towards higher latitude of genotypic origin. Our results indicate that the latitude of origin affects the evolution of functional traits, as well as their phenotypic plasticity. </p> <p>4. Since phenotypic plasticity is a crucial mechanism for acclimation and evolution, our findings support the role of gene-based adaptive phenotypic plasticity in plant evolution. The intraspecific spatial variation of functional traits and their phenotypic plasticity can help predict species distribution, persistence and invasion under global climate change.</p>
Data from: Intraspecific trait variation across multiple scales: the leaf economics spectrum in coffee
Understanding species differences in plant functional traits has been critical in developing a mechanistic understanding of terrestrial ecological processes. Greater attention is now being placed on understanding the extent, causes and consequences of intraspecific trait variation (ITV). ITV is especially important in governing ecological processes in cropping systems, where only a small number of species or genotypes exist in high abundances. However, it remains unclear if key principles of trait-based ecology – namely the leaf economics spectrum (LES) – also describe intraspecific variation in crop functional biology. There also remains a need to understand whether ITV within crops is random, or structured across environmental, management-related or biological levels of organization in agroecosystems. We employed a nested design field survey to evaluate ITV in leaf traits in coffee (Coffea arabica), one of the world's most widespread tropical crops. We evaluated ITV in eight physiological, morphological and chemical leaf traits, across five nested categorical levels (sites, management systems, spatial location, plant identity, branch identity). We compared patterns of LES trait covariation in coffee, to interspecific patterns observed across over 700 wild plant species. Patterns of bivariate and multivariate ITV in coffee were broadly consistent with, but considerably weaker than, interspecific patterns associated with the LES, indicating that crops may systematically diverge from global patterns of trait trade-offs observed in wild plants. Physiological traits varied most widely (coefficient of variation (cv) 42–107%), followed by morphological traits (cv = 15–38%) and chemical traits (cv = 3–11%). Physiological ITV was best explained by the site in which a coffee plant was growing (17–55% explained), while ITV for chemical traits was best explained by management treatments within sites (25–36%); morphological ITV was higher even at the individual tree level or branch level and remained largely unexplained. Our results support the hypothesis that artificial selection and high-resource agricultural environments lead crops to systematically deviate from patterns of leaf trait covariation observed across wild plants species. Coupled with an understanding of how different traits vary systematically across multiple levels of biological organization, these findings help integrate ITV into future analyses of agroecosystem structure and function.
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