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89 results for “growth form”
Data from: Niche construction by growth forms is as strong a predictor of species diversity as environmental gradients
We present a conceptual framework that describes how species belonging to a growth form collectively can be niche constructors (i.e. modify niches) and affect species diversity in plant communities. We use an empirical assessment of tundra plant communities to illustrate the framework's utility. In doing so, we make a first investigation of collective niche construction in ecological communities. In tundra plant communities, growth forms differently affect ecosystem process rates and cause environmental modifications; thus, growth forms are strong candidates for being niche constructors. To assess the impact of growth form niche construction on plant species diversity, we excluded the species of the growth form applied as niche constructor when estimating the community species diversity. We assessed niche construction in 70 tundra meadow communities and 1450 randomly selected tundra plant communities that are distributed along ecological gradients in temperature, resource availability, competitive interference and herbivory. These gradients allowed us to concomitantly assess to what extent the niche construction is independent of environmental conditions. Growth forms varied from strong positive to neutral predictors of both species richness and Simpson index in the order of forbs, grasses, sedges, deciduous shrubs and evergreen shrubs, suggesting that growth forms have important roles as niche constructors in tundra plant communities. Also, the environmental conditions were strong predictors of species diversity, but they did not interact with or confound the effects of growth forms. Forbs and grasses were the least abundant growth forms, yet they were the strongest positive predictors of species diversity. Therefore, our results suggest a particular niche-constructing role of these growth forms for enhancing species diversity in tundra plant communities. Synthesis. In this study, we provide conceptual and empirical evidence for collective niche construction as a powerful ecological process that affects species diversity and that can act independently of environmental conditions. Species sharing a single trait or species belonging to a growth form can act as collective niche constructors, and as exemplified for growth forms in this study, be important predictors of species diversity in ecological communities.
Data from: Light and growth form interact to shape stomatal ratio among British angiosperms
In most plants, stomata are located only on the abaxial leaf surface (hypostomy), but many plants have stomata on both surfaces (amphistomy). High light and herbaceous growth form have been hypothesized to favor amphistomy, but these hypotheses have not been rigorously tested together using phylogenetic comparative methods. I leveraged a large dataset including stomatal ratio, Ellenberg light indicator value, growth form and phylogenetic relationships for 372 species of British angiosperms. I used phylogenetic comparative methods to test how light and/or growth form influence stomatal ratio and density. High light and herbaceous growth form are correlated with amphistomy, as predicted, but they also interact; the effect of light is pronounced in therophytes (annuals) and perennial herbs, but muted in phanerophytes (shrubs and trees). Furthermore, amphistomy and stomatal density evolve together in response to light. Comparative analyses of British angiosperms reveal two major insights. First, light and growth form interact to shape stomatal ratio; amphistomy is common under high light, but mostly for herbs. Second, coordinated evolution of adaxial stomatal density and light tolerance indicates that amphistomy helps to optimally balance light acquisition with gas exchange. Stomatal ratio may have potential as a functional trait for paleoecology and crop improvement.
Data from: DNA from soil mirrors plant taxonomic and growth form diversity
Ecosystems across the globe are threatened by climate change and human activities. New rapid survey approaches for monitoring biodiversity would greatly advance assessment and understanding of these threats. Taking advantage of next-generation DNA sequencing, we tested an approach we call metabarcoding: high-throughput and simultaneous taxa identification based on a very short (usually less than 100 base pairs) but informative DNA fragment. Short DNA fragments allow the use of degraded DNA from environmental samples. All analyses included amplification using plant-specific versatile primers, sequencing and estimation of taxonomic diversity. We tested in three steps whether degraded DNA from dead material in soil has the potential of efficiently assessing biodiversity in different biomes. First, soil DNA from eight boreal plant communities located in two different vegetation types (meadow and heath) was amplified. Plant diversity detected from boreal soil was highly consistent with plant functional and structural diversity estimated from conventional above-ground surveys. Second, we assessed DNA persistence using samples from formerly cultivated soils in temperate environments. We found that number of crop DNA sequences retrieved strongly varied with years since last cultivation, and crop sequences were absent from nearby, uncultivated plots. Third, we assessed the universal applicability of DNA metabarcoding using soil samples from tropical environments: a large proportion of species and families from the study site was efficiently recovered. The results open unprecedented opportunities for large-scale DNA-based biodiversity studies across a range of taxonomic groups using standardized metabarcoding approaches.
Impacts of growth form and phylogenetic relatedness on seed germination: a large-scale analysis of a subtropical regional flora
<p>Plant regeneration strategy plays a critical role in species survival and can be used as a proxy for the evolutionary response of species to climate change. However, information on the effects of key plant traits and phylogenetic relatedness on seed germination is limited at large regional scales that vary in climate. To test the hypotheses that phylogenetic niche conservatism plays a critical force in shaping seed ecophysiological traits across species, and also drives their response to climatic fluctuation, we conducted a controlled experiment on seed germination and determined the percentage and rate of germination for 249 species in subtropical China under two temperature regimes (i.e., daily 25ºC; daily alternating 25/15ºC for each 12 h). Germination was low with a skewed distribution (mean = 38.9% at 25ºC, and 43.3% at 25/15ºC). One fifth of the species had low (<10%) and slow (4–30d) germination, and only a few (8%) species had a high (>80%) and rapid (1.2–6.6d) germination. All studied plant traits (including germination responses) showed a significant phylogenetic signal, with an exception of seed germination percentage under the alternating temperature scenario. Generalized linear models (GLMs) and phylogenetic generalized estimation equations (GEEs) demonstrated that growth form and seed dispersal mode were strong drivers of germination. Our experimental study highlights that integrating plant key traits and phylogeny is critical to predicting seed germination response to future climate change.</p>
FIGURE 0.A–B. Phlegmariurus tenuis—(A: Ecuador: Spruce 5604; B: Holm-Nielsen et al. 5342, AAU) A. Growth habit. A1. Closeup of basal division. A2. Close-up of sporangiate division. B. Growth habit of shade form. B1. Close-up of basal division. B2. Close-up of sporangiate division.—C. Phlegmariurus curvifolius (Ecuador: C + C2 Lugo 848, AAU; C1 Harling & Andersson 17354, AAU). C. Growth habit. C1. Close-up of basal division. C2. Close-up of terminal sporangiate division. Drawing by B. Johnsen. in The Lycopodiaceae of Panamá
FIGURE 0.A–B. Phlegmariurus tenuis—(A: Ecuador: Spruce 5604; B: Holm-Nielsen et al. 5342, AAU) A. Growth habit. A1. Closeup of basal division. A2. Close-up of sporangiate division. B. Growth habit of shade form. B1. Close-up of basal division. B2. Close-up of sporangiate division.—C. Phlegmariurus curvifolius (Ecuador: C + C2 Lugo 848, AAU; C1 Harling & Andersson 17354, AAU). C. Growth habit. C1. Close-up of basal division. C2. Close-up of terminal sporangiate division. Drawing by B. Johnsen.
Data from: Climatic niche lability but growth form conservatism in the African woody flora
<p><span>Climatic niche evolution during the diversification of tropical plants has received little attention in Africa. To address this, we characterized the climatic niche of >4000 tropical African woody species, distinguishing two broad bioclimatic groups (forest vs. savanna) and six subgroups. We quantified niche conservatism </span><span>versus</span><span> lability at the genus level and for higher clades, using a molecular phylogeny of >800 genera. Although niche stasis at speciation is prevalent, numerous clades individually cover vast climatic spaces suggesting a general ease in transcending ecological limits, especially across bioclimatic subgroups. </span><span>The forest biome was the main source of diversity, providing many lineages to savanna, but reverse shifts also occurred. </span><span>We identified clades that diversified in savanna after shifts from forest. </span><span>The forest-savanna transition was not consistently associated with a growth form change, though we found evolutionarily labile clades whose presence in forest or savanna is associated respectively with climbing or shrubby species diversification.</span></p>
FIGURE. Growth forms in the genus Callilepis. A. The semishrub C. caerulea with solitary capitula growing at Blouberg (Photographer N. Helme). B. The perennial herb C. leptophylla with solitary capitula growing at Nylsvlei (Photographer M. Koekemoer). C. The perennial herb C. normae with corymbose synflorescences and D. the perennial rootstock of C. normae from the type locality (Photographer M. Koekemoer). in A taxonomic revision of the genus Callilepis (Asteraceae) in South Africa
FIGURE. Growth forms in the genus Callilepis. A. The semishrub C. caerulea with solitary capitula growing at Blouberg (Photographer N. Helme). B. The perennial herb C. leptophylla with solitary capitula growing at Nylsvlei (Photographer M. Koekemoer). C. The perennial herb C. normae with corymbose synflorescences and D. the perennial rootstock of C. normae from the type locality (Photographer M. Koekemoer).
FIGURES 2–7. Bryozoan colony growth forms. 2 in Diversity of marine bryozoans inhabiting demosponges in northeastern Brazil
FIGURES 2–7. Bryozoan colony growth forms. 2, encrusting patches; 3, encrusting spots; 4, erect articulated; 5, erect delicate branching; 6, erect fenestrate; 7, erect stoloniferan. Scale bars: 5 mm.
Supplementary material 4 from: Novoa A, Kumschick S, Richardson DM, Rouget M, Wilson JRU (2016) Native range size and growth form in Cactaceae predict invasiveness and impact. In: Daehler CC, van Kleunen M, Pyšek P, Richardson DM (Eds) Proceedings of 13th International EMAPi conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii. NeoBiota 30: 75–90. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.30.7253
Results of the General Impact Scoring System applied to 70 cactus species (35 invasive and 35 non-invasive cactus species with a long history of introduction in South Africa) : Explanation note: The impact scores are expressed as the maximum impact over all the environmental and socioeconomic categories considered in this study.
Supplementary material 3 from: Novoa A, Kumschick S, Richardson DM, Rouget M, Wilson JRU (2016) Native range size and growth form in Cactaceae predict invasiveness and impact. In: Daehler CC, van Kleunen M, Pyšek P, Richardson DM (Eds) Proceedings of 13th International EMAPi conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii. NeoBiota 30: 75–90. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.30.7253
Generic Impact Scoring System (GISS) : Explanation note: Detailed description of impact categories. An updated Excel version is available from the authors on request.
Diverse root strategies associated with fast to slow resource acquisition vary among plant growth forms
<p>Root acquisition strategies at regional and global scales are largely associated with climate, soil resource availability, and plant phylogeny, yet the drivers at the local scale are not well-quantified. We sampled 115 species across five growth forms (i.e. trees, shrubs, lianas, herbs, and ferns) from a temperate forest and measured seven key functional traits of first-order roots, including root morphology, anatomy, and chemistry. Most trait variations were greater among growth forms than within them. Importantly, species aggregated in root economics space separately by growth forms, illustrating consistent differences in soil resource strategies among growth forms from fast to slow acquisition. Such diverse strategies among plant growth forms may allow species to avoid strong competition and promote species coexistence in a local forest community. These findings improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying community assembly and stability from a below-ground perspective.</p>
FIGURE 2. Sarcolobus cambogensis habitat and growth form. A. riparian habitat, B. shrubby habit, C in Sarcolobus cambogensis (Marsdenieae, Asclepiadoideae, Apocynaceae): A new rheophytic shrub from Cambodia
FIGURE 2. Sarcolobus cambogensis habitat and growth form. A. riparian habitat, B. shrubby habit, C. open follicle releasing seeds, and D. orange flowers (photographs: Hyosig Won from type locality)
FIGURES 20–25. Hassallia littoralis habitus. Figs 20, 21. Fasciculated growth form. Figs 22, 23 in Hassallia littoralis sp. nov. (Cyanobacteria, Microchaetaceae) from Mexico's marine supralittoral based on morphological and molecular evidence
FIGURES 20–25. Hassallia littoralis habitus. Figs 20, 21. Fasciculated growth form. Figs 22, 23. Formation of hormogonia. Fig. 24. Hormogonia and branch formation. Fig. 25. Production of monocyte-like cells. Scale bars: Figs 20, 21: 30 µm, Figs 22–25: 6 µm.
FIGURE 23 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 23. The most common whole-plant morphology found in Kalanchoe is generally expressed through a little-varying body plan that consists of a leafy, usually unbranched, stem that lengthens considerably into a stem-peduncle continuum at flowering maturity, and a terminally-borne inflorescence. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 17 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 17. The kalanchoes with round to obovate, soup plate-sized and -shaped leaves, i.e., those included in the southern and southtropical African K. sect. Raveta, generally have rather short internodes in the juvenile phase, so giving rise to a pseudo-rosulate architecture where a leaf cluster resembles a rosette carried close to the ground. Kalanchoe luciae is shown here. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 20 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 20. Kalanchoe bracteata is a much-branched, shrubby representative of the 'woody clade' of K. subg. Kalanchoe. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 14 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 14. The stems of medium-sized, unbranched, herbaceous kalanchoes sometimes die acropetally, i.e., from the bottom upwards, as here in the case of Kalanchoe pinnata. The upper part of the stem-peduncle continuum is still green and carries flowers while the lower part is desiccated. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 12 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 12. The weevil Sternuchopsis sedi lays its eggs in the stems of, especially, a range of Kalanchoe species—K. sexangularis in this case—where the hatched larvae feed on the soft, internal tissues. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 8 in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 8. Kalanchoe klopperae (long-peduncled, orange-flowered material in the centre of the image) growing as a lithophyte in the very thin, humic soils that accumulated in depressions on the surface of a granitic rock near Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
FIGURE 16. Some kalanchoes, for example a in A review of growth form and plant duration (life cycle) in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) in an evolutionary and classificatory framework
FIGURE 16. Some kalanchoes, for example a group of Malagasy species with a shrubby growth form, such as Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, have densely clustered, thin, brittle stems that, with age, become somewhat woody, with some even developing a distinct, peeling bark. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.
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OpenNeuro
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