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158 results for “plant size”
Stresses affect inbreeding depression in complex ways: Disentangling stress-specific genetic effects from effects of initial size in plants
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Data from: Evolutionary patterns in the geographic range size of Atlantic Forest plants
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A subset of Californian vascular plant species recognized by Baldwin et al. (2017), corresponding to to the “large and intermediate-sized genera” studied by Stebbins & Major (1965)
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Data from: Fine-scale substrate heterogeneity in green roof plant communities: the constraint of size
Heterogeneity-diversity relationship (HDR) is commonly shown to be positive in accordance with classic niche processes. However, recent soil-based studies have often found neutral and even negative HDRs. Some of the suggested reasons for this discrepancy include the lack of resemblance between manipulated substrate and natural settings, the treated areas not being large enough to contain species' root span and finally limited-sized plots may not sustain focal species' populations over time. V egetated green roofs are a growing phenomenon in many cities that could be an ideal testing ground for this problem. Recent studies have focused on the ability of these roofs to sustain stable and diverse plant communities and substrate heterogeneity that would increase niches on the roof has been proposed as a method to attain this goal. We constructed an experimental design using green roof experimental modules (4 m²) where we manipulated mineral and organic substrate component heterogeneity in different subplots (0.25 m²) within the experimental module while maintaining the total sum of mineral and organic components. A local annual plant community was seeded in the modules and monitored over three growing seasons. We found that plant diversity and biomass were not affected by experimentally created substrate heterogeneity. In addition, we found that different treatments, as well as specific subplot substrates, had an effect on plant community assemblages during the first year but not during the second and third years. Substrate heterogeneity levels were mostly unchanged over time. The inability to retain plant community composition over the years despite the maintenance of substrate differences supports the hypothesis that maintenance of diversity is constrained at these spatial scales by unfavorable dispersal and increased stochastic events as opposed to predictions of classic niche processes.
Presence-absence sampling for estimating plant density using survey data with variable plot size
1. Presence-absence sampling is an important method for monitoring state and change of both individual plant species and communities. With this method only the presence or absence of the target species is recorded on plots and thus the method is straightforward to apply and less prone to surveyor judgment compared to other vegetation monitoring methods. However, in the basic setting all plots must be equally large or otherwise it is unclear how data should be analyzed. In this study we propose and evaluate five different methods for estimating plant density based on presence-absence registrations from surveys with variable plot sizes. 2. Using artificial plant population data as well as empirical data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory we evaluated the performance of the proposed methods. The main analysis was conducted through sampling simulation in the artificial populations, whereby bias and variance of density estimators for the different methods were quantified and compared. 3. Both for state and change estimation of plant density, we found that the best method to handle variable plot size was to perform generalized least squares regression, using plot size as an independent variable. Methods where plots smaller than a certain threshold were excluded or their registrations recalculated were, however, almost as good. Using all registrations as if they were obtained from plots with the nominal plot size resulted in substantial bias. 4. Our findings are important for plant population studies in a wide range of environmental monitoring programmes. In these programmes plots are typically randomly laid out and may be located across boundaries between different land use or land cover classes, resulting in subplots of variable size. Such splitting of plots is common when large plots are used, e.g. with the 100 m2 plots used in the Swedish National Forest Inventory. Our methods overcome problems to estimate plant density from presence-absence data observed in plots that vary in size.
Data from: Sexual, fecundity, and viability selection on flower size and number in a sexually dimorphic plant
The evolution of sexual dimorphism will depend on how sexual, fecundity and viability selection act within each sex, with the different forms of selection potentially operating in opposing directions. We examined selection in the dioecious plant Silene latifolia using planted arrays of selection lines that differed in flower size (small vs. large). In this species a flower size/number tradeoff exists within each sex, and males produce smaller and more numerous flowers than females. Moreover, floral traits are genetically correlated with leaf physiology. Sexual selection favoring males in the small-flower line occurred via greater overlap in the timing of flower output between males from this line and females. Fecundity selection favored males with high flower production, as siring success was proportionate to pollen production. Viability selection opposed sexual selection, favoring males from the large-flower line. In females, fecundity and viability selection operated in the same direction, favoring those from the large-flower line via greater seed production and survival. These results concur with the pattern of floral sexual dimorphism. Together with previous results they suggest that the outcome of the different forms of selection will be environmentally dependent, and therefore help to explain variation among populations in sexually dimorphic traits.
Data from: Resource allocation and seed size selection in perennial plants under pollen limitation
Pollen limitation may affect resource allocation patterns in plants, but its role in the selection of seed size is not known. Using an evolutionarily stable strategy model of resource allocation in perennial iteroparous plants, we show that under density-independent population growth, pollen limitation (i.e., a reduction in ovule fertilization rate) should increase the optimal seed size. At any level of pollen limitation (including none), the optimal seed size maximizes the ratio of juvenile survival rate to the resource investment needed to produce one seed (including both ovule production and seed provisioning); that is, the optimum maximizes the fitness effect per unit cost. Seed investment may affect allocation to postbreeding adult survival. In our model, pollen limitation increases individual seed size but decreases overall reproductive allocation, so that pollen limitation should also increase the optimal allocation to postbreeding adult survival. Under density-dependent population growth, the optimal seed size is inversely proportional to ovule fertilization rate. However, pollen limitation does not affect the optimal allocation to postbreeding adult survival and ovule production. These results highlight the importance of allocation trade-offs in the effect pollen limitation has on the ecology and evolution of seed size and postbreeding adult survival in perennial plants.
Data from: Exploring the relationships between mutation rates, life history, genome size, environment and species richness in flowering plants
A new view is emerging of the interplay between mutation at the genomic level, substitution at the population level, and diversification at the lineage level. Many studies have suggested that rate of molecular evolution is linked to rate of diversification, but few have evaluated competing hypotheses. By analyzing sequences from 130 families of angiosperms, we show that variation in the synonymous substitution rate is correlated among genes from the mitochondrial, chloroplast, and nuclear genomes and linked to differences in traits among families (average height and genome size). Within each genome, synonymous rates are correlated to nonsynonymous substitution rates, suggesting that increasing the mutation rate results in a faster rate of genome evolution. Substitution rates are correlated with species richness in protein-coding sequences from the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. These data suggest that species traits contribute to lineage-specific differences in the mutation rate that drive both synonymous and nonsynonymous rates of change across all three genomes, which in turn contribute to greater rates of divergence between populations, generating higher rates of diversification. These observations link mutation in individuals to population-level processes and to patterns of lineage divergence.
Data from: On the link between functional traits and growth rate: meta-analysis shows effects change with plant size, as predicted
A plant's growth rate is seen as a central element of its ecological strategy, and as determined by its traits.Yet the literature is inconsistent about the empirical correlation between functional traits and growth, casting doubt on the capacity of some prominent traits to influence growth rate. We propose that traits should influence growth in a way that depends on the size of individual plants. We outline mechanisms and hypotheses based on new theoretical work, and test these predictions in tree species using a meta-analysis of 103 studies (> 500 correlations) for five traits (specific leaf area, wood density, maximum height, seed mass and maximum assimilation rate).We also recorded data for 14 other traits commonly used in the trait literature.To capture the effects of plant size, we tested for a shift in the direction of correlation between growth rates and each trait across three ontogenetic stages: seedling,sapling and adult. Results were consistent with predictions, although there were some limitations arising from unequal numbers of observation across ontogenetic stages.Specific leaf area was correlated with relative growth rate in seedlings but not in adult plants.Correlations of growth with wood density were not affected by ontogenetic stage. Seed mass, assimilation rate and maximum height were correlated with relative growth rate only in one ontogenetic stage category: seedlings,seedlings and adults,respectively. Although we were able to confirm several of our theoretical predictions,major knowledge gaps still exist in the trait literature.For example,for one third of the traits considered,the majority (> 75%) of reported correlations with growth came from the same ontogenetic stage. Synthesis: We show for some traits, how trait-growth correlations change in a predictable way with plant size.Our understanding of plant strategies should shift away from describing species as having a fixed growth strategy throughout their life (on a continuous axis from slow to fast growth), in favour of a size-dependent growth trajectories.
Research data supporting the publication "Seed Size Variation of Trees and Lianas in a Tropical Forest of Southeast Asia: Allometry, Phylogeny, and Seed Trait - Plant Functional Trait Relationships"
<p><em>Research data supporting the publication:</em></p> <p><br> <strong>Seed size variation of trees and lianas in a tropical forest of Southeast Asia: allometry, phylogeny, and seed trait - plant functional trait relationships</strong></p> <p><strong>Original Research, Front. Plant Sci. - Functional Plant Ecology</strong></p> <p>Here, we compiled a unique dataset of seed size (seed mass and geometrical size metrics) based on collections of more than 5,200 seeds of 196 woody plant species, covering >98 and 70% of tree and liana stems, respectively, located on a 30-ha plot in a tropical evergreen forest in central Thailand. Seeds, are stored in the BBH herbarium at BIOTEC of the National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand. Many seeds (38.3%) have been collected from gibbons’ feces during gibbon monitoring. Most seeds of species dispersed by gibbons (through defecation) have hard seed coats and do not change in their morphology during gut passage. However, most seeds (46.4%) were collected while monitoring plant phenology. Rarely, when seeds were not available in the herbarium, mostly from rare or non-fruiting species (15.3%), we used information from field-recorded and unpublished data of Mo Singto plot. Seed mass refers to the dry weight of endosperm and embryo including the seed coat but excluding any morphological structures, such as wings, that aid dispersal. Before measuring and weighing, seeds were oven-dried at 60°C for at least 3 days. After drying, we immediately measured each seed in three dimensions: length (L), the longest linear dimension; width (W), the widest orthogonal direction to L; and thickness (T), the largest orthogonal side to both the L and W, using a Vernier caliper<br> with 2-digit micrometer precision. We weighed the same seed on a microgram balance (PB303, Mettler, Toledo). </p>
Sampling plot × species matrix from: Climate-driven elevational variation in range sizes of vascular plants in the central Himalayas: a supporting case for Rapoport's rule
<p>A fundamental yet controversial topic in biogeography is how and why species range sizes vary along spatial gradients. To advance our understanding of these questions and to provide insights into biological conservation, we assessed elevational variations in the range sizes of vascular plants with different life forms and biogeographical affinities and explored the main drivers underlying these variations in the longest valley in China's Himalayas, the Gyirong Valley. Elevational range sizes of vascular plants were documented in 96 sampling plots along an elevational gradient ranging from 1,800 to 5,400 m above sea level. We assessed the elevational variations in range size by averaging the range sizes of all recorded species within each sampling plot. We then related the range size to climate, disturbance, and the mid-domain effect, and explored the relative importance of these factors in explaining the range size variations using the Random Forest model. A total of 545 vascular plants were recorded in the sampling plots along the elevational gradient. Of these, 158, 387, 337, and 112 were woody, herbaceous, temperate, and tropical species, respectively. The range size of each group of vascular plants exhibited uniform increasing trends along the elevational gradient, which was consistent with the prediction of Rapoport's rule. Climate was the main driver of the increasing trends of vascular plant range sizes in the Gyirong Valley. The climate variability hypothesis and mean climate condition hypothesis could both explain the elevation-range size relationships. Our results reinforce the previous notion that Rapoport's rule applies to regions where the influence of climate is the most pronounced, and call for close attention to the impact of climate change to prevent species range contraction and even extinction due to global warming. </p>
Data from: Different-sized grazers have distinctive effects on plant functional composition of an African savannah
Grazing ungulates play a key role in many ecosystems worldwide and can form diverse assemblages, such as in African savannahs. In many of these ecosystems, present-day ungulate communities are impoverished subsets of once diverse assemblages. While we know that excluding all ungulates from grasslands can exert major effects on both the structure and composition of the vegetation, how different individual ungulate species may have contrasting effects on grassland communities remains poorly understood. Here, we performed a long term "Russian doll" grazing exclosure experiment in an African savannah to test for the effects of different size classes of grazers on grassland structure and composition. At five sites, grazer species of decreasing size class (ranging from white rhino to scrub hare) were excluded using four fence types, to experimentally create different realized grazer assemblages. The vegetation structure and the grass functional community composition were characterized in six different years over a 10 year period. Additionally, animal footprints were counted to quantify the abundance of different ungulate species in each treatment. We found that while vegetation height was mostly driven by total grazing pressure of all species together, ungulate community composition best explained the functional community composition of grasses. In the short term, smaller ungulate species ('mesoherbivores') had strongest effects on vegetation composition, by shifting communities towards dominance by species with low specific leaf area and low nutritional value. In the long term, large grazers had stronger but similar effects on the functional composition of the system. Surprisingly, the largest 'mega-herbivore', white rhinoceros, did not have strong effects on the vegetation structure or composition. Synthesis. Our results support the idea that different size classes of grazers have varying effects on the functional composition of grassland plant communities. Therefore, the worldwide decline in the diversity of ungulate species is expected to have (had) major impacts on community composition and functioning of grassland ecosystems, even if total grazing pressure has remained constant, e.g., due to replacement by livestock.
Data from: Corrections for rooting volume and plant size reveal negative effects of neighbour presence on root allocation in pea
Plants are able to detect the presence of their neighbours belowground. The associated root responses may affect plant performance, plant-plant interactions and community dynamics, but the extent and direction of these responses is heavily debated. Some studies suggest that plants will over-proliferate roots in response to neighbours at the expense of reproduction, which was framed as a "tragedy of the commons". Others proposed an "ideal free distribution" hypothesis, stating that plants produce roots simply as a function of the amount of available nutrients. However, experimental evidence for either hypothesis that is unbiased by confounding effects of rooting volume and plant size in their experimental setups is still lacking. We grew split-root pea plants in the presence or absence of a belowground neighbour at a range of rooting volumes, while providing equal amounts of nutrients per plant. Path analyses were used to disentangle the direct effects of neighbour presence on allocation patterns from the confounding effects of rooting volume and plant size. Within the chosen range of rooting volumes, the presence of a belowground neighbour generally reduced plant root mass by 21% and total mass by 9%. A doubling of rooting volume generally increased plant root mass by 18% and total mass by 11%. Pod mass was only directly and positively correlated with vegetative mass. The presence of a belowground neighbour induced less root allocation but more pod allocation, whereas increased rooting volume caused a reduction in reproductive allocation. A large part of these effects, however, was indirectly mediated through the influence on plant total mass. Synthesis: Not considering the effects of rooting volume and plant size may lead to misinterpretations of plant growth strategies in response to neighbours. Accounting for these factors, we found pea allocating less mass to roots in the presence of a belowground neighbour. The obtained results can help to reconcile the various responses to belowground neighbours as they are published in the literature.
Data from: Seed size regulates plant dispersal distances in flowing water
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Data from: Sexual, fecundity, and viability selection on flower size and number in a sexually dimorphic plant
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Data from: Exploring the relationships between mutation rates, life history, genome size, environment and species richness in flowering plants
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Data from: Plant size and competitive dynamics along nutrient gradients
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Data from: Alteration of nitrous oxide emissions from floodplain soils by aggregate size, litter accumulation and plant–soil interactions
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Data from: Different-sized grazers have distinctive effects on plant functional composition of an African savannah
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Data from: On the link between functional traits and growth rate: meta-analysis shows effects change with plant size, as predicted
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Allen Brain Atlas
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
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International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.