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31 results for “Leaf economics spectrum”
Comparative transcriptomics of tropical woody plants supports fast and furious strategy along the leaf economics spectrum in lianas
<p>Lianas, climbing woody plants, influence the structure and function of tropical forests. Climbing traits have evolved multiple times, including ancestral groups such as gymnosperms and pteridophytes, but the genetic basis of the liana strategy is largely unknown. Here, we use a comparative transcriptomic approach for 47 tropical plant species, including ten lianas of diverse taxonomic origins, to identify genes that are consistently expressed or downregulated only in lianas. Our comparative analysis of full-length transcripts enabled the identification of a core interactomic network common to lianas. Sets of transcripts identified from our analysis reveal features related to functional traits pertinent to leaf economics spectrum in lianas, including upregulation of genes controlling epidermal cuticular properties, cell wall remodeling, carbon concentrating mechanism, cell cycle progression, DNA repair and a large suit of downregulated transcription factors and enzymes involved in ABA-mediated stress response as well as lignin and suberin synthesis. Altogether, these genes are known to be significant in shaping plant morphologies through responses such as gravitropism, phyllotaxy and shade avoidance.</p>
Comparative transcriptomics of tropical woody plants supports fast and furious strategy along the leaf economics spectrum in lianas
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Data from: Invertebrate phenology modulates the effect of the leaf economics spectrum on litter decomposition rate across 41 subtropical woody plant species
<ol> <li>Litter quality and decomposers are critical to carbon and nutrient cycling through litter decomposition. However, how relationships between litter quality and invertebrate detritivores change litter mass loss through time is poorly known. Species' initial leaf litter quality, as a legacy of their position on the "leaf economics spectrum" (LES), may determine the invertebrate contribution to litter mass loss. This contribution may change through time, as both population peaks of invertebrate detritivores and litter quality of given species will change through time.</li> <li>Here we introduce invertebrate phenology into a conceptual model of drivers of litter mass loss. We hypothesized that in the early decomposition period, LES can predict litter decomposability with or without a strong invertebrate contribution, i.e., litter with higher nutrient content would decompose faster. But in the later decomposition period, when higher quality litter will already have decomposed too much and lower quality litters have still been less degraded, a strong invertebrate peak would coincide with relatively more consumption of initially lower quality litters; this would lead to a hump-back relationship between leaf litter mass loss and initial LES position in this period.</li> <li>We tested our hypothesis through a one-year field decomposition experiment using leaf litter of 41 woody species in each of two sites in subtropical forest in China; only one of these sites had a strong late peak of leaf litter-feeding moth larvae in the litter layer.</li> <li>LES score of litter species had a positive linear relationship with litter mass loss before the key invertebrate consumer peaks in the litter layer. However, with the invertebrates peaking later into the decomposition process, the invertebrate consumption peaked at initially lower quality litters, which altered the species' decomposability trajectory on the LES, consistent with the hypothesized hump-back relationship between leaf litter mass loss and LES. This phenomenon resulted in a strongly reduced slope of cumulative mass loss on initial LES score across species.</li> <li>Our finding highlights the importance of considering interactions between the timing of detritivore activities and the timing of litter quality for better understanding the relationships between soil animals and ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling.</li> </ol>
Structural defence is coupled with the leaf economic spectrum across saplings of spiny species
<p>Given that the rate of resource capture constrains plant growth and defence, understanding the linkage between the leaf economic spectrum (LES) and defence and how it contributes to growth is central to predicting species performance. In spite of the prevalence of spiny plants in many plant communities, little is known about how the LES relates to defence and growth rate across these species. We grew 42 spiny species, from diverse environments, under common garden conditions for 15 weeks and measured LES (leaf N, SLA and assimilation rate), defence and growth traits. We assessed general relationships between LES and growth rate and tested whether structural defences (spines, leaf fibre and lignin content) and quantitative chemical defences (condensed tannins) are linked to the LES and growth and if different spine types (i.e. leaf spines, stipular spines, prickles and thorns), with distinct anatomical origins, partition out across the LES. We observed two independent trait axes that together explained ~68% of trait variation across species. The first axis showed that structural defences (spines, leaf fibre and lignin content) trade off with leaf productivity along the LES. Axis 2 revealed that condensed tannins is orthogonal and less integrated with the LES-structural defence axis. Bivariate trait analyses disclosed positive covariations between LES traits and sapling growth rate. All structural defence traits were negatively related to sapling growth. Across spine types, species with leaf spines were associated with the conservative end of the LES, characterized by high structural defences and lower leaf productivity relative to other spine types. Our study shows that the LES and structural defences are coupled in spiny species such that constitutive growth – defence strategies range from fast-growing species with low allocation to defences to slow-growing species that invest heavily in structural defences (dominated by leaf spiny species).</p>
Data from: Within-species patterns challenge our understanding of the Leaf Economics Spectrum
The utility of plant functional traits for predictive ecology relies on our ability to interpret trait variation across multiple taxonomic and ecological scales. Using extensive datasets of trait variation within species, across species, and across communities, we analyzed whether and at what scales 'leaf economics spectrum' (LES) traits show predicted trait-trait covariation. We found that most variation in LES traits is often, but not universally, at high taxonomic levels (between families, between genera in a family). However, we found that trait covariation shows distinct taxonomic scale-dependence, with some trait correlations showing opposite signs within versus across species. LES traits responded independently to environmental gradients within species, with few shared environmental responses across traits or across scales. We conclude that, at small taxonomic scales, plasticity may obscure or reverse the broad evolutionary linkages between leaf traits, meaning that variation in LES traits cannot always be interpreted as differences in resource use strategy.
Polyploidy promotes divergent evolution across the leaf economics spectrum and plant edaphic niche in the Dianthus broteri complex
<ol> <li>The evolution of the leaf economics spectrum (LES) is known to be constrained by genetic relatedness but also promoted at small geographic and phylogenetic scales. In those cases, we hypothesised that polyploidy would play a prominent role as an outstanding source of functional divergence and adaptive potential.</li> <li>We registered leaf-level nutrient, water and light economy related traits from the LES as well as edaphic properties in the four cytotypes of the autopolyploid <i>Dianthus broteri</i> complex (2×, 4×, 6× and 12×). We analysed the effect of ploidy level on the integration of the LES network, checked if concerted evolution occurred between LES and soil niche and tested the influence of phylogeny on the variables. Alternative evolutionary models for both sets of traits were compared.</li> <li> <span>We found higher divergence of polyploids (especially 6</span>×<span> and 12</span>×<span>) compared to diploids</span> in the LES and soil niche, but these traits are not coevolving. <span>6</span>×<span> and 12</span>× showed opposite ecological strategies regarding resource use and higher uncoupling of the LES network. Early divergence of traits prevailed in both LES and edaphic niche (supported by better fitted evolutionary models with one optimum per cytotype), but post-polyploidization processes played an important role for the photochemical behaviour.</li> <li> <i>Synthesis.</i><b> </b><span>Our results indicated shifts in ecological strategies across <i>D. broteri</i> cytotypes and suggested a powerful role of polyploidy in overcoming constraints for the evolution of plant functional traits.</span> </li> </ol>
Phenotypic plasticity and the leaf economics spectrum: plasticity is positively associated with specific leaf area
<p>Phenotypic plasticity is a key mechanism by which plants respond to changing or heterogeneous conditions. Efforts to predict phenotypic plasticity across plant species have mainly focused on environmental variability or abiotic conditions, i.e., site characteristics. However, the considerable variation in phenotypic plasticity within sites calls for alternative approaches. Different functional groups are thought to differ in their plasticity levels. Further, traits such as leaf specific area (SLA), leaf area (LA) and maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax) reflect central aspects of plant strategies. Lower values of SLA, LA and Amax are indicative of a resource-conservative strategy, which is thought to be associated with lower phenotypic plasticity. We used meta-analytical data to test whether plant functional group (herbs, woody deciduous and woody evergreens) and SLA, LA and Amax are associated with phenotypic plasticity in four trait types: biomass allocation, plant size, leaf morphology and physiology. We obtained data from 168 plant species and accounted for phylogenetic relationships in all analyses. We found a positive relationship between SLA and phenotypic plasticity in biomass allocation, leaf morphology and physiology, with differences across functional groups. In contrast, there was no evidence of greater plasticity in plant size in species with higher SLA; rather the opposite was true for woody evergreens. Amax and LA showed similar, but less consistent associations with phenotypic plasticity. Our results show the potential of building predictive frameworks for phenotypic plasticity based on easily measured plant functional characteristics. Results also provide insights into plant strategies and suggest the existence of potential compromises: resource-conservative, low-SLA species tend to be more stress-tolerant but may be less able to cope with variable conditions due to their generally lower phenotypic plasticity. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms and the potential implications of this association.</p>
Incorporating pressure-volume traits into the leaf economics spectrum
<p>Dataset associated with the article '<em>Incorporating pressure-volume traits into the leaf economics spectrum</em>' (Nadal et al. 2023 [<em>Eco Lett</em>, accepted]). We provide theoretical and empirical evidence for the coordination of the turgor loss point and associated pressure-volume traits (osmotic potential at full turgor, leaf capacitance, leaf elasticity, leaf saturated water content, modulus of elasticity) with photosynthesis (light-saturated net CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation) and leaf mass per area (LMA) and its two components (leaf thickness and density). The complete dataset comprehends a total of 45 data entries from 37 species, including ferns and angiosperms (woody and herbaceous species), most of them measured on the campus of University of the Balearic Islands; this complements the data presented in Nadal et al. (2018 [<em>Eco Lett</em> 21 (9), 1372-1379]). For the 20 species from Nadal et al. (2018), we also provide data regarding their N and C content, leaf anatomy (from optical and TEM images) and cell wall composition.</p>
Data from: Community-level trait variation of epiphytic bryophytes supports trade-off aligned with leaf-economic spectrum in vertically stratified tropical montane cloud forest canopies
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Data from: Tropical dry forest trees and lianas differ in leaf economic spectrum traits but have overlapping water-use strategies
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Data from: Within-species patterns challenge our understanding of the Leaf Economics Spectrum
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Incorporating pressure-volume traits into the leaf economics spectrum
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Polyploidy promotes divergent evolution across the leaf economics spectrum and plant edaphic niche in the Dianthus broteri complex
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Phenotypic plasticity and the leaf economics spectrum: plasticity is positively associated with specific leaf area
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Structural defence is coupled with the leaf economic spectrum across saplings of spiny species
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Data from: Invertebrate phenology modulates the effect of the leaf economics spectrum on litter decomposition rate across 41 subtropical woody plant species
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Global patterns of the leaf economics spectrum in wetlands
<p></p><p>The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes consistent correlations among a variety of leaf traits that reflect a gradient from conservative to acquisitive plant strategies. So far, whether the LES holds in wetland plants at a global scale has been unclear. Using data on 365 wetland species from 151 studies, we find that wetland plants in general show a shift within trait space along the same common slope as observed in non-wetland plants, with lower leaf mass per area, higher leaf nitrogen and phosphorus, faster photosynthetic rates, and shorter leaf life span compared to non-wetland plants. We conclude that wetland plants tend to cluster at the acquisitive end of the LES. The presented global quantifications of the LES in wetland plants enhance our understanding of wetland plant strategies in terms of resources acquisition and allocation, and provide a stepping-stone to developing trait-based approaches for wetland ecology.</p><p></p>
Variations in leaf economics spectrum traits for an evergreen coniferous species: Tree size dominates over environment factors
<ol> <li>Many leaf traits strongly vary with tree size and environmental factors, but the importance of these factors to intraspecific variations of leaf traits in forest trees have rarely been <a><span>simultaneously</span></a> evaluated.</li> <li>We measured needle longevity and specific leaf area (SLA) and nitrogen (N) content of every needle age (0 to 4 year old) for 65 individuals with 0.3-100 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) for an evergreen coniferous species, <i>Pinus koraiensis</i> Sieb. et Zucc., in Northeast China. We <a><span>simultaneously</span></a> evaluated effects of tree size (DBH or tree height) and environment factors (light intensity, soil N content and water availability) on the needle longevity, SLA, foliage N content as well as the slopes of regressions of SLA and foliage N content against needle age.</li> <li>All of the studied leaf traits and slopes of regressions of SLA and foliage N content against needle age were significantly related to tree size. Tree height had a greater impact on SLA and area-based leaf N content (N<sub>area</sub>), whereas DBH was more important for needle longevity and mass-based leaf N content (N<sub>mass</sub>). The environment variables, light intensity, soil N content and water availability, were rather minor factors for trait variations compared with tree size. Significant influences of light intensity were found only on needle longevity, and soil N and water availability had no effects on the leaf traits.</li> <li>Our study clearly showed that tree size is an important driver of intraspecific variations in the key leaf traits of <i>Pinus koraiensis</i> in a natural forest. We also emphasize the importance of DBH or tree height varies depending on leaf traits, suggesting various mechanisms of size effects on the intraspecific variations in leaf traits. We suggest that ecological significance of leaf trait variations needs reconsideration incorporating tree size effect.</li> </ol>
Data from: Phylogenetic structural equation modelling reveals no need for an 'origin' of the leaf economics spectrum
The leaf economics spectrum (LES) is a prominent ecophysiological paradigm that describes global variation in leaf physiology across plant ecological strategies using a handful of key traits. Nearly a decade ago, Shipley et al. (2006) used structural equation modelling to explore the causal functional relationships among LES traits that give rise to their strong global covariation. They concluded that an unmeasured trait drives LES covariation, sparking efforts to identify the latent physiological trait underlying the 'origin' of the LES. Here, we use newly developed phylogenetic structural equation modelling approaches to reassess these conclusions using both global LES data as well as data collected across scales in the genus Helianthus. For global LES data, accounting for phylogenetic non-independence indicates that no additional unmeasured traits are required to explain LES covariation. Across datasets in Helianthus, trait relationships are highly variable, indicating that global-scale models may poorly describe LES covariation at non-global scales.
Data from: The role of habitat filtering in the leaf economics spectrum and plant susceptibility to pathogen infection
The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes global covariation in the traits of plant leaves. The LES is thought to arise from biophysical constraints and habitat filtering (ecological selection against unfit trait combinations along environmental gradients). However, the role of habitat filtering in generating the LES has not been tested experimentally. If the process of habitat filtering plays a role in generating the LES, the LES could weaken in communities that have yet to be filtered by the current environment, for example after abiotic environmental change. LES traits are commonly used to predict community and ecosystem processes, and if the LES weakens in unfiltered communities, LES-based models may no longer apply. In the glasshouse, we experimentally simulated three stages of habitat filtering in response to abiotic change: from unfiltered, to semi-filtered, to completely filtered communities. In each stage, we quantified the strength of the LES and assessed the accuracy of trait-based models of an important ecological process, pathogen infection. The strength of the LES increased with the completeness of habitat filtering, as did the accuracy of trait-based models of plant susceptibility to pathogen infection. Synthesis. Our results suggest that habitat filtering plays a fundamental role in strengthening the trait correlations of the LES and that trait-based models may be less accurate when communities have not been filtered by the current environment, for example, following rapid environmental change.
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