scholarly journals Foliar fungi alter reproductive timing and allocation in Arabidopsis under normal and water-stressed conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Zahn ◽  
Anthony S. Amend
Keyword(s):  
Plant Disease ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Reproductive Timing ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Related Plant ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
Sterile Control

ABSTRACTMicrobes influence plant phenotypes but most known examples of this are from the study of below-ground microbes and plant disease modification. To examine the potential importance of phyllosphere microbes on non-disease related plant traits, we used sterile Arabidopsis clones to test the effects of foliar fungi on flowering phenology and reproductive allocation under conditions of varying water stress. We inoculated the sterile plants with fully-factorial combinations of four fungal isolates, then measured flowering time and reproductive allocation for each treatment group under normal and water-stressed conditions. All plants inoculated with foliar fungi had significantly later flowering and greater seed mass than the sterile control groups. The magnitude of this effect depended on the specific fungi present, but individual fungal effects diminished as inoculum richness increased. Above-ground microbes likely influence other plant traits as well and should be considered in any study measuring plant phenotypes.

Fire-related Plant Traits

2012 ◽  
pp. 58-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon E. Keeley ◽  
William J. Bond ◽  
Ross A. Bradstock ◽  
Juli G. Pausas ◽  
Philip W. Rundel
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Related Plant

scholarly journals Performance of Iris variegata genotypes in different light conditions: Flowering phenology and reproductive output

Genetika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 679-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uros Zivkovic ◽  
Danijela Miljkovic ◽  
Natasa Barisic-Klisaric ◽  
Aleksej Tarasjev ◽  
Stevan Avramov
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Congeneric Species ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Flowering Pattern ◽  
Experimental Garden ◽  
Effect Of Light

We analyzed genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity of flowering pattern and reproductive success in 97 clonal genotypes of Iris variegata originating from contrasting light habitats in Deliblato Sands and expressed under different experimental light conditions. Rhizome segments were taken from each of these clones and transplanted in the experimental garden near the Institute for Biological Research in Belgrade. Significant differences between genotypes were found for two traits (start of flowering, average flowering time). Genotypes originating from open and understory habitats significantly differed for three traits (number of flowers, number of capsules/number of flowers, seed mass/capsule). Significant effect of light treatment were found for three traits (number of capsules/number of flowers, seed mass/capsule, average seed mass). Statistically significant correlations between explored traits were generally similar but also to some extent habitat and treatment specific. Comparing these results with research carried out on congeneric species we noted that there are similar responses for some traits, but also significant differences in some components of flowering and fruiting success.

scholarly journals Can we predict dispersal guilds based on the leaf-height-seed scheme in a disjunct cerrado woodland?

2008 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
AVF. Jardim ◽  
MA. Batalha
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Specific Leaf Area ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Plant Canopy ◽  
Frugivorous Birds

Although there have been advances in methods for extracting information about dispersal processes, it is still very difficult to measure them. Predicting dispersal groups using single readily-measured traits would facilitate the emergence of instructive comparisons among ecological strategies of plants and offer a path towards improved synthesis across field experiments. The leaf-height-seed scheme consists of three functional traits: specific leaf area, plant canopy height, and seed mass. We tested, applying logistic regression analysis, whether these traits are potential predictors of dispersal guilds in a disjoint cerrado woodland site in southeastern Brazil. According to our results, none of the plant traits studied could predict dispersal guild; this means that abiotically and biotically dispersed species showed similar values of specific leaf area, height, and seed mass. The species of both guilds exhibited sclerophylly, probably a result of the typical soil nutrient deficiency of cerrado, which also may have placed constraints upon plant canopy height regardless of the dispersal mode. In the cerrado, some abiotically dispersed trees might present higher than expected seed mass as support to the investment in high root-to-shoot ratio at the seedling stage. Seeds of bird-dispersed species are limited in size and mass because of the small size of most frugivorous birds. Since soil nutrient quality might contribute to the similarity between the dispersal guilds regarding the three traits of the scheme, other plant traits (e.g., root depth distribution and nutrient uptake strategy) that detail the former should be considered in future predictive studies.

scholarly journals How repeatable is microevolution on islands? Patterns of dispersal and colonization-related plant traits in a phylogeographical context

2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos García-Verdugo ◽  
Juli Caujapé-Castells ◽  
Mario Mairal ◽  
Pedro Monroy
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Related Plant

scholarly journals Disentangling the Effects of Disturbance from Those of Dominant Tall Grass Features in Driving the Functional Variation of Restored Grassland in a Sub-Mediterranean Context

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Bricca ◽  
Federico Maria Tardella ◽  
Fabio Tolu ◽  
Irina Goia ◽  
Arianna Ferrara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Functional Variation ◽  
Tall Grass ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Coexisting Species ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Space Occupation

Land abandonment in sub-Mediterranean grasslands causes the spread of tall-grasses, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mowing allows the recovery of the coenological composition after invasion, but the mechanisms acting at the fine-scale are poorly investigated. Since 2010 in the Central Apennines, we fenced a grassland invaded by Brachypodium rupestre, divided it into two areas, half of each was mowed biyearly and half remained unmown. In 2017 we selected ten 20 × 20 cm experimental units per half-area, collecting data on species occurrences, plant traits, B. rupestre height and phytomass. We used generalized linear mixed-effect modelling to disentangle the role of mowing from the impact of B. rupestre features in driving the community functional variations. Mowing was the main driver in the recovery process, acting as an abiotic filter (enhancement of tolerance-avoidance strategies). Furthermore, the reduction of weaker competitor exclusion processes fostered the increase of functional variation between coexisting species. Both drivers acted on different plant traits (e.g., mowing on life span, vegetative propagation types and plant height, mowing and B. rupestre features on space occupation types, seed mass and leaf anatomy), generally enhancing the extent of functional strategies related to resource acquisition and storage, reproduction, space occupation and temporal niche exploitation.

Is reproductive allocation in Senecio vulgaris plastic?

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Weiner ◽  
Lars Rosenmeier ◽  
Emma Soy Massoni ◽  
Josep Nogués Vera ◽  
Eva Hernández Plaza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Nutrient Level ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Senecio Vulgaris ◽  
The Relationship

Several purported cases of plasticity in plant allocation patterns appear to be the effects of size and allometric growth (“apparent plasticity”). To ask whether there is true plasticity (i.e., a change in the allometric trajectory) in reproductive allocation in Senecio vulgaris  L., we grew S. vulgaris plants at high and low levels of water, nutrients, and competition, and analyzed the relationship between vegetative and seed biomass. Plant size was the major determinant of reproductive output, accounting for 83% of the variation in log (seed mass). There were also significant effects of the treatments that were not due to size, accounting for an additional 9% of the variation. The treatments affected the allometric coefficient (intercept), not the allometric exponent (slope) of the relationship, reflecting a small but significant shift in the efficiency of conversion of total plant biomass into reproductive biomass. In a second experiment, we grew S. vulgaris plants at three nutrient levels and allowed all individuals to complete their life cycles. Again, nutrient level had a small but significant effect on the allometric coefficient. Plasticity in reproductive allocation exists, but is very limited. The primary effects of the environment on the reproductive output of S. vulgaris occur via plant size.

Assessing water-related plant traits to explain slow-wilting in soybean PI 471938

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laleh Bagherzadi ◽  
Thomas R. Sinclair ◽  
Maciej Zwieniecki ◽  
Francesca Secchi ◽  
William Hoffmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Related Plant

Plant-size and fruit-position effects on reproductive allocation in Alliaria petiolata (Brassicaceae)

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 1398-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Susko ◽  
Lesley Lovett-Doust
Keyword(s):  
Seed Mass ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Reproductive Allocation ◽  
Alliaria Petiolata ◽  
Position Effects ◽  
Threshold Size ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Total Seed

We examined the development of ovules and components of reproductive yield as they related to plant size and fruit position within plants of Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande from three sites. We found that both factors affected fruit and seed production, and patterns of ovule fate. Larger plants were more fecund than their smaller counterparts, while proximally positioned flowers within an inflorescence produced more seeds. Maternal investment was regulated according to plant mass at two levels: among fruits (small plants had significantly lower fruit-set than did large plants), and within fruits (small plants had significantly fewer ovules and significantly higher proportions of aborted ovules per fruit than did large plants). All absolute measures of reproduction had positive linear relationships with plant size, but a threshold size for flowering was not found. Most proportional measures of reproduction were independent of plant size. Small plants produced the same relative proportions of total seed number and total seed mass per unit plant dry mass as large plants. Therefore, proportional reproductive allocation did not vary with plant size. However, small plants produced proportionately more flowers per unit dry mass. Small plants may be maximizing their overall fitness through increased allocation to male function (flower production).Key words: Alliaria petiolata, plant-size effects, fruit-position effects, reproductive allocation, patterns of ovule abortion, seed maturation.

Seed mass, seed production, germination and seedling traits in two phenological types of Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae)

2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego E. Gurvich ◽  
Lucas Enrico ◽  
Guillermo Funes ◽  
Marcelo R. Zak
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Early Type ◽  
Normal Type ◽  
Bidens Pilosa ◽  
Seedling Traits ◽  
Seed Sources

Bidens pilosa L. is a summer annual that shows a particular phenological pattern in the Córdoba mountains, Argentina. Some individuals start flowering 1 month after germination (early type), but most of the population starts flowering 4 months after germination (normal type). The aims of this study were to (1) analyse whether differences in flowering phenology affect seed mass and seed production, and (2) assess whether possible differences in seed traits of the two parental phenological types would affect germinability, germination rate, seedling growth and flowering phenology of offspring under laboratory conditions. The study showed that the numbers of seeds per capitulum and per plant were greater in the normal type than in the early type plants. This can be related to plant height, since in the field, normal-type plants are larger than early type plants. However, early type plants produced heavier seeds than normal-type plants. Germination rate was faster in the early type seeds, but total germination was higher in the normal ones. Seedling growth, in terms of height and the date of first flowering, did not differ between the phenological types of parental seed sources. Our results showed that differences in flowering phenology were associated with seed mass and seed production differences. Seed mass appears to be related to germination characteristics but not to seedling growth nor to flowering phenology of offspring.

scholarly journals Intraspecific variability of some functional traits of Trigonocaryum involucratum (Steven) Medw., a caucasus endemic plant

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-136
Author(s):  
Ramazan Murtazaliev ◽  
Dzhalaludin Anatov ◽  
Jana Ekhvaia ◽  
Ziyarat Guseinova ◽  
Ketevan Batsatsashvili
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
High Solar Radiation ◽  
Shoot Number

Plant traits have been used to predict species and community responses to environmental gradients. We studied variation of leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), flowering shoot number and seed mass along an elevation gradient in the case of Trigonocaryum involucratum, a scree-growing plant endemic to the Caucasus ecoregion. The study had two major aims: (1) to compare the role of intra-population and inter-population variation of functional trait values; and (2) to ascertain dependence between elevation and trait values and their variation. We collected trait data in several populations in Dagestan (Russian Federation), where the species has about a 1000-m amplitude of elevational distribution. The intraspecific variability of trait values was assessed via standard statistical tools (one-way ANOVA and linear regression analysis). The trait values mostly have high inter-population variation (more than 90% for each of the trait values compared to intra-population variation of each trait), indicating adaptation of populations to site conditions. Much higher intra- vs. inter-population variation in SLA at subnival elevations indicates local micro-site diversity and may serve as a buffer against future stress related to climate change. All the trait values negatively but significantly correlate (weakly or moderately) with elevation. Negative correlation presumably shows a certain increase in the limiting effect of the elevation gradient associated with changes in temperature, soil nutrient availability and soil water content, as well as with high solar radiation. More evidence from a broader study of the species throughout its distribution range is needed for firmer conclusions about the intraspecific variability of T. involucratum.

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