scholarly journals Geographical and environmental gradients shape phenotypic trait variation and genetic structure inPopulus trichocarpa

2013 ◽  
Vol 201 (4) ◽  
pp. 1263-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athena D. McKown ◽  
Robert D. Guy ◽  
Jaroslav Klápště ◽  
Armando Geraldes ◽  
Michael Friedmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Trait Variation

scholarly journals Phenotypic Trait Variation as a Response to Altitude-Related Constraints in Arabidopsis Populations

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Duruflé ◽  
Philippe Ranocha ◽  
Duchesse Lacour Mbadinga Mbadinga ◽  
Sébastien Déjean ◽  
Maxime Bonhomme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Trait Variation

scholarly journals Leaf nitrogen from first principles: field evidence for adaptive variation with climate

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Dong ◽  
Iain Colin Prentice ◽  
Bradley J. Evans ◽  
Stefan Caddy-Retalic ◽  
Andrew J. Lowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Rubisco Activity ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Field Evidence

Abstract. Nitrogen content per unit leaf area (Narea) is a key variable in plant functional ecology and biogeochemistry. Narea comprises a structural component, which scales with leaf mass per area (LMA), and a metabolic component, which scales with Rubisco capacity. The co-ordination hypothesis, as implemented in LPJ and related global vegetation models, predicts that Rubisco capacity should be directly proportional to irradiance but should decrease with ci:ca and temperature because the amount of Rubisco required to achieve a given assimilation rate declines with both. We tested these predictions using LMA, leaf δ13C and leaf N measurements on complete species assemblages sampled at sites on a North-South transect from tropical to temperate Australia. Partial effects of mean canopy irradiance, mean annual temperature and ci:ca (from δ13C) on Narea were all significant and their directions and magnitudes were in line with predictions. Over 80 % of the variance in community-mean (ln) Narea was accounted for by these predictors plus LMA. Moreover, Narea could be decomposed into two components, one proportional to LMA (slightly steeper in N-fixers), the other to predicted Rubisco activity. Trait gradient analysis revealed ci:ca to be perfectly plastic, while species turnover contributed about half the variation in LMA and Narea. Interest has surged in methods to predict continuous leaf-trait variation from environmental factors, in order to improve ecosystem models. Our results indicate that Narea has a useful degree of predictability, from a combination of LMA and ci:ca – themselves in part environmentally determined – with Rubisco activity, as predicted from local growing conditions. This is consistent with a 'plant-centred' approach to modelling, emphasizing the adaptive regulation of traits. Models that account for biodiversity will also need to partition community-level trait variation into components due to phenotypic plasticity and/or genotypic differentiation within species, versus progressive species replacement, along environmental gradients. Our analysis suggests that variation in Narea is about evenly split between these two modes.

scholarly journals Leaf trait variation in species-rich tropical Andean forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Homeier ◽  
Tabea Seeler ◽  
Kerstin Pierick ◽  
Christoph Leuschner
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Environmental Filtering ◽  
Leaf Thickness ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Foliar N

AbstractScreening species-rich communities for the variation in functional traits along environmental gradients may help understanding the abiotic drivers of plant performance in a mechanistic way. We investigated tree leaf trait variation along an elevation gradient (1000–3000 m) in highly diverse neotropical montane forests to test the hypothesis that elevational trait change reflects a trend toward more conservative resource use strategies at higher elevations, with interspecific trait variation decreasing and trait integration increasing due to environmental filtering. Analysis of trait variance partitioning across the 52 tree species revealed for most traits a dominant influence of phylogeny, except for SLA, leaf thickness and foliar Ca, where elevation was most influential. The community-level means of SLA, foliar N and Ca, and foliar N/P ratio decreased with elevation, while leaf thickness and toughness increased. The contribution of intraspecific variation was substantial at the community level in most traits, yet smaller than the interspecific component. Both within-species and between-species trait variation did not change systematically with elevation. High phylogenetic diversity, together with small-scale edaphic heterogeneity, cause large interspecific leaf trait variation in these hyper-diverse Andean forests. Trait network analysis revealed increasing leaf trait integration with elevation, suggesting stronger environmental filtering at colder and nutrient-poorer sites.

scholarly journals Intraspecific Trait Variation and Coordination: Root and Leaf Economics Spectra in Coffee across Environmental Gradients

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marney E. Isaac ◽  
Adam R. Martin ◽  
Elias de Melo Virginio Filho ◽  
Bruno Rapidel ◽  
Olivier Roupsard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Intraspecific Trait Variation ◽  
Leaf Economics

scholarly journals Physiological variation reflects bioclimatic differences in the Drosophila americana species complex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy S. Davis ◽  
Leonie C. Moyle
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Desiccation Resistance ◽  
Uv Resistance ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Geographic Space

AbstractBackgroundDisentangling the selective factors shaping adaptive trait variation is an important but challenging task. Many studies—especially in Drosophila—have documented trait variation along latitudinal or altitudinal clines, but frequently lack resolution about specific environmental gradients that could be causal selective agents, and often do not investigate covariation between traits simultaneously. Here we examined variation in multiple macroecological factors across geographic space and their associations with variation in three physiological traits (desiccation resistance, UV resistance, and pigmentation) at both population and species scales, to address the role of abiotic environment in shaping trait variation.ResultsUsing environmental data from collection locations of three North American Drosophila species—D. americana americana, D. americana texana and D. novamexicana—we identified two primary axes of macroecological variation; these differentiated species habitats and were strongly loaded for precipitation and moisture variables. In nine focal populations (three per species) assayed for each trait, we detected significant species-level variation for both desiccation resistance and pigmentation, but not for UV resistance. Species-level trait variation was consistent with differential natural selection imposed by variation in habitat water availability, although patterns of variation differed between desiccation resistance and pigmentation, and we found little evidence for pleiotropy between traits.ConclusionsOur multi-faceted approach enabled us to identify potential agents of natural selection and examine how they might influence the evolution of multiple traits at different evolutionary scales. Our findings highlight that environmental factors influence functional trait variation in ways that can be complex, and point to the importance of studies that examine these relationships at both population- and species-levels.

scholarly journals Within-Population Trait Variation in a Globally Invasive Plant Species Mayweed Chamomile (Anthemis cotula): Implications for Future Invasion and Management

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subodh Adhikari ◽  
Ian C. Burke ◽  
Samuel R. Revolinski ◽  
Julia Piaskowski ◽  
Sanford D. Eigenbrode
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Floral Scent ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Invasion Mechanisms ◽  
Sib Families

Quantification of variation for phenotypic traits within and among weed populations facilitate understanding of invasion mechanisms and management tactics. In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA, in response to climate change and to improve sustainability, producers are increasingly adopting broadleaf crops and cover crops, but Mayweed chamomile (Anthemis cotula L.) is a significant barrier to diversifying cropping systems because of its abundance and lack of herbicide options for its control. To quantify within-population phenotypic trait variation and heritability, plants (n = 300) from six half-sib families (i.e., seed source plants or mother plants) from each of 10 A. cotula populations (infested farms or sites) in the PNW were grown from seed through the flowering stage in the greenhouse common garden experiment. We measured percent seedling emergence, the initial date of flowering, flowering duration, plant biomass, number of flower heads, floral scent profiles, and other traits on individual plants. Trait variation was high among half-sib families within each population. For example, in two of the populations, percent seedling emergence within 30 days of planting ranged from 5 to 41% and 3 to 53%, respectively. As another example, initial date of flowering in two other populations ranged from 61 to 93 days and 58 to 92 days, respectively. Differences among half-sib families were greatest for flowering period, which differed by a month in most populations, and floral scent profiles. Heritability estimates were higher than 1.0 for most phenotypic traits, indicating that the study plants were more closely related than half-sibs (i.e., included full-sibs or products of selfing). These patterns of phenotypic trait variation are potentially caused by local edaphoclimatic factors and within-field farm management practices, suggesting that management of A. cotula might be challenging and differ within and across farms.

scholarly journals TURNOVER OR INTRASPECIFIC TRAIT VARIATION: EXPLAINING FUNCTIONAL VARIABILITY IN A NEOTROPICAL ANURAN METACOMMUNITY

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Anderson Dalmolin ◽  
Alexandro Marques Tozetti ◽  
Maria João Ramos Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Limb Length ◽  
Head Shape ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Intraspecific Trait Variation ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Eye Size

ABSTRACTTrait variation across environmental gradients results from two processes: intraspecific variation (ITV) and turnover. Tadpoles are known to exhibit phenotypic plasticity in several traits in response to the environment, resulting from intra or interspecific variation. Here we evaluate patterns of intraspecific variation in functional traits of adult anurans (head shape, eye size and position, limb length and body mass) and their relationship with environmental variables in an anuran metacommunity in southern Brazil. From anurans sampled from 33 ponds, we decomposed trait variation into ITV and turnover and modelled trait-environment relationships. We predict that the contribution of ITV and turnover to trait variation and trait-environment relationships should vary according to the preferred habitat of the species and the analysed traits. Intraspecific variation accumulated the highest rate of trait variation for arboreal species, while interspecific variation was greater for aquatic-terrestrial species and for the whole set of species. The contributions of turnover and ITV to shifts in community mean trait values were similar between traits, but differed between species sets. Depth, distance between ponds, area of Pinus surrounding the ponds, and types of pond vegetation and substrate strongly influenced trait variation, but their relative contribution depended on the analysed traits and species sets. The great contribution of ITV for head shape and eye size and position suggests the existence of intraspecific adaptations to microhabitats, while turnover dominance in the variation of body mass and limb length suggests differences in dispersal and trophic segregation between species.

scholarly journals Impacts of trait variation through observed trait–climate relationships on performance of an Earth system model: a conceptual analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 5497-5515 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. M. Verheijen ◽  
V. Brovkin ◽  
R. Aerts ◽  
G. Bönisch ◽  
J. H. C. Cornelissen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Traits ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Natural Vegetation ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Terrestrial Vegetation ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Ecological Concepts ◽  
Vegetation Models ◽  
Global Vegetation ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract. In many current dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), including those incorporated into Earth system models (ESMs), terrestrial vegetation is represented by a small number of plant functional types (PFTs), each with fixed properties irrespective of their predicted occurrence. This contrasts with natural vegetation, in which many plant traits vary systematically along geographic and environmental gradients. In the JSBACH DGVM, which is part of the MPI-ESM, we allowed three traits (specific leaf area (SLA), maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C (Vcmax25) and maximum electron transport rate at 25 °C (Jmax25)) to vary within PFTs via trait–climate relationships based on a large trait database. The R2adjusted of these relationships were up to 0.83 and 0.71 for Vcmax25 and Jmax25, respectively. For SLA, more variance remained unexplained, with a maximum R2adjusted of 0.40. Compared to the default simulation, allowing trait variation within PFTs resulted in gross primary productivity differences of up to 50% in the tropics, in > 35% different dominant vegetation cover, and a closer match with a natural vegetation map. The discrepancy between default trait values and natural trait variation, combined with the substantial changes in simulated vegetation properties, together emphasize that incorporating climate-driven trait variation, calibrated on observational data and based on ecological concepts, allows more variation in vegetation responses in DGVMs and as such is likely to enable more reliable projections in unknown climates.

Genet diversity, genetic structure, and trait expression of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) after clear-cut harvesting and post-harvest soil treatments

Botany ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 785-798
Author(s):  
Mehmet Acet ◽  
Martin F. Jurgensen ◽  
Evan Kane ◽  
Oliver Gailing
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Heavy Soil

Trembling aspen is a fast growing, broadly distributed tree in North America that reproduces by root suckers (clonally) and by seeds (sexually). Since timber harvesting can affect both reproduction pathways by changing the soil properties, we assessed genet diversity, genetic structure, and phenotypic trait expression of trembling aspen populations after clear-cut harvesting in a long-term soil productivity study site in Michigan. A total of 323 stems in replicated plots having heavy soil compaction and surface organic matter (OM) removed, and the untreated controls, were analyzed at microsatellites and for phenotypic traits. Overall, higher spatial aggregation of ramets from the same genet, a greater spatial separation of different genets, and a very good phenotypic separation among genets was observed in the treatment plots. In contrast, for plots with spatially intermixed clones phenotypic separation was much lower. Genetic differentiation was high between individual plots, but soil compaction and OM removal had little effect on genetic differentiation and diversity. One treatment plot was strongly differentiated phenotypically, but not genetically, from all other plots. Consequently, microenvironmental and genetic differences should be considered when forest management effects on trait expressions and productivity are analyzed. Overall, heavy soil compaction and OM removal in fine-textured soil seemed to have restricted the spread of aspen clones.

Functional trait variation along environmental gradients in temperate and Mediterranean trees

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 1377-1389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Vilà-Cabrera ◽  
Jordi Martínez-Vilalta ◽  
Javier Retana
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Trait Variation
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