Biomass partitioning in response to intraspecific competition depends on nutrients and species characteristics: A study of 43 plant species

Rehling, Finn; Sandner, Tobias M.; Matthies, Diethart

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13635

Cited by 54 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 133 publications

(163 reference statements)

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“…Resource limitations are important traits of many biodiversity studies that reveal increased productivity during genotype mixtures [68][69][70]. Indeed, context dependency is an important concept in biodiversity research [11,71]. More research is needed under resource-limited conditions to determine if the improvement in Serianthes root growth by stranger root contact is greater than in our study, for example in natural field conditions e.g., [72].…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Talking with Strangers: Improving Serianthes Transplant Quality with Interspecific Companions

Marler

Callaway

2021

Forests

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Mixtures of species in natural or agricultural systems can increase the performance of individuals or groups relative to monocultures, often through facilitative mechanisms. Mechanisms include root communication by which plants can interrogate the identity of adjacent plants and respond negatively or positively. Alternatively, mixtures of species can ameliorate the harmful effects of soil biota that are pronounced in monocultures, thereby improving plant productivity. Limited investments into roots by shade-grown Serianthes plants in nurseries have been correlated with reduced survival after transplantation to forested habitats. We used companion container cultures in two studies to determine if heterospecific neighbor, or “stranger” roots could experimentally increase the root growth of Serianthes grandiflora plants used as surrogates for the critically endangered Serianthes nelsonii. In one study, native sympatric eudicot and pteridophyte companions increased relative root growth and conspecific companions decreased root growth in comparison to control plants that were grown with no companions. In a second study, the phylogeny of companion plants elicited different root growth responses following the order of congeneric < eudicot = monocot < gymnosperm < pteridophyte. We propose the use of stranger roots that are experimentally maintained in production containers as a passive protocol to improve relative and absolute root growth, leading to improved post-transplant growth and survival of container-grown Serianthes plants.

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Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Talking with Strangers: Improving Serianthes Transplant Quality with Interspecific Companions

Marler

Callaway

2021

Forests

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“…malviflora , and S . pulchra suggests that belowground resources may be more limiting than light or aboveground space for these California coastal grassland species (Bloom et al, 1985 ; Poorter et al, 2012 ; Rehling et al, 2021 ). Aside from biomass allocation, we found certain species adjusted functional traits in response to competition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water‐limited plants have been shown to partition growth more so to root than shoot structures (Liu & Stützel, 2004 ). Biotic stressors such as competition can have more varied impacts because it unevenly interacts with abiotic resources, which is further complicated by species‐specific responses (Rehling et al, 2021 ). Invasive competition could lead to increased allocation to shoots or leaves to increase access to space and light (Pérez‐Harguindeguy et al, 2016 ; Westoby, 1998 ), or increased allocation to roots to access limiting belowground resources, especially in abiotically harsh systems (Liu & Stützel, 2004 ; Poorter et al, 2012 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adjustments in physiological and morphological traits suggest drought‐induced competitive release of some California plants

Luong

Loik

2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Drought and competition affect how morphological and physiological traits are expressed in plants. California plants were previously found to respond less negatively to resource limitation compared to invasive counterparts. In a glasshouse in Santa Cruz, CA, USA, we exposed five native California C 3 grassland species to episodic drought and competition (via five locally invasive species). We hypothesized that leaf morphology would be more affected by competition, and leaf photosynthetic gas exchange more so by drought, consistent with optimal partitioning and environmental filter theories. We expected that traits would exhibit trade‐offs along a spectrum for resource conservatism versus acquisition. Bromus carinatus had greater photosynthetic recovery, while Diplacus aurantiacus had lower percent loss of net assimilation (PLA) and intrinsic water‐use efficiency ( i WUE) during drought and competition simultaneously compared to just drought. Stipa pulchra and Sidalcea malviflora gas exchange was unaffected by drought, and leaf morphology exhibited drought‐related adjustments. Lupinus nanus exhibited trait adjustments for competition but not drought. Functional traits sorted onto two principal components related to trade‐offs for resource conservatism versus acquisition, and for above‐ versus belowground allocation. In summary, morphological traits were affected by competition and drought, whereas physiological traits, like leaf gas exchange, were primarily affected by drought. The grassland plants we studied showed diverse responses to drought and competition with trait trade‐offs related to resource conservatism versus acquisition, and for above‐ versus belowground allocation consistent with optimal partitioning and environmental filter theories. Diplacus aurantiacus experienced competitive release based on greater i WUE and lower PLA when facing drought and competition.

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“…However, we can pinpoint several arguments explaining that simple allometric effects can also be at stake. Several studies have reported that most grass species have an allometric coefficient α lower than 1 (their M R :M S decreases as a plant grows) 13 , 46 , possibly to compensate for a lower nitrogen uptake per root mass 47 , 48 . In this situation, the higher the decrease of the growth rate, the higher the increase of the M R :M S ratio due to allometric effects (see Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass partitioning of plants under soil pollution stress

et al. 2022

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Polluted sites are ubiquitous worldwide but how plant partition their biomass between different organs in this context is unclear. Here, we identified three possible drivers of biomass partitioning in our controlled study along pollution gradients: plant size reduction (pollution effect) combined with allometric scaling between organs; early deficit in root surfaces (pollution effect) inducing a decreased water uptake; increased biomass allocation to roots to compensate for lower soil resource acquisition consistent with the optimal partitioning theory (plant response). A complementary meta-analysis showed variation in biomass partitioning across published studies, with grass and woody species having distinct modifications of their root: shoot ratio. However, the modelling of biomass partitioning drivers showed that single harvest experiments performed in previous studies prevent identifying the main drivers at stake. The proposed distinction between pollution effects and plant response will help to improve our knowledge of plant allocation strategies in the context of pollution.

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Biomass partitioning in response to intraspecific competition depends on nutrients and species characteristics: A study of 43 plant species

Abstract: This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as

Cited by 54 publications

References 133 publications

Talking with Strangers: Improving Serianthes Transplant Quality with Interspecific Companions

Talking with Strangers: Improving Serianthes Transplant Quality with Interspecific Companions

Adjustments in physiological and morphological traits suggest drought‐induced competitive release of some California plants

Biomass partitioning of plants under soil pollution stress

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