Canopy structure affects temperature distributions and free convection in moss shoot systems

Rice, Steven K.; Gagliardi, Thomas A.; Krasa, Rebecca A.

doi:10.1002/ajb2.1145

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Previous studies have established strong effects of plant growth forms (e.g. Horn 1971) and microclimate mediating selection on tracheophyte leaves, as well as similarities in some trends between tracheophyte and moss leaf morphology and how they relate to ecosystem function (Rice et al 2008(Rice et al , 2011(Rice et al , 2018Waite & Sack 2010;Nicotra et al 2011;Niinemets & Tobias 2019). Motivated by these studies, we hypothesized that morphological and microhabitat characteristics of mosses, including growth form, light exposure (Bell 1982;Guerra et al 1992;Glime 2007), ambient moisture availability (Niinemets & Tobias 2019), and substrate slope exert differential selective pressures on moss phyllid morphology.…”

Section: Moss Morphology and Habitat Variables As Selective Regimesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bryophyte leaves often exist within a canopy, and while this topic remains understudied, some important efforts seek to characterize the interplay between leaf and canopy scales (e.g. Rice et al 2008Rice et al , 2011Rice et al , 2018Waite & Sack 2010;Niinemets & Tobias 2019). The canopy leaf area index (LAI) is a whole plant measurement compromised of leaf size, leaf frequency, leaf area per shoot height, shoot height, shoot leaf area, and shoot number per area, that characterizes the ability of plant canopies to exchange energy and matter with the environment.…”

Section: Traitmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Moss phyllid morphology varies systematically with substrate slope

Turberville¹,

Fuentes-González²,

Rogers³

et al. 2021

Pl. Ecol. Evol.

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Background and aims – Tracheophyte leaf morphology is well studied but it is unclear if the findings generalize to poikilohydric plants. We tested combinations of hypotheses to determine if microhabitat characteristics, including light exposure, moisture availability, and substrate slope, controlled for morphological differences between upright and prostrate growth forms, affect phyllid surface area and costa length of mosses.Material and methods – We quantified mean phyllid surface-area and costa lengths for four replicates of 38 moss species from Alabama. Phylogenetic comparative methods that model adaptation were used to evaluate the relative evidence for each hypothesis using information criteria. To further explore mechanistic explanations involving substrate slope, we tested whether mosses on vertical substrates differed from those on horizontal substrates in the average amount of water-retaining, nutrient-rich litter they accumulated.Key results – Substrate slope and growth form combined were the best predictors of phyllid surface area. Mosses growing on vertical substrates exhibited smaller phyllid surface area for both growth forms. Although growth form and phyllid length best explained costa length variation, a more complex model including substrate slope performed nearly as well. Within the prostrate growth forms, species growing on vertical substrates exhibit longer relative costa than those on horizontal substrates. We also estimated rapid rates of adaptation for both traits.Conclusion – The smaller phyllid surface area of both upright and prostrate growth forms is possibly an adaptive response to reduced habitat moisture-retention or nutrient quality that vertical substrates offer. The longer costa lengths of prostrate mosses growing on vertical surfaces relative to prostrate mosses on horizontal surfaces, possibly make up for the decreased ability of smaller phyllids to rapidly reabsorb water when it is available. Further work is required to determine if it is truly substrate slope itself that matters or other variables associated with the differences in slope, and to determine how general this phenomenon is.

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Section: Moss Morphology and Habitat Variables As Selective Regimesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Traitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moss phyllid morphology varies systematically with substrate slope

Turberville¹,

Fuentes-González²,

Rogers³

et al. 2021

Pl. Ecol. Evol.

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“…Typically, moss cells are either completely turgid or desiccated, with relatively short transitions in between (Proctor et al, 2007). Factors influencing this water loss by evaporation are microclimatic conditions (Proctor, 1990), life form characteristics (Elumeeva et al, 2011;Mägdefrau and Wutz, 1951;Nakatsubo, 1994;Zotz et al, 1997) and canopy structural properties such as surface roughness, shoot density and cushion height (Goetz and Price, 2015;Rice and Schneider, 2004;Rice et al, 2001Rice et al, , 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water’s path from moss to soil: A multi-methodological study on water absorption and evaporation of soil-moss combinations

Thielen

Gall

Ebner

et al. 2021

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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Mosses are often overlooked; however, they are important for soil-atmosphere interfaces with regard to water exchange. This study investigated the influence of moss structural traits on maximum water storage capacities (WSCmax) and evaporation rates, and species-specific effects on water absorption and evaporation patterns in moss layers, moss-soil-interfaces and soil substrates using biocrust wetness probes. Five moss species typical for Central European temperate forests were selected: field-collected Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Oxyrrhynchium hians and Plagiomnium undulatum; and laboratory-cultivated Amblystegium serpens and Oxyrrhynchium hians. WSCmax ranged from 14.10 g g−1 for Amblystegium serpens (Lab) to 7.31 g g−1 for Plagiomnium undulatum when immersed in water, and 11.04 g g−1 for Oxyrrhynchium hians (Lab) to 7.90 g g−1 for Oxyrrhynchium hians when sprayed, due to different morphologies depending on the growing location. Structural traits such as high leaf frequencies and small leaf areas increased WSCmax. In terms of evaporation, leaf frequency displayed a positive correlation with evaporation, while leaf area index showed a negative correlation. Moisture alterations during watering and desiccation were largely controlled by species/substrate-specific patterns. Generally, moss cover prevented desiccation of soil surfaces and was not a barrier to infiltration. To understand water’s path from moss to soil, this study made a first contribution.

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“…Importantly, microclimate in the actual shoot is challenging to measure but might differ substantially from the bryophyte mat conditions that we measured (Rice et al, 2018). It therefore remains partly unsettled under exactly which circumstances bryophytes are most susceptible to frost damage.…”

Section: Bryophytes In a Changing Winter Climatementioning

confidence: 86%

Frost damage measured by electrolyte leakage in subarctic bryophytes increases with climate warming

van Zuijlen,

Kassel,

Dorrepaal

et al. 2023

Journal of Ecology

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Observed climate change in northern high latitudes is strongest in winter, but still relatively little is known about the effects of winter climate change on tundra ecosystems. Ongoing changes in winter climate and snow cover will change the intensity, duration and frequency of frost events. Bryophytes form a major component of northern ecosystems but their responses to winter climate changes are largely unknown. Here, we studied how changes in overall winter climate and snow regime affect frost damage in three common bryophyte taxa that differ in desiccation tolerance in a subarctic tundra ecosystem. We used a snow manipulation experiment where bryophyte cores were transplanted from just above the tree line to similar elevation (i.e. current cold climate) and lower elevation (i.e. near‐future warmer climate scenario) in Abisko, Sweden. Here, we measured frost damage in shoots of Ptilidium ciliare, Hylocomium splendens and Sphagnum fuscum with the relative electrolyte leakage (REL) method, during late winter and spring in two consecutive years. We hypothesized that frost damage would be lower in a milder climate (low site) and higher under reduced snow cover and that taxa from moister habitats with assumed low desiccation tolerance would be more sensitive to lower temperature and thinner snow cover than those from drier and more exposed habitats. Contrary to our expectations, frost damage was highest at low elevation, while the effect of snow treatment differed across sites and taxa. At the high site, frost damage was reduced under snow addition in the taxon with the assumed lowest desiccation tolerance, S. fuscum. Surprisingly, frost damage increased with mean temperature in the bryophyte core of the preceding 14 days leading up to REL measurements and decreased with higher frost degree sums, that is, was highest in the milder climate at the low site. Synthesis Our results imply that climate warming in late winter and spring increases frost damage in bryophytes. Given the high abundance of bryophytes in tundra ecosystems, higher frost damage could alter the appearance and functioning of the tundra landscape, although the short and long‐term effects on bryophyte fitness remain to be studied.

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Canopy structure affects temperature distributions and free convection in moss shoot systems

Abstract: When moss canopies are wet, cooler apical temperatures create thermal instabilities within the canopies that appear sufficient to enhance convective transport of water vapor and heat in tall canopies with low bulk density.

Cited by 10 publications

References 41 publications

Moss phyllid morphology varies systematically with substrate slope

Moss phyllid morphology varies systematically with substrate slope

Water’s path from moss to soil: A multi-methodological study on water absorption and evaporation of soil-moss combinations

Frost damage measured by electrolyte leakage in subarctic bryophytes increases with climate warming

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