Endemics and their common congener plant species on an East Mediterranean island: a comparative functional trait approach

Hand, Ralf; Grossmann, Anita; Lauterbach, Daniel

doi:10.1007/s11258-016-0673-y

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Generally, endemic species in shallow-soil habitat resort to specialized root strategies associated with increasing root biomass close to the bedrock surface to increase their penetration into deeper layers ( Poot and Lambers, 2008 ; Schwinning, 2013 ). Compared with endemic species, widespread species, like the common species in our study, normally have higher adaptive plasticity ( Bastida et al, 2013 ; Hand et al, 2017 ), thus, they exhibit varied root characteristics in different habitats ( Li et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Common Species Maintain a Large Root Radial Extent and a Stable Resource Use Status in Soil-Limited Environments: A Case Study in Subtropical China

Chen

2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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Coarse root systems provide a framework for water and nutrient absorption from the soil and play an important role in plant survival in harsh environments. However, the adaptions of plant roots in soil-limited environments with low water storage capacity and nutrient content needs to be better understood. The adaptation strategies of two common plant species (a deciduous tree Platycarya longipes and an evergreen shrub Tirpitzia ovoidea) from two contrasting habitats (a shallow rocky soil and a nearby deep soil) in a karst region of subtropical China were compared and analyzed. Foliar nutrient concentrations, stoichiometry, stable carbon, and oxygen isotopes were used to determine plant nutrient and water use status across these two habitats. Six indexes, including maximum root depth, maximum root radial extent, number of major roots and secondary roots, and tapering rate and curvature, were all investigated to characterize coarse root systems. Results show that both species exhibited similar nutrient and water use status in the two habitats that had contrasting water holding capacity and available nutrient content. On the other hand, although maximum root depths of the individual plants were not deeper than 33 cm, maximum radial extents were much larger when compared to rooting depths. Specifically, the ratio of radial extent to depth in the soillimited habitat was approximately 6 and 1.5 times higher than that in the deep-soil habitat for the tree and shrub, respectively. Additionally, especially for the tree, a larger root radial extent was further accompanied by lower root tapering rate and bending levels. Our results provided evidence that plants growing in soil-limited environments maintain a stable resource use status along with large radially extended coarse root systems in humid karst regions like southwest China.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Common Species Maintain a Large Root Radial Extent and a Stable Resource Use Status in Soil-Limited Environments: A Case Study in Subtropical China

Chen

2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…It has been widely demonstrated that too much investment in deep roots, regardless of soil water status, by plants would inevitably reduce aboveground growth and competitiveness ( Lavergne et al, 2004 ; Puri et al, 2015 ), thus minimizes the establishment and survival in habitats with intense aboveground competition. In line with this speculation, more specific studies suggest that, compared with narrow endemic species, widespread species were normally more tolerant to edaphic variation with higher adaptive plasticity ( Bastida et al, 2014 ; Hand et al, 2017 ). Field investigations in karst regions of South China have demonstrated that communities of D. toxocarpa could be found in a variety of soil depths ( Lv et al, 2009 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Comparison of Rooting Strategies to Explore Rock Fractures for Shallow Soil-Adapted Tree Species with Contrasting Aboveground Growth Rates: A Greenhouse Microcosm Experiment

et al. 2017

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For tree species adapted to shallow soil environments, rooting strategies that efficiently explore rock fractures are important because soil water depletion occurs frequently. However, two questions: (a) to what extent shallow soil-adapted species rely on exploring rock fractures and (b) what outcomes result from drought stress, have rarely been tested. Therefore, based on the expectation that early development of roots into deep soil layers is at the cost of aboveground growth, seedlings of three tree species (Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Delavaya toxocarpa, and Acer cinnamomifolium) with distinct aboveground growth rates were selected from a typical shallow soil region. In a greenhouse experiment that mimics the basic features of shallow soil environments, 1-year-old seedlings were transplanted into simulated microcosms of shallow soil overlaying fractured bedrock. Root biomass allocation and leaf physiological activities, as well as leaf δ13C values were investigated and compared for two treatments: regular irrigation and repeated cycles of drought stress. Our results show that the three species differed in their rooting strategies in the context of encountering rock fractures, however, these strategies were not closely related to the aboveground growth rate. For the slowest-growing seedling, C. glauca, percentages of root mass in the fractures, as well as in the soil layer between soil and bedrock increased significantly under both treatments, indicating a specialized rooting strategy that facilitated the exploration of rock fractures. Early investment in deep root growth was likely critical to the establishment of this drought-vulnerable species. For the intermediate-growing, A. cinnamomifolium, percentages of root mass in the bedrock and interface soil layers were relatively low and exhibited no obvious change under either treatment. This limited need to explore rock fractures was compensated by a conservative water use strategy. For the fast-growing, D. toxocarpa, percentages of root mass in the bedrock and interface layers increased simultaneously under drought conditions, but not under irrigated conditions. This drought-induced rooting plasticity was associated with drought avoidance by this species. Although, root development might have been affected by the simulated microcosm, contrasting results among the three species indicated that efficient use of rock fractures is not a necessary or specialized strategy of shallow-soil adapted species. The establishment and persistence of these species relied on the mutual complementation between their species-specific rooting strategies and drought adaptations.

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“…The geographic range size expansion of endemic taxa may be limited by external factors such as physical barriers to dispersal or biotic interactions, but may also be mediated by life history traits (Bruchmann and Hobohm ). Endemic plants are often of smaller stature (Lavergne et al , Henrot et al , Hand et al ), rely on dispersal by abiotic vectors (Espeland and Emam ) or unspecialised diaspores (Giménez et al ), or have less fecund reproductive strategies such as producing fewer and smaller flowers and fewer seeds (Lavergne et al , Hand et al ). Pollination specialisation may not be as important for plant endemicity (Anderson et al , Fernández et al , Aslan et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A synopsis of the endemic plant genera of Borneo

Neo

Wong

Tan

2020

Nordic Journal of Botany

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The large, tropical island of Borneo has some of the world's richest habitats for plant life, but faces increasing pressures from anthropogenic activities that threaten its biodiversity. With a good portion of the Bornean flora not critically studied, a comprehensive documentation of the numerous endemic taxa expected for the island is not yet complete. It is not known what the relative significance of endemic genera is compared to Bornean centres of endemism documented or predicted through modelling, and if they can inform current conservation plans. As a first step, we here present a synopsis of the endemic genera of Borneo, based on a comprehensive study of literature, herbarium specimens and distributional data, and an investigation of whether the genera have been included in molecular phylogenetic studies that confirm their monophyly. Such a review is timely since many generic delimitations have been shaped by molecular evidence used to test morphology‐based taxonomy, while botanical collection and revisionary efforts continue. Our findings suggest that 65 vascular plant genera from 25 families may be considered endemic to Borneo. More than two‐thirds (48) of these genera have had at least one species included in molecular phylogenetic studies, but of these, only 39 have been sufficiently sampled to be considered monophyletic with high confidence, or they are monotypic. Slightly over half (38) of the endemic genera are herbaceous. A majority of the genera have fruits or seeds specialised for dispersal by abiotic vectors, or unspecialised seeds. Almost two‐thirds (42) of the endemic genera are monotypic, and some of these could represent relict lineages. We expect the current list of endemic genera to be relatively stable and aligned with recent taxonomic concepts, and that it serves to illuminate an interesting aspect of Borneo's unique assemblage of endemic species.

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Endemics and their common congener plant species on an East Mediterranean island: a comparative functional trait approach

Cited by 9 publications

References 48 publications

Common Species Maintain a Large Root Radial Extent and a Stable Resource Use Status in Soil-Limited Environments: A Case Study in Subtropical China

Common Species Maintain a Large Root Radial Extent and a Stable Resource Use Status in Soil-Limited Environments: A Case Study in Subtropical China

Comparison of Rooting Strategies to Explore Rock Fractures for Shallow Soil-Adapted Tree Species with Contrasting Aboveground Growth Rates: A Greenhouse Microcosm Experiment

A synopsis of the endemic plant genera of Borneo

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