Sex‐specific outbreeding advantages and sexual dimorphism in the seedlings of dioecious trees

Zhang, Yonghua; Wei, Lin; Chu, Chengjin; Ni, Ming

doi:10.1002/ajb2.16153

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Finally, as these shifts in phenology are also predicted to vary across species, they may result in altered degrees of inter-specific competition and gene flow ( 31 , 90 , 113 ). Many Populus species have overlapping ranges and can hybridize ( 114 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-dependent phenological responses to climate vary across species’ ranges

Xie,

Thammavong,

Berry

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Anthropogenic climate change has significantly altered the flowering times (i.e., phenology) of plants worldwide, affecting their reproduction, survival, and interactions. Recent studies utilizing herbarium specimens have uncovered significant intra- and inter-specific variation in flowering phenology and its response to changes in climate but have mostly been limited to animal-pollinated species. Thus, despite their economic and ecological importance, variation in phenological responses to climate remain largely unexplored among and within wind-pollinated dioecious species and across their sexes. Using both herbarium specimens and volunteer observations of cottonwood ( Populus ) species, we examined how phenological sensitivity to climate varies across species, their ranges, sexes, and phenophases. The timing of flowering varied significantly across and within species, as did their sensitivity to spring temperature. In particular, male flowering generally happened earlier in the season and was more sensitive to warming than female flowering. Further, the onset of flowering was more sensitive to changes in temperature than leaf out. Increased temporal gaps between male and female flowering time and between the first open flower date and leaf out date were predicted for the future under two climate change scenarios. These shifts will impact the efficacy of sexual reproduction and gene flow among species. Our study demonstrates significant inter- and intra-specific variation in phenology and its responses to environmental cues, across species’ ranges, phenophases, and sex, in wind-pollinated species. These variations need to be considered to predict accurately the effects of climate change and assess their ecological and evolutionary consequences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-dependent phenological responses to climate vary across species’ ranges

Xie,

Thammavong,

Berry

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…For dioecious species to persist in plant communities over evolutionary time, some advantages of dioecy are needed to offset the reproductive costs (Queenborough et al 2007b(Queenborough et al , 2009. Though outbreeding and sexual dimorphism are thought to be advantages of dioecy (Smouse 1971, Freeman et al 1997, Zhang et al 2023, variation in the microbiome and strength of PSFs between male and female plants is an unexplored potential benefit. If lack of seed production results in reduced conspecific seedling densities and soil pathogen accumulation near male trees, this could provide dioecious species with more enemy-free sites during seed dispersal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seedling performance in a dioecious tree species is similar near female and male conspecific adults despite differences in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Eck,

Delavaux,

Wilson

et al. 2023

Oikos

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Plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) are a key driver of species diversity and composition in plant communities worldwide; however, the factors that may cause feedbacks to vary within species are rarely examined. In dioecious species, the strength of feedbacks may differ near female plants that produce seed versus near male plants (which do not) because repeated inputs of seeds and high seedling densities near females may cause accumulation of host‐specific soil microbes that influence seedling performance. To test whether conspecific seedling performance is reduced near seed‐producing female trees relative to male or heterospecific trees, we conducted shadehouse and field experiments with a dioecious tropical tree species, Virola surinamensis (Myristicaceae), on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The shadehouse experiment isolated the effect of soil microbial communities on seedling growth and allowed us to quantify colonization by mutualistic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, while the field experiment allowed us to assess seedling survival and growth in the presence of nearby conspecific adults and seedlings. In both experiments, seedling performance was similar between seedlings grown in the soil microbial communities and field environments underneath female conspecific, male conspecific, and heterospecific trees. However, contrary to expectation, seedling colonization by AM fungi was higher in male conspecific soil microbial communities than in female or heterospecific soil microbial communities at the end of the shadehouse experiment. Together, our experiments show that while differences among female and male plants in dioecious species may influence the association of conspecific seedlings with AM fungi in their soils, this variation does not necessarily translate directly to differences in seedling performance, at least over the time frame of our experiments. Studies of additional dioecious species are needed to help determine differences in soil microbial communities beneath male and female plants and to assess the role of seed input versus adult root systems in driving PSFs.

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Seedling performance in a dioecious tree species is similar near female and male conspecific adults despite differences in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Eck

Delavaux

Wilson

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Patterns of seedling growth and survival near conspecific plants have important consequences for species diversity in plant communities, but the factors causing intraspecific variation in seedling performance are unclear. Greater seed production or size of adult plants could both drive the local accumulation of specialized antagonist species in the environment and affect conspecific seedling performance. Experiments with dioecious species, in which only female individuals produce seeds, decouple these factors in areas of high conspecific density. To assess whether conspecific seedling performance is reduced in the environments associated with seed-producing female trees relative to male or heterospecific trees, we conducted shadehouse and field experiments with a dioecious tropical tree species,Virola surinamensis(Myristicaceae), on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The shadehouse experiment isolated the effect of soil microbial communities on seedling performance and allowed us to quantify colonization by mutualistic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, while the field experiment allowed us to assess seedling performance in a context that included the effects of nearby conspecific trees. Seedling biomass at the end of the 8-mo shadehouse experiment was similar between experimental plants exposed to soil microbial communities from underneath female conspecific, male conspecific, and heterospecific adult trees. However, seedling colonization by AM fungi was higher in male soil microbial communities. Similarly, at the end of the 7-mo field experiment, survival and biomass did not differ among experimental seedlings grown in female, male, and heterospecific environments (but biomass was reduced near larger conspecific adults). Together, our experiments did not support the hypothesis that conspecific seedling performance is reduced in female environments relative to male environments, despite reductions in colonization by mutualistic AM fungi in female soil microbial communities. Thus, intraspecific variation in the biotic interactions between conspecific seedlings, established adults, and mutualist species may not translate directly to patterns of tropical tree seedling survival.

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Sex‐specific outbreeding advantages and sexual dimorphism in the seedlings of dioecious trees

Cited by 3 publications

References 53 publications

Sex-dependent phenological responses to climate vary across species’ ranges

Sex-dependent phenological responses to climate vary across species’ ranges

Seedling performance in a dioecious tree species is similar near female and male conspecific adults despite differences in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Seedling performance in a dioecious tree species is similar near female and male conspecific adults despite differences in colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

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