Species Distribution Controls Across A Forest‐Steppe Transition: A Causal Model and Experimental Test

Wesser, Sara; Armbruster, W. Scott

doi:10.2307/2937111

Cited by 86 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Second, microhabitat bareness tends to be more conserved across the clade than elemental features of soils previously identified as important selective agents in serpentine soils [e.g., Mg, Ni, Ca/Mg ratio (35,41,43,54)]. Third, our ongoing experiments in this clade and work of many others demonstrate that harsh soil-adapted species can grow on zonal soils (32,33,35,43,53), suggesting more lability in the fundamental niche of soil use than in the realized niche. The main paradigm to reconcile edaphic endemism with the ability of many soil endemics to grow on alternative soils relies on hypothesized tradeoffs between the ability to tolerate peculiar substrate chemistry and the ability to withstand competition in zonal soils [competitive ability tradeoff hypothesis (36, 39-41, 44, 52)].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

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Occupation of bare habitats, an evolutionary precursor to soil specialization in plants

Cacho

Strauss

2014

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

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Plant soil specialists contribute greatly to global diversity; however, the ecoevolutionary forces responsible for generating this diversity are poorly understood. We integrate molecular phylogenies with descriptive and experimental ecological data, creating a powerful framework with which to elucidate forces driving soil specialization. Hypotheses explaining edaphic specialization have historically focused on costs of adaptation to elements (e.g., nickel, calcium/magnesium) and accompanying tradeoffs in competitive ability in benign soils. We combine in situ microhabitat data for 37 streptanthoid species (Brassicaceae), soil analyses, and competition experiments with their phylogeny to reconstruct selective forces generating serpentine soil endemism, which has four to five independent origins in this group. Coupling ancestral state reconstruction with phylogenetic independent contrasts, we examine the magnitude and timing of changes in soil and habitat attributes relative to inferred shifts to serpentine. We find large changes in soil chemistry at nodes associated with soil shifts, suggesting that elemental changes occurred concomitantly with soil transitions. In contrast, the amount of bare ground surrounding plants in the field (“bareness”), which is greater in serpentine environments, is conserved across soil-type shifts. Thus, occupation of bare environments preceded shifts to serpentine, and may serve as an evolutionary precursor to harsh elemental soils and environments. In greenhouse experiments, taxa from barer environments are poorer competitors, a tradeoff that may contribute to soil endemism. The hypothesis of occupation of bare habitats as a precursor of soil specialization can be tested in other systems with a similar integrative ecophylogenetic approach, thereby providing deeper insights into this rich source of biodiversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“….. [T]hese slopes provide a habitat for species adapted to dry unstable conditions, but intolerant of competition" (also ref. 53).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupation of bare habitats, an evolutionary precursor to soil specialization in plants

Cacho

Strauss

2014

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

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“…Reports from the fossil collections repeatedly mention the abundance of Poa and Festuca remains, confirming the importance of these genera on the Pleistocene Beringian plains. The preponderant agreement between the fossil and biogeographical evidence lends support to the notion that Beringian grasses have a Pleistocene history of expansion and contraction from local refugia in response to climate change, expanding when drought improved soil conditions for mesic-to xeric-adapted species, or cold and drought removed competing woody vegetation (see Edwards and Armbruster, 1989;Wesser and Armbruster, 1991), and contracting during warm, moist periods such as the present. Herbivore-mediated removal of competing vegetation and enhancement of nutrient cycling also may have favored grasses in the Pleistocene (Zimov et al, 1995).…”

Section: Comparison With Macrofossil Evidencementioning

confidence: 82%

Biogeographical Evidence for the Grass (Poaceae) Species of Pleistocene Beringian Lowlands

Swanson¹

2009

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Late Pleistocene Beringia had herb-dominated vegetation with abundant grasses (Poaceae), and it was inhabited by an impressive assemblage of large grazing mammals. This paper reconstructs the list of most probable late Pleistocene Beringian lowland grass species from biogeographical evidence. Late Pleistocene eolian sediments and buried soils indicate that large areas of the Beringian lowlands had nutrient-rich, silty soils that occurred over ice-rich permafrost but were generally not waterlogged. A list of likely grasses was compiled from all species that have been recorded on similar fine-grained, mesic-to-dry lowland soils (i.e., presumed refugia) and are distributed at least sporadically across the whole region today. Grasses from 13 genera met these criteria, including most of the taxa that have been identified as late Pleistocene fossils from the study area. Most of these grasses are high-latitude species of genera that are also common in temperate latitudes (e.g., Elymus, Festuca, and Poa). This diverse group of plants has a wide range of adaptations today, suggesting that grasses would have been available to occupy a variety of habitats through Pleistocene climatic fluctuations. Among these grasses are a number of highly productive forage species.Key words: Alaska, Beringia, biogeography, grass, Pleistocene, Poaceae, Russia, tundra, steppe, vegetation RÉSUMÉ. La végétation de la Béringie du Pléistocène supérieur était dominée par des herbes abondantes (Poaceae). De plus, elle était habitée par un assemblage impressionnant de gros mammifères broutards. Dans cet article, nous dressons la liste des espèces végétales des basses-terres les plus probables de la Béringie du Pléistocène supérieur à partir d'observations biogéographiques. Les sédiments éoliens du Pléistocène supérieur et les sols enfouis laissent supposer que de vastes régions des basses-terres de la Béringie avaient des sols limoneux riches en nutriments situés sur du pergélisol riche en glace, sans être généralement gorgés d'eau. La liste des herbes susceptibles de s'être retrouvées à l'époque a été compilée à partir de toutes les espèces qui ont été enregistrées sur des sols fins similaires de basses-terres allant de mésoïques à secs (i.e., refuges naturels présumés) et qui sont réparties, de manière tout au moins sporadique, dans toute la région aujourd'hui. Les herbes de 13 genres ont satisfait ces critères, ce qui comprend la plupart des taxons qui ont été identifiés à titre de fossiles du Pléistocène supérieur dans la région visée par l'étude. La plupart de ces herbes sont des espèces de genres se retrouvant en haute altitude qui sont également en latitudes tempérées (comme Elymus, Festuca et Poa). De nos jours, ce groupe de végétaux divers a subi de nombreuses adaptations, ce qui laisse supposer que les herbes auraient occupé une variété d'habitats pendant les fluctuations climatiques du Pléistocène. Parmi ces herbes, notons un certain nombre d'espèces fourragères hautement productives.

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“…Some of these endemics appeared, at first, to be restricted to greenstone (an ultramafic mineral) outcrops (12). Later observations (13,14) and experiments (14) showed that all putative greenstone endemics were found also on a variety of other parent materials. The taxa are indeed rare and disjunct but endemic to south-facing slopes so steep and dry that they are largely open habitats with sparse vegetation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies in the region have noted the narrow distribution of possible relict plant species, disjunct from nearest relatives by hundreds of kilometers (12)(13)(14). Some of these endemics appeared, at first, to be restricted to greenstone (an ultramafic mineral) outcrops (12).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Species Distribution Controls Across A Forest‐Steppe Transition: A Causal Model and Experimental Test

Cited by 86 publications

References 33 publications

Occupation of bare habitats, an evolutionary precursor to soil specialization in plants

Occupation of bare habitats, an evolutionary precursor to soil specialization in plants

Biogeographical Evidence for the Grass (Poaceae) Species of Pleistocene Beringian Lowlands

Multiple origins of serpentine-soil endemism explained by preexisting tolerance of open habitats

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