Tree size and climatic water deficit control root to shoot ratio in individual trees globally

Ledo, Alicia; Paul, Keryn I.; Burslem, David F. R. P.; Ewel, John J.; Barton, Craig V. M.; Battaglia, Michael; Brooksbank, Kim; Carter, Jennifer; Eid, Tron; England, Jacqueline R.; Fitzgerald, Anthony J.; Jonson, Justin; Mencuccini, Maurizio; Montagu, Kelvin D.; Montero, Gregorio; Mugasha, Wilson Ancelm; Pinkard, Elizabeth A.; Roxburgh, Stephen H.; Ryan, Casey M.; Ruíz-Peinado, Ricardo; Sochacki, S.J.; Specht, Alison; Wildy, Daniel; Wirth, Christian; Zerihun, Ayalsew; Chave, Jérôme

doi:10.1111/nph.14863

Cited by 125 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Nearly 50% of the variation in the amount of resources invested in root construction was due to within-species variability, and nearly half of this variation was a direct response to the experimental treatments. In contrast to previous assessments (Markesteijn and Poorter 2009, Poorter et al 2012, Ledo et al 2018, the driving role of water supply in our experiment was minor compared to nutrient availability, perhaps due to the moderate watering treatment, because irrigating at half of the soil carrying capacity on a weekly basis inside a greenhouse likely differs greatly from the actual water shortage experienced by seedlings in natural TDF conditions (Werden et al 2018). The species with the most adaptable pattern of root-to-shoot allocation and a greater responsiveness to nutrient levels attained the highest biomass and growth rate in most of the conditions.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 59%

“…, Ledo et al. ), the driving role of water supply in our experiment was minor compared to nutrient availability, perhaps due to the moderate watering treatment, because irrigating at half of the soil carrying capacity on a weekly basis inside a greenhouse likely differs greatly from the actual water shortage experienced by seedlings in natural TDF conditions (Werden et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…, Ledo et al. ). This phenotypic plasticity, that is, the ability of a genotype to modulate the expression of its functional traits in response to environmental conditions, may be highly adaptive for seedling acclimation during their establishment at a given microsite (Bradshaw , Valladares et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The classical functional equilibrium hypothesis predicts that plants under a given stress maximize their surface area to acquire the most limiting resource (Brouwer 1963). Plants consequently allocate more biomass to roots when water and nutrients are the most limiting factors and promote stem and foliar mass when light is lacking or to compensate for losses from defoliation due to herbivory (Chapin et al 1987, Tilman 1988, Gedroc et al 1996, Poorter et al 2012, Ledo et al 2018. This phenotypic plasticity, that is, the ability of a genotype to modulate the expression of its functional traits in response to environmental conditions, may be highly adaptive for seedling acclimation during their establishment at a given microsite (Bradshaw 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing intraspecific trait variability during seedling establishment to improve restoration of tropical dry forests

et al. 2020

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Forest restoration is an effective tool to mitigate climate change, but its implementation in highly diverse and threatened tropical dry forests (TDFs) is particularly challenging due to the hostile environment. Intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in response to these constraints may be very informative for predicting the potential for species acclimation and therefore for improving trait‐based species screenings that best match each particular scenario of forest restoration. We analyzed ITV during seedling establishment of three widely distributed and ecologically contrasting TDF species in a greenhouse multifactorial experiment crossing levels of resource availability (nutrients and water) and herbivory to assess the capacity of ITV to discern strategies of seedling establishment and to predict species’ growth rates and acclimation potential. The three species studied had contrasting responses to the experimental treatments, suggesting different strategies of seedling establishment. The species with the most plastic pattern of growth performed the best, especially due to its ability to modulate the trade‐off of root‐to‐shoot allocation of biomass depending on nutrient availability. Almost 50% of the variation in the root mass ratio was within species, half of which was a direct response of the treatments, indicating a strong acclimation potential. Individual‐level trait measurements, however, were poor predictors of seedling growth rates. ITV, particularly the ability to adapt the pattern of biomass allocation, can be critical during seedling establishment. We propose incorporating information about ITV and the ability of species to modulate their phenotypic expression to cope with environmental variability into programs of forest restoration. Easily implemented and standardized greenhouse experiments are an inexpensive way to obtain high‐quality data on the plasticity of forest species, which can be very valuable for predicting the potential of species acclimation and thus improving the selection of species that better match each particular scenario of restoration.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 59%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing intraspecific trait variability during seedling establishment to improve restoration of tropical dry forests

et al. 2020

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“…, Ledo et al. ). Greater root to shoot development can reduce plant water loss while increasing water uptake capacity (Grossnickle ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Do adult trees increase conspecific juvenile resilience to recurrent droughts? Implications for forest regeneration

et al. 2018

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Recruitment is a bottleneck for forest regeneration especially in semi‐arid Mediterranean environments. Ensuring natural forest regeneration is vital for preserving ecosystem function under climate warming and increased frequency and intensity of extreme droughts. Interspecific positive interactions are of paramount importance in these ecosystems. The net outcome of conspecific plant interactions in semi‐arid forests, however, has been less explored, particularly the range of environmental conditions for which juveniles benefit from nursing effects. We evaluated the direction and magnitude of intraspecific relationships between adults and juveniles of Pinus pinaster in a dry continental Mediterranean forest in the Iberian Peninsula. We measured the longitudinal shoot elongation of the last 15 yr and foliar functional traits in pine saplings growing under the canopy of adult pines and in open habitats. We examined the growth response to precipitation and the resilience and resistance of growth to two extreme drought events in 2005 and 2012. Our results show likely facilitation of saplings by adult conspecifics. Nursed saplings had a greater size relative to age, longer needles, and faster shoot elongation than saplings in open habitats. In addition, saplings under the canopy were more resistant and resilient to the first severe drought event. However, saplings grown in open habitats were more resilient to the second drought event, which might suggest a shift in the net balance of conspecific interactions with increased drought frequency and with tree ontogeny. These results have a direct application for the adaptation and restoration of semi‐arid forest ecosystems under climate change. Currently, adults are used as nurse plants to enhance survival and growth of juveniles. However, this positive effect on sapling performance might shift to negative under scenarios of increasing frequency and intensity of drought events.

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Improving crop yield potential: Underlying biological processes and future prospects

Burgess

Masclaux-Daubresse

Strittmatter

et al. 2022

Food and Energy Security

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The growing world population and global increases in the standard of living both result in an increasing demand for food, feed and other plant-derived products. In the coming years, plant-based research will be among the major drivers ensuring food security and the expansion of the bio-based economy. Crop productivity is determined by several factors, including the available physical and agricultural resources, crop management, and the resource use efficiency, quality and intrinsic yield potential of the chosen crop. This review focuses on intrinsic yield potential, since understanding its determinants and their biological basis will allow to maximize the plant's potential in food and energy production. Yield potential is determined by a variety of complex traits that integrate strictly regulated processes and their underlying gene regulatory networks. Due to this inherent complexity, numerous potential targets have been identified that could be exploited to increase crop yield. These encompass diverse metabolic and physical processes at the cellular, organ and canopy level. We present an overview of some of the distinct biological processes considered to be crucial for yield determination that could further be exploited to improve future crop productivity.

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Tree size and climatic water deficit control root to shoot ratio in individual trees globally

Cited by 125 publications

References 24 publications

Assessing intraspecific trait variability during seedling establishment to improve restoration of tropical dry forests

Assessing intraspecific trait variability during seedling establishment to improve restoration of tropical dry forests

Do adult trees increase conspecific juvenile resilience to recurrent droughts? Implications for forest regeneration

Improving crop yield potential: Underlying biological processes and future prospects

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