Variations and driving factors of leaf functional traits in the dominant desert plant species along an environmental gradient in the drylands of China

Akram, Muhammad Adnan; Wang, Xiaoting; Shrestha, Nawal; Zhang, Yahui; Sun, Ying; Yao, Shuran; Li, Jinhui; Hou, Qingqing; Hu, Weigang; Ran, Jinzhi; Deng, Jianming

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165394

Cited by 19 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The death of taller plants could result in drastic changes in carbon stocks in the Caatinga, since most of the carbon in a Caatinga SDTF is stored in larger trees (Sampaio & Silva, 2005). studies show that this pattern does not hold in more arid environments (see Akram et al, 2023;Oliveira et al, 2020). Our findings support the latter observations, as species with thicker leaves were more susceptible to a drier future climate.…”

Section: Plantsupporting

confidence: 77%

Tree height, leaf thickness and seed size drive Caatinga plants' sensitivity to climate change

Carvalho,

Sfair,

Eller

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimThe Anthropocene climate crisis may shift the distribution range of various species. Global Climate Models predict an increase in temperature and changes in precipitation across the Brazilian tropical semiarid region. Based on the joint analysis of functional traits and plant distribution models, we aim to identify which functional traits define the vulnerability of plants to climate change.LocationCaatinga, Brazil.TaxonTrees‐shrub plants.MethodsWe selected 36 species common to at least 25% of the floristic and phytosociological surveys made in the Brazilian semiarid region. We modelled both the current and future spatial distribution of these species and investigated whether functional traits, such as plant height, leaf area, leaf thickness, specific leaf area, stem specific density, and seed size can explain the range shifts of these species.ResultsModels indicate that 58.4% of the species are expected to expand their distribution range in the future. These species tend to be shorter and produce large seeds and thin leaves, which confer higher hydraulic safety and resistance of seeds to prolonged droughts. Meanwhile, 41.6% of the species are expected to reduce their distribution ranges in the future. Most of these are characterized as tall individuals with thick leaves and small seeds.ConclusionSpecies with traits that confer resistance to drought are likely to increase distribution towards the coast and to areas where the Caatinga borders with other domains. Also, these species with low height, thin leaves and large seeds may expand their distribution to the slopes and plateaus. The retraction of taller plants and with thicker leaves may have profound implications for the structure and functioning of Brazilian semiarid ecosystems, given their role in ecosystem processes and carbon cycle. Retractions can result in a reduction in the number of local species, which will impact regional biodiversity.

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Section: Plantsupporting

confidence: 77%

Tree height, leaf thickness and seed size drive Caatinga plants' sensitivity to climate change

Carvalho,

Sfair,

Eller

et al. 2023

Journal of Biogeography

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“…We computed the specific leaf area (SLA) for each of the 453 leaf samples as the ratio of leaf area to leaf dry mass. Likewise, leaf dry matter content (LDMC) was calculated by the ratio of dry leaf mass to fresh leaf mass (Garnier et al, 2001;Akram et al, 2023). We estimated the trait community-weighted means and standard deviations of SLAcwm, LDMCcwm, and Chlcwm to represent ecosystem functions and their diversity at the land-cover level (Garnier et al, 2004;Leoni et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2020) with:…”

Section: Functional Traits and Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem characteristics of land covers with various anthropogenic impacts in a tropical forest region of Southeast Asia

Sovann,

Tagesson,

Vestin

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Abstract. Given the severe anthropogenic pressure on tropical forests and the high demand for field observations of ecosystem characteristics, it is crucial to collect such data both in pristine tropical forests and in the converted deforested land cover classes. To gain insight into the ecosystem characteristics of pristine tropical forests, regrowth forests, and cashew plantations, we established an ecosystem monitoring site in Phnom Kulen National Park, Cambodia. Here, we present observed datasets of forest inventories, leaf area index, leaf traits of woody species, a fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation, and edaphic and meteorological conditions. We examined how land-use and land-cover change affect species and functional diversity, stand structure, and edaphic conditions among the three land-cover classes. We further investigated relationships between diameters at breast height and tree height, estimated aboveground biomass (AGB), and explored relationships between ecosystem characteristics and AGB. We uncovered some key differences in ecosystem characteristics among the land-cover classes. We also demonstrated the feasibility of locally updating AGB estimates using power law functions. These datasets and findings can contribute to filling data gaps in tropical forest research, addressing global environmental challenges, and supporting sustainable forest management.

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“…Both genetic and phenotypic variability are fundamental in determining intrinsic factors that define species and species biogeography [22,26,30,45]. Phenotypic plasticity, especially of critical functional traits, is considered to be a vital mechanism for adapting to changing ecological environment.…”

Section: Phenotypic Plasticity Enhances Species Adaptability Within T...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Typically, a diverse array of genetic mechanisms underlie speciation, particularly the emergence of ploidy variations [9,52]. In addition, divergent natural selection, including abiotic and biotic factors, may serve as a crucial determinant of phenotypic and geographic differentiation [5,21,22,[26][27][28][29][30][31]33,53]. The results of the RDA reveal a positive association between the distribution of the B. macrostachya complex and habitat altitude level, as well as soil total P concentration (Figure 4).…”

Section: Abiotic Environmental Factors Influence Geographic Different...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Investigating the geographic variations within a species can help uncover the relationships among plant growth requirements, phenotypic variations, geographical distribution patterns, and environmental heterogeneity [5,[26][27][28][29][30][31]. In this study, we conducted a systematic investigation and assessment on the leaf functional traits and habitat environmental factors of the tetraploid and octaploid B. macrostachya in the Sino-Himalayan region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differentiation in Leaf Functional Traits and Driving Factors of the Allopatric Distribution of Tetraploid and Octaploid Buddleja macrostachya in the Sino-Himalayan Region

Gong,

Li,

et al. 2024

Forests

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Leaf functional traits reflect species’ adaptive strategies and habitat requirements. Examining intra-specific variations and their underlying drivers can aid in comprehending species differentiation and adaptation. Here, we investigated the leaf functional traits of Buddleja macrostachya tetraploids and octaploids across 18 sites in the Sino-Himalayan region. The habitat environmental variables were also recorded. In this study, leaf functional traits showed a considerable differentiation in both tetraploid and octaploid B. macrostachya. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the octaploid cytotypes displayed higher specific leaf area, leaf total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, water-use efficiency, and light-use efficiency in contrast to the tetraploid plants. These functional leaf traits exhibited different plasticity levels in both taxa. A positive link was found between habitat altitude and soil total P concentration and the geographic distribution of the B. macrostachya complex, using RDA and Pearson’s correlation. Our findings suggest that both tetraploid and octaploid B. macrostachya exhibited divergent ecological strategies, conservative and acquisitive strategies, respectively. The ecological adaptability of species within the B. macrostachya complex is enhanced by the combination of divergent ecological strategies and high phenotypic plasticity of distinct key ecological traits. Furthermore, abiotic environmental factors influenced the allopatric geographic distribution pattern of the B. macrostachya complex in the Sino-Himalayan region.

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Variations and driving factors of leaf functional traits in the dominant desert plant species along an environmental gradient in the drylands of China

Cited by 19 publications

References 50 publications

Tree height, leaf thickness and seed size drive Caatinga plants' sensitivity to climate change

Tree height, leaf thickness and seed size drive Caatinga plants' sensitivity to climate change

Ecosystem characteristics of land covers with various anthropogenic impacts in a tropical forest region of Southeast Asia

Differentiation in Leaf Functional Traits and Driving Factors of the Allopatric Distribution of Tetraploid and Octaploid Buddleja macrostachya in the Sino-Himalayan Region

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