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Leroy, C., Corbara, B., Dezerald, O., Trzcinski, M. K., Carrias, J. - F., Dejean, A., et al. (2017). What drives detrital decomposition in neotropical tank bromeliads? Hydrobiologia, 802(1), 85–95.
Abstract: Decomposition experiments that control leaf litter species across environments help to disentangle the roles of litter traits and consumer diversity, but once we account for leaf litter effects, they tell us little about the variance in decomposition explained by shifts in environmental conditions versus food-web structure. We evaluated how habitat, food-web structure, leaf litter species, and the interactions between these factors affect litter mass loss in a neotropical ecosystem. We used water-filled bromeliads to conduct a reciprocal transplant experiment of two litter species between an open and a forested habitat in French Guiana, and coarse- and fine-mesh enclosures embedded within bromeliads to exclude invertebrates or allow them to colonize leaf litter disks. Soft Melastomataceae leaves decomposed faster in their home habitat, whereas tough Eperua leaves decomposed equally in both habitats. Bacterial densities did not differ significantly between the two habitats. Significant shifts in the identity and biomass of invertebrate detritivores across habitats did not generate differences in leaf litter decomposition, which was essentially microbial. Despite the obvious effects of habitats on food-web structure, ecosystem processes are not necessarily affected. Our results pose the question of when does environmental determinism matter for ecosystem functions, and when does it not. © 2017, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
Keywords: Context dependency; Ecosystem function; Food webs; Leaf litter; Phytotelmata; Rainforest
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Leroy, C., Corbara, B., Pélozuelo, L., Carrias, J. - F., Dejean, A., & Céréghino, R. (2012). Ant species identity mediates reproductive traits and allocation in an ant-garden bromeliad. Ann. Bot., 109(1), 145–152.
Abstract: •Background and Aims: Determining the sources of variation in floral morphology is crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying Angiosperm evolution. The selection of floral and reproductive traits is influenced by the plants abiotic environment, florivores and pollinators. However, evidence that variations in floral traits result from mutualistic interactions with insects other than pollinators is lacking in the published literature and has rarely been investigated. We aimed to determine whether the association with either Camponotus femoratus or Pachycondyla goeldii (both involved in seed dispersal and plant protection) mediates the reproductive traits and allocation of Aechmea mertensii, an obligatory ant-garden tank-bromeliad, differently.•Methods: Floral and reproductive traits were compared between the two A. mertensii ant-gardens. The nitrogen flux from the ants to the bromeliads was investigated through experimental enrichments with stable isotopes (15N).•Key Results: Camponotus femoratus-associated bromeliads produced inflorescences up to four times longer than did P. goeldii-associated bromeliads. Also, the numbers of flowers and fruits were close to four times higher, and the number of seeds and their mass per fruit were close to 1·5 times higher in C. femoratus than in P. goeldii-associated bromeliads. Furthermore, the 15N-enrichment experiment showed that C. femoratus-associated bromeliads received more nitrogen from ants than did P. goeldii-associated bromeliads, with subsequent positive repercussions on floral development. Greater benefits were conferred to A. mertensii by the association with C. femoratus compared with P. goeldii ants.•Conclusions: We show for the first time that mutualistic associations with ants can result in an enhanced reproductive allocation for the bromeliad A. mertensii. Nevertheless, the strength and direction of the selection of floral and fruit traits change based on the ant species and were not related to light exposure. The different activities and ecological preferences of the ants may play a contrasting role in shaping plant evolution and speciation. © The Author 2011.
Keywords: δ15N; Aechmea mertensii; Bromeliaceae; bromeliad; Camponotus femoratus; floral traits; fruit-set; mutualistic ants; Pachycondyla goeldii; reproductive allocation; stable isotopes
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Leroy, C., Gril, E., Si Ouali, L., Coste, S., Gérard, B., Maillard, P., et al. (2019). Water and nutrient uptake capacity of leaf-absorbing trichomes vs. roots in epiphytic tank bromeliads. Environ. Exp. Bot., 163, 112–123.
Abstract: The water and nutrient uptake mechanisms used by vascular epiphytes have been the subject of a few studies. While leaf absorbing trichomes (LATs) are the main organ involved in resource uptake by bromeliads, little attention has been paid to the absorbing role of epiphytic bromeliad roots. This study investigates the water and nutrient uptake capacity of LATs vs. roots in two epiphytic tank bromeliads Aechmea aquilega and Lutheria splendens. The tank and/or the roots of bromeliads were watered, or not watered at all, in different treatments. We show that LATs and roots have different functions in resource uptake in the two species, which we mainly attributed to dissimilarities in carbon acquisition and growth traits (e.g., photosynthesis, relative growth rate, non-structural carbohydrates, malate), to water relation traits (e.g., water and osmotic potentials, relative water content, hydrenchyma thickness) and nutrient uptake (e.g., 15 N-labelling). While the roots of A. aquilega did contribute to water and nutrient uptake, the roots of L. splendens were less important than the role played by the LATs in resource uptake. We also provide evidenced for a synergistic effect of combined watering of tank and root in the Bromelioideae species. These results call for a more complex interpretation of LATs vs. roots in resource uptake in bromeliads. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: 15 N labelling; Carbon metabolism; Nutrient uptake; Plant performance; Tank bromeliad; Water status; Aechmea
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Leroy, C., Gueroult, M., Wahyuni, N. S., Escoute, J., Cereghino, R., Sabatier, S., et al. (2009). Morphogenetic trends in the morphological, optical and biochemical features of phyllodes in Acacia mangium Willd (Mimosaceae). Trees-Struct. Funct., 23(1), 37–49.
Abstract: Endogenous variations in the annual growth of trees suggest that similar trends would occur in phyllodes. In comparison to leaves, the characteristics of phyllodes are less well known, hence this study examines the effects of architectural position and age of tree on the phyllodes of Acacia mangium. Phyllodes were investigated on 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old trees from three axis positions within the crown. We focused on the morphological, optical and biochemical traits of the phyllodes. The increase in phyllode area and lamina thickness is more pronounced in the older trees. Leaf mass area (LMA), stomatal density, nitrogen and chlorophyll content increase with tree age. The values of these characteristics decrease from the main stem to the lower branches for the older trees. Phyllode light absorptance increased with tree age whereas reflectance was higher for the upper position compared to the lower position within the crown. Carotenoid content and chlorophyll a/b ratio were higher for the younger phyllodes of younger trees. Increasing tree size induced modifications in the phyllode characteristics which are influenced by both morphogenetic and light gradients within the crown. This study demonstrated pronounced changes in terms of morphological and functional indicators of photosynthetic capacity in relation to phyllode position within the crown and to tree age. These morphogenetic effects on the phyllode characteristics should be taken into account in studies on phenotypic plasticity.
Keywords: Chlorophyll; Phyllode morphology; Phyllode anatomy; Nitrogen; Optical properties; Plant architecture
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Leroy, C., Jauneau, A., Martinez, Y., Cabin-Flaman, A., Gibouin, D., Orivel, J., et al. (2017). Exploring fungus-plant N transfer in a tripartite ant-plant-fungus mutualism. Annals of Botany, 120(3), 417–426.
Abstract: Background and Aims The plant Hirtella physophora, the ant Allomerus decemarticulatus and a fungus, Trimmatostroma sp., form a tripartite association. The ants manipulate both the plant trichomes and the fungus to build galleries under the stems of their host plant used to capture prey. In addition to its structural role, the fungus also improves nutrient uptake by the host plant. But it still remains unclear whether the fungus plays an indirect or a direct role in transferring nutrients to the plant. This study aimed to trace the transfer of N from the fungus to the plant's stem tissue. • Methods Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the presence of fungal hyphae in the stem tissues. Then, a 15N-labelling experiment was combined with a nanoscale secondary-ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS 50) isotopic imaging approach to trace the movement of added 15N from the fungus to plant tissues. • Key Results The TEM images clearly showed hyphae inside the stem tissue in the cellular compartment. Also, fungal hyphae were seen perforating the wall of the parenchyma cell. The 15N provisioning of the fungus in the galleries resulted in significant enrichment of the 15N signature of the plant's leaves 1 d after the 15N-labelling solution was deposited on the fungus-bearing trap. Finally, NanoSIMS imaging proved that nitrogen was transferred biotrophically from the fungus to the stem tissue. • Conclusions This study provides evidence that the fungi are connected endophytically to an ant-plant system and actively transfer nitrogen from 15N-labelling solution to the plant's stem tissues. Overall, this study underlines how complex the trophic structure of ant-plant interactions is due to the presence of the fungus and provides insight into the possibly important nutritional aspects and tradeoffs involved in myrmecophyte-ant mutualisms. © The Author 2017.
Keywords: Ascomycetes; endophytic fungi; Hirtella physophora; microscopy; mutualism; myrmecophyte; NanoSIMS; stable isotope
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Leroy, C., Jauneau, A., Quilichini, A., Dejean, A., & Orivel, J. (2010). Comparative Structure and Ontogeny of the Foliar Domatia in Three Neotropical Myrmecophytes. Am. J. Bot., 97(4), 557–565.
Abstract: The origin and timing of the appearance of leaf domatia during the ontogeny of plants are important evolutionary traits driving the maintenance of ant-plant associations. In this study conducted in French Guiana on Hirtella physophora, Maieta guianensis, and Tococa guianensis, we focused on the formation and development of leaf domatia having different morphological origins. We modeled the timing of the onset of these domatia, then compared their morpho-anatomical structure. Although the ontogenetic development of the domatia differed between species, they developed very early in the plant's ontogeny so that we did not note differences in the timing of the onset of these domatia. For H. physophora seedlings, a transitional leaf forms before the appearance of fully developed domatia, whereas in M. guianensis and T. guianensis the domatia forms abruptly without transitional leaves. Moreover, in all cases, the morpho-anatomical structure of the domatia differed considerably from the lamina. All three species had similar morpho-anatomical characteristics for the domatia, indicating a convergence in their structural and functional characteristics. This convergence between taxonomically distant plant species bearing domatia having different morphological origins could be interpreted as a product of the plant's evolution toward the morphology and anatomy most likely to maximize ant recruitment and long-term residence.
Keywords: anatomy; ant-plant mutualism; Chrysobalanaceae; domatia; French Guiana; Hirtella physophora; Maieta guianensis; Melastomataceae; myrmecophyte; ontogeny; Tococa guianensis
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Leroy, C., Jauneau, A., Quilichini, A., Dejean, A., & Orivel, J. (2008). Comparison between the anatomical and morphological structure of leaf blades and foliar domatia in the ant-plant Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae). Ann. Bot., 101(4), 501–507.
Abstract: Background and Aims Myrmecophytes, or ant-plants, are characterized by their ability to shelter colonies of some ant species in hollow structures, or ant-domatia, that are often formed by hypertrophy of the internal tissue at specific locations (i.e. trunk, branches, thorns and leaf pouches). In Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae), the focal species of this study, the ant-domatia consist of leaf pouches formed when the leaf rolls over onto itself to create two spheres at the base of the blade. Methods The morphological and anatomical changes through which foliar ant-domatia developed from the laminas are studied for the first time by using fresh and fixed mature leaves from the same H. physophora individuals. Key results Ant-domatia were characterized by larger extra-floral nectaries, longer stomatal apertures and lower stomatal density. The anatomical structure of the domatia differed in the parenchymatous tissue where palisade and spongy parenchyma were indistinct; chloroplast density was lower and lignified sclerenchymal fibres were more numerous compared with the lamina. In addition, the domatia were thicker than the lamina, largely because the parenchymatous and epidermal cells were enlarged. Conclusion Herein, the morphological and anatomical changes that permit foliar ant-domatia to be defined as a specialized leaf structure are highlighted. Similarities as well as structural modifications in the foliar ant-domatia compared with the lamina are discussed from botanical, functional and mutualistic points of view. These results are also important to understanding the reciprocal evolutionary changes in traits and, thus, the coevolutionary processes occurring in insect-plant mutualisms.
Keywords: anatomy; ant-plant mutualism; Chrysobalanaceae; extra-floral nectaries; French Guiana; Hirtella physophora; secondary domatia
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Leroy, C., Maes, A. Q., Louisanna, E., & Séjalon-Delmas, N. (2019). How significant are endophytic fungi in bromeliad seeds and seedlings? Effects on germination, survival and performance of two epiphytic plant species. Fungal Ecol., 39, 296–306.
Abstract: In bromeliads, nothing is known about the associations fungi form with seeds and seedling roots. We investigated whether fungal associations occur in the seeds and seedling roots of two epiphytic Aechmea species, and we explored whether substrate and fungal associations contribute to seed germination, and seedling survival and performance after the first month of growth. We found a total of 21 genera and 77 species of endophytic fungi in the seeds and seedlings for both Aechmea species by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The fungal associations in seeds were found in the majority of corresponding seedlings, suggesting that fungi are transmitted vertically. Substrate quality modulated the germination and growth of seedlings, and beneficial endophytic fungi were not particularly crucial for germination but contributed positively to survival and growth. Overall, this study provides the first evidence of an endophytic fungal community in both the seeds and seedlings of two epiphytic bromeliads species that subsequently benefit plant growth. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd and British Mycological Society
Keywords: Aechmea; Bromeliads; Endophytic fungi; Fusarium spp.; Germination; Survival; Trichoderma spp.; Vertical transmission
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Leroy, C., Petitclerc, F., Orivel, J., Corbara, B., Carrias, J. - F., Dejean, A., et al. (2017). The influence of light, substrate and seed origin on the germination and establishment of an ant-garden bromeliad. Plant Biol J, 19(1), 70–78.
Abstract: Plant germination and development depend upon a seed's successful dispersal into a suitable habitat and its ability to grow and survive within the surrounding biotic and abiotic environment. The seeds of Aechmea mertensii, a tank-bromeliad species, are dispersed by either Camponotus femoratus or Neoponera goeldii, two ant species that initiate ant gardens (AGs). These two mutualistic ant species influence the vegetative and reproductive traits of the bromeliad through their divergent ecological preferences (i.e. light and substrate). We hypothesised that the seeds dispersed by these two ant species have underlying genetic differences affecting germination, growth and survival of A. mertensii seedlings in different ways. To test this, we used an experimental approach consisting of sowing seeds of A. mertensii: (i) taken from the two AG–ant associations (i.e. seed origin), (ii) in two contrasting light conditions, and (iii) on three different substrates. Light and substrate had significant effects on germination, survival and on eight key leaf traits reflecting plant performance. Seed origin had a significant effect only on germination and on two leaf traits (total dry mass and relative growth rate). Overall, this bromeliad performs better (i.e. high growth and survival rates) when growing both in the shade and in the carton nest developed by C. femoratus ants. These results suggest that the plasticity of the tank bromeliad A. mertensii is mainly due to environment but also to genetic differences related to seed origin, as some traits are heritable. Thus, these two ant species may play contrasting roles in shaping plant evolution and speciation.
Keywords: Aechmea mertensii; bromeliad; French Guiana; germination; plant performance; survival
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Leroy, C., Sabatier, S., Wahyuni, N. S., Barczi, J. F., Dauzat, J., Laurans, M., et al. (2009). Virtual trees and light capture: a method for optimizing agroforestry stand design. Agrofor. Syst., 77(1), 37–47.
Abstract: In agroforestry systems, the distribution of light transmitted under tree canopies can be a limiting factor for the development of intercrops. The light available for intercrops depends on the quantity of light intercepted by tree canopies and, consequently, on the architecture of the tree species present. The influence of tree architecture on light transmission was analysed using dynamic 3D architectural models. The architectural analysis of Acacia mangium and Tectona grandis was performed in Indonesian agroforestry systems with trees aged from 1 to 3 years. 3D virtual trees were then generated with the AmapSim simulation software and 3D virtual experiments in which tree age, planting density, planting pattern and pruning intensity varied were reconstructed in order to simulate light available for the crop. Canopy closure of trees was more rapid in A. mangium than in T. grandis agroforestry systems; after 3 years the quantity of light available for A. mangium intercrops was three times lower than under T. grandis. Simulations with A. mangium showed that practices such as pruning and widening tree spacing enable to increase the total transmitted light within the stand. On T. grandis, modification of the tree row azimuth resulted in changes in the spatial and seasonal distribution of light available for the intercrops. These results are discussed in terms of agroforestry system management.
Keywords: Acacia mangium; Tectona grandis; Agroforestry; Light interception; Plant architecture; Simulation; 3D virtual plant
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