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Fortunel, C., Fine, P. V. A., & Baraloto, C. (2012). Leaf, stem and root tissue strategies across 758 Neotropical tree species. Funct. Ecol., 26(5), 1153–1161.
Abstract: 1. Trade-offs among functional traits reveal major plant strategies that can give insight into species distributions and ecosystem processes. However, current identification of plant strategies lacks the integration of root structural traits together with leaf and stem traits. 2. We examined correlations among 14 traits representing leaf, stem and woody root tissues. Traits were measured on 1084 individuals representing 758 Neotropical tree species, across 13 sites representative of the environmental variation encompassed by three widespread habitats (seasonally flooded, clay terra firme and white-sand forests) at opposite ends of Amazonia (French Guiana and Peru). 3. Woody root traits were closely aligned with stem traits, but not with leaf traits. Altogether leaf, stem and woody root traits delineated two orthogonal axes of functional trade-offs: a first axis defined by leaf traits, corresponding to a 'leaf economics spectrum', and a second axis defined by covarying stem and woody root traits, corresponding to a 'wood economics spectrum'. These axes remained consistent when accounting for species evolutionary history with phylogenetically independent contrasts. 4. Despite the strong species turnover across sites, the covariation among root and stem structural traits as well as their orthogonality to leaf traits were strongly consistent across habitats and regions. 5. We conclude that root structural traits mirrored stem traits rather than leaf traits in Neotropical trees. Leaf and wood traits define an integrated whole-plant strategy in lowland South American forests that may contribute to a more complete understanding of plant responses to global changes in both correlative and modelling approaches. We suggest further meta-analyses in expanded environmental and geographic zones to determine the generality of this pattern. © 2012 The Authors. Functional Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.
Keywords: French Guiana; Functional trade-offs; Leaf economics; Peru; Plant traits; Tropical forest; Wood economics
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Audigeos, D., Brousseau, L., Traissac, S., Scotti-Saintagne, C., & Scotti, I. (2013). Molecular divergence in tropical tree populations occupying environmental mosaics. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 26(3), 529–544.
Abstract: Unveiling the genetic basis of local adaptation to environmental variation is a major goal in molecular ecology. In rugged landscapes characterized by environmental mosaics, living populations and communities can experience steep ecological gradients over very short geographical distances. In lowland tropical forests, interspecific divergence in edaphic specialization (for seasonally flooded bottomlands and seasonally dry terra firme soils) has been proven by ecological studies on adaptive traits. Some species are nevertheless capable of covering the entire span of the gradient; intraspecific variation for adaptation to contrasting conditions may explain the distribution of such ecological generalists. We investigated whether local divergence happens at small spatial scales in two stands of Eperua falcata (Fabaceae), a widespread tree species of the Guiana Shield. We investigated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) and sequence divergence as well as spatial genetic structure (SGS) at four genes putatively involved in stress response and three genes with unknown function. Significant genetic differentiation was observed among sub-populations within stands, and eight SNP loci showed patterns compatible with disruptive selection. SGS analysis showed genetic turnover along the gradients at three loci, and at least one haplotype was found to be in repulsion with one habitat. Taken together, these results suggest genetic differentiation at small spatial scale in spite of gene flow. We hypothesize that heterogeneous environments may cause molecular divergence, possibly associated to local adaptation in E. falcata. © 2012 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.
Keywords: Candidate genes; Drought; Eperua falcata; Flooding; Neotropics; Outlier loci; Tree genetics
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Kattge, J., Bönisch, G., Díaz, S., Lavorel, S., Prentice, I. C., Leadley, P., et al. (2020). TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biol., 26(1), 119–188.
Abstract: Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
Keywords: data coverage; data integration; data representativeness; functional diversity; plant traits; TRY plant trait database; biodiversity; data processing; database; ecological modeling; environmental factor; growth; intraspecific competition; access to information; biodiversity; ecology; ecosystem; plant; Access to Information; Biodiversity; Ecology; Ecosystem; Plants
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Almeras, T., & Gril, J. (2007). Mechanical analysis of the strains generated by water tension in plant stems. Part 1: stress transmission from the water to the cell walls. Tree Physiol., 27(11), 1505–1516.
Abstract: Plant tissues shrink and swell in response to changes in water pressure. These strains can be easily measured, e.g., at the surface of tree stems, to obtain indirect information about plant water status and other physiological parameters. We developed a mechanical model to clarify how water pressure is transmitted to cell walls and causes shrinkage of plant tissues, particularly in the case of thick-walled cells such as wood fibers. Our analysis shows that the stress inside the fiber cell walls is lower than the water tension. The difference is accounted for by a stress transmission factor that depends on two main effects. The first effect is the dilution of the stress through the cell wall, because water acts at the lumen border and is transmitted to the cuter border of the cell, which has a larger circumference. The second effect is the partial conversion of radial stress into tangential stress. Both effects are quantified as functions of parameters of the cell wall structure and its mechanical properties.
Keywords: biomechanics; cell mechanics; diurnal strains; mechanical model; multilayer cylinder; stress transtnissionjactor
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Sierra, J., Daudin, D., Domenach, A. M., Nygren, P., & Desfontaines, L. (2007). Nitrogen transfer from a legume tree to the associated grass estimated by the isotopic signature of tree root exudates: A comparison of the N-15 leaf feeding and natural N-15 abundance methods. Eur. J. Agron., 27(2-4), 178–186.
Abstract: Nitrogen (N) transfer from legume trees to associated crops is a key factor for the N economy of low-input agroforestry systems. In this work, we presented a new approach to estimate N transfer based on the N-15 content of root exudates and N released by root turnover of the donor plant (Gliricidia sepium) and the temporal change of the N-15 content of the receiver plant (Dichanthium aristatum). The study was carried out in greenhouse using two isotopic methods: N-15 leaf feeding (LF) and the natural N-15 abundance (NA). Measurements of exudate N-15 were made at several dates before and after tree pruning. A time-dependent box model was devised to quantify N transfer in time and to make comparisons between the isotopic methods. In NA, although tree roots and exudates presented a similar N-15 signature before tree pruning, exudates were strongly depleted in N-15 after pruning. In LF, exudates were always depleted in N-15 in relation to tree roots. Hence, the current assumption used in N transfer studies concerning the equal N-15/N-14 distribution in tissues of the donor plant and in its excreted N was not confirmed in our study. Before pruning, N transfer functioned as a two-N-source system (soil N and exudates N) and both isotopic methods provided similar estimates: 11-12% for LF and 10-15% for NA. Calculations per-formed with the model indicated that N transfer occurred with small or nil fractionation of N-15 in exudates. After pruning, there was a third N source associated with N released from tree root turnover. During this period, the isotopic signature of the receiver plant showed a transient state due to the progressive decrease of N-15 content of that N source. The amount of N derived from the tree represented 65% of the total N content of the. grass at the end of the experiments. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: agroforestry; box model; gliricidia sepium; N-15 fractionation; root turnover; tree pruning
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Ruelle, J., Clair, B., Beauchene, J., Prevost, M. F., & Fournier, M. (2006). Tension wood and opposite wood in 21 tropical rain forest species 2. Comparison of some anatomical and ultrastructural criteria. IAWA J., 27(4), 341–376.
Abstract: The anatomy of tension wood and opposite wood was compared in 21 tropical rain forest trees from 21 species belonging to 18 families from French Guyana. Wood specimens were taken from the upper and lower sides of naturally tilted trees. Measurement of the growth stress level ensured that the two samples were taken from wood tissues in a different mechanical state: highly tensile-stressed wood on the upper side, called tension wood and normally tensile-stressed wood on the lower side, called opposite wood. Quantitative parameters relating to fibres and vessels were measured on transverse sections of both tension and opposite wood to check if certain criteria can easily discriminate the two kinds of wood. We observed a decrease in the frequency of vessels in the tension wood in all the trees studied. Other criteria concerning shape and surface area of the vessels, fibre diameter or cell wall thickness did not reveal any general trend. At the ultrastructural level, we observed that the microfibril angle in the tension wood sample was lower than in opposite wood in all the trees except one (Licania membranacea).
Keywords: tension wood; opposite wood; tropical rain forest; vessels; wood anatomy; wood fibre
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Clair, B., Ruelle, J., Beauchene, J., Prevost, M. F., & Fournier, M. (2006). Tension wood and opposite wood in 21 tropical rain forest species 1. Occurrence and efficiency of the G-layer. IAWA J., 27(3), 329–338.
Abstract: Wood samples were taken from the upper and lower sides of 21 naturally tilted trees from 18 families of angiosperms in the tropical rain forest in French Guyana. The measurement of growth stresses ensured that the two samples were taken from wood tissues in a different mechanical state: highly tensile stressed wood on the upper side, called tension wood, and lower tensile stressed wood on the lower side, called opposite wood. Eight species had tension wood fibres with a distinct gelatinous layer (G-layer). The distribution of gelatinous fibres varied from species to species. One of the species, Casearia javitensis (Flacourtiaceae), showed a peculiar multilayered secondary wall in its reaction wood. Comparison between the stress level and the occurrence of the G-layer indicates that the G-layer is not a key factor in the production of high tensile stressed wood.
Keywords: gelatinous layer; G-layer; French Guyana; tropical rain forest; tension wood; wood anatomy
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Fonty, E., Molino, J. F., Prevost, M. F., & Sabatier, D. (2011). A new case of neotropical monodominant forest: Spirotropis longifolia (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in French Guiana. J. Trop. Ecol., 27(6), 641–644.
Keywords: French Guiana; layering; monodominance; sprouting; supporting strategy; suppressive strategy; tropical rain forests
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Chartier, M., Pélozuelo, L., Buatois, B., Bessière, J. - M., & Gibernau, M. (2013). Geographical variations of odour and pollinators, and test for local adaptation by reciprocal transplant of two European Arum species. Funct. Ecol., 27(6), 1367–1381.
Abstract: Interactions between entomophilous plants and their pollinators are one of the major factors shaping the evolution of floral features. As species are distributed in more or less connected populations, they have evolved in a geographical mosaic of co-evolution were the outcome of the plant-pollinator interaction is likely to vary as a result of local adaptations. Arum italicum and Arum maculatum are two species of Araceae which deceive their fly pollinators by mimicking the odour of their oviposition sites. Whereas A. italicum is known to be pollinated by flies belonging to different families (i.e. opportunist), A. maculatum relies on only two pollinating species of the family Psychodidae throughout its European repartition area (i.e. specialist). The interannual and geographical variations of pollinators and pollinator-attractive odours were described in several populations of the two species over two consecutive years. Furthermore, local adaptation to pollinators was tested by transplanting inflorescence-bearing plants between two different sites and by recording the number and composition of the insect fauna trapped inside the inflorescences during anthesis as a measure of a fitness component. Pollinators and pollinator-attractive odours of the two Arum species varied in time and space, but there was no clear odour structure between populations. When transplanted, inflorescences of both species trapped the same composition and number of insects as native inflorescences at a given site; this indicates that pollinator composition is highly dependent on the local availability of insects. No pattern of local adaptation was found for these two species, but local pollination conditions were shown to strongly affect the degree of geographical variations of these interactions. The lack of a clear odour geographical structure might be due to high gene flow or to similar selective pressures exerted by pollinators, and the high interindividual odour variation may be linked to the deceptive strategy adopted by the two plant species. © 2013 British Ecological Society.
Keywords: Deception; Diptera; Floral scent; Geographical mosaic; Psychodidae; Sapromyophily; Transplant experiment
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Denis, T., Richard-Hansen, C., Brunaux, O., Etienne, M. - P., Guitet, S., & Herault, B. (2017). Biological traits, rather than environment, shape detection curves of large vertebrates in neotropical rainforests. Ecol Appl, 27(5), 1564–1577.
Abstract: Line transect surveys are widely used in Neotropical rainforests to estimate the population abundance of medium- and large-sized vertebrates. The use of indices such as encounter rate has been criticized because the probability of animal detection may fluctuate due to the heterogeneity of environmental conditions among sites. In addition, the morphological and behavioral characteristics (biological traits) of species affect their detectability. In this study, we compared the extent to which environmental conditions and species’ biological traits bias abundance estimates in terra firme rainforests in French Guiana. The selected environmental conditions included both physical conditions and forest structure covariates, while the selected biological traits included the morphological and behavioral characteristics of species. We used the distance sampling method to model the detection probability as an explicit function of environmental conditions and biological traits and implemented a model selection process to determine the relative importance of each group of covariates. Biological traits contributed to the variability of animal detectability more than environmental conditions, which had only a marginal effect. Detectability was best for large animals with uniform or disruptive markings that live in groups in the canopy top. Detectability was worst for small, solitary, terrestrial animals with mottled markings. In the terra firme rainforests that represent ~80% of the Amazonia and Guianas regions, our findings support the use of relative indices such as the encounter rate to compare population abundance between sites in species-specific studies. Even though terra firme rainforests may appear similar between regions of Amazonia and the Guianas, comparability must be ensured, especially in forests disturbed by human activity. The detection probability can be used as an indicator of species’ vulnerability to hunting and, thus, to the risk of local extinction. Only a few biological trait covariates are required to correctly estimate the detectability of the majority of medium- and large-sized vertebrates. Thus, a biological trait model could be useful in predicting the detection probabilities of rare, uncommon, or localized species for which few data are available to fit the detection function.
Keywords: abundance; camouflage; distance sampling; encounter rate; French Guiana; hunting vulnerability; line transect; Neotropical terra firme rainforests; relative abundance
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