Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes
Widely distributed species are normally subjected to spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions. In sessile organisms like plants, adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity of key functional traits are the main mechanisms through which species can respond to environmental heterogeneity and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2017.00585/full |
| _version_ | 1818507070157094912 |
|---|---|
| author | Jose A. Ramírez-Valiente Alyson Center Alyson Center Jed P. Sparks Kimberlee L. Sparks Julie R. Etterson Timothy Longwell Timothy Longwell George Pilz Jeannine Cavender-Bares |
| author_facet | Jose A. Ramírez-Valiente Alyson Center Alyson Center Jed P. Sparks Kimberlee L. Sparks Julie R. Etterson Timothy Longwell Timothy Longwell George Pilz Jeannine Cavender-Bares |
| author_sort | Jose A. Ramírez-Valiente |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Widely distributed species are normally subjected to spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions. In sessile organisms like plants, adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity of key functional traits are the main mechanisms through which species can respond to environmental heterogeneity and climate change. While extended research has been carried out in temperate species in this regard, there is still limited knowledge as to how species from seasonally-dry tropical climates respond to spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions. In fact, studies of intraspecific genetically-based differences in functional traits are still largely unknown and studies in these ecosystems have largely focused on in situ comparisons where environmental and genetic effects cannot be differentiated. In this study, we tested for ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity in leaf economics spectrum (LES) traits, water use efficiency and growth rates under natural and manipulated precipitation regimes in a common garden experiment where seedlings of eight populations of the neotropical live oak Quercus oleoides were established. We also examined the extent to which intraspecific trait variation was associated with plant performance under different water availability. Similar to interspecific patterns among seasonally-dry tropical tree species, live oak populations with long and severe dry seasons had higher leaf nitrogen content and growth rates than mesic populations, which is consistent with a “fast” resource-acquisition strategy aimed to maximize carbon uptake during the wet season. Specific leaf area (SLA) was the best predictor of plant performance, but contrary to expectations, it was negatively associated with relative and absolute growth rates. This observation was partially explained by the negative association between SLA and area-based photosynthetic rates, which is contrary to LES expectations but similar to other recent intraspecific studies on evergreen oaks. Overall, our study shows strong intraspecific differences in functional traits in a tropical oak, Quercus oleoides, and suggests that precipitation regime has played an important role in driving adaptive divergence in this widespread species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:13:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3082f7b190f34bb5ad83c2225e99cc29 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:13:30Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-3082f7b190f34bb5ad83c2225e99cc292022-12-22T01:31:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2017-05-01810.3389/fpls.2017.00585242877Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation RegimesJose A. Ramírez-Valiente0Alyson Center1Alyson Center2Jed P. Sparks3Kimberlee L. Sparks4Julie R. Etterson5Timothy Longwell6Timothy Longwell7George Pilz8Jeannine Cavender-Bares9Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN, USADepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN, USADepartment of Biology, Normandale Community CollegeBloomington, MN, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USADepartment of Biology, University of Minnesota DuluthDuluth, MN, USAHerbarium Paul C. Standley, Escuela Agricola PanamericanaTegucigalpa, HondurasBiltmore Environmental ConsultantsLoveland, CO, USAHerbarium Paul C. Standley, Escuela Agricola PanamericanaTegucigalpa, HondurasDepartment of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN, USAWidely distributed species are normally subjected to spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions. In sessile organisms like plants, adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity of key functional traits are the main mechanisms through which species can respond to environmental heterogeneity and climate change. While extended research has been carried out in temperate species in this regard, there is still limited knowledge as to how species from seasonally-dry tropical climates respond to spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions. In fact, studies of intraspecific genetically-based differences in functional traits are still largely unknown and studies in these ecosystems have largely focused on in situ comparisons where environmental and genetic effects cannot be differentiated. In this study, we tested for ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity in leaf economics spectrum (LES) traits, water use efficiency and growth rates under natural and manipulated precipitation regimes in a common garden experiment where seedlings of eight populations of the neotropical live oak Quercus oleoides were established. We also examined the extent to which intraspecific trait variation was associated with plant performance under different water availability. Similar to interspecific patterns among seasonally-dry tropical tree species, live oak populations with long and severe dry seasons had higher leaf nitrogen content and growth rates than mesic populations, which is consistent with a “fast” resource-acquisition strategy aimed to maximize carbon uptake during the wet season. Specific leaf area (SLA) was the best predictor of plant performance, but contrary to expectations, it was negatively associated with relative and absolute growth rates. This observation was partially explained by the negative association between SLA and area-based photosynthetic rates, which is contrary to LES expectations but similar to other recent intraspecific studies on evergreen oaks. Overall, our study shows strong intraspecific differences in functional traits in a tropical oak, Quercus oleoides, and suggests that precipitation regime has played an important role in driving adaptive divergence in this widespread species.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2017.00585/fulllocal adaptationphenotypic plasticityecotypesleaf economics spectrumQuercus oleoideswater stress |
| spellingShingle | Jose A. Ramírez-Valiente Alyson Center Alyson Center Jed P. Sparks Kimberlee L. Sparks Julie R. Etterson Timothy Longwell Timothy Longwell George Pilz Jeannine Cavender-Bares Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes Frontiers in Plant Science local adaptation phenotypic plasticity ecotypes leaf economics spectrum Quercus oleoides water stress |
| title | Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes |
| title_full | Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes |
| title_fullStr | Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes |
| title_short | Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes |
| title_sort | population level differentiation in growth rates and leaf traits in seedlings of the neotropical live oak quercus oleoides grown under natural and manipulated precipitation regimes |
| topic | local adaptation phenotypic plasticity ecotypes leaf economics spectrum Quercus oleoides water stress |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpls.2017.00585/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josearamirezvaliente populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT alysoncenter populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT alysoncenter populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT jedpsparks populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT kimberleelsparks populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT julieretterson populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT timothylongwell populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT timothylongwell populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT georgepilz populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes AT jeanninecavenderbares populationleveldifferentiationingrowthratesandleaftraitsinseedlingsoftheneotropicalliveoakquercusoleoidesgrownundernaturalandmanipulatedprecipitationregimes |