Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species
IntroductionTropical forests harbor a large diversity of closely related tree species that can thrive across habitats. This biodiversity has been found to correspond to large functional diversity in aboveground traits, and likely also relates to belowground trait variation. Globally, root trait (co-...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1187127/full |
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| author | Monique Weemstra Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes Claire Fortunel Erick M. Oblitas Mendoza Eduardo M. B. Prata Magno Vásquez Pilco Magno Vásquez Pilco Alberto Vicentini Jason Vleminckx Christopher Baraloto |
| author_facet | Monique Weemstra Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes Claire Fortunel Erick M. Oblitas Mendoza Eduardo M. B. Prata Magno Vásquez Pilco Magno Vásquez Pilco Alberto Vicentini Jason Vleminckx Christopher Baraloto |
| author_sort | Monique Weemstra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionTropical forests harbor a large diversity of closely related tree species that can thrive across habitats. This biodiversity has been found to correspond to large functional diversity in aboveground traits, and likely also relates to belowground trait variation. Globally, root trait (co-)variation is driven by different belowground resource strategies of species, environmental variation, and phylogeny; however, these patterns mostly reflect observations from temperate biomes and remain unconfirmed in tropical trees. We examine phylogenetic and environmental effects on root trait (co-)variation of trees across habitats in an Amazonian rainforest.MethodsRoots of 218 tree species from ten dominant families were sampled across three major habitats near Manaus, Brazil. We quantified five morphological and architectural root traits to (i) investigate how they reflected different resource strategies across species, (ii) compare them between families and superorders to test phylogenetic effects, and (iii) compare them between habitats to determine environmental effects on root trait expressions and variability.ResultsRoot traits discriminated species along a tradeoff between root diameter and root branching and, secondly, due to variation in root tissue density. Our results further show weak phylogenetic effects on tropical tree root variation, for example, families from the same superorder showed large divergence in their root traits, while those from different superorders often overlapped in their root morphology and architecture. Root traits differed significantly between habitats but habitat type had only little effect on overall root trait variation.DiscussionOur work suggests that the dimensions and drivers that underlie (co-)variation in tropical root traits may differ from global patterns defined by mostly temperate datasets. Due to (a)biotic environmental differences, different root trait dimensions may underlie the belowground functional diversity in (Neo)tropical forests, and we found little evidence for the strong phylogenetic conservatism observed in root traits in temperate biomes. We highlight important avenues for future research on tropical roots in order to determine the degree of, and shifts in functional diversity belowground as communities and environments change in tropical forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:04:14Z |
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| id | doaj.art-3a5a35ca3386406696bc3458a913b118 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-893X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:04:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| spelling | doaj.art-3a5a35ca3386406696bc3458a913b1182023-06-06T13:19:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Forests and Global Change2624-893X2023-05-01610.3389/ffgc.2023.11871271187127Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree speciesMonique Weemstra0Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes1Claire Fortunel2Erick M. Oblitas Mendoza3Eduardo M. B. Prata4Magno Vásquez Pilco5Magno Vásquez Pilco6Alberto Vicentini7Jason Vleminckx8Christopher Baraloto9Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United StatesDepartment of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United StatesAMAP (Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), Université de Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier, FranceCoordination of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Amazonian Research, Manaus, BrazilLaboratório de Ecologia e Evolução de Plantas da Amazônia (Labotam), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, BrazilFacultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos, PeruPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Botânica, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilDepartment of Biology of Organisms, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United StatesIntroductionTropical forests harbor a large diversity of closely related tree species that can thrive across habitats. This biodiversity has been found to correspond to large functional diversity in aboveground traits, and likely also relates to belowground trait variation. Globally, root trait (co-)variation is driven by different belowground resource strategies of species, environmental variation, and phylogeny; however, these patterns mostly reflect observations from temperate biomes and remain unconfirmed in tropical trees. We examine phylogenetic and environmental effects on root trait (co-)variation of trees across habitats in an Amazonian rainforest.MethodsRoots of 218 tree species from ten dominant families were sampled across three major habitats near Manaus, Brazil. We quantified five morphological and architectural root traits to (i) investigate how they reflected different resource strategies across species, (ii) compare them between families and superorders to test phylogenetic effects, and (iii) compare them between habitats to determine environmental effects on root trait expressions and variability.ResultsRoot traits discriminated species along a tradeoff between root diameter and root branching and, secondly, due to variation in root tissue density. Our results further show weak phylogenetic effects on tropical tree root variation, for example, families from the same superorder showed large divergence in their root traits, while those from different superorders often overlapped in their root morphology and architecture. Root traits differed significantly between habitats but habitat type had only little effect on overall root trait variation.DiscussionOur work suggests that the dimensions and drivers that underlie (co-)variation in tropical root traits may differ from global patterns defined by mostly temperate datasets. Due to (a)biotic environmental differences, different root trait dimensions may underlie the belowground functional diversity in (Neo)tropical forests, and we found little evidence for the strong phylogenetic conservatism observed in root traits in temperate biomes. We highlight important avenues for future research on tropical roots in order to determine the degree of, and shifts in functional diversity belowground as communities and environments change in tropical forests.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1187127/fullAmazon forestfunctional diversityphylogenybelowground traitsroot economics spacetropical forests |
| spellingShingle | Monique Weemstra Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes Claire Fortunel Erick M. Oblitas Mendoza Eduardo M. B. Prata Magno Vásquez Pilco Magno Vásquez Pilco Alberto Vicentini Jason Vleminckx Christopher Baraloto Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species Frontiers in Forests and Global Change Amazon forest functional diversity phylogeny belowground traits root economics space tropical forests |
| title | Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species |
| title_full | Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species |
| title_fullStr | Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species |
| title_short | Weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 Neotropical tree species |
| title_sort | weak phylogenetic and habitat effects on root trait variation of 218 neotropical tree species |
| topic | Amazon forest functional diversity phylogeny belowground traits root economics space tropical forests |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1187127/full |
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