Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness
IntroductionPlant functional traits (FTs) are important for understanding plant ecological strategies (e.g., drought avoidance), especially in the nutrient-poor soils of serpentine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean areas, such ecosystems are characterized by climatic factors (e.g., summer drought) th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1040839/full |
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| author | Noelia Hidalgo-Triana Andrés V. Pérez-Latorre Aristide Cossi Adomou Michael Rudner James H. Thorne |
| author_facet | Noelia Hidalgo-Triana Andrés V. Pérez-Latorre Aristide Cossi Adomou Michael Rudner James H. Thorne |
| author_sort | Noelia Hidalgo-Triana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPlant functional traits (FTs) are important for understanding plant ecological strategies (e.g., drought avoidance), especially in the nutrient-poor soils of serpentine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean areas, such ecosystems are characterized by climatic factors (e.g., summer drought) that exert a filtering effect.Material and MethodsIn our study, we analyzed 24 species with varying serpentine affinity, from strictly serpentine plants to generalist plants, from two ultramafic shrublands in southern Spain, considering four FTs: plant height (H), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and stem specific density (SSD). Additionally, we also identified the species’ dominant strategies to avoid drought and those strategies’ relationship to serpentine affinity. We used principal component analysis to identify combinations of FTs, and cluster analysis to define Functional Groups (FGs).Results and DiscussionWe defined eight FGs, which suggests that such Mediterranean serpentine shrublands are composed of species with wide-ranging of FTs. Indicator traits explained 67–72% of the variability based on four strategies: (1) lower H than in other Mediterranean ecosystems; (2) middling SSD; (3) low LA; and (4) low SLA due to thick and/or dense leaves, which contribute to long leaf survival, nutrient retention, and protection from desiccation and herbivory. Generalist plants had higher SLA than obligate serpentine plants, whereas the obligate serpentine plants showed more drought avoidance mechanisms than the generalists. Although most plant species inhabiting Mediterranean serpentine ecosystems have shown similar ecological adaptations in response to the Mediterranean environment, our results suggest that serpentine obligate plant species could present greater resilience to climate change. Given greater number and more pronounced drought avoidance mechanisms in these species compared with generalists, and the high number of FGs identified, the serpentine plants have shown adaptation to severe drought. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:07:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7856bf7f3b1545ad953c5c989949ab90 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:07:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7856bf7f3b1545ad953c5c989949ab902023-03-13T04:52:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2023-03-011410.3389/fpls.2023.10408391040839Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richnessNoelia Hidalgo-Triana0Andrés V. Pérez-Latorre1Aristide Cossi Adomou2Michael Rudner3James H. Thorne4Botany and Plant Physiology Department, University of Malaga, Málaga, SpainBotany and Plant Physiology Department, University of Malaga, Málaga, SpainDepartment of Plant Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, BeninFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, Weidenbach, GermanyDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United StatesIntroductionPlant functional traits (FTs) are important for understanding plant ecological strategies (e.g., drought avoidance), especially in the nutrient-poor soils of serpentine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean areas, such ecosystems are characterized by climatic factors (e.g., summer drought) that exert a filtering effect.Material and MethodsIn our study, we analyzed 24 species with varying serpentine affinity, from strictly serpentine plants to generalist plants, from two ultramafic shrublands in southern Spain, considering four FTs: plant height (H), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and stem specific density (SSD). Additionally, we also identified the species’ dominant strategies to avoid drought and those strategies’ relationship to serpentine affinity. We used principal component analysis to identify combinations of FTs, and cluster analysis to define Functional Groups (FGs).Results and DiscussionWe defined eight FGs, which suggests that such Mediterranean serpentine shrublands are composed of species with wide-ranging of FTs. Indicator traits explained 67–72% of the variability based on four strategies: (1) lower H than in other Mediterranean ecosystems; (2) middling SSD; (3) low LA; and (4) low SLA due to thick and/or dense leaves, which contribute to long leaf survival, nutrient retention, and protection from desiccation and herbivory. Generalist plants had higher SLA than obligate serpentine plants, whereas the obligate serpentine plants showed more drought avoidance mechanisms than the generalists. Although most plant species inhabiting Mediterranean serpentine ecosystems have shown similar ecological adaptations in response to the Mediterranean environment, our results suggest that serpentine obligate plant species could present greater resilience to climate change. Given greater number and more pronounced drought avoidance mechanisms in these species compared with generalists, and the high number of FGs identified, the serpentine plants have shown adaptation to severe drought.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1040839/fullultramafic vegetationfunctional traitsfunctional groupsadaptationsMediterranean climateserpentinophytes |
| spellingShingle | Noelia Hidalgo-Triana Andrés V. Pérez-Latorre Aristide Cossi Adomou Michael Rudner James H. Thorne Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness Frontiers in Plant Science ultramafic vegetation functional traits functional groups adaptations Mediterranean climate serpentinophytes |
| title | Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| title_full | Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| title_fullStr | Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| title_short | Adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and Mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| title_sort | adaptations to the stressful combination of serpentine soils and mediterranean climate drive plant functional groups and trait richness |
| topic | ultramafic vegetation functional traits functional groups adaptations Mediterranean climate serpentinophytes |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1040839/full |
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