scholarly journals Leaf traits as indicators of resource-use strategy in floras with succulent species

2002 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Vendramini ◽  
Sandra Díaz ◽  
Diego E. Gurvich ◽  
Peter J. Wilson ◽  
Ken Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Leaf Traits

scholarly journals Functional composition and diversity of leaf traits in subalpine versus alpine vegetation in the Apennines

AoB Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Stanisci ◽  
Alessandro Bricca ◽  
Valentina Calabrese ◽  
Maurizio Cutini ◽  
Harald Pauli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Maximum Height ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Functional Composition

Abstract Mediterranean high mountain grasslands are shaped by climatic stress and understanding their functional adaptations can contribute to better understanding ecosystems’ response to global change. The present work analyses the plant functional traits of high-elevation grasslands growing in Mediterranean limestone mountains to explore, at the community level, the presence of different plant strategies for resource use (conservative vs. acquisitive) and functional diversity syndromes (convergent or divergent). Thus, we compared the functional composition and diversity of the above-ground traits related to resource acquisition strategies of subalpine and alpine calcareous grasslands in the central Apennines, a mountain region characterized by a dry-summer Mediterranean climate. We used georeferenced vegetation plots and field-measured plant functional traits (plant maximum height, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content) for the dominant species of two characteristic vegetation types: the subalpine Sesleria juncifolia community and the alpine Silene acaulis community. Both communities are of particular conservation concern and are rich in endemic species for which plant functional traits are measured here for the first time. We analysed the functional composition and diversity using the community-weighted mean trait index and the functional diversity using Rao’s function, and we assessed how much the observed pattern deviated from a random distribution by calculating the respective standardized effect sizes. The results highlighted that an acquisitive resource use strategy and relatively higher functional diversity of leaf traits prevail in the alpine S. acaulis community, optimizing a rapid carbon gain, which would help overcome the constraints exerted by the short growing season. The divergent functional strategy underlines the co-occurrence of different leaf traits in the alpine grasslands, which shows good adaptation to a microhabitat-rich environment. Conversely, in the subalpine S. juncifolia grassland, a conservative resource use strategy and relatively lower functional diversity of the leaf traits are likely related to a high level resistance to aridity over a longer growing season. Our outcomes indicate the preadaptation strategy of the subalpine S. juncifolia grassland to shift upwards to the alpine zone that will become warmer and drier as a result of anthropogenic climate change.

scholarly journals Shifting from acquisitive to conservative: the effects of Phoradendron affine (Santalaceae) infection in leaf morpho-physiological traits of a Neotropical tree species

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Corrêa Scalon ◽  
Sabrina Alves dos Reis ◽  
Davi Rodrigo Rossatto
Keyword(s):  
Water Potential ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Physiological Traits ◽  
Nutrient Imbalance ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Neotropical Tree ◽  
Leaf Area And Thickness

Mistletoes are parasitic plants that penetrate the host branches through a modified root and connect to their xylem to acquire nutrients and water. Under mistletoe infection, resources that would otherwise be used by the host are stolen by the parasite. Our aim was to compare leaf morpho-physiological traits between healthy uninfected branches and mistletoe-infected branches of a Neotropical tree species (Handroanthus chrysotrichus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos – Bignoniaceae). We also investigated differences between mistletoe and host leaf traits. Morphological (petiole length and thickness, leaf area and thickness, and specific leaf area) and physiological leaf traits (pre-dawn and midday water potential) were measured in 10 individuals infected with the mistletoe Phoradendron affine (Pohl ex DC.) Engl. & K.Krause (Santalaceae). Mistletoes showed smaller and thicker leaves with lower pre-dawn and midday water potential, suggesting that mistletoes are more profligate water users than the host. Host leaves from infected branches were scleromorphic and showed stronger water-use control (less negative water potential) than host leaves from uninfected branches. Our results indicated that leaves from infected branches shifted to a more conservative resource-use strategy as a response to a water and nutrient imbalance caused by mistletoe infection.

Leaf traits of African woody savanna species across climate and soil fertility gradients: evidence for conservative versus acquisitive resource-use strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 1357-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Wigley ◽  
Jasper A. Slingsby ◽  
Sandra Díaz ◽  
William J. Bond ◽  
Hervé Fritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Soil Fertility Gradients

scholarly journals Coordination of leaf and stem traits in 25 species of Fagaceae from three biomes of East Asia

Botany ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (7) ◽  
pp. 391-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiyosada Kawai ◽  
Naoki Okada
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Temperate Forests ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Nutrient Use ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Cool Temperate ◽  
Warm Temperate

It has been debated whether leaf and stem economics spectra are coordinated across species, because previous studies have provided contradictory results. These studies have been restricted to single biomes, and we hypothesize that climate seasonality may determine the strength of coordination between leaf and stem trait combinations. Herein, using 25 Fagaceae species from East Asia, we investigated the coordination of 16 leaf traits and 5 stem traits across and within three biomes (cool temperate, warm temperate, and tropical forests). The traits were chosen to reflect multiple aspects of plant adaptive strategies, such as water, carbon, and nutrient use. The leaf and stem traits of species that reflect resource-use strategies for different resources were functionally coordinated, forming a single axis of trait variation across biomes. This axis represents the trade-off between fast and slow resource-use strategies. We found the trend that the coordination between leaf and stem traits was the strongest in cool temperate forests after removing two Fagus species, followed by warm temperate forests, but was not observed in tropical forests. Our results support the proposed model that plants vary from slow to fast resource exploitation, using closely related species, and suggest that temperature modulates the coordination of leaf and stem economics spectra.

Differences in productivity QOL, and resource use in newly diagnosed and established irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients

2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A634-A634
Author(s):  
P JHINGRAN ◽  
J RICCI ◽  
M MARKOWITZ ◽  
S GORDON ◽  
A ASGHARIAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Type D personality in Greek employees: Somatization, cardiovascular events and healthcare resource use

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasios Lagoudis ◽  
Christine Varvara ◽  
Panagiotis Stafylas ◽  
Stavros Gousopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Cardiovascular Events ◽  
Healthcare Resource ◽  
Type D Personality ◽  
Healthcare Resource Use ◽  
Type D
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