Macroevolutionary Patterns of Phytochemical Diversity in a Macaronesian Archipelago

IF 6.3 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2025-07-14 DOI:10.1111/geb.70089

Xoaquín Moreira, Luis Abdala-Roberts, Jonay Cubas, Beatriz Lago-Núñez, Nereida M. Rancel-Rodríguez, Cristina González-Montelongo, Gaétan Glauser, Matthieu Bueche, Emmanuel Defossez, Juli Caujapé-Castells, Víctor Bello-Rodríguez, Juan José García-Alvarado, Ángel B. Fernández-López, Pablo Vargas, Sergio Rasmann

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Plant specialised metabolites are highly diverse and serve various functions, yet the different forms of phytochemical complexity and their drivers are often not fully understood. In this context, islands provide a valuable opportunity to explore the drivers of phytochemical diversity and its adaptive significance, owing to their unique physical features and markedly different biotic and abiotic pressures compared to the mainland.

Location

Macaronesian region.

Time Period

Contemporary.

Major Taxa Studied

Vascular plants.

Methods

We investigated macroevolutionary patterns in the diversity of plant specialised chemistry by conducting metabolomic analyses of leaf samples from 54 species on the Canary Islands. Our goal was to determine whether the mean crown node age, which relates to a species' island residence time, influences phytochemical diversity. To gain mechanistic insight into selective abiotic pressures, we also examined whether temperature and precipitation, associated with species' climatic niches, affected phytochemical diversity.

Results

Crown age did not correlate with overall phytochemical diversity but did influence the production of specific metabolite groups, with some types of compounds showing a positive correlation and others a negative correlation with crown age. Temperature and precipitation played significant roles in shaping phytochemical diversity, with temperature having a negative influence and precipitation exerting a positive effect. Both climatic factors also affected the levels of specific compound groups, driving either an increase or decrease depending on the metabolite type.

Main Conclusions

Our findings reveal novel linkages between phytochemical diversity, climate and species residence time on islands, suggesting evolutionary processes that lead to divergent patterns of plant phytochemical complexity. Exploring these evolutionary mechanisms and the extent to which these patterns represent adaptive responses (e.g., to climate) can ccontribute to advancing our understanding of phytochemical variation.

Abstract Image

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马卡罗尼西亚群岛植物化学多样性的宏观进化模式

植物专用代谢物是高度多样化的，具有多种功能，但不同形式的植物化学复杂性及其驱动因素往往不完全清楚。在此背景下，由于岛屿独特的物理特征以及与大陆相比明显不同的生物和非生物压力，岛屿为探索植物化学多样性的驱动因素及其适应意义提供了宝贵的机会。地理位置：马卡罗尼西亚地区。时代：当代。维管植物的主要分类群。方法通过对加那利群岛54种植物的叶片样本进行代谢组学分析，研究了植物特殊化学多样性的宏观进化模式。我们的目标是确定平均冠结年龄是否影响植物化学多样性，这与物种在岛屿上的停留时间有关。为了深入了解选择性非生物压力的机理，我们还研究了与物种气候生态位相关的温度和降水是否会影响植物化学多样性。结果树冠年龄与植物化学多样性总体不相关，但会影响特定代谢物群的产生，某些类型的化合物与树冠年龄呈正相关，另一些类型的化合物与树冠年龄呈负相关。温度和降水对植物化学多样性的形成具有显著影响，温度具有负向影响，降水具有正向影响。这两种气候因素也影响特定化合物组的水平，根据代谢物类型驱动增加或减少。我们的发现揭示了植物化学多样性、气候和物种在岛屿上的停留时间之间的新联系，表明进化过程导致了植物化学复杂性的不同模式。探索这些进化机制以及这些模式在多大程度上代表了适应性反应（例如，对气候的反应），可以有助于提高我们对植物化学变异的理解。

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来源期刊

Global Ecology and Biogeography 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

170

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB) welcomes papers that investigate broad-scale (in space, time and/or taxonomy), general patterns in the organization of ecological systems and assemblages, and the processes that underlie them. In particular, GEB welcomes studies that use macroecological methods, comparative analyses, meta-analyses, reviews, spatial analyses and modelling to arrive at general, conceptual conclusions. Studies in GEB need not be global in spatial extent, but the conclusions and implications of the study must be relevant to ecologists and biogeographers globally, rather than being limited to local areas, or specific taxa. Similarly, GEB is not limited to spatial studies; we are equally interested in the general patterns of nature through time, among taxa (e.g., body sizes, dispersal abilities), through the course of evolution, etc. Further, GEB welcomes papers that investigate general impacts of human activities on ecological systems in accordance with the above criteria.