Intraindividual Variability as a Large Source of Trait Variation in Clonal Tundra Dwarf Shrubs Along Elevation and Latitude Gradients

IF 6 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2025-09-23 DOI:10.1111/geb.70134

Alba Anadon-Rosell, Amanda Casanovas, Manuela Bog, Estela Illa, Jürgen Kreyling, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Josep M. Ninot, Aaron Pérez-Haase, Martin Wilmking

{"title":"Intraindividual Variability as a Large Source of Trait Variation in Clonal Tundra Dwarf Shrubs Along Elevation and Latitude Gradients","authors":"Alba Anadon-Rosell, Amanda Casanovas, Manuela Bog, Estela Illa, Jürgen Kreyling, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Josep M. Ninot, Aaron Pérez-Haase, Martin Wilmking","doi":"10.1111/geb.70134","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aim</h3>\n \n <p>Intraindividual trait variability (iITV), which is the variability among repeated architectural units within an individual, may represent a crucial dimension of functional diversity in plant eco-evolutionary dynamics. Although inter- and intraspecific trait variability have been widely studied, the extent of iITV remains largely overlooked. Since iITV might be especially relevant in long-lived clonal plants, we investigated sources of trait variability (species, site, clone, ramet, leaf) in tundra clonal dwarf shrubs, particularly focusing on iITV and its potential drivers.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Location</h3>\n \n <p>Europe.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Time Period</h3>\n \n <p>July 2019 to September 2020.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Major Taxa Studied</h3>\n \n <p>Clonal dwarf shrubs.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We sampled four widespread boreo-alpine clonal dwarf shrub species (<i>Dryas octopetala</i>, <i>Empetrum hermaphroditum</i>, <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> and <i>Vaccinium uliginosum</i>) along elevation gradients in the Pyrenees and along a latitude gradient in Europe. At each site, we selected four clones per species and sampled five ramets per clone. We measured size-architectural traits in each ramet and leaf traits in five leaves per ramet. We quantified interspecific, intraspecific and iITV, investigated the relationship between iITV and both climate and clone structural variables, and compared sampling protocols either accounting for or ignoring iITV.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Although interspecific trait variability was substantial, we found large proportions of iITV within species. Size-architectural traits showed larger iITV (up to 100% of ITV), but leaf traits also showed remarkable values (up to 77%). Our results showed that iITV increased with mean annual temperature for specific leaf area. However, climate and clone structural variables were not predictive for iITV for any other trait.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Our quantification of iITV in clonal dwarf shrubs evidences the importance of this source of variability and its potential ecological implications and emphasises the need to integrate it in sampling protocols, both to avoid bias in comparative studies and improve the predictive capacity of trait-based approaches in population and community ecology.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":176,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/geb.70134","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.70134","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Intraindividual trait variability (iITV), which is the variability among repeated architectural units within an individual, may represent a crucial dimension of functional diversity in plant eco-evolutionary dynamics. Although inter- and intraspecific trait variability have been widely studied, the extent of iITV remains largely overlooked. Since iITV might be especially relevant in long-lived clonal plants, we investigated sources of trait variability (species, site, clone, ramet, leaf) in tundra clonal dwarf shrubs, particularly focusing on iITV and its potential drivers.

Location

Europe.

Time Period

July 2019 to September 2020.

Major Taxa Studied

Clonal dwarf shrubs.

Methods

We sampled four widespread boreo-alpine clonal dwarf shrub species (Dryas octopetala, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium uliginosum) along elevation gradients in the Pyrenees and along a latitude gradient in Europe. At each site, we selected four clones per species and sampled five ramets per clone. We measured size-architectural traits in each ramet and leaf traits in five leaves per ramet. We quantified interspecific, intraspecific and iITV, investigated the relationship between iITV and both climate and clone structural variables, and compared sampling protocols either accounting for or ignoring iITV.

Results

Although interspecific trait variability was substantial, we found large proportions of iITV within species. Size-architectural traits showed larger iITV (up to 100% of ITV), but leaf traits also showed remarkable values (up to 77%). Our results showed that iITV increased with mean annual temperature for specific leaf area. However, climate and clone structural variables were not predictive for iITV for any other trait.

Conclusions

Our quantification of iITV in clonal dwarf shrubs evidences the importance of this source of variability and its potential ecological implications and emphasises the need to integrate it in sampling protocols, both to avoid bias in comparative studies and improve the predictive capacity of trait-based approaches in population and community ecology.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

无性系苔原矮灌木沿海拔和纬度梯度性状变异的主要来源——个体内变异

个体内性状变异（iITV）是指个体内重复结构单元之间的变异，可能是植物生态进化动力学中功能多样性的一个重要维度。尽管种间和种内性状变异已被广泛研究，但iITV的程度在很大程度上仍被忽视。由于iITV可能与长寿的无性系植物特别相关，我们研究了冻土带无性系矮灌木性状变异的来源（种、位、无性系、分株、叶片），特别关注iITV及其潜在驱动因素。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

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.