Phylogeny and phenotypic adjustments drive functional traits in Rhododendron across elevations in its diversity hot-spot in W-China

IF 2.6 3区 生物学 Q2 PLANT SCIENCES
Jin-Mei Liu, Jurriaan M. de Vos, Christian Körner, Yang Yang
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mountains represent ‘experiments by nature’ that permit testing ecological theory. Using herbarium samples of 92 Rhododendron species collected between 800 and 4500 m a.sl. in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region, SW China, we explored congeneric elevational trends in key plant traits at the among- and at the within-species level. We aimed at identifying the contributing factors to phenotypic trait expression across a climatic gradient, distinguishing effects in response to elevation from those due to phylogenetic relatedness, non-phylogenetic species effect, and within-species trait variability. We found that a substantial fraction of the trait variation (up to 88%) is deeply rooted in phylogeny, with species elevation also revealing a strong phylogenetic signal. While accounting for these phylogenetic influences, we still found consistent associations with elevation of anatomical (increasing leaf thickness and decreasing specific leaf area), morphological (decreasing plant and leaf size, annual length increment), physiological (less negative foliage δ13C signal), and reproductive traits (flower size largely conserved, while leaf size declines, hence relative investment in flowers increases). Our findings support a combined action of phylogenetic inertia and phenotypic adjustments of plants to life conditions at high elevation. Given that our samples come from one genus and a natural climatic gradient (rather than botanical gardens) with temperature the dominant variable, such patterns represent a robust and representative signature of the multiple causes of trait-environment associations in woody species.

Abstract Image

系统发育和表型调整驱动西部高原杜鹃多样性热点的功能性状
山脉代表着“大自然的实验”,可以检验生态理论。利用在中国西南喜马拉雅-横断山区海拔800至4500米之间采集的92种杜鹃的植物标本,我们在种间和种内水平上探讨了关键植物性状的同源海拔趋势。我们的目的是确定跨气候梯度表型性状表达的促成因素,区分对海拔升高的反应与由于系统发育相关性、非系统发育物种效应和物种内性状变异引起的反应。我们发现,相当一部分特征变异(高达88%)深深植根于系统发育,物种的提升也揭示了强烈的系统发育信号。在解释这些系统发育影响的同时,我们仍然发现与解剖(增加叶片厚度和减少比叶面积)、形态(减少植物和叶片大小,年长度增加)、生理(较少负叶片δ13C信号)、,和繁殖特性(花的大小基本保持不变,而叶的大小下降,因此对花的相对投资增加)。我们的发现支持了植物对高海拔生活条件的系统发育惰性和表型调整的综合作用。考虑到我们的样本来自一个属和以温度为主导变量的自然气候梯度(而不是植物园),这种模式代表了木本物种特征-环境关联的多种原因的有力和代表性特征。
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来源期刊
Alpine Botany
Alpine Botany PLANT SCIENCES-
CiteScore
5.10
自引率
18.50%
发文量
15
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: Alpine Botany is an international journal providing a forum for plant science studies at high elevation with links to fungal and microbial ecology, including vegetation and flora of mountain regions worldwide.
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