Functional leaf traits of vascular epiphytes: vertical trends within the forest, intra‐ and interspecific trait variability, and taxonomic signals
Functional leaf traits of vascular epiphytes: vertical trends within the forest, intra‐ and interspecific trait variability, and taxonomic signals
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DOI：
10.1111/1365-2435.12490
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发表时间：
2016-02
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Gunnar Petter;K. Wagner;W. Wanek;Eduardo Javier Sánchez Delgado;G. Zotz;J. Cabral;H. Kreft
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gunnar Petter;K. Wagner;W. Wanek;Eduardo Javier Sánchez Delgado;G. Zotz;J. Cabral;H. Kreft
总结沿着环境梯度分析功能性状可以提高我们对植物群落结构机制的理解。在森林中，光照强度、温度和湿度的垂直梯度往往很明显。维管附生植物特别适合研究这些垂直梯度对功能性状的影响，因为它们缺乏与土壤的接触，因此个体植物完全暴露于不同的环境条件下，从黑暗潮湿的下层到阳光充足干燥的外部树冠。在这项研究中，我们分析了多个方面的特征为基础的生态维管附生植物：在地上的高度（作为垂直环境梯度的代理）在社区和物种水平上的特征值的变化，内与种间性状变异的重要性，和分类群体之间的性状差异。我们评估了10个叶性状的1151个人属于83种附生植物的所有主要分类群共同发生在巴拿马低地森林。许多叶片性状的群落平均性状值与株高、比叶面积和叶绿素浓度呈非线性负相关。种内性状变异明显，占总观察性状变异的三分之一。种内性状调整沿着垂直梯度是常见的，百分之七十的所有物种表现出显着的性状高度的关系。此外，种内性状变异与物种所占的垂直范围呈正相关。我们观察到主要分类群（兰花，蕨类植物，天南星，凤梨）之间的显着性状差异。例如，在蕨类植物中，叶干物质含量几乎是其他分类组的两倍。这表明一些叶性状在分类学上是保守的。我们的研究表明，垂直环境梯度强烈影响维管附生植物的功能性状。为了了解群落组成沿着这样的梯度，它是中央研究的几个方面，基于性状的生态学，包括社区和种内的多种性状的趋势。
Summary Analysing functional traits along environmental gradients can improve our understanding of the mechanisms structuring plant communities. Within forests, vertical gradients in light intensity, temperature and humidity are often pronounced. Vascular epiphytes are particularly suitable for studying the influence of these vertical gradients on functional traits because they lack contact with the soil and thus individual plants are entirely exposed to different environmental conditions, from the dark and humid understorey to the sunny and dry outer canopy. In this study, we analysed multiple aspects of the trait-based ecology of vascular epiphytes: shifts in trait values with height above ground (as a proxy for vertical environmental gradients) at community and species level, the importance of intra- vs. interspecific trait variability, and trait differences among taxonomic groups. We assessed ten leaf traits for 1151 individuals belonging to 83 epiphyte species of all major taxonomic groups co-occurring in a Panamanian lowland forest. Community mean trait values of many leaf traits were strongly correlated with height and particularly specific leaf area and chlorophyll concentration showed nonlinear, negative trends. Intraspecific trait variability was pronounced and accounted for one-third of total observed trait variance. Intraspecific trait adjustments along the vertical gradient were common and seventy per cent of all species showed significant trait–height relationships. In addition, intraspecific trait variability was positively correlated with the vertical range occupied by species. We observed significant trait differences between major taxonomic groups (orchids, ferns, aroids, bromeliads). In ferns, for instance, leaf dry matter content was almost twofold higher than in the other taxonomic groups. This indicates that some leaf traits are taxonomically conserved. Our study demonstrates that vertical environmental gradients strongly influence functional traits of vascular epiphytes. In order to understand community composition along such gradients, it is central to study several aspects of trait-based ecology, including both community and intraspecific trends of multiple traits.