Alternative designs and tropical tree seedling growth performance landscapes

Worthy, Samantha J.; Laughlin, Daniel C.; Zambrano, Jenny; Umaña, María Natalia; Zhang, Caicai; Lin, Luxiang; Cao, Min; Swenson, Nathan G.

doi:10.1002/ecy.3007

Cited by 42 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Potential reasons explaining the allocation response to soil P include: first, it is possible that plant responses to resource heterogeneity may involve shifts in other traits, that compensate for the lack of variation in these biomass allocation traits (Reich et al, 1998;Santiago et al, 2004;Worthy et al, 2020). In fact, we showed that the PC1 can better capture responses to soil P by describing significant increase in non-photosynthetic tissues (e.g.…”

Section: Biomass Allocation Trade-offs In Response To Light and Soimentioning

confidence: 86%

Trade‐offs in above‐ and below‐ground biomass allocation influencing seedling growth in a tropical forest

et al. 2020

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1. Plants allocate biomass to different organs in response to resource variation for maximizing performance, yet we lack a framework that adequately integrates plant responses to the simultaneous variation in above-and below-ground resources. Although traditionally, the optimal partition theory (OPT) has explained patterns of biomass allocation in response to a single limiting resource, it is well-known that in natural communities multiple resources limit growth. We study trade-offs involved in plant biomass allocation patterns and their effects on plant growth under variable below-and above-ground resources-light, soil N and P-for seedling communities. 2. We collected information on leaf, stem and root mass fractions for more than 1,900 seedlings of 97 species paired with growth data and local-scale variation in abiotic resources from a tropical forest in China. 3. We identified two trade-off axes that define the mass allocation strategies for seedlings-allocation to photosynthetic versus non-photosynthetic tissues and allocation to roots over stems-that responded to the variation in soil P and N and light. Yet, the allocation patterns did not always follow predictions of OPT in which plants should allocate biomass to the organ that acquires the most limiting resource. Limited soil N resulted in high allocation to leaves at the expense of non-photosynthetic tissues, while the opposite trend was found in response to limited soil P. Also, co-limitation in above-and below-ground resources (light and soil P) led to mass allocation to stems at the expense of roots. Finally, we found that growth increased under highlight availability and soil P for seedlings that invested more in photosynthetic over non-photosynthetic tissues or/and that allocated mass to roots at the expense of stem. 4. Synthesis. Biomass allocation patterns to above-and below-ground tissues are described by two independent trade-offs that allow plants to have divergent allocation strategies (e.g. high root allocation at the expense of stem or high leaf allocation at the expense of allocation to non-photosynthetic tissues) and enhance growth under different limiting resources. Identifying the trade-offs driving biomass allocation is important to disentangle plant responses to the simultaneous variation in resources in diverse forest communities.

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Section: Biomass Allocation Trade-offs In Response To Light and Soimentioning

confidence: 86%

Trade‐offs in above‐ and below‐ground biomass allocation influencing seedling growth in a tropical forest

et al. 2020

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“…With the inclusion of three‐way interactions between two traits and one environment, Worthy et al . (2020) found alternative functional designs and multiple growth peaks and they shifted along environmental gradients. In our study, we found multiple performance peaks, not only for growth but also for survival, in a few models with significant three‐way and four‐way interactions (Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, Worthy et al . (2020) is the only example to date that has empirically tested higher‐order trait × trait × environment interactions and found evidence of alternative designs and multiple growth performance peaks. That study did not consider other performance metrics besides growth nor the multidimensional nature of the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The complexity of trait–environment performance landscapes in a local subtropical forest

Jiang

Shipley

et al. 2020

New Phytologist

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Summary That functional traits should affect individual performance and, in turn, determine fitness and population growth, is a foundational assumption of trait‐based ecology. This assumption is, however, not supported by a strong empirical base. Here, we measured simultaneously two individual performance metrics (survival and growth), seven traits and 10 environmental properties for each of 3981 individuals of 205 species in a 50‐ha stem‐mapped subtropical forest. We then modelled survival/growth as a function of traits, environments and trait × environment interactions, and quantified their relative importance at both the species and individual levels. We found evidence of alternative functional designs and multiple performance peaks along environmental gradients, indicating the presence of complicated trait × environment interactions. However, such interactions were relatively unimportant in our site, which had relatively low environmental variations. Moreover, individual performance was not better predicted, and trait × environment interactions were not more likely detected, at the individual level than at the species level. Although the trait × environment interactions might be safely ignored in relatively homogeneous environments, we encourage future studies to test the interactive effects of traits and environments on individual performances and lifelong fitness at larger spatial scales or along experimentally manipulated environmental gradients.

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“…As a result, local species composition should cover a relatively narrow range of trait values that fit the requirements of the environment there. However, this expectation contradicts the often‐observed pattern of a wide diversity of forms and functions in tropical plant communities and suggests the existence of alternative phenotypes with equivalent performance (Marks and Lechowicz 2006, Worthy et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alternatively to these two scenarios, traits might not be strongly optimized toward a single or a narrow range of values. Instead, plants may display contrasting phenotypes that constitute alternative solutions for the given local conditions (Marks and Lechowicz 2006, Muscarella and Uriarte 2016, Worthy et al 2020). For example, Hirose and Werger (1995) found that in a tropical forest different species of trees exhibit contrasting strategies for capturing light that result in similar performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree seedling trait optimization and growth in response to local‐scale soil and light variability

Umaña

Arellano

Swenson

et al. 2021

Ecology

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At local scales, it has been suggested that high levels of resources lead to increased tree growth via trait optimization (highly peaked trait distribution). However, this contrasts with (1) theories that suggest that trait optimization and high growth occur in the most common resource level and (2) empirical evidence showing that high trait optimization can be also found at low resource levels. This raises the question of how are traits and growth optimized in highly diverse plant communities. Here, we propose a series of hypotheses about how traits and growth are expected to be maximized under different resource levels (low, the most common, and high) in tree seedling communities from a subtropical forest in Puerto Rico, USA. We studied the variation in the distribution of biomass allocation and leaf traits and seedlings growth rate along four resource gradients: light availability (canopy openness) and soil K, Mg, and N content. Our analyses consisted of comparing trait kurtosis (a measurement of trait optimization), community trait means, and relative growth rates at three resource levels (low, common, and high). Trait optimization varied across the three resource levels depending on the type of resource and trait, with leaf traits being optimized under high N and in the most common K and Mg conditions, but not at any of the light levels. Also, seedling growth increased at highlight conditions and high N and K but was not related to trait kurtosis. Our results indicate that local-scale variability of soil fertility and understory light conditions result in shifts in species ecological strategies that increase growth despite a weak trait optimization, suggesting the existence of alternative phenotypes that achieve similar high performance. Uncovering the links between abiotic factors, functional trait diversity and performance is necessary to better predict tree responses to future changes in abiotic conditions.

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Alternative designs and tropical tree seedling growth performance landscapes

Cited by 42 publications

References 78 publications

Trade‐offs in above‐ and below‐ground biomass allocation influencing seedling growth in a tropical forest

Trade‐offs in above‐ and below‐ground biomass allocation influencing seedling growth in a tropical forest

The complexity of trait–environment performance landscapes in a local subtropical forest

Tree seedling trait optimization and growth in response to local‐scale soil and light variability

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