Diversity of Mechanical Architectures in Climbing Plants: An Evolutionary Perspective

Rowe, Nick; Isnard, Sandrine; Speck, Thomas

doi:10.1007/s00344-004-0044-0

Cited by 133 publications

(172 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Indeed, as aquatic plants experience reduced gravitational force as a result of the buoyant nature of water, their morphologies and mechanical architecture are not constrained by fundamental mechanical adaptations required for selfsupporting growth forms (Niklas, 1992;Rowe et al, 2004) and are thus characterized by a great variety of morphologies and growth forms (Cook, 1990). Moreover, aquatic plants occur in all places of Angiosperm phylogeny, including both deeply branching groups such as Nymphaeaceae, and shallow branching groups such as Apiaceae (APGIII, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant resistance to mechanical stress: evidence of an avoidance–tolerance trade‐off

et al. 2011

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Summary• External mechanical forces resulting from the pressure exerted by wind or water movement are a major stress factor for plants and may cause regular disturbances in many ecosystems. A plant's ability to resist these forces relies either on minimizing the forces encountered by the plant (avoidance strategy), or on maximizing its resistance to breakage (tolerance strategy). We investigated plant resistance strategies using aquatic vegetation as a model, and examined whether avoidance and tolerance are negatively correlated.• We tested the avoidance-tolerance correlation across 28 species using a phylogenetically corrected analysis, after construction of a molecular phylogeny for the species considered.• Different species demonstrated contrasting avoidance and tolerance and we demonstrated a significant negative relationship between the two strategies, which suggests an avoidance-tolerance trade-off.• Negative relationships may result from costs that each strategy incurs or from constraints imposed by physical laws on plant tissues. The existence of such a trade-off has important ecological and evolutionary consequences. It would lead to constraints on the evolution and variation of both strategies, possibly limiting their evolution and may constrain many morphological, anatomical and architectural traits that underlie avoidance and tolerance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant resistance to mechanical stress: evidence of an avoidance–tolerance trade‐off

et al. 2011

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“…Only for the two thickest oak (d r > 11 mm) and Sitka samples (d r > 25 mm) this ratio was slightly smaller (7.5-8.5) due to limited root length. Although a value of L/d r = 20 is recommended for testing of wood and timber (Rowe et al, 2006), root lengths were insufficient to satisfy this due to limited root lengths which could be collected or changing root properties over the length of the root, e.g. excessively tapered or twisted roots.…”

Section: Root Mechanical Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In situ root identification through blade penetrometer testing – part 2: field testing

et al. 2018

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The spatial distribution, depths and diameters of roots in soil are difficult to quantify but important to know when reinforcement of a rooted slope or the stability of a plant is to be assessed. Previous work has shown that roots can be detected from the depth–resistance trace measured using a penetrometer with an adapted blade-shaped tip. Theoretical models exist to predict both forces and root displacements associated with root failure in either bending or tension. However, these studies were performed in dry sand under laboratory conditions, using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene root analogues rather than real roots. In this paper blade penetrometer field testing on two forested field sites, with Sitka spruce and pedunculate oak in sandy silt and clayey silt, respectively, is used to evaluate models under field conditions. Root breakages could be detected from blade penetrometer depth–resistance traces and using complementary acoustic measurements. Predictions of additional penetrometer resistance at root failure were more accurate than the displacement predictions. An analytical cable model, assuming roots are flexible and fail in tension, provided the best predictions for Sitka roots, whereas thick oak roots were better predicted assuming bending failure. These matched the modes of failure observed in three-point bending tests of the root material in each case. The presence of significant amounts of gravel made it sometimes difficult to distinguish between hitting a root or a stone. The root diameter could be predicted when root strength and stiffness, and soil penetrometer resistance were known and the right interpretative model was selected. Estimates based on peak force were more accurate than those based on root displacement. This measurement procedure is therefore a potentially valuable tool to quantify the spatial distribution of roots and their reinforcement potential in the field.

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“…Firmly attached plants usually develop more compliant tissues in older developmental stages than weakly attached ones; this is believed to be advantageous when coping with the potential stress produced by close contact with their supports (e.g. torsion, tensile or shear stress when a host tree swings with the wind [1,2]). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different attachment methods provide different degrees of anchoring and confer particular mechanical properties to the plant growth form and life history [2,3]. In general, climbing plants are characterized by a decrease in stiffness during plant development (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Climbing plants show a wide range of highly specialized anchoring structures such as hooks, spines, tendrils, twining stems and adhesive roots that allow them to climb on a range of natural and artificial surfaces [1,2]. Different attachment methods provide different degrees of anchoring and confer particular mechanical properties to the plant growth form and life history [2,3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bouldering: an alternative strategy to long-vertical climbing in root-climbing hortensias

Mendoza

Isnard²,

Charles‐Dominique

et al. 2014

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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In the Neotropics, the genus Hydrangea of the popular ornamental hortensia family is represented by climbing species that strongly cling to their support surface by means of adhesive roots closely positioned along specialized anchoring stems. These root-climbing hortensia species belong to the nearly exclusive American Hydrangea section Cornidia and generally are long lianescent climbers that mostly flower and fructify high in the host tree canopy. The Mexican species Hydrangea seemannii, however, encompasses not only long lianescent climbers of large vertical rock walls and coniferous trees, but also short 'shrub-like' climbers on small rounded boulders. To investigate growth form plasticity in root-climbing hortensia species, we tested the hypothesis that support variability (e.g. differences in size and shape) promotes plastic responses observable at the mechanical, structural and anatomical level. Stem bending properties, architectural axis categorization, tissue organization and wood density were compared between boulder and long-vertical tree-climbers of H. seemannii. For comparison, the mechanical patterns of a closely related, strictly long-vertical tree-climbing species were investigated. Hydrangea seemannii has fine-tuned morphological, mechanical and anatomical responses to support variability suggesting the presence of two alternative root-climbing strategies that are optimized for their particular environmental conditions. Our results suggest that variation of some stem anatomical traits provides a buffering effect that regulates the mechanical and hydraulic demands of two distinct plant architectures. The adaptive value of observed plastic responses and the importance of considering growth form plasticity in evolutionary and conservation studies are discussed.

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Diversity of Mechanical Architectures in Climbing Plants: An Evolutionary Perspective

Cited by 133 publications

References 32 publications

Plant resistance to mechanical stress: evidence of an avoidance–tolerance trade‐off

Plant resistance to mechanical stress: evidence of an avoidance–tolerance trade‐off

In situ root identification through blade penetrometer testing – part 2: field testing

Bouldering: an alternative strategy to long-vertical climbing in root-climbing hortensias

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