Secrets of succulence

Males, Jamie

doi:10.1093/jxb/erx096

Cited by 83 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 162 publications

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“…While the adaptive significance of these air channels is probably manifold and difficult to disentangle (Males ), the upshot in terms of hydraulic design is that the field of mesophyll cells irrigated by each leaf vein is reduced, effectively resetting the balance between IVD and VED. Meanwhile overinvestment in veins (IVD < VED) in succulent bromeliads, including some of the terrestrial Bromelioideae sampled for empirical study in this investigation, could relate to adaptation for hydraulic recharge of leaf water‐storage tissue (Males , Males, in review). In some terrestrial bromeliad species ( e.g ., Puya spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulics link leaf shape and environmental niche in terrestrial bromeliads

Males

2017

Biotropica

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Terrestrial species of the megadiverse bromeliad family display a wide variety of leaf shapes, many of which have evolved convergently in different lineages. Here, I examine the links between leaf shape, venation architecture, hydraulic function, and bioclimatic relations in two bromeliad groups displaying diverse leaf shapes, the genus Pitcairnia (Pitcairnioideae) and the terrestrial grade of the Bromelioideae subfamily. Leaf shapes with broader leaf blades, notably petiolate and lanceolate morphologies, tend to show wider vein spacing, which is associated with reduced hydraulic capacity and higher hydraulic vulnerability. In turn, these leaf shapes tend to occur in species restricted to moist, aseasonal environments, suggesting that hydraulic function is an important mediator of the relationship between leaf shape and bromeliad environmental niches. This network of trait-trait and trait-environment relationships may have been of profound important in the ecological and evolutionary diversification of the bromeliads. Similar structure-function principles are likely to apply in other tropical herbaceous monocots, which are of great ecological importance but generally neglected in plant hydraulic research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulics link leaf shape and environmental niche in terrestrial bromeliads

Males

2017

Biotropica

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“…storage within a tissue is often described as the water content per dry mass (g g À1 ), and is clearly related with sapwood density and capacitance in stems (Stratton et al, 2000;Scholz et al, 2011;Pratt and Jacobsen, 2017). The role and mechanisms of water storage have been extensively described in succulent species (Lamont and Lamont, 2000;Males and Griffiths, 2017), although its contribution to the water transport buffering is doubted (Males, 2017). In stems, stored water in the xylem can significantly contribute to the total amount of daily transpired water (Scholz et al, 2011).…”

Section: A 'Buffering' Role Under High Transpirationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking water relations and hydraulics with photosynthesis

2019

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Summary For land plants, water is the principal governor of growth. Photosynthetic performance is highly dependent on the stable and suitable water status of leaves, which is balanced by the water transport capacity, the water loss rate as well as the water capacitance of the plant. This review discusses the links between leaf water status and photosynthesis, specifically focussing on the coordination of CO2 and water transport within leaves, and the potential role of leaf capacitance and elasticity on CO2 and water transport.

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“…Ecological differences in the niche preferences of xeromorphic succulent plants are greater than had previously been assumed (Males, ). Outwardly similar succulent‐rich vegetation may experience quite different environmental parameters (Alvarado‐Cárdenas et al, ; Esler & Rundel, ).…”

Section: The Value Of Desert Succulentsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The extraordinary Orchidaceae, with 880 genera and some 26,000 species (Stevens, 2017), includes as many as 4,400 succulent spe- (Gibson, 1996;Hernandez-Hernandez et al, 2011;Males, 2017;Ward, 2009;van Wyk & Smith, 2001). The environmental parameters explaining the poor succulent diversity in extensive desert regions of Asia and Australia would benefit from detailed analysis in the context of species distribution under climate change scenarios (see Prospects for succulents as natural capital, below).…”

Section: E Voluti On Of a D Iver S E Re Sourcementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Characterizing such plastic and variable traits is one of the major challenges in the study of succulent plants. Several metrics have been proposed, integrating tissue volume, mass, surface area and anatomy for quantifying water storage or water content (Gibson, ; Males, ; Ogburn & Edwards, ). There is general agreement that measurements should be taken when the plant is well watered (Ogburn & Edwards, ), but implementation beyond the experimental setting or the glasshouse, and relevance to applications such as green roofs (Monteiro, Blanuša, Verhoef, Hadley, & Cameron, ), bioenergy (Owen, Fahy, & Griffiths, ) and carbon trading (Nobel, ), have yet to be demonstrated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Succulent plant diversity as natural capital

Grace

2019

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact Statement Drought‐tolerant plants are increasingly recognized as a resource to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Succulent plants use stored water to sustain metabolism during regular droughts; succulence is a highly successful adaptation that has evolved in thousands of species throughout the plant kingdom. Desert (xeromorphic) succulent species are a potentially relevant resource to manage environments and energy supply in the hottest and driest places. However, many species are threatened with extinction or could become invasive outside their natural range. This review highlights research needed to develop desert succulents as a sustainable resource in a carbon economy. Summary Drought and increased temperature of the Earth's surface pose significant social and economic challenges under the anticipated effects of climate change. The presence of a reservoir of water to sustain metabolism under drought conditions is a conceptually simple, but remarkably complex, adaptation in the plant kingdom known broadly as succulence. The trait has arisen repeatedly among flowering plant lineages: thousands of succulent species representing immense taxonomic diversity are found on all continents except the polar regions. The phylogenetic diversity and ecological adaptations of desert‐adapted (xeromorphic) succulent plants could be particularly relevant resources to meet the challenges of environmental change, in applications as varied as bioenergy, urban greening, and high‐value products. However, a more complex picture is emerging in which xeromorphic succulents endemic to arid and semi‐arid regions could be at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and exploitation, while others could become invasive if introduced outside their natural range, thus compounding an existing problem of invasive succulent plant species. This review aims to summarize the state of current knowledge of xeromorphic succulent plants as a resource, draw attention to conservation concerns, and examine the potential for their unique traits to be harnessed in a climate change‐resilient world.

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Secrets of succulence

Cited by 83 publications

References 162 publications

Hydraulics link leaf shape and environmental niche in terrestrial bromeliads

Hydraulics link leaf shape and environmental niche in terrestrial bromeliads

Linking water relations and hydraulics with photosynthesis

Succulent plant diversity as natural capital

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