The evolutionary correlation associated with seed mass and altitude on nutrient allocation of seeds

Bu, Haiyan; Zhang, Yanming; Zhao, Dongdong; Su-yu, Wang; Jia, Peng; Qi, Wei; Liu, Kun; Xu, Danghui; Ge, Wenjing; Wang, Xuejing

doi:10.1017/s0960258518000387

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(79 reference statements)

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“…Second, seed mass affects the proportion of phosphorus, which is stored in higher proportions in small‐seeded species than in large‐seeded species. This finding is in agreement with previous findings for herbaceous species (Bu et al 2019) but it contradicts the findings for woody plants (Grubb and Coomes 2008). Additionally, there was a tendency for the proportion of phosphorus to be balanced with respect to the proportions of nitrogen and nonstructural carbon.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Interspecific differences in maternal support in herbaceous plants: CNP contents in seeds varies to match expected nutrient limitation of seedlings

Mašková

Herben

2021

Oikos

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Maternal care is one of the key fitness parameters in all organisms. In plants, maternal care takes the form of seeds production. Although seed mass is the most studied proxy for this maternal provision due to its correlation with the overall amount of nutrients, this proxy does not take into account seed nutrient contents and the proportions of light-dependent resources (C) and soil-dependent resources (N and P), which can strongly affect seedling establishment and survival. We tested the hypothesis that seed nutrient contents is fine-tuned to the expected conditions of seed germination, namely, that seeds of plants from light-limited conditions will have proportionally more carbon than those of plants that are not light-limited and vice versa.We used a phylogenetically informed comparative approach with 510 central European herbaceous species to examine relationships between proportions of N, P and nonstructural C, and the environment in which their seedlings typically germinate.We showed that, in spite of the strong phylogenetic signal in nutrient contents, proportions of N and nonstructural C vary according to our hypothesis, i.e. seeds are primarily provided with nutrients expected to be limiting in a given environment. Namely, the proportion of nonstructural C in seeds was higher in species from nutrient-rich habitats. This enables seedlings to develop independent resource-acquiring organs quickly. We demonstrated that seed nutrient contents depends on seed mass; namely, the proportion of P out of the total seed mass was higher in small seeds, and the proportion of unusable structural C was higher in large seeds.Our results suggest that seed nutrient content is under selection driven by both seed mass and the environment in which seedlings are likely to germinate. It means that seed nutrient content is a seed trait of clear ecological relevance and hence deserves much closer attention.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Interspecific differences in maternal support in herbaceous plants: CNP contents in seeds varies to match expected nutrient limitation of seedlings

Mašková

Herben

2021

Oikos

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“…This ecological rationale provides insights into the underlying factors contributing to the variation in seed mass observed both within and among species. In this regard, studies have indicated that superiority of larger seeds compared with smaller ones might be related to embryo viability and higher carbohydrate and protein content (González-Rodríguez et al 2011; Bu et al, 2019). Our results showed a positive correlation between embryo size and germination rate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global patterns in the evolutionary relations between seed mass and germination traits

Maleki,

Vandelook,

Saatkamp

et al. 2024

Preprint

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During stressful climatic periods, plant populations face significant challenges, especially during germination and seedling establishment. Theoretical studies present conflicting findings regarding the relationship between seed size and germination rate. Some analyses suggest that species with larger seeds should exhibit rapid germination, while others point to faster germination in smaller seeds. This discrepancy can, for example, be attributed to the higher vulnerability of larger seeds to post-dispersal seed predation. To assess the correlation between seed mass and seed germination characteristics at a global scale, we performed a rigorous meta-analysis of published data sources, covering a wide range of germination traits across 1877 species with diverse dormancy types and global distribution. Additionally, we investigated the potential relationship between seed mass and dormancy level. Our findings revealed contrasting responses of germination traits to seed mass, suggesting complex eco-evolutionary correlations among these traits. Trade-offs and corelated evolution likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of seed mass, with seed mass displaying notable trait conservation across the phylogeny. Interestingly, our study demonstrated that seed dormancy exhibited trade-offs with post-germination traits and seed mass. The meta-analysis demonstrated that any changes in the relationship between seed mass and dormancy is dependent on dormancy types with physiological dormancy showing lower seed mass while other dormancy types were has a higher seed mass. These results underscore the critical role of seed mass in shaping plant performance and provide valuable insights into plant trait evolution. Our findings clearly indicate that the hypothesis of larger seeds conferring advantages in both pre- and post-germination traits might not be empirically true in all cases as theoretical studies suggest and that this relationship is complex and varies among species and growth forms. We interpret these results within the context of germination strategies and correlated evolution between seed dormancy and seed mass. Considering these traits in future analyses of plant germination strategies and species distributions is crucial. Factors such as lifespan, seed mass, and germination-related traits should be carefully considered to gain a comprehensive understanding of plant adaptation to challenging environmental conditions.

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“…The main vegetation is that of a typical alpine meadow. The climate is cold Humid-Alpine (annual average temperature ranges from 1.2°C to 4.6°C and annual average precipitation ranges from 516 mm to 780 mm), and growing season is short (from late May to late September) ( Bu et al, 2018 , 2019 ). The dominant species in alpine meadow are mainly from the Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Gentianaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Scrophulariaceae ( Zhang et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allocation Strategies for Seed Nitrogen and Phosphorus in an Alpine Meadow Along an Altitudinal Gradient on the Tibetan Plateau

Wang

et al. 2020

Front. Plant Sci.

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Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play important roles in many aspects of plant biology. The allocation of N and P in plant vegetative organs (i.e., leaves, stems, and fine roots) is critical to the regulation of plant growth and development. However, how these elements are allocated in seeds is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the N and P allocation strategies of seeds in an alpine meadow along an altitudinal gradient. We measured the seed N and P contents of 253 herbaceous species in 37 families along an altitudinal gradient (2,000–4,200 m) in the east Tibetan alpine meadow. The geometric means of seed N and P concentrations and N:P ratios were 34.81 mg g–1, 5.06 mg g–1, and 6.88, respectively. Seed N and P concentrations varied across major taxonomic groups and among different altitude zones. N:P ratios showed no significant variations among different taxonomic groups with the exception of N-fixing species. The numerical value of the scaling exponent of seed N vs. P was 0.73, thus approaching 3/4, across the entire data set, but varied significantly across major taxonomic groups. In addition, the numerical value of the scaling exponent of N vs. P declined from 0.88 in the high altitude zone to 0.63 in the low altitude zone. These results indicate that the variations in the numerical value of the scaling exponent governing the seed N vs. P scaling relationship varies as a function of major taxonomic groups and among different altitude zones. We speculate that this variation reflects different adaptive strategies for survival and germination in an alpine meadow. If true, the data presented here advance our understanding of plant seed allocation strategies, and have important implications for modeling early plant growth and development.

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The evolutionary correlation associated with seed mass and altitude on nutrient allocation of seeds

Cited by 6 publications

References 52 publications

Interspecific differences in maternal support in herbaceous plants: CNP contents in seeds varies to match expected nutrient limitation of seedlings

Interspecific differences in maternal support in herbaceous plants: CNP contents in seeds varies to match expected nutrient limitation of seedlings

Global patterns in the evolutionary relations between seed mass and germination traits

Allocation Strategies for Seed Nitrogen and Phosphorus in an Alpine Meadow Along an Altitudinal Gradient on the Tibetan Plateau

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