Plant traits and ecosystem effects of clonality: a new research agenda

Background

Clonal plants spread laterally by spacers between their ramets (shoot–root units); these spacers can transport and store resources. While much is known about how clonality promotes plant fitness, we know little about how different clonal plants influence ecosystem functions related to carbon, nutrient and water cycling.

Approach

The response–effect trait framework is used to formulate hypotheses about the impact of clonality on ecosystems. Central to this framework is the degree of correspondence between interspecific variation in clonal ‘response traits’ that promote plant fitness and interspecific variation in ‘effect traits’, which define a plant''s potential effect on ecosystem functions. The main example presented to illustrate this concept concerns clonal traits of vascular plant species that determine their lateral extension patterns. In combination with the different degrees of decomposability of litter derived from their spacers, leaves, roots and stems, these clonal traits should determine associated spatial and temporal patterns in soil organic matter accumulation, nutrient availability and water retention.

Conclusions

This review gives some concrete pointers as to how to implement this new research agenda through a combination of (1) standardized screening of predominant species in ecosystems for clonal response traits and for effect traits related to carbon, nutrient and water cycling; (2) analysing the overlap between variation in these response traits and effect traits across species; (3) linking spatial and temporal patterns of clonal species in the field to those for soil properties related to carbon, nutrient and water stocks and dynamics; and (4) studying the effects of biotic interactions and feedbacks between resource heterogeneity and clonality. Linking these to environmental changes may help us to better understand and predict the role of clonal plants in modulating impacts of climate change and human activities on ecosystem functions.     

Effects of plant traits on ecosystem and regional processes: a conceptual framework for predicting the consequences of global change

Human activities are causing widespread changes in the species composition of natural and managed ecosystems, but the consequences of these changes are poorly understood. This paper presents a conceptual framework for predicting the ecosystem and regional consequences of changes in plant species composition. Changes in species composition have greatest ecological effects when they modify the ecological factors that directly control (and respond to) ecosystem processes. These interactive controls include: functional types of organisms present in the ecosystem; soil resources used by organisms to grow and reproduce; modulators such as microclimate that influence the activity of organisms; disturbance regime; and human activities. Plant traits related to size and growth rate are particularly important because they determine the productive capacity of vegetation and the rates of decomposition and nitrogen mineralization. Because the same plant traits affect most key processes in the cycling of carbon and nutrients, changes in plant traits tend to affect most biogeochemical cycling processes in parallel. Plant traits also have landscape and regional effects through their effects on water and energy exchange and disturbance regime.     

中国东北样带（NECT）：十年集成与未来挑战

作为“国际地圈-生物圈计划(IGBP)”的15条陆地样带之一,中国东北样带(Northeast China Transect,NECT)在IGBP核心项目“全球变化与陆地生态系统(GCTE)”中已经建立10年之久。该样带位于中纬度温带半干旱地区,跨越北纬42~46,东经110~132,其主要全球变化驱动因素为降水,次要驱动因素为土地利用强度。在过去的10年里,中国东北样带的研究进展表现在以下几个方面:生态数据库发展、气候及其变异性、植物对环境的生态生理响应、植被和景观变化、生物多样性格局及其变化、植物功能型和植物性状及气候梯度分析、生产力和碳动态、花粉-植被相互关系、痕量气体放散、土地利用和土地覆盖变化以及生物地理和生物地球化学模拟。为达到更高水平的集成研究,中国东北样带今后需要:统一框架下的坚实的基础数据集、进一步的野外实验和观测、从斑块、景观到生物群区尺度的植被结构、过程和功能的集成模拟、样带内和与其他IGBP样带研究结果的相互比较、多学科交叉研究、国内和国际协作以及完整的科学计划和实施对策。     

Assessing the effects of land-use change on plant traits, communities and ecosystem functioning in grasslands: a standardized methodology and lessons from an application to 11 European sites

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A standardized methodology to assess the impacts of land-use changes on vegetation and ecosystem functioning is presented. It assumes that species traits are central to these impacts, and is designed to be applicable in different historical, climatic contexts and local settings. Preliminary results are presented to show its applicability. METHODS: Eleven sites, representative of various types of land-use changes occurring in marginal agro-ecosystems across Europe and Israel, were selected. Climatic data were obtained at the site level; soil data, disturbance and nutrition indices were described at the plot level within sites. Sixteen traits describing plant stature, leaf characteristics and reproductive phase were recorded on the most abundant species of each treatment. These data were combined with species abundance to calculate trait values weighed by the abundance of species in the communities. The ecosystem properties selected were components of above-ground net primary productivity and decomposition of litter. KEY RESULTS: The wide variety of land-use systems that characterize marginal landscapes across Europe was reflected by the different disturbance indices, and were also reflected in soil and/or nutrient availability gradients. The trait toolkit allowed us to describe adequately the functional response of vegetation to land-use changes, but we suggest that some traits (vegetative plant height, stem dry matter content) should be omitted in studies involving mainly herbaceous species. Using the example of the relationship between leaf dry matter content and above-ground dead material, we demonstrate how the data collected may be used to analyse direct effects of climate and land use on ecosystem properties vs. indirect effects via changes in plant traits. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows the applicability of a set of protocols that can be widely applied to assess the impacts of global change drivers on species, communities and ecosystems.     

C4 Plants in the Vegetation of Tibet,China: Their Natural Occurrence and Altitude Distribution Pattern

Floristic composition, life forms for C₄ species, and the pattern of altitude distribution were studied on Tibetan Plateau. 79 species, in 7 families and 46 genera, were identified with C₄ photosynthesis. 95 % of these C₄ species belong to Gramineae (51 species), Cyperaceae (14 species), and Chenopodiaceae (10 species), indicating that C₄ plants mainly occur in very few families (7 of 204) on the Tibetan Plateau. High altitude distribution for all the Chenopodiaceae C₄ species (> 3 000 m above sea level) suggests that plants of this kind have large tolerance to cold, dryness, and strong ultraviolet radiation. Most Gramineae and Cyperaceae C₄ species occurrences are consistent with extensive distribution of steppes and meadows in the vast flat of the central Plateau (1 000–3 000 m a.s.l.). Relatively high amount of hemicryptophyte form plants (44 %) in the region indicates that the vegetation, especially grassland, meadows, and steppe, are in good condition. There is a strong relationship between numbers of C₄ species and altitude in the Tibetan Plateau. Occurrence of C₄ species is significantly less in both high and low altitude plateaux in Tibet. Altitude distribution pattern for C₄ species in the region is not only consistent with the altitude and climate, but also with the vegetation types in altitude gradient.     

川西北高寒草甸蚁丘植物群落演替：种类组成与物种多样性

蚂蚁通过构建蚁丘,提高了群落生境异质性,影响群落物种组成,甚至生态系统结构和功能。我们在川西北典型高寒草甸调查了平地（非蚁丘,即距离蚁丘4～5m的草地）和不同大小广布弓背蚁（Cam-ponotus herculeanus）蚁丘（小蚁丘、中蚁丘和大蚁丘3种,平均面积大小分别为309．45cm^2、948．45cm^2、2124．90cm^2）上的植物种类组成、物种多样性,以及每个物种的高度,盖度和多度,在此基础上分析了蚁丘植物群落演替进程中的优势种变迁及其机制。调查发现,与平地相比,天气晴朗条件下蚁丘的土壤温度在白天较高,而在夜晚较低,日变化的波动性较大;蚁丘中心的相对湿度低于边缘,更低于平地。群落结构分析表明,不同大小蚁丘之间植物物种丰富度和多样性差异不显著,但是优势种变化明显。随蚁丘增大,钩状嵩草（Kobresia uncinoides）的群落地位（重要值）逐渐上升,小、中、大蚁丘上的次优种分别为拉拉藤（Galium aparine）、羊茅（Festuca ovina）、垂穗披碱草（Elymus nutans）。蚁丘上禾草类优势度显著高于平地,而杂草类优势度则显著低于平地。平地上菊科（Compositae）和毛莨科（Ranunculaceae）植物占优势,蚁丘上莎草科（Cyperaceae）和禾本科（Gramineae）植物占优势。文中还讨论了蚁丘植物群落演替的可能机制,以及蚁丘对整个草甸群落组成和动态的潜在意义。