ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9814-092X
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Evolutionary Impacts of Climate Change | Terrestrial Ecology | Biological Adaptation | Ecology | Life Histories | Environmental Science and Management | Environmental Management | Conservation and Biodiversity | Evolutionary Biology | Freshwater Ecology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Native Forests | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Land and Water Management of environments not elsewhere classified | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments | Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Australia (excl. Social Impacts) | Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Regional or Larger Scales |
Related Links
Publications
Leaf traits drive differences in biomass partitioning among major plant functional types
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 25-08-2015
DOI: 10.1101/025361
Abstract: 1. The partitioning of biomass into leaves and stems is one of the most uncertain and influential components of global vegetation models (GVMs). Although GVMs typically assume that the major woody plant functional types (PFTs) differ in biomass partitioning, empirical studies have not been able to justify these differences. Here we test for differences between PFTs in partitioning of biomass between leaves and stems. 2. We use the recently published Biomass And Allometry Database (BAAD), a large database including observations for in idual plants. The database covers the global climate space, allowing us to test for direct climate effects in addition to PFT. 3. The leaf mass fraction (LMF, leaf / total aboveground biomass) varied strongly between PFTs (as defined by deciduous vs. evergreen and gymnosperm vs. angiosperm). We found that LMF, once corrected for plant height, was proportional to leaf mass per area across PFTs. As a result, the PFTs did not differ in the amount of leaf area supported per unit above ground biomass. We found only weak and inconsistent effects of climate on biomass partitioning. 4. Combined, these results uncover fundamental rules in how plants are constructed and allow for systematic benchmarking of biomass partitioning routines in GVMs.
Mechanisms by which growth and succession limit the impact of fire in a south‐western Australian forested ecosystem
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-03-2023
Abstract: Forest wildfire impact is widely believed to increase with time since disturbance, presenting a dilemma for the persistence of fire‐sensitive species. However, in south‐western Australia, disturbance has been shown to increase wildfire likelihood for some decades before it again declines. It has been proposed that this trend occurs through ‘ecological controls’ on wildfire such as the self‐thinning of fire‐stimulated understorey growth. Here, we analyse six proposed ecological controls using a surveyed chronosequence of a Eucalyptus jacksonii forest community. We quantify plant growth (growth and self‐pruning) and succession (changing plant traits, self‐thinning), along with consequent changes in surface and suspended litter. We then use a biophysical, mechanistic model to predict the dynamics of flame height and canopy scorch/consumption, along with suppression difficulty during wildfire conditions. To identify the importance of each potential ecological control, we separately manipulate them to grow hypothetical forests from 1 to 100 years each with one of the controls removed. We then model flame height in each to compare with the original forest that had all controls present. Fire initially promoted dense understorey regeneration, but ecological controls transferred this biomass from fuel (likely to ignite) to overstorey shelter (unlikely to ignite, creating a less flammable microclimate). The effect of these changes was to alter modelled fire behaviour, such that flame dimensions in mature forest were half those in regrowth, canopy damage greatly reduced, and fire suppression opportunities maximised. The primary controls were self‐thinning and self‐pruning. Forest growth and succession explains observed trends in flammability dynamics in south‐western Australian forests, and the persistence of fire‐sensitive species over time. Approaches that cooperate with, rather than disrupt, these processes therefore provide a pathway to mitigate current climatic effects on fire. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The Mortality/Growth ratio of larval fish and the slope of the zooplankton size‐spectrum
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12633
Abstract: Predicting recruitment remains a fundamental problem in fisheries science. The Mortality/Growth ratio ( M / G ) of larval fish summarizes the competing rates of M and G in relation to cohort survival and potential recruitment. The larval cohort biomass initially declines after spawning ( M G ) until transition ( M / G = 1), after which the cohort may grow in biomass ( M G ). A major challenge is to obtain routine fine‐scale measurements of M / G and integrate them over broad scales. Here, we propose the M / G size‐spectrum hypothesis, whereby the M / G ratio of larval fish is correlated with the slope ( S ) of the zooplankton size‐frequency distribution. S represents the tension between faster and more efficient growth (flatter S ) and mortality (steeper S ) among particles the size of larval fish. S is explicitly driven by the ratio of mortality to growth of zooplankton, and the range of published values of S (−0.4 to −2) is consistent with M / G ratios reported for larval fish. As S can be measured at fine and large spatial scales using towed optical plankton counters, the M / G size‐spectrum hypothesis provides a context to help quantify the recruitment potential of larval fish.
Open Science principles for accelerating trait-based science across the Tree of Life
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-02-2020
The AusTraits Plant Dictionary
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 18-06-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545047
Abstract: Traits with intuitive names, a clear scope and explicit description are essential for all trait databases. Reanalysis of data from a single database, or analyses that integrate data across multiple databases, can only occur if researchers are confident the trait concepts are consistent within and across sources. The lack of a unified, comprehensive resource for plant trait definitions has previously limited the utility of trait databases. Here we describe the AusTraits Plant Dictionary (APD), which extends the trait definitions included in the new trait database AusTraits. The development process of the APD included three steps: review and formalisation of the scope of each trait and the accompanying trait description addition of trait meta-data and publication in both human and machine-readable forms. Trait definitions include keywords, references and links to related trait concepts in other databases, and the traits are grouped into a hierarchy for easy searching. As well as improving the usability of AusTraits, the Dictionary will foster the integration of trait data across global and regional plant trait databases.
Climate shapes community flowering periods across biomes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14375
Abstract: Climate shapes the composition and function of plant communities globally, but it remains unclear how this influence extends to floral traits. Flowering phenology, or the time period in which a species flowers, has well‐studied relationships with climatic signals at the species level but has rarely been explored at a cross‐community and continental scale. Here, we characterise the distribution of flowering periods (months of flowering) across continental plant communities encompassing six biomes, and determine the influence of climate on community flowering period lengths. Australia. Flowering plants. We combined plant composition and abundance data from 629 standardised floristic surveys (AusPlots) with data on flowering period from the AusTraits database and additional primary literature for 2983 species. We assessed abundance‐weighted community mean flowering periods across biomes and tested their relationship with climatic annual means and the predictability of climate conditions using regression models. Combined, temperature and precipitation (annual mean and predictability) explain 29% of variation in continental community flowering period. Plant communities with higher mean temperatures and lower mean precipitation have longer mean flowering periods. Moreover, plant communities in climates with predictable temperatures and, to a lesser extent, predictable precipitation have shorter mean flowering periods. Flowering period varies by biome, being longest in deserts and shortest in alpine and montane communities. For instance, desert communities experience low and unpredictable precipitation and high, unpredictable temperatures and have longer mean flowering periods, with desert species typically flowering at any time of year in response to rain. Current climate conditions shape flowering periods across biomes, with implications for phenology under climate change. Shifts in flowering periods across climatic gradients reflect changes in plant strategies, affecting patterns of plant growth and reproduction as well as the availability of floral resources for pollinators across the landscape.
smatr 3– an R package for estimation and inference about allometric lines
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-09-2011
Partitioning mortality into growth-dependent and growth-independent hazards across 203 tropical tree species
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 16-11-2018
Abstract: We present a model that partitions rates of tropical tree mortality into growth-dependent and growth-independent hazards. This creates the opportunity to examine the relative contributions of within-species and across-species variation on tropical tree mortality rates, but also how species traits affect each hazard. We parameterize this model using ,000 observed survival records collected over a 15-y period at Barro Colorado Island, Panama from more than 180,000 in iduals across 203 species. We show that marginal carbon budgets are a major contributor to tree death on Barro Colorado Island. Moreover, we found that while species’ light demand, maximum diameter at breast height (dbh), and wood density affected tree mortality in different ways, they explained only a small fraction of the total variability observed among species.
Detecting myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) on lemon myrtle trees using spectral signatures and machine learning
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-02-2018
DOI: 10.1111/PPA.12830
On the link between functional traits and growth rate
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-06-2016
Cross-species patterns in the coordination between leaf and stem traits, and their implications for plant hydraulics
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2006
AnimalTraits - a curated animal trait database for body mass, metabolic rate and brain size
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-06-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-022-01364-9
Abstract: Trait databases have become important resources for large-scale comparative studies in ecology and evolution. Here we introduce the AnimalTraits database, a curated database of body mass, metabolic rate and brain size, in standardised units, for terrestrial animals. The database has broad taxonomic breadth, including tetrapods, arthropods, molluscs and annelids from almost 2000 species and 1000 genera. All data recorded in the database are sourced from their original empirical publication, and the original metrics and measurements are included with each record. This allows for subsequent data transformations as required. We have included rich metadata to allow users to filter the dataset. The additional R scripts we provide will assist researchers with aggregating standardised observations into species-level trait values. Our goals are to provide this resource without restrictions, to keep the AnimalTraits database current, and to grow the number of relevant traits in the future.
Emergent shapes of trait-based competition functions from resource-based models
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 08-2021
DOI: 10.1086/714868
Environmental associations of abundance-weighted functional traits in Australian plant communities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
Functional diversity of the Australian flora: Strong links to species richness and climate
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.13018
Influence of four major plant traits on average height, leaf‐area cover, net primary productivity, and biomass density in single‐species forests: a theoretical investigation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-10-2010
Alternative height strategies among 45 dicot rain forest species from tropical Queensland, Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2005
Multitrait successional forest dynamics enable diverse competitive coexistence
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 10-03-2017
Abstract: Walking through any forest, one is struck by the variety of plant forms coexisting. Given that all plants compete for the same basic resources, why is there not a single winner? Our study shows that when key ingredients common to all forests are accounted for—including disturbance events, competition for light, and two widely observed trait-based tradeoffs—models of niche differentiation predict forests of considerably greater ersity than was previously thought possible. In particular, our model accurately predicts the proliferation of species occupying niche space in low light, a feature of tropical forests that motivated the so-called neutral theory of bio ersity and biogeography. The presented results thereby provide a platform for understanding ersity in forests worldwide.
Trait ecology of startup plants
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.18193
Abstract: Startup plants include seedlings and basal and epicormic resprouts. It has long been held that startups have different strategies from adult plants, but theory for what trait differences to expect is limited and not yet quantitatively tested. Three applicable concepts are analogous to human startup firms, R‐shift, and trait‐growth theory. All three suggest startups should be built with lower construction costs than established plants. This appears to be almost always true in terms of leaf mass per area (LMA), though many comparisons are complicated by the startups growing in lower light. Trait‐growth theory predicts LMA should increase progressively with height or total leaf area, driven by higher conductive‐pathway costs associated with each unit leaf area, and by greater reward from slowing leaf turnover. Basal resprouts often have somewhat higher LMA than seedlings, but possibly this is simply because they are larger. A number of eminently testable questions are identified. Prospects are good for a theoretically cogent and field‐tested body of knowledge about plant startups.
Organizing principles for vegetation dynamics
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-05-2020
Linking abundance, occupancy and spatial structure: an empirical test of a neutral model in an open‐forest woody plant community in eastern Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2001
Modulation of leaf economic traits and trait relationships by climate
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-08-2005
Trajectories: how functional traits influence plant growth and shade tolerance across the life-cycle
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 26-10-2016
DOI: 10.1101/083451
Abstract: Plant species differ in many functional traits that drive differences in rates of photosynthesis, biomass allocation, and tissue turnover. Yet, it remains unclear how – and even if – such traits influence whole-plant growth, with the simple linear relationships predicted by existing theory often lacking empirical support. Here we present a new theoretical framework for understanding the effect of erse functional traits on plant growth and shade-tolerance, extending a widely-used theoretical model that links growth rate in seedlings with a single leaf trait to explicitly include influences of size, light environment, and five other prominent traits: seed mass, height at maturation, leaf mass per unit leaf area, leaf nitrogen per unit leaf area, and wood density. Based on biomass production and allocation, this framework explains why the influence of prominent traits on growth rate and shade tolerance often varies with plant size and why the impact of size on growth varies among traits. Considering growth rate in height, we find the influence of: i) leaf mass per unit leaf area is strong in small plants but weakens with size, ii) leaf nitrogen per unit leaf area does not change with size, iii) wood density is present across sizes but is strongest at intermediate sizes, iv) height at maturation strengthens with size, and v) seed mass decreases with size. Moreover, we show how traits moderate plant responses to light environment and also determine shade tolerance, supporting erse empirical results. By disentangling the effects of plant size, light environment and traits on growth rates, our results provide a solid theoretical foundation for trait ecology and thus provide a platform for understanding growth across erse species around the world.
An evolutionary attractor model for sapwood cross section in relation to leaf area
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JTBI.2012.03.008
Abstract: Sapwood cross-sectional area per unit leaf area (SA:LA) is an influential trait that plants coordinate with physical environment and with other traits. We develop theory for SA:LA and also for root surface area per leaf area (RA:LA) on the premise that plants maximizing the surplus of revenue over costs should have competitive advantage. SA:LA is predicted to increase in water-relations environments that reduce photosynthetic revenue, including low soil water potential, high water vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and low atmospheric CO(2). Because sapwood has costs, SA:LA adjustment does not completely offset difficult water relations. Where sapwood costs are large, as in tall plants, optimal SA:LA may actually decline with (say) high VPD. Large soil-to-root resistance caps the benefits that can be obtained from increasing SA:LA. Where a plant can adjust water-absorbing surface area of root per leaf area (RA:LA) as well as SA:LA, optimal RA:SA is not affected by VPD, CO(2) or plant height. If selection favours increased height more so than increased revenue-minus-cost, then height is predicted to rise substantially under improved water-relations environments such as high-CO(2) atmospheres. Evolutionary-attractor theory for SA:LA and RA:LA complements models that take whole-plant conductivity per leaf area as a parameter.
A novel approach for estimating growth and mortality of fish larvae
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-09-2021
Abstract: Accurate estimates of growth and mortality are needed to understand drivers of production and cohort success. Existing methods for estimating mortality rates, such as catch-curves, require large s le sizes, as they work by grouping in iduals into age-bins to determine a frequency distribution. Yet, s ling enough larvae is often not possible at fine scales within the constraints of research projects, due to low density of larvae in pelagic environments. Here, we develop a novel method to simultaneously estimate growth and mortality rates of fish larvae as a continuous function of size using theory of size-structured populations, eliminating the need to group data into age-bins. We compare the effectiveness of our model to existing methods by generating data from a known distribution. This comparison demonstrates that while all models recover correct parameter values under ideal circumstances, our new method performs better than existing methods when s le sizes are low. Additionally, our method can accommodate non-linear growth and mortality functions, while also allowing growth and mortality to vary as functions of environmental co-variates. This increased accuracy and flexibility of our method should improve our ability to relate variability in larval production to environmental fluctuations at finer spatial scales.
Unifying intra- and inter-specific variation in tropical tree mortality
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 04-12-2017
DOI: 10.1101/228361
Abstract: Tree death is a fundamental process driving population dynamics, nutrient cycling, and evolution within plant communities. While past research has identified factors influencing tree mortality across a variety of scales, these distinct drivers are yet to be integrated within a unified predictive framework. In this study, we use a cross-validated Bayesian framework coupled with classic survival analysis techniques to derive instantaneous mortality functions for 203 tropical rainforest tree species at Barro Colorado Island (BCI) Panama. Specifically, we develop mortality functions that not only integrate in idual, species, and temporal effects, but also partition the contributions of growth-dependent and growth-independent effects on the overall instantaneous mortality rate. We show that functions that separate mortality rates into growth-dependent and growth-independent hazards, use stem diameter growth rather than basal-area growth, and attribute the effect of wood density to growth-independent mortality outperform alternative formulations. Moreover, we show that the effect of wood density – a prominent trait known to influence tree mortality – explains only 22% of the total variability observed among species. Lastly, our analysis show that growth-dependent processes are the predominant contributor to rates of tree mortality at BCI. Combined, this study provides a framework for predicting in idual-level mortality in highly erse tropical forests. It also highlights how little we know about the causes of species-level and temporal plot-scale effects needed to effectively predict tree mortality.
Leaf size and angle vary widely across species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-04-2003
DOI: 10.1046/J.1469-8137.2003.00765.X
Abstract: • Architecture can vary widely across species. Both steeper leaf angles and increased self-shading are thought to reduce potential carbon gain by decreasing total light interception. An alternative hypothesis is that steeper leaf angles have evolved to improve day-long carbon gain by emphasising light interception from low angles. • Here we relate variation in architectural properties (leaf angle and leaf size) to cross-species patterns of leaf display, light capture and simulated carbon gain in branching-units of 38 perennial species occurring at two sites in Australian forest. Architectural comparison was made possible by combining 3D-digitising with the architecture model YPLANT. • Species with shallow angled leaves had greater daily light interception and potentially greater carbon gain. Self-shading, rather than leaf angle, explained most variance between species in light capture and potential carbon gain. Species average leaf size was the most important determinant of self-shading. • Our results provide the first cross-species evidence that steeper leaf angles function to reduce exposure to excess light levels during the middle of the day, more than to maximise carbon gain.
Bivariate line-fitting methods for allometry
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-03-2006
Lifetime return on investment increases with leaf lifespan among 10 Australian woodland species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-11-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2011.03940.X
Abstract: • Co-occurring species often differ in their leaf lifespan (LL) and it remains unclear how such variation is maintained in a competitive context. Here we test the hypothesis that leaves of long-LL species yield a greater return in carbon (C) fixed per unit C or nutrient invested by the plant than those of short-LL species. • For 10 sympatric woodland species, we assessed three-dimensional shoot architecture, canopy openness, leaf photosynthetic light response, leaf dark respiration and leaf construction costs across leaf age sequences. We then used the YPLANT model to estimate light interception and C revenue along the measured leaf age sequences. This was done under a series of simulations that incorporated the potential covariates of LL in an additive fashion. • Lifetime return in C fixed per unit C, N or P invested increased with LL in all simulations. • In contrast to other recent studies, our results show that extended LL confers a fundamental economic advantage by increasing a plant's return on investment in leaves. This suggests that time-discounting effects, that is, the compounding of income that arises from quick reinvestment of C revenue, are key in allowing short-LL species to succeed in the face of this economic handicap.
Assessing the generality of global leaf trait relationships
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-02-2005
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2005.01349.X
Abstract: Global-scale quantification of relationships between plant traits gives insight into the evolution of the world's vegetation, and is crucial for parameterizing vegetation-climate models. A database was compiled, comprising data for hundreds to thousands of species for the core 'leaf economics' traits leaf lifespan, leaf mass per area, photosynthetic capacity, dark respiration, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as leaf potassium, photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE), and leaf N : P ratio. While mean trait values differed between plant functional types, the range found within groups was often larger than differences among them. Future vegetation-climate models could incorporate this knowledge. The core leaf traits were intercorrelated, both globally and within plant functional types, forming a 'leaf economics spectrum'. While these relationships are very general, they are not universal, as significant heterogeneity exists between relationships fitted to in idual sites. Much, but not all, heterogeneity can be explained by variation in s le size alone. PNUE can also be considered as part of this trait spectrum, whereas leaf K and N : P ratios are only loosely related.
Quantifying and understanding reproductive allocation schedules in plants
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-11-2015
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.1802
Publisher Correction: Open Science principles for accelerating trait-based science across the Tree of Life
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-03-2020
Plant ecological strategies
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Date: 11-2002
DOI: 10.1146/ANNUREV.ECOLSYS.33.010802.150452
Abstract: ▪ Abstract An important aim of plant ecology is to identify leading dimensions of ecological variation among species and to understand the basis for them. Dimensions that can readily be measured would be especially useful, because they might offer a path towards improved worldwide synthesis across the thousands of field experiments and ecophysiological studies that use just a few species each. Four dimensions are reviewed here. The leaf mass per area–leaf lifespan (LMA-LL) dimension expresses slow turnover of plant parts (at high LMA and long LL), long nutrient residence times, and slow response to favorable growth conditions. The seed mass–seed output (SM-SO) dimension is an important predictor of dispersal to establishment opportunities (seed output) and of establishment success in the face of hazards (seed mass). The LMA-LL and SM-SO dimensions are each underpinned by a single, comprehensible tradeoff, and their consequences are fairly well understood. The leaf size–twig size (LS-TS) spectrum has obvious consequences for the texture of canopies, but the costs and benefits of large versus small leaf and twig size are poorly understood. The height dimension has universally been seen as ecologically important and included in ecological strategy schemes. Nevertheless, height includes several tradeoffs and adaptive elements, which ideally should be treated separately. Each of these four dimensions varies at the scales of climate zones and of site types within landscapes. This variation can be interpreted as adaptation to the physical environment. Each dimension also varies widely among coexisting species. Most likely this within-site variation arises because the ecological opportunities for each species depend strongly on which other species are present, in other words, because the set of species at a site is a stable mixture of strategies.
Revisiting the role of mean annual precipitation in shaping functional trait distributions at a continental scale
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.29.546983
Abstract: 1 Mean annual precipitation (MAP) plays an undisputed role in determining the spatial distribution of the vegetative ecosystems on Earth. Nevertheless, the relationship between MAP and plant functional traits remains unclear. Here, we test the relationship between eight key functional traits and MAP. Our analysis reveals a strong, coordinated response of several plant traits including leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen, the leaf carbon isotope ratio and plant height from resource-conservative to resource-acquisitive values as MAP increased. These results establish an important role for MAP in driving trait selection across space and, therefore, a need for these effects to be included in future theoretical frameworks.
Evolutionary coordination between offspring size at independence and adult size
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-12-2009
Coordinated shifts in allocation among reproductive tissues across 14 coexisting plant species
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 24-05-2017
DOI: 10.1101/141473
Abstract: Plant species differ in the amounts of energy allocated to different reproductive tissues, driving differences in their ecology and energy flows within ecosystems. While it is widely agreed that energy allocation is key to reproductive outcomes, few studies have estimated how reproductive effort (RE) is partitioned among different pools, for multiple species in a community. In plants, RE can be partitioned in several meaningful ways: seed versus non-seed tissues into flowers that form seeds and those that fail to develop into pre-versus post-pollination tissues, and into successful versus aborted ovules. Evolutionary theory suggests several hypotheses about how these tissues should be coordinated across species. To quantify variation in allocation to different reproductive tissues, we collected detailed RE measurements for a year from 14 perennial species in a recurrent-fire coastal heath community in eastern Australia. Overall we found that total accessory costs – the proportion of RE not directly invested in provisioning the seed – were very large, varying from 95.8% to 99.8% across the study species. These results suggest that studies using seed or fruit production as measures of RE may underestimate it by 10-to 500-fold. We propose a suitable alternative that well-approximates true RE. When comparing species, we found strong support for three evolutionary trade-offs that are predicted to arise when a given energy pool is ided into different tissue masses and counts across species: 1) between successful pollen-attraction costs and mature ovule count, 2) between total reproductive costs and seed count, and 3) between seedset and relative investment in pollen-attraction costs. As a result of these trade-offs, species were also predicted to show coordinated shifts in the amounts invested in floral construction, in seedset and seed size. These shifts in investment were indeed observed, with the amount allocated to discarded tissues increasing with seed size and the amount allocated to pollen-attraction decreasing with seed size. It is already well-established that the seed size axis aligns with the colonization-competition life history spectrum here we show that relative construction costs of pollen-attraction versus provisioning tissues and seedset are also part of this trajectory, expanding our understanding of the relatives sizes of floral and fruiting structures observed across angiosperms.
AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-021-01006-6
Abstract: We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field c aigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and in idual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised in idual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
Testing the generality of above-ground biomass allometry across plant functional types at the continent scale
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-03-2016
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.13201
Abstract: Accurate ground-based estimation of the carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems is critical to quantifying the global carbon budget. Allometric models provide cost-effective methods for biomass prediction. But do such models vary with ecoregion or plant functional type? We compiled 15 054 measurements of in idual tree or shrub biomass from across Australia to examine the generality of allometric models for above-ground biomass prediction. This provided a robust case study because Australia includes ecoregions ranging from arid shrublands to tropical rainforests, and has a rich history of biomass research, particularly in planted forests. Regardless of ecoregion, for five broad categories of plant functional type (shrubs multistemmed trees trees of the genus Eucalyptus and closely related genera other trees of high wood density and other trees of low wood density), relationships between biomass and stem diameter were generic. Simple power-law models explained 84-95% of the variation in biomass, with little improvement in model performance when other plant variables (height, bole wood density), or site characteristics (climate, age, management) were included. Predictions of stand-based biomass from allometric models of varying levels of generalization (species-specific, plant functional type) were validated using whole-plot harvest data from 17 contrasting stands (range: 9-356 Mg ha(-1) ). Losses in efficiency of prediction were <1% if generalized models were used in place of species-specific models. Furthermore, application of generalized multispecies models did not introduce significant bias in biomass prediction in 92% of the 53 species tested. Further, overall efficiency of stand-level biomass prediction was 99%, with a mean absolute prediction error of only 13%. Hence, for cost-effective prediction of biomass across a wide range of stands, we recommend use of generic allometric models based on plant functional types. Development of new species-specific models is only warranted when gains in accuracy of stand-based predictions are relatively high (e.g. high-value monocultures).
Tradeoffs between height growth rate, stem persistence and maximum height among plant species in a post‐fire succession
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-09-2005
Ten (mostly) simple rules to future‐proof trait data in ecological and evolutionary sciences
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-11-2022
Abstract: Traits have become a crucial part of ecological and evolutionary sciences, helping researchers understand the function of an organism's morphology, physiology, growth and life history, with effects on fitness, behaviour, interactions with the environment and ecosystem processes. However, measuring, compiling and analysing trait data comes with data‐scientific challenges. We offer 10 (mostly) simple rules, with some detailed extensions, as a guide in making critical decisions that consider the entire life cycle of trait data. This article is particularly motivated by its last rule, that is, to propagate good practice. It has the intention of bringing awareness of how data on the traits of organisms can be collected and managed for reuse by the research community. Trait observations are relevant to a broad interdisciplinary community of field biologists, synthesis ecologists, evolutionary biologists, computer scientists and database managers. We hope these basic guidelines can be useful as a starter for active communication in disseminating such integrative knowledge and in how to make trait data future‐proof. We invite the scientific community to participate in this effort at est‐practices.html .
Simulation of tree ring-widths with a model for primary production, carbon allocation and growth
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 04-07-2014
DOI: 10.5194/BGD-11-10451-2014
Abstract: Abstract. We present a simple, generic model of annual tree growth, called "T". This model accepts input from a first-principles light-use efficiency model (the P model). The P model provides values for Gross Primary Production (GPP) per unit of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Absorbed PAR is estimated from the current leaf area. GPP is allocated to foliage, transport-tissue, and fine root production and respiration, in such a way as to satisfy well-understood dimensional and functional relationships. Our approach thereby integrates two modelling approaches separately developed in the global carbon-cycle and forest-science literature. The T model can represent both ontogenetic effects (impact of ageing) and the effects of environmental variations and trends (climate and CO2) on growth. Driven by local climate records, the model was applied to simulate ring widths during 1958–2006 for multiple trees of Pinus koraiensis from the Changbai Mountain, northeastern China. Each tree was initialised at its actual diameter at the time when local climate records started. The model produces realistic simulations of the interannual variability in ring width for different age cohorts (young, mature, old). Both the simulations and observations show a significant positive response of tree-ring width to growing-season total photosynthetically active radiation (PAR0) and the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration (α), and a significant negative response to mean annual temperature (MAT). The slopes of the simulated and observed relationships with PAR0 and α are similar the negative response to MAT is underestimated by the model. Comparison of simulations with fixed and changing atmospheric CO2 concentration shows that CO2 fertilization over the past 50 years is too small to be distinguished in the ring-width data given ontogenetic trends and interannual variability in climate.
Branch thinning and the large-scale, self-similar structure of trees
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1086/697429
Abstract: Branch formation in trees has an inherent tendency toward exponential growth, but exponential growth in the number of branches cannot continue indefinitely. It has been suggested that trees balance this tendency toward expansion by also losing branches grown in previous growth cycles. Here, we present a model for branch formation and branch loss during ontogeny that builds on the phenomenological assumption of a branch carrying capacity. The model allows us to derive approximate analytical expressions for the number of tips on a branch, the distribution of growth modules within a branch, and the rate and size distribution of tree wood litter produced. Although limited availability of data makes empirical corroboration challenging, we show that our model can fit field observations of red maple (Acer rubrum) and note that the age distribution of discarded branches predicted by our model is qualitatively similar to an empirically observed distribution of dead and abscised branches of balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera). By showing how a simple phenomenological assumption-that the number of branches a tree can maintain is limited-leads directly to predictions on branching structure and the rate and size distribution of branch loss, these results potentially enable more explicit modeling of woody tissues in ecosystems worldwide, with implications for the buildup of flammable fuel, nutrient cycling, and understanding of plant growth.
Patterns and drivers of plant diversity across Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-10-2022
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.06426
Abstract: Bio ersity analyses across continental extents are important in providing comprehensive information on patterns and likely drivers of ersity. For vascular plants in Australia, community‐level ersity analyses have been restricted by the lack of a consistent plot‐based survey dataset across the continent. To overcome these challenges, we collated and harmonised plot‐based vegetation survey data from the major data sources across Australia and used them as the basis for modelling species richness (α‐ ersity) and community compositional dissimilarity (β‐ ersity), standardised to 400 m 2 , with the aim of mapping ersity patterns and identifying potential environmental drivers. The harmonised Australian vegetation plot (HAVPlot) dataset includes 219 552 plots, of which we used 115 083 to analyse plant ersity. Models of species richness and compositional dissimilarity both explained approximately one‐third of the variation in plant ersity across Australia (D 2 = 33.0% and 32.7%, respectively). The strongest environmental predictors for both aspects of ersity were a combination of temperature and precipitation, with soil texture and topographic heterogeneity also important. The fine‐resolution (≈ 90 m) spatial predictions of species richness and compositional dissimilarity identify areas expected to be of particular importance for plant ersity, including south‐western Australia, rainforests of eastern Australia and the Australian Alps. Arid areas of central and western Australia are predicted to support assemblages that are less speciose or unique however, these areas are most in need of additional survey data to fill the spatial, environmental and taxonomic gaps in the HAVPlot dataset. The harmonised data and model predictions presented here provide new insight into plant ersity patterns across Australia, enabling a wide variety of future research, such as exploring changes in species abundances, linking compositional patterns to functional traits or undertaking conservation assessments for selected components of the flora.
Leaf mass per area, not total leaf area, drives differences in above‐ground biomass distribution among woody plant functional types
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-05-2016
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.14033
Abstract: Here, we aim to understand differences in biomass distribution between major woody plant functional types ( PFT s) (deciduous vs evergreen and gymnosperm vs angiosperm) in terms of underlying traits, in particular the leaf mass per area (LMA) and leaf area per unit stem basal area. We used a large compilation of plant biomass and size observations, including observations of 21 084 in iduals on 656 species. We used a combination of semiparametric methods and variance partitioning to test the influence of PFT , plant height, LMA, total leaf area, stem basal area and climate on above‐ground biomass distribution. The ratio of leaf mass to above‐ground woody mass ( M F / M S ) varied strongly among PFT s. We found that M F / M S at a given plant height was proportional to LMA across PFT s. As a result, the PFT s did not differ in the amount of leaf area supported per unit above‐ground biomass or per unit stem basal area. Climate consistently explained very little additional variation in biomass distribution at a given plant size. Combined, these results demonstrate consistent patterns in above‐ground biomass distribution and leaf area relationships among major woody PFTs, which can be used to further constrain global vegetation models.
Sex and Power: sexual dimorphism in trait variability and its eco-evolutionary and statistical implications
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 26-05-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.23.106146
Abstract: Biomedical and clinical sciences are experiencing a renewed interest in the fact that males and females differ in many anatomic, physiological, and behavioral traits. Sex differences in trait variability, however, are yet to receive similar recognition. In medical science, mammalian females are assumed to have higher trait variability due to estrous cycles (the ‘estrus-mediated variability hypothesis’) historically in biomedical research, females have been excluded for this reason. Contrastingly, evolutionary theory and associated data support the ‘greater male variability hypothesis’. Here, we test these competing hypotheses in 218 traits measured in ,900 mice, using meta-analysis methods. Neither hypothesis could universally explain patterns in trait variability. Sex-bias in variability was trait-dependent. While greater male variability was found in morphological traits, females were much more variable in immunological traits. Sex-specific variability has eco-evolutionary ramifications including sex-dependent responses to climate change, as well as statistical implications including power analysis considering sex difference in variance.
Climate shapes flowering periods across plant communities
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 12-10-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.10.463841
Abstract: Climate shapes the composition and function of plant communities globally, but it remains unclear how this influence extends to floral traits. Flowering phenology, or the time period in which a species flowers, has well-studied relationships with climatic signals at the species level but has rarely been explored at a cross-community and continental scale. Here, we characterise the distribution of flowering periods (months of flowering) across continental plant communities encompassing six biomes, and determine the influence of climate on community flowering period lengths. Australia Flowering plants We combined plant composition and abundance data from 629 standardised floristic surveys (AusPlots) with data on flowering period from the AusTraits database and additional primary literature for 2,983 species. We assessed abundance-weighted community mean flowering periods across biomes and tested their relationship with climatic annual means and the predictability of climate conditions using regression models. Combined, temperature and precipitation (annual mean and predictability) explain 29% of variation in continental community flowering period. Plant communities with higher mean temperatures and lower mean precipitation have longer mean flowering periods. Moreover, plant communities in climates with predictable temperatures and, to a lesser extent, predictable precipitation have shorter mean flowering periods. Flowering period varies by biome, being longest in deserts and shortest in alpine and montane communities. For instance, desert communities experience low and unpredictable precipitation and high, unpredictable temperatures and have longer mean flowering periods, with desert species typically flowering at any time of year in response to rain. Our findings demonstrate the role of current climate conditions in shaping flowering periods across biomes, with implications under climate change. Shifts in flowering periods across climatic gradients reflect changes in plant strategies, affecting patterns of plant growth and reproduction as well as the availability of floral resources across the landscape.
Sexual dimorphism in trait variability and its eco-evolutionary and statistical implications
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 17-11-2020
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.63170
Abstract: Biomedical and clinical sciences are experiencing a renewed interest in the fact that males and females differ in many anatomic, physiological, and behavioural traits. Sex differences in trait variability, however, are yet to receive similar recognition. In medical science, mammalian females are assumed to have higher trait variability due to estrous cycles (the ‘estrus-mediated variability hypothesis’) historically in biomedical research, females have been excluded for this reason. Contrastingly, evolutionary theory and associated data support the ‘greater male variability hypothesis’. Here, we test these competing hypotheses in 218 traits measured in ,900 mice, using meta-analysis methods. Neither hypothesis could universally explain patterns in trait variability. Sex bias in variability was trait-dependent. While greater male variability was found in morphological traits, females were much more variable in immunological traits. Sex-specific variability has eco-evolutionary ramifications, including sex-dependent responses to climate change, as well as statistical implications including power analysis considering sex difference in variance.
plant: A package for modelling forest trait ecology and evolution
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2016
Author response: Sexual dimorphism in trait variability and its eco-evolutionary and statistical implications
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 29-10-2020
Investment in reproduction for 14 iteroparous perennials is large and associated with other life‐history and functional traits
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-06-2018
Motivating data contributions via a distinct career currency
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 03-03-2021
Abstract: If collecting research data is perceived as poorly rewarded compared to data synthesis and analysis, this can slow overall research progress via two effects. People who have already collected data may be slow to make it openly accessible. Also, researchers may reallocate effort from collecting fresh data to synthesizing and analysing data already accessible. Here, we advocate for a second career currency in the form of data contributions statements embedded within applications for jobs, promotions and research grants. This workable step forward would provide for peer opinion to operate across thousands of selection and promotion committees and granting panels. In this way, fair valuation of data contributions relative to publications could emerge.
The Coral Trait Database, a curated database of trait information for coral species from the global oceans
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-03-2016
Abstract: Trait-based approaches advance ecological and evolutionary research because traits provide a strong link to an organism’s function and fitness. Trait-based research might lead to a deeper understanding of the functions of, and services provided by, ecosystems, thereby improving management, which is vital in the current era of rapid environmental change. Coral reef scientists have long collected trait data for corals however, these are difficult to access and often under-utilized in addressing large-scale questions. We present the Coral Trait Database initiative that aims to bring together physiological, morphological, ecological, phylogenetic and biogeographic trait information into a single repository. The database houses species- and in idual-level data from published field and experimental studies alongside contextual data that provide important framing for analyses. In this data descriptor, we release data for 56 traits for 1547 species, and present a collaborative platform on which other trait data are being actively federated. Our overall goal is for the Coral Trait Database to become an open-source, community-led data clearinghouse that accelerates coral reef research.
Controls on declining carbon balance with leaf age among 10 woody species in Australian woodland
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-06-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2009.02824.X
Abstract: DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02888.x Commentary p 1
Plant height and evolutionary games
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2003
Tallo: A global tree allometry and crown architecture database
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2022
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.16302
Abstract: Data capturing multiple axes of tree size and shape, such as a tree's stem diameter, height and crown size, underpin a wide range of ecological research—from developing and testing theory on forest structure and dynamics, to estimating forest carbon stocks and their uncertainties, and integrating remote sensing imagery into forest monitoring programmes. However, these data can be surprisingly hard to come by, particularly for certain regions of the world and for specific taxonomic groups, posing a real barrier to progress in these fields. To overcome this challenge, we developed the Tallo database, a collection of 498,838 georeferenced and taxonomically standardized records of in idual trees for which stem diameter, height and/or crown radius have been measured. These data were collected at 61,856 globally distributed sites, spanning all major forested and non‐forested biomes. The majority of trees in the database are identified to species (88%), and collectively Tallo includes data for 5163 species distributed across 1453 genera and 187 plant families. The database is publicly archived under a CC‐BY 4.0 licence and can be access from: 0.5281/zenodo.6637599 . To demonstrate its value, here we present three case studies that highlight how the Tallo database can be used to address a range of theoretical and applied questions in ecology—from testing the predictions of metabolic scaling theory, to exploring the limits of tree allometric plasticity along environmental gradients and modelling global variation in maximum attainable tree height. In doing so, we provide a key resource for field ecologists, remote sensing researchers and the modelling community working together to better understand the role that trees play in regulating the terrestrial carbon cycle.
Small-seeded species produce more seeds per square metre of canopy per year, but not per individual per lifetime
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-05-2004
AusTraits – a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-01-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.04.425314
Abstract: We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of measurements of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 375 traits across 29230 taxa from field c aigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and in idual taxa descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological parameters (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised in idual-, species- and genus-level observations coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties. This data descriptor provides information on version 2.1.0 of AusTraits which contains data for 937243 trait-by-taxa combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data to increase our collective understanding of the Australian flora.
Datastorr: a workflow and package for delivering successive versions of 'evolving data' directly into R
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-2019
A Trait-Based Approach to Advance Coral Reef Science
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2016.02.012
Abstract: Coral reefs are biologically erse and ecologically complex ecosystems constructed by stony corals. Despite decades of research, basic coral population biology and community ecology questions remain. Quantifying trait variation among species can help resolve these questions, but progress has been h ered by a paucity of trait data for the many, often rare, species and by a reliance on nonquantitative approaches. Therefore, we propose filling data gaps by prioritizing traits that are easy to measure, estimating key traits for species with missing data, and identifying 'supertraits' that capture a large amount of variation for a range of biological and ecological processes. Such an approach can accelerate our understanding of coral ecology and our ability to protect critically threatened global ecosystems.
Plant functional traits have globally consistent effects on competition
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-12-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE16476
Abstract: Phenotypic traits and their associated trade-offs have been shown to have globally consistent effects on in idual plant physiological functions, but how these effects scale up to influence competition, a key driver of community assembly in terrestrial vegetation, has remained unclear. Here we use growth data from more than 3 million trees in over 140,000 plots across the world to show how three key functional traits--wood density, specific leaf area and maximum height--consistently influence competitive interactions. Fast maximum growth of a species was correlated negatively with its wood density in all biomes, and positively with its specific leaf area in most biomes. Low wood density was also correlated with a low ability to tolerate competition and a low competitive effect on neighbours, while high specific leaf area was correlated with a low competitive effect. Thus, traits generate trade-offs between performance with competition versus performance without competition, a fundamental ingredient in the classical hypothesis that the coexistence of plant species is enabled via differentiation in their successional strategies. Competition within species was stronger than between species, but an increase in trait dissimilarity between species had little influence in weakening competition. No benefit of dissimilarity was detected for specific leaf area or wood density, and only a weak benefit for maximum height. Our trait-based approach to modelling competition makes generalization possible across the forest ecosystems of the world and their highly erse species composition.
Simulation of tree-ring widths with a model for primary production, carbon allocation, and growth
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 04-12-2014
Abstract: Abstract. We present a simple, generic model of annual tree growth, called "T". This model accepts input from a first-principles light-use efficiency model (the "P" model). The P model provides values for gross primary production (GPP) per unit of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Absorbed PAR is estimated from the current leaf area. GPP is allocated to foliage, transport tissue, and fine-root production and respiration in such a way as to satisfy well-understood dimensional and functional relationships. Our approach thereby integrates two modelling approaches separately developed in the global carbon-cycle and forest-science literature. The T model can represent both ontogenetic effects (the impact of ageing) and the effects of environmental variations and trends (climate and CO2) on growth. Driven by local climate records, the model was applied to simulate ring widths during the period 1958–2006 for multiple trees of Pinus koraiensis from the Changbai Mountains in northeastern China. Each tree was initialised at its actual diameter at the time when local climate records started. The model produces realistic simulations of the interannual variability in ring width for different age cohorts (young, mature, and old). Both the simulations and observations show a significant positive response of tree-ring width to growing-season total photosynthetically active radiation (PAR0) and the ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration (α), and a significant negative response to mean annual temperature (MAT). The slopes of the simulated and observed relationships with PAR0 and α are similar the negative response to MAT is underestimated by the model. Comparison of simulations with fixed and changing atmospheric CO2 concentration shows that CO2 fertilisation over the past 50 years is too small to be distinguished in the ring-width data, given ontogenetic trends and interannual variability in climate.
Angiosperm wood structure: Global patterns in vessel anatomy and their relation to wood density and potential conductivity
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2010
DOI: 10.3732/AJB.0900178
Abstract: Woody stems comprise a large biological carbon fraction and determine water transport between roots and leaves their structure and function can influence both carbon and hydrological cycles. While angiosperm wood anatomy and density determine hydraulic conductivity and mechanical strength, little is known about interrelations across many species. We compiled a global data set comprising two anatomical traits for 3005 woody angiosperms: mean vessel lumen area (Ā) and number per unit area (N). From these, we calculated vessel lumen fraction (F = ĀN) and size to number ratio (S = Ā/N), a new vessel composition index. We examined the extent to which F and S influenced potential sapwood specific stem conductivity (K(S)) and wood density (D dry mass/fresh volume). F and S varied essentially independently across angiosperms. Variation in K(S) was driven primarily by S, and variation in D was virtually unrelated to F and S. Tissue density outside vessel lumens (D(N)) must predominantly influence D. High S should confer faster K(S) but incur greater freeze-thaw embolism risk. F should also affect K(S), and both F and D(N) should influence mechanical strength, capacitance, and construction costs. Improved theory and quantification are needed to better understand ecological costs and benefits of these three distinct dimensions.
Light interception efficiency explained by two simple variables: A test using a diversity of small- to medium-sized woody plants
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-11-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2011.03943.X
Abstract: • Plant light interception efficiency is a crucial determinant of carbon uptake by in idual plants and by vegetation. Our aim was to identify whole-plant variables that summarize complex crown architecture, which can be used to predict light interception efficiency. • We gathered the largest database of digitized plants to date (1831 plants of 124 species), and estimated a measure of light interception efficiency with a detailed three-dimensional model. Light interception efficiency was defined as the ratio of the hemispherically averaged displayed to total leaf area. A simple model was developed that uses only two variables, crown density (the ratio of leaf area to total crown surface area) and leaf dispersion (a measure of the degree of aggregation of leaves). • The model explained 85% of variation in the observed light interception efficiency across the digitized plants. Both whole-plant variables varied across species, with differences in leaf dispersion related to leaf size. Within species, light interception efficiency decreased with total leaf number. This was a result of changes in leaf dispersion, while crown density remained constant. • These results provide the basis for a more general understanding of the role of plant architecture in determining the efficiency of light harvesting.
Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance–Improving Conservation Outcomes
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 22-03-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FENVS.2021.643367
Abstract: The Ramsar Convention (or the Convention on Wetlands), signed in 1971, was one of the first international conservation agreements, promoting global wise use of wetlands. It has three primary objectives: national designation and management of wetlands of international importance general wise use of wetlands and international cooperation. We examined lessons learnt for improving wetland conservation after Ramsar’s nearly five decades of operation. The number of wetlands in the Ramsar Site Network has grown over time (2,391 Ramsar Sites, 2.5 million km 2 , as at 2020-06-09) but unevenly around the world, with decreasing rate of growth in recent decades. Ramsar Sites are concentrated in countries with a high Gross Domestic Product and human pressure (e.g., western Europe) but, in contrast, Ramsar Sites with the largest wetland extent are in central-west Africa and South America. We identified three key challenges for improving effectiveness of the Ramsar Site Network: increasing number of sites and wetland area, improved representation (functional, geographical and biological) and effective management and reporting. Increasing the number of sites and area in the Ramsar network could benefit from targets, implemented at national scales. Knowledge of representativeness is inadequate, requiring analyses of functional ecotypes, geographical and biological representativeness. Finally, most countries have inadequate management planning and reporting on the ecological character of their Ramsar Sites, requiring more focused attention on a vision and objectives, with regular reporting of key indicators to guide management. There are increasing opportunities to rigorously track ecological character, utilizing new tools and available indicators (e.g., remote sensing). It is critical that the world protect its wetlands, with an effective Ramsar Convention or the Convention on Wetlands at the core.
Functional distinctiveness of major plant lineages
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-02-2014
A general model for the scaling of offspring size and adult size
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1086/589889
Abstract: Understanding evolutionary coordination among different life-history traits is a key challenge for ecology and evolution. Here we develop a general quantitative model predicting how offspring size should scale with adult size by combining a simple model for life-history evolution with a frequency-dependent survivorship model. The key innovation is that larger offspring are afforded three different advantages during ontogeny: higher survivorship per time, a shortened juvenile phase, and advantage during size-competitive growth. In this model, it turns out that size-asymmetric advantage during competition is the factor driving evolution toward larger offspring sizes. For simplified and limiting cases, the model is shown to produce the same predictions as the previously existing theory on which it is founded. The explicit treatment of different survival advantages has biologically important new effects, mainly through an interaction between total maternal investment in reproduction and the duration of competitive growth. This goes on to explain alternative allometries between log offspring size and log adult size, as observed in mammals (slope = 0.95) and plants (slope = 0.54). Further, it suggests how these differences relate quantitatively to specific biological processes during recruitment. In these ways, the model generalizes across previous theory and provides explanations for some differences between major taxa.
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Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP200100555
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View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP110102086
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