Host plant traits play a crucial role in shaping the composition of epiphytic microbiota in the arid desert,Northwest China

Phyllosphere microorganisms are a crucial component of environmental microorganisms,highly influenced by host characteristics,and play a significant role in plant health and productivity.Nonetheless,the impact of host characteristics on shaping phyllosphere microbial communities of plants with different life forms remains ambiguous.Utilizing high-throughput sequencing technology,this study analyzed the diversity and community composition of phyllosphere epiphytic microorganisms(e.g.,bacteria and fungi)of various plant life forms in the hinterland of the Gurbantunggut Desert,Northwest China.Functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa(FAPROTAX)and fungi function guild(FUNGuild)were employed to assess the ecological functions of microorganisms and to investigate the role of stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping phyllosphere microbial communities.Result showed a diverse array of phyllosphere epiphytic microorganisms in the desert plants,with Proteobacteria,Cyanobacteria,and Actinobacteriota dominating bacterial community,while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were prevalent in fungal community.Comparison across different plant life forms highlighted distinct microbial communities,indicating strong filtering effects by plant characteristics.FAPROTAX prediction identified intracellular parasites(accounting for 27.44%of bacterial community abundance),chemoheterotrophy(10.12%),and phototrophy(17.41%)as the main functions of epiphytic bacteria on leaves of different life form plants.FUNGuild prediction indicated that phyllosphere epiphytic fungi primarily served as Saprotrophs(81.77%),Pathotrophs(17.41%),and Symbiotrophs(0.82%).Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated a predominance of positive correlations among different microbial taxa.Raup-Crick dissimilarity index analysis revealed that deterministic processes predominantly influenced phyllosphere bacterial and fungal community assembly.Variance partitioning analysis and random forest modeling suggested that plant leaf functional traits significantly impacted both bacterial and fungal community composition,with fungal community composition showing a closer association with leaf nutrients and physiology compared with bacterial community composition.The distinct responses of bacterial and fungal communities to plant traits were attributed to the differing properties of bacteria and fungi,such as bacteria having higher potential dispersal rates and broader ecological niches than fungi.Overall,the results indicate that phyllosphere bacterial and fungal communities undergo similar community assembly processes,with fungi being more influenced by plant characteristics than bacteria.These findings offer novel insights into the ecology of phyllosphere microbial communities of desert plants.

Plant Traits for Phytoremediation in the Tropics

Water is a limited and valuable resource.Singapore has four national sources of water supply,one of which is natural precipitation.Pollutants collected in stormwater runoff are deposited into drainage systems and reservoirs.Major nutrient pollutants found in local stormwater runoff include nitrate and phosphate,which may cause eutrophication.Bioretention systems are efficient in removing these pollutants in the presence of plants.This paper discusses plant traits that can enhance the phytoremediation of nutrient pollutants in stormwater runoff for application in bioretention systems.The plant species studied showed variations in chlorophyll florescence,leaf greenness,biomass production,and nitrate and phosphate removal.In general,dry biomass was moderately correlated to nitrate and phosphate removal(r=0.339–0.501).Root,leaf,and total dry biomass of the native tree species showed a moderate to strong correlation with nitrate removal(r=0.811,0.657,and 0.727,respectively).Leaf dry biomass of fastgrowing plants also showed a moderate to strong relationship with the removal of both pollutants(r=0.707 and 0.609,respectively).Root dry biomass of slow-growing plants showed a strong relationship with phosphate removal(r=0.707),but the correlation was weaker for nitrate removal(r=0.557).These results are valuable for choosing plants for application in bioretention systems.

Plant trait estimation and classification studies in plant phenotyping using machine vision - A review

Today there is a rapid development taking place in phenotyping of plants using non-destructive image based machine vision techniques.Machine vision based plant phenotyping ranges from single plant trait estimation to broad assessment of crop canopy for thousands of plants in the field.Plant phenotyping systems either use single imaging method or integrative approach signifying simultaneous use of some of the imaging techniques like visible red,green and blue(RGB)imaging,thermal imaging,chlorophyll fluorescence imaging(CFIM),hyperspectral imaging,3-dimensional(3-D)imaging or high resolution volumetric imaging.This paper provides an overview of imaging techniques and their applications in the field of plant phenotyping.This paper presents a comprehensive survey on recent machine vision methods for plant trait estimation and classification.In this paper,information about publicly available datasets is provided for uniform comparison among the state-of-the-art phenotyping methods.This paper also presents future research directions related to the use of deep learning based machine vision algorithms for structural(2-D and 3-D),physiological and temporal trait estimation,and classification studies in plants.

Do aeolian deposits and sand encroachment intensity shape patterns of vegetation diversity and plant functional traits in desert pavements?

The effects of sand encroachment on composition,diversity,and functional patterns of vegetation in drylands are rarely studied,and yet addressing these aspects is important to deepen our understanding of the biodiversity conservation.This study aimed to investigate the effect of sand encroachment on plant functional biodiversity of desert pavements(gravel deserts)in the Sahara Desert of Algeria.Plants were sampled and analyzed in three desert pavements with different levels of sand encroachment(LSE)and quantity of aeolian deposits(low,LLSE;medium,MLSE;and high,HLSE).Within the sample-plot area(100 m^(2)),density of every plant species was identified and total vegetation cover was determined.Plant taxonomic and functional diversity were analyzed and compared between LSE.Result showed that 19 plant species in desert pavements were classified into 18 genera and 13 families.Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most important families.The species Anabasis articulata(Forssk)Moq.characterized LLSE desert pavements with 11 species,whereas Thymelaea microphylla Coss.&Durieu ex Meisn.and Calobota saharae(C&D)Boatwr.&van Wyk were dominant species of desert pavements with MLSE(14 species)and HLSE(10 species),respectively.The highest values of species richness and biodiversity were recorded in desert pavements with MLSE,while low values of these ecological parameters were obtained in desert pavements with HLSE.Desert pavements with LLSE were characterized with the highest values of species abundances.Plant communities were dominated by chamaephytes,anemochorous,arido-active,and competitive stress-tolerant plants.The increase in LSE along the gradient from LLSE to HLSE induced significant changes in plant community variables including decreases in plant density,plant rarity,lifeform composition,morphological type,and aridity adaptation.Desert pavements with HLSE favor the degradation of vegetation and trigger biodiversity erosion.

Changes in individual plant traits and biomass allocation in alpine meadow with elevation variation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Plant traits and individual plant biomass allocation of 57 perennial herbaceous species,belonging to three common functional groups (forbs,grasses and sedges) at subalpine (3700 m ASL),alpine (4300 m ASL) and subnival (≥5000 m ASL) sites were examined to test the hypothesis that at high altitudes,plants reduce the proportion of aboveground parts and allocate more biomass to belowground parts,especially storage organs,as altitude increases,so as to geminate and resist environmental stress.However,results indicate that some divergence in biomass allocation exists among organs.With increasing altitude,the mean fractions of total biomass allocated to aboveground parts decreased.The mean fractions of total biomass allocation to storage organs at the subalpine site (7%±2% S.E.) were distinct from those at the alpine (23%±6%) and subnival (21%±6%) sites,while the proportions of green leaves at all altitudes remained almost constant.At 4300 m and 5000 m,the mean fractions of flower stems decreased by 45% and 41%,respectively,while fine roots increased by 86% and 102%,respectively.Specific leaf areas and leaf areas of forbs and grasses deceased with rising elevation,while sedges showed opposite trends.For all three functional groups,leaf area ratio and leaf area root mass ratio decreased,while fine root biomass increased at higher altitudes.Biomass allocation patterns of alpine plants were characterized by a reduction in aboveground reproductive organs and enlargement of fine roots,while the proportion of leaves remained stable.It was beneficial for high altitude plants to compensate carbon gain and nutrient uptake under low temperature and limited nutrients by stabilizing biomass investment to photosynthetic structures and increasing the absorption surface area of fine roots.In contrast to forbs and grasses that had high mycorrhizal infection,sedges had higher single leaf area and more root fraction,especially fine roots.

Changes in species composition, diversity and biomass of herbaceous plant traits due to N amendment in a dry tropical environment of India

Aim European and North american studies have suggested that nitrogen(N)depositions reduce plant diversity and increase primary pro-ductivity due to changes in plant traits.To predict the vegetation response to future global change,experimental validations from other regions are widely needed.We assessed the effects of N treat-ment by urea fertilization on the diversity and biomass of the her-baceous plant traits(HPTs)in a dry tropical environment of India.Methods Diversity and biomass of different HPTs were determined on the basis of data collected in year 2010,from 135,1 m×1 m plots dis-tributed over 15 locations.The plots were treated with urea fertilizer in different doses(Control,60 kgNha−1 yr−1 and 120 kg N ha−1yr−1)since 1st January 2007.The plots were ordinated and data were subjected to appropriate statistical analyses.Important Findings Correspondence analysis(Ca)suggested uniqueness of species composition due to N amendment.species number and biomass of the trait categories varied due to N fertilization and traits.all studied trait categories(except N-fixers)yielded maximum mean species number at moderate level of N fertilization.Different levels of N fer-tilization exhibited different species diversity-primary productivity(D-P)relationships.Further,study showed reduction in plant diver-sity due to increase in biomass at high rates of N addition.Conclusions Tall,erect,non N-fixers,annuals,grasses HPTs were favoured by N enrichment.N dose above 60 kg enhanced the biomass of fast grow-ing,erect,annuals,non N-fixers,nitrophilic HPTs.The changes in traits with N addition,especially the increase in annuals and grasses and decrease in typically N-rich N-fixers,have implications for sus-tainable cattle production.

Plant traits related to leaf decomposition processes in arid ecosystems of northern Patagonia

Aims Plants play an important role in ecosystem processes.Functional meaning of trait variation in wide environmental gradients is well known but is scarcely known across narrow gradients.We analyze the variation of morphological,physical and chemical traits of dom-inant plant species and the potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization during senesced leaf decomposition of these species across a narrow aridity gradient,and to identify indicative traits useful to set species functional groups sharing decomposition patterns.Methods We analyzed the variation of morphological,physical and chemical traits(specific leaf area,seed mass,N and soluble phenols in green and senesced leaves,plant height)in dominant plant species at 12 sites across an aridity gradient in northern Patagonia,Argentina.We collected senesced leaves of each plant species at each site and used them to estimate the poten-tial rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization from decomposing senesced leaves in a microcosm experiment.We analyzed the variation of plant traits and decomposition rates across the aridity gradient.We grouped plants species accord-ing to growth forms(perennial grasses,deciduous shrubs,ever-green shrubs)and different combinations of morpho-physical and chemical traits of green and senesced leaves and compared the potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobiliza-tion during leaf decomposition among these groups delimited by each grouping criteria.Important Findings Plant traits did not vary across the aridity gradient.The potential rate of dry mass loss was positively related to aridity,while the potential rate of N release/immobilization did not vary across the gradient.Grouping species by separately morpho-physical and chemical traits resulted in a large overlapping in mean values of decomposition rates among groups.In contrast,plant groupings based on growth forms and those including all morpho-physical and chemical traits of green or senesced leaves yielded groups with differentiated rates of decomposition processes.The two latter groupings clustered spe-cies from more than one growth form indicating some overlapping in the rates of decomposition processes among species of different growth forms.Among traits,N concentration in senesced leaves and plant height explained the highest variation in decomposition rates being positively related to potential rates of dry mass loss and N release/immobilization.We concluded that plant groupings based on morpho-physical and chemical traits of either green or senesced leaves may be more powerful to differentiate functional species groups sharing decomposition patterns than the growth form group-ing.Moreover,plant height and N concentration in senesced leaves may be considered relevant synthetic functional traits in relation to decomposition processes in narrow aridity gradients.

Predicting plant traits and functional types response to grazing in an alpine shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The identification of easily measured plant functional types (PFTs) that consistently predict grazing response would be a major advance.The responses to grazing of individual traits and PFTs were analyzed along a grazing gradient in an alpine shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China.Three response types were identified;grazing increaser (GI),grazing decreaser (GD),and neutral (NE) for both traits and PFTs.Seven traits were measured:plant height,economic group,cotyledon type,plant inclination,growth form,life cycle,and vegetative structure.The first five were significantly affected by grazing.Ordinal regressions for grazing response of the seven traits showed that the best single predictors of response were growth form (including the attributes "Scattered","Bunched" or "Closely Bunched"),and plant inclination ("Rosette","Prostrate",or "Erect"),followed by economic group ("Shrub","Grass","Sedge","Legume","Forb",or "Harmful") and plant height ("Tall","Medium",or "Small").Within the four optimal traits,the summed dominance ratio (SDR) of small plants,forbs,rosette and bunched plants,invariably increased,while that of tall plants,shrubs,grasses,and erect plants decreased,when grazing pressure was enhanced.Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified eleven explanatory PFTs based on 195 defined PFTs,by combining the different attributes of the four optimal traits.Among explanatory PFTs,the most valuable in predicting the community response to grazing were Tall×Shrub×Erect×Scattered and Small×Forb×Rosette,as these have the closest connections with grazing disturbance and include fewer species.Species richness,diversity,and community evenness,did not differ among grazing treatments because turnover occurred in component species and their relative abundances along the grazing gradient.We have demonstrated that a minimum set of PFTs resulting from optimal individual traits can provide consistent prediction of community responses to grazing in this region.This approach provides a more accurate indicator of change within a changing environment than do univariate measures of species diversity.We hope to provide a link between management practices and vegetation structure,forming a basis for future,large scale,plant trait comparisons.

Genetic variations in plant architecture traits in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum) revealed by a genomewide association study

Plant architecture traits influence crop yield. An understanding of the genetic basis of cotton plant architecture traits is beneficial for identifying favorable alleles and functional genes and breeding elite cultivars. We collected 121 cotton accessions including 100 brownfiber and 21 white-fiber accessions, genotyped them by whole-genome resequencing, and phenotyped them in multiple environments. This genome-wide association study(GWAS)identified 11 quantitative trait loci(QTL) for two plant architecture traits: plant height and fruit spur branch number. Negative-effect alleles were enriched in the elite cultivars. Based on these QTL, gene annotation information, and published QTL, candidate genes and natural genetic variations in four QTL were identified. Ghir_D02 G017510 and Ghir_D02 G017600 were identified as candidate genes for qD02-FSBN-1, and a premature start codon gain variation was found in Ghir_D02 G017510. Ghir_A12 G026570, the candidate gene of qA12-FSBN-2, belongs to the pectin lyase-like superfamily, and a significantly associated SNP, A12_105366045(T/C), in this gene represents an amino acid change. The QTL, candidate genes, and associated natural variations in this study are expected to lay a foundation for studying functional genes and developing breeding programs for desirable architecture in brown-fiber cotton.

Plant drought tolerance trait is the key parameter in improving the modeling of terrestrial transpiration in arid and semi-arid regions

陆面过程蒸腾作用的模拟制约着天气,气候降水预测的精确度.近几十年来,为了更好地描述植被蒸腾的水力约束,陆面过程模式发展了基于植物性状的植物水力胁迫方案.然而,我们对于植物性状在蒸腾模拟中的地位仍然缺乏了解,植物性状对蒸腾的重要性仍需进一步量化.本研究利用Morris方法评估植物性状参数在通用陆面模式植物水力胁迫方案(CoLM-P_(50)HS)中的重要性,针对17种植物性状,筛选出最为重要的:耐旱性状(P_(50)),气孔性状,和光合作用性状.在12个FLUXNET站点中,参数的重要性由归一化敏感度来衡量.P_(50)的重要性随着降水的减少而增加,而气孔性状和光合作用性状的重要性则随着降水的减少而减少.在干旱或半干旱地区,P_(50)比气孔性状和光合作用性状更重要,这意味着当植物经常经历干旱时,水力安全策略比植物生长策略更关键.而耐旱性状的巨大变异性进一步暗示了多种植物水力安全策略的共存.忽视P_(50)的变异性可能会对陆面过程模式蒸腾作用的模拟造成严重误差.因此,为了更好地表示植物水力功能的变异性,需要增加对耐旱性状的观测并耦合到陆面模式中.

Assessing Adaptability of Planted Trees Using Leaf Traits: A Case Study with Robinia pseudoacacia L. in the Loess Plateau, China

Leaf trait patterns and their variations with climate are interpreted as an adaptive adjustment to environment.This study assessed the adaptability of planted black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) based on the analysis of leaf traits and the comparison of its leaf traits with inter-specific ones existing in the same area.We measured some water and N use related leaf traits: leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA) and N,P and K concentrations based on both leaf area (Narea,Parea and Karea) and leaf mass (Nmass,Pmass and Kmass) of R.pseudoacacia at 31 sites along a water stress gradient in North Shaanxi Province,China.The results show that leaves of R.pseudoacacia have high Nmass and low LMA in the study area.High Nmass and low LMA are usually representative of luxurious resource use,and will advance plant resource competitiveness in high-resource conditions.As a whole,LMA-nutrient relationships of R.pseudoacacia display patterns that are fairly similar to the inter-specific relationships in both direction and intensity.The tendency for LMA and Narea to increase with decreasing water availability and the positive correlation between LMA and Narea reflect the trend for R.pseudoacacia to enhance water use efficiency (WUE) at the expense of down-regulated photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) and high construction cost in dry conditions.However,the positive relationship between LMA and Narea in high mean annual precipitation (MAP) area is either unremarkable or reversed with decreasing water availability.This implies a lower photosynthetic capacity and a higher construction cost for high-LMA leaves.The inter-specific relationship between LMA and Narea is positive and does not change with water availability.This difference between inter-species and intra-species may be due to more diversified anatomies and more specialised structures for inter-species than intra-species.The failure of R.pseudoacacia adaption to dry conditions reflected by LMA-Narea relationship may be partially responsible for the emergence of rampike and dwarf forms found frequently in dry conditions.Incorporating intrinsic characteristics of planted trees into vegetation restoration project will be instructive and meaningful for species selection.

Evaluation of cotton germplasm for morphological and biochemical host plant UPdates resistance traits against sucking insect pests complex

Background:Sucking insect pests cause severe damage to cotton crop production.The development of insect resistant cotton cultivars is one of the most effective measures in curtailing the yield losses.Considering the role of morphological and biochemical host plant resista nee(HPR)traits in plant defense,12 cotton genotypes/varieties were evaluated for leaf area,leaf glanding,total soluble sugars,total soluble proteins,total phenolics,tannin and total flavonoids against fluctuating populations of whitefly,thrips and jassid under field conditions.Results:The population of these insects fluctuated during the growing seas on and remained above threshold level(whitefly>5,thrips>(8-10)f or jassid>1 per leaf)during late June and early July.Strong and negative association of whitefly(r=-0.825)and jassid(r=-0.929)with seed cotton yield was observed.Mean population of insects were the highest in Glandless-1 followed by NIA-82 and NIA-M30.NIAB-Kiran followed by NI AB-878 and Sadori were the most resistant,with the mean population of 1.41,1.60,1.66(whitefly);2.24,232,2.53(thrips)and 037,0.31,036(jassid),respectively.The resistant variety NIAB-Kiran showed less soluble sugars(8.54 mg.g^(-1)),soluble proteins(27.11 mg.g^(-1))and more phenolic(36.56 mg.g^(-1))and flavonoids(13.10mg.g^(-1))as compared with the susceptible check Glandless-1.Moreover,all insect populations were positively correlated with total soluble sugars and proteins.Whitefly populations exhibited negative response to leaf gossypol glands,total phenolics,tannins and flavonoids.The thrips and jassid populations had a significant and negative correlation with these four biochemical HPR traits.Conclusion:The ide ntified resistant resources and HPR traits can be deployed against sucking in sect pests'complex in future breeding programs of developing insect resistant cotton varieties.

Contribution of plant traits to the explanation of temporal variations in carbon and water fluxes in semiarid grassland patches

准确预测异质性景观碳水通量的时空变化,对于综合理解气候变化和植被动态对景观和区域碳水循环的影响至关重要。本研究通过野外观测试验来探究草地斑块碳水通量的季节变化及其与非生物和生物因子之间的关系。在生长季通过密闭同化箱法测定了三个类型草地斑块的日间碳水通量(包括生态系统净交换、总生态系统生产力、生态系统呼吸和蒸散发),同时测定了关键植物性状指标,并计算性状加权平均值和功能分异度。研究结果表明,碳水通量的时间变化受气象因子、土壤因子和群落功能性状的影响。考虑植物功能性状加权平均值和功能分异度可以极大地提高景观尺度碳水通量变异的解释度。比叶面积和叶片δ^(13)C含量是影响气体通量变化的重要性状指标。群落加权平均值对碳通量的预测能力优于功能分异度,而功能分异度对蒸散发的解释度更高。我们的研究结果表明,生物量比假说和互补效应假说互不排斥,但两者对不同的生态系统过程的相对重要性不同,群落功能性状对半干旱草地碳水通量时空变化的机理解释和模型预测具有重要作用。

Endophytic bacteria associated with halophyte Seidlitzia rosmarinus Ehrenb.ex Boiss.from saline soil of Uzbekistan and their plant beneficial traits

Endophytic bacteria of halophytic plants play essential roles in salt stress tolerance.Therefore,an understanding of the true nature of plant-microbe interactions under extreme conditions is essential.The current study aimed to identify cultivable endophytic bacteria associated with the roots and shoots of Seidlitzia rosmarinus Ehrenb.ex Boiss.grown in the salt-affected soil in Uzbekistan and to evaluate their plant beneficial traits related to plant growth stimulation and stress tolerance.Bacteria were isolated from the roots and the shoots of S.rosmarinus using culture-dependent techniques and identified by the 16S rRNA gene.RFLP(Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism)analysis was conducted to eliminate similar isolates.Results showed that the isolates from the roots of S.rosmarinus belonged to the genera Rothia,Kocuria,Pseudomonas,Staphylococcus,Paenibacillus and Brevibacterium.The bacterial isolates from the shoots of S.rosmarinus belonged to the genera Staphylococcus,Rothia,Stenotrophomonas,Brevibacterium,Halomonas,Planococcus,Planomicrobium and Pseudomonas,which differed from those of the roots.Notably,Staphylococcus,Rothia and Brevibacterium were detected in both roots and shoots,indicating possible migration of some species from roots to shoots.The root-associated bacteria showed higher levels of IAA(indole-3-acetic acid)synthesis compared with those isolated from the shoots,as well as the higher production of ACC(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate)deaminase.Our findings suggest that halophytic plants are valuable sources for the selection of microbes with a potential to improve plant fitness under saline soils.

Identification of Original Plants, Traits, Microstructure and Powder of Leontopodium franchetii Beauv.

[Objectives] This study aimed to provide experimental data for the identification and application of Leontopodium franchetii Beauv. [Methods] The original plants, traits, microstructure and powder of L. franchetii Beauv. were identified. [Results] The identification characteristics of L. franchetii Beauv. in the original plants, traits and microstructure were obvious. [Conclusions] This study can provide reference for the identification of original plants and herbs and the development of quality standards of L. franchetii Beauv. and provide a basis for further research and development.

Genetic Variation for Achene Traits in Cup Plant (<i>Silphium perfoliatum</i>L.)

Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) has demonstrated potential for biomass production in studies using transplants in poorly drained cropland not suitable for conventional crops, but little is known about its establishment from seeding. The success rate for stand establishment of perennial plants is usually positively correlated with seed weight. Therefore, objectives of this study were to determine contribution of genetic effects to variation in achene weight, seed weight, achene length, and achene width of cup plant in a population with high biomass potential. Seedlings of 33 half-sib (HS) families were transplanted at Brookings, SD in 1999 and 2010. Achene/seed traits were determined at seed maturity in 2000, 2011 and 2012. Narrow-sense heritability was higher for achene weight and seed weight than that for dimensional achene traits. Within-population genetic variation occurred for achene and seed weight, both of which varied in response to temporal variation in precipitation and temperature. Results of this study indicated the presence of sufficient additive genetic variation for progress from among-family selection for achene weight. Thus, since families with heavy achenes had higher percent seedling emergence and superior seedling vigor compared to families with light achenes, achene weight may be useful for indirect selection for enhanced seed quality in development of new cultivars of cup plant for biomass production on marginal crop land.

Legacy effects of historical woodland changes on contemporary plant functional composition

Considering the legacy of plant functional composition can help assess ecosystem functions and ecosystem services across different spatial scales under land cover changes.Woody plants likely respond to natural and anthropogenic perturbations due to historical events(e.g.,agricultural development),thus contemporary plant functional composition may be explained by historical woodland change,a type of land cover change.We propose that historical woodland changes may have legacy effects on contemporary plant functional composition.Here,we used partial least squares regression and linear mixed model analyses to test this assumption by coupling data on community weighted means(CWM)and community weighted variance(CWV)of vegetation plots and calculating the time of woodland existence across different periods from AD 0 to 2017.We found that the legacy effects of historical land cover changes on CWM and CWV during the existence time of woodland,particularly from AD 0 to 900,were drivers of contemporary plant functional composition at large spatial scales.Furthermore,historical woodland changes can affect contemporary plant functional composition,depending on the biome type.Particularly,the CWM of plant height,seed mass,and seed length showed the strongest correlations with woodland changes from AD 1910 to 2010 in tropics with year-round rain,and the CWM of leaf traits correlated with woodland changes from AD 0 to 1700 in tropics with summer rain.Our study provides the effective evidence on the legacy of historical woodland changes and the effects on contemporary plant functional composition,which is crucial with respect to effective management of plant diversity and assessing ecosystem functions and services from local to global scales over time.

Phenotypic plasticity of floral traits and pollination adaption in an alpine plant Pedicularis siphonantha D. Don when transplanted from higher to lower elevation in Eastern Himalaya

Phenotypic plasticity and/or pollinatormediated selection may be responsible for the changes in floral traits of plants when they are forced to live in new conditions. Although the two events could be independent, we hypothesized that phenotypic plasticity in floral traits might help to coordinate plant-pollinator interactions and enhance plant reproductive success in changing habitats. To test this hypothesis, we investigated floral traits and pollination on three natural populations of a lousewort(Pedicularis siphonantha) ranging at different elevations, as well as two downward transplanted populations in Shangeri-La County and Deqin County, northwest Yunnan, China. The results indicated that floral traits, i.e. phenology, longevity,display size, corolla tube length and pollen production differed significantly among populations. Moreover,or the two transplanted populations, floral traits diverged from their original populations, but converged to their host populations. Although the phenotypic plasticity in floral traits might be a rapid response to abiotic factor such as warmer environment, the changes in floral traits were found to be well adapted to pollination environment of the host population. Compared with plants of their original habitats in higher elevation, the transplanted individuals advanced flowering time, shortened flower longevity, reduced floral display size and pollen production, received higher visiting frequency and yielded more seeds. These findings suggested that phenotypic plasticity of floral traits might help plants adjust their resource allocation strategy between preand post-pollination stages in response to harsh or temperate conditions, which might correspondingly meet a pollinator-poor or hyphen rich environment.This would be beneficial for the widely-distributed species to adapt to various environmental changes.

Do Plants Have a Choice of Traits to Be Modulated? Evidence from an Invasive Plant <i>Mikania micrantha</i>Kunth in Different Urban Environments

The successful establishment of an invasive plant in a novel environment has been attributed to the phenotypic plasticity of plant traits, with most studies focussing on vegetative trait plasticity in either experimental and/or natural habitat conditions. This study explores the role of phenotypic plasticity, in both vegetative and reproductive traits, of an invasive plant Mikania micrantha growing as a ground cover in diverse urban areas in the city of Kolkata, India. Quadrat based plant and soil sampling was conducted in three habitat types, namely roadsides, natural areas and abandoned plots, from four regions within the city. The above ground biomass and fitness related vegetative and seed traits were estimated from the plant samples whereas soil macro-and micro-nutrients as well as soil health (in terms of organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon) were estimated from the soil samples. Habitat-specific selection of traits in M. micrantha was observed in this study. In roadside population which has more chances of long distance dispersal, the excessive production of reproductive biomass as a compensatory response to the low germination ability of the seeds was evident. In natural areas which are more prone to anthropogenic disturbance and where the plant has greater chances of local spread, modulation of both vegetative (higher SLA) and reproductive traits (lighter seeds with faster germination ability) helped the plant to maintain its population. In abandoned plots where there was more number of associated species, the longer span of germination and increased population height ensured the survivability of M. micrantha in the community. Thus, a continuous monitoring program to check for M. micrantha growth should be prioritized in urban areas due to its immense trait plasticity in different habitat conditions where uncontrolled growth can lead to its establishment and spread, thereby making its control more difficult.