Plant physical and chemical defence variation along elevation gradients: a functional trait-based approach

Oecologia
Alan KergunteuilSergio Rasmann

Abstract

Predicting variation in plant functional traits related to anti-herbivore defences remains a major challenge in ecological research, considering that multiple traits have evolved in response to both abiotic and biotic conditions. Therefore, understanding variation in plant anti-herbivore defence traits requires studying their expression along steep environmental gradients, such as along elevation, where multiple biotic and abiotic factors co-vary. We expand on plant defence theory and propose a novel conceptual framework to address the sources of variations of plant resistance traits at the community level. We analysed elevation patterns of within-community trait dissimilarity using the RaoQ index, and the community-weighted-mean (CWM) index, on several plant functional traits: plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf-dry-matter-content (LDMC), silicium content, presence of trichomes, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (CN) and total secondary metabolite richness. We found that at high elevation, where harsh environmental conditions persist, community functional convergence is dictated by traits relating to plant growth (plant height and SLA), while divergence arises for traits relating resource-use (LDMC). At low elevation, where gr...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 5, 2020·Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences : Official Journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology·G H BernhardC C White
May 23, 2019·Current Opinion in Insect Science·Paul J Ode

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