Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125909
Hua Liang , Cheng Zhou , Wan Hu , Sujuan Wei , Dengmei Fan , Shuang Tian , Zhiyong Zhang
Mixed-ploidy species, which contain individuals with different numbers of chromosome sets (e.g., diploids and polyploids), serve as exceptional natural laboratories for studying evolution in action. Previous studies have revealed that the Enkianthus chinensis species complex comprises tetraploid and hexaploid populations. However, whether diploid populations exist within this complex and how ploidy types are geographically distributed remain unclear. It also remains uncertain whether polyploids in this complex exhibited distinct responses to Quaternary climate changes compared to diploids in subtropical China, if they exist in subtropical China. Here, we first employed flow cytometry to assess cytotype distribution and then investigated the phylogeographic structure and demographic history of the complex using two chloroplast intergenic spacers (psbA-trnH and rpl32-trnL). The results revealed that the complex was composed solely of tetraploid and hexaploid populations with no diploid populations being detected, implying either diploid ancestor extinction or ancient polyploidization outside subtropical China. Tetraploids and hexaploids exhibited largely non-overlapping distributions possibly due to their divergent ecological tolerances. Twenty-seven chloroplast haplotypes were identified, forming six allopatric clades (Clades I–VI). NST (population differentiation based on ordered haplotypes) was significantly large than GST (differentiation based on unordered haplotypes) in this complex, indicative of significant phylogeographic structure. Molecular dating suggested the six clades diverged in the late Pliocene (∼2.74 million years ago, Ma), suggesting the E. chinensis complex could have diversified prior to the Quaternary and persisting in multiple glacial refugia. Demographic analyses revealed recent range expansions in two clades (IV and VI) during the Last Glaciation (ca. 0.019 Ma and 0.049 Ma, respectively). Range expansions in these clades may correlate with cooler, wetter conditions during the Last Glaciation, aligning with patterns observed in sky island organisms (high elevation organisms on isolated mountains). Phylogenetic analyses indicated that hexaploids likely originated via multiple independent events, while the absence of extant diploids complicates tracing tetraploid evolution, necessitating future genomic work. Overall, this study advances understanding of polyploid evolution in subtropical China and provides insights for conservation strategies and germplasm utilization under ongoing climate change.
{"title":"Cytotype distribution and chloroplast phylogeography of Enkianthus chinensis complex, a mixed-ploidy species complex in subtropical China and adjacent areas","authors":"Hua Liang , Cheng Zhou , Wan Hu , Sujuan Wei , Dengmei Fan , Shuang Tian , Zhiyong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125909","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125909","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mixed-ploidy species, which contain individuals with different numbers of chromosome sets (e.g., diploids and polyploids), serve as exceptional natural laboratories for studying evolution in action. Previous studies have revealed that the <em>Enkianthus chinensis</em> species complex comprises tetraploid and hexaploid populations. However, whether diploid populations exist within this complex and how ploidy types are geographically distributed remain unclear. It also remains uncertain whether polyploids in this complex exhibited distinct responses to Quaternary climate changes compared to diploids in subtropical China, if they exist in subtropical China. Here, we first employed flow cytometry to assess cytotype distribution and then investigated the phylogeographic structure and demographic history of the complex using two chloroplast intergenic spacers (<em>psb</em>A-<em>trn</em>H and <em>rpl</em>32-<em>trn</em>L). The results revealed that the complex was composed solely of tetraploid and hexaploid populations with no diploid populations being detected, implying either diploid ancestor extinction or ancient polyploidization outside subtropical China. Tetraploids and hexaploids exhibited largely non-overlapping distributions possibly due to their divergent ecological tolerances. Twenty-seven chloroplast haplotypes were identified, forming six allopatric clades (Clades I–VI). <em>N</em><sub>ST</sub> (population differentiation based on ordered haplotypes) was significantly large than <em>G</em><sub>ST</sub> (differentiation based on unordered haplotypes) in this complex, indicative of significant phylogeographic structure. Molecular dating suggested the six clades diverged in the late Pliocene (∼2.74 million years ago, Ma), suggesting the <em>E. chinensis</em> complex could have diversified prior to the Quaternary and persisting in multiple glacial refugia. Demographic analyses revealed recent range expansions in two clades (IV and VI) during the Last Glaciation (ca. 0.019 Ma and 0.049 Ma, respectively). Range expansions in these clades may correlate with cooler, wetter conditions during the Last Glaciation, aligning with patterns observed in sky island organisms (high elevation organisms on isolated mountains). Phylogenetic analyses indicated that hexaploids likely originated via multiple independent events, while the absence of extant diploids complicates tracing tetraploid evolution, necessitating future genomic work. Overall, this study advances understanding of polyploid evolution in subtropical China and provides insights for conservation strategies and germplasm utilization under ongoing climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 125909"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125908
Gisela C. Stotz , Ernesto Gianoli
Phenotypic integration, the pattern and magnitude of association among traits, can influence plant performance. Phenotypic integration is thought to increase under stressful conditions, yet the evidence is largely mixed. Broader, multi-species tests of this hypothesis across natural stress gradients are key to understanding the generality of phenotypic integration as a potential stress response. Importantly, how phenotypic integration associates with other functional strategies remains underexplored. Across six sites at the low end of an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert, we evaluated in 17 plant species whether integration was higher in the populations inhabiting the more arid sites. We also tested for the association between phenotypic integration and resource-use strategy and life cycle. Across species, phenotypic integration was higher in the more arid sites. Although species showed a more resource-conservative strategy in the more arid sites, a resource-acquisitive strategy was positively associated with phenotypic integration, thus suggesting that these are complementary strategies. Lastly, the magnitude of phenotypic integration was similar in annual and perennial species. Overall, our results are consistent with the notion that phenotypic integration could be a stress-response mechanism. Phenotypic integration was unrelated to the extent of exposure to stress (annual vs. perennial species). Results suggest that resource conservation and phenotypic integration are likely complementary stress response strategies, mainly adopted by those species less able to cope with drought stress. Our findings highlight the need to further study the ecological significance of phenotypic integration as a potential stress response, given its likely relevance in the current global change scenario.
{"title":"Phenotypic integration increases with aridity across species, independent of their life cycle or resource-use strategy","authors":"Gisela C. Stotz , Ernesto Gianoli","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phenotypic integration, the pattern and magnitude of association among traits, can influence plant performance. Phenotypic integration is thought to increase under stressful conditions, yet the evidence is largely mixed. Broader, multi-species tests of this hypothesis across natural stress gradients are key to understanding the generality of phenotypic integration as a potential stress response. Importantly, how phenotypic integration associates with other functional strategies remains underexplored. Across six sites at the low end of an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert, we evaluated in 17 plant species whether integration was higher in the populations inhabiting the more arid sites. We also tested for the association between phenotypic integration and resource-use strategy and life cycle. Across species, phenotypic integration was higher in the more arid sites. Although species showed a more resource-conservative strategy in the more arid sites, a resource-acquisitive strategy was positively associated with phenotypic integration, thus suggesting that these are complementary strategies. Lastly, the magnitude of phenotypic integration was similar in annual and perennial species. Overall, our results are consistent with the notion that phenotypic integration could be a stress-response mechanism. Phenotypic integration was unrelated to the extent of exposure to stress (annual vs. perennial species). Results suggest that resource conservation and phenotypic integration are likely complementary stress response strategies, mainly adopted by those species less able to cope with drought stress. Our findings highlight the need to further study the ecological significance of phenotypic integration as a potential stress response, given its likely relevance in the current global change scenario.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 125908"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145555337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125902
Manuel Tiburtini , Luca Scrucca , Lorenzo Peruzzi
Morphometrics provides a rigorous quantitative-statistical framework for assessing morphological independence among taxa in plant systematics. Despite its importance, current methods for analyzing morphological data are often not appropriate. A new workflow to conduct linear morphometric analyses in plant systematics is presented here. We introduce a Bayesian framework for species circumscription using Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), which enables rigorous testing of alternative taxonomic hypotheses. In addition, we present a set of algorithms for morphometric analyses: a lumping-splitting algorithm, methods for computing class-wise morphometric distances, and tools for visualising admixture patterns in morphometric data. We also developed a comprehensive guide for performing linear morphometric analyses in plant systematics and exemplified the new workflow using the Juniperus oxycedrus group. This framework creates a meaningful link between morphology-based taxonomy and formal statistical methods, aligning with the probabilistic concept of evolutionary lineages (UPCEL).
{"title":"Using Gaussian Mixture Models in plant morphometrics","authors":"Manuel Tiburtini , Luca Scrucca , Lorenzo Peruzzi","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125902","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125902","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Morphometrics provides a rigorous quantitative-statistical framework for assessing morphological independence among taxa in plant systematics. Despite its importance, current methods for analyzing morphological data are often not appropriate. A new workflow to conduct linear morphometric analyses in plant systematics is presented here. We introduce a Bayesian framework for species circumscription using Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), which enables rigorous testing of alternative taxonomic hypotheses. In addition, we present a set of algorithms for morphometric analyses: a lumping-splitting algorithm, methods for computing class-wise morphometric distances, and tools for visualising admixture patterns in morphometric data. We also developed a comprehensive guide for performing linear morphometric analyses in plant systematics and exemplified the new workflow using the <em>Juniperus oxycedrus</em> group. This framework creates a meaningful link between morphology-based taxonomy and formal statistical methods, aligning with the probabilistic concept of evolutionary lineages (UPCEL).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125902"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125904
Juri Nascimbene , Michele Di Musciano , Gabriele Gheza
In this study, by means of resampling epiphytic lichens in a timespan of fifteen years in forest stands of the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park (N Italy – Southern Alps), we aim at detecting changes in lichen assemblages by comparing temporal β-diversity patterns between tree individuals of different ages and considering the response pattern of thallus growth forms. Our results indicate that on veteran trees lichen composition seems to be more stable over time. This view is corroborated by lower values of temporal beta-diversity as compared to young trees which are more prone to changes of their lichen biota. In this perspective, dynamics of gains and losses, that translate into compositional changes over time, seem to be more rapid on young than on veteran trees. While the results on the overall dynamics of gains and losses in terms of taxonomic changes are still difficult to interpret, the frequency changes of different thallus growth forms are more explicit in the time frame of our study, indicating a decline in broad-lobed foliose and alectorioid lichens. Overall, our results further support the importance of retaining and increasing the occurrence of veteran trees for long term lichen conservation.
本研究通过对意大利北部-南阿尔卑斯地区Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino自然公园森林林分15年的附生地衣重新采样，通过比较不同树龄树木个体间β-多样性的时间格局，以及考虑菌体生长形式的响应模式，来检测地衣组合的变化。我们的研究结果表明，随着时间的推移，老树的地衣成分似乎更稳定。与更容易发生地衣生物群变化的幼树相比，较低的时间β多样性值证实了这一观点。从这个角度来看，随着时间的推移，收益和损失的动态，转化为成分的变化，似乎在年轻的树木上比在老树上更快。虽然在分类学变化方面的整体得失动态的结果仍然难以解释，但在我们的研究时间框架内，不同菌体生长形式的频率变化更为明显，表明宽叶叶地衣和鳞片样地衣的减少。总的来说，我们的研究结果进一步支持了保留和增加老树的发生对长期地衣保护的重要性。
{"title":"Resampling epiphytic lichens in coniferous forests of the Southern Alps: Veteran trees promote compositional stability","authors":"Juri Nascimbene , Michele Di Musciano , Gabriele Gheza","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, by means of resampling epiphytic lichens in a timespan of fifteen years in forest stands of the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park (N Italy – Southern Alps), we aim at detecting changes in lichen assemblages by comparing temporal β-diversity patterns between tree individuals of different ages and considering the response pattern of thallus growth forms. Our results indicate that on veteran trees lichen composition seems to be more stable over time. This view is corroborated by lower values of temporal beta-diversity as compared to young trees which are more prone to changes of their lichen biota. In this perspective, dynamics of gains and losses, that translate into compositional changes over time, seem to be more rapid on young than on veteran trees. While the results on the overall dynamics of gains and losses in terms of taxonomic changes are still difficult to interpret, the frequency changes of different thallus growth forms are more explicit in the time frame of our study, indicating a decline in broad-lobed foliose and alectorioid lichens. Overall, our results further support the importance of retaining and increasing the occurrence of veteran trees for long term lichen conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125904"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125907
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas , Román M. Vásquez-Elizondo , Jorge O. López-Martínez
The coexistence of closely related plant species has long intrigued community ecologists. This is because shared evolutionary history and recent divergence make it highly plausible that sister species share habitats, resource requirements, and biotic interactions, increasing the probability of interspecific competition and, ultimately, the exclusion of the poorest competitor. Paradoxically, empirical research has revealed that the coexistence of close relatives is common. However, the underlying mechanisms of coexistence are often unknown, and cryptic niche separation may sometimes occur on a small scale. Here, we assess niche differentiation and functional strategies in terms of resource acquisition(mainly light) in two sister species of Cnidoscolus in their area of sympatry (Yucatan Peninsula): C. aconitifolius and C. souzae. We found that niche differentiation between C. aconitifolius and C. souzae ranged 23–28 % at the large scale and 39–44 % at the small scale. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius can be found in warmer sites, with greater solar irradiance than C. souzae. Moreover, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius presented lower leaf dry matter and greater plasticity in the leaf-specific area and photosynthetic performance than C. souzae. We therefore suggest that C. aconitifolius presents a relatively greater acquisitive strategy than C. souzae. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius also presented greater performance than C. souzae, and the magnitude of this difference was greater in highly illuminated environments. We suggest that a differential ecological strategy regarding resource acquisition allows some niche partitioning in the light axis and this may at least partially explain the existence of the study species within a larger area of sympatry.
{"title":"Niche differentiation and resource-use strategies in two co-occurring sister species of Neotropical shrubs: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius and C. souzae","authors":"Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas , Román M. Vásquez-Elizondo , Jorge O. López-Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The coexistence of closely related plant species has long intrigued community ecologists. This is because shared evolutionary history and recent divergence make it highly plausible that sister species share habitats, resource requirements, and biotic interactions, increasing the probability of interspecific competition and, ultimately, the exclusion of the poorest competitor. Paradoxically, empirical research has revealed that the coexistence of close relatives is common. However, the underlying mechanisms of coexistence are often unknown, and cryptic niche separation may sometimes occur on a small scale. Here, we assess niche differentiation and functional strategies in terms of resource acquisition(mainly light) in two sister species of <em>Cnidoscolus</em> in their area of sympatry (Yucatan Peninsula): <em>C. aconitifolius</em> and <em>C. souzae</em>. We found that niche differentiation between <em>C. aconitifolius</em> and <em>C. souzae</em> ranged 23–28 % at the large scale and 39–44 % at the small scale. <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> can be found in warmer sites, with greater solar irradiance than <em>C. souzae</em>. Moreover, <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> presented lower leaf dry matter and greater plasticity in the leaf-specific area and photosynthetic performance than <em>C. souzae</em>. We therefore suggest that <em>C</em>. <em>aconitifolius</em> presents a relatively greater acquisitive strategy than <em>C. souzae</em>. <em>Cnidoscolus aconitifolius</em> also presented greater performance than <em>C. souzae</em>, and the magnitude of this difference was greater in highly illuminated environments. We suggest that a differential ecological strategy regarding resource acquisition allows some niche partitioning in the light axis and this may at least partially explain the existence of the study species within a larger area of sympatry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125907"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125906
Mercedes Valerio , Ricardo Ibáñez , Jan Lepš , Lars Götzenberger
Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands are biodiversity hotspots threatened by increased frequency of drought events, soil erosion and desertification. Soil amendment with sewage sludge is considered a sustainable practice to increase soil fertility and avoid erosion, though detailed studies on its long-term effects on vegetation dynamics are still missing. Understanding how fertilization with sewage sludge affects Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands is of multifaceted interest, from perspectives of waste management, ecosystem conservation, and vegetation ecology. We analyzed the vegetation dynamics of a grazing-excluded, semi-natural Mediterranean grassland over 20 years in response to a single sludge fertilization event. We studied the persistence of the effects of fertilization, the long-term temporal trajectory of the community, the response of species with different functional traits and from different functional groups, and the influence of fertilization on the interannual vegetation response to temperature and precipitation. Our findings revealed significant alterations in community species composition lasting over two decades following fertilization. However, fertilization effects seemed to start decreasing in the last years. Fertilization favored annuals with higher Specific Leaf Area. Fertilization also influenced the interannual response of the community to autumn temperature, June and summer drought differently depending on the species functional group and traits; herbaceous perennials with higher Leaf Dry Matter Content and lower leaf area decreased with summer drought, while the influence of summer drought in annuals and woody perennials was reduced. Our work underscores the importance of long-term ecological dynamics to understand the temporal magnitude of fertilization impacts on the species composition and functioning of plant communities.
{"title":"Twenty-year effect of sewage-sludge fertilization in a Mediterranean grassland: Impact on species composition, functional groups and interrelation with climate","authors":"Mercedes Valerio , Ricardo Ibáñez , Jan Lepš , Lars Götzenberger","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands are biodiversity hotspots threatened by increased frequency of drought events, soil erosion and desertification. Soil amendment with sewage sludge is considered a sustainable practice to increase soil fertility and avoid erosion, though detailed studies on its long-term effects on vegetation dynamics are still missing. Understanding how fertilization with sewage sludge affects Mediterranean semi-natural grasslands is of multifaceted interest, from perspectives of waste management, ecosystem conservation, and vegetation ecology. We analyzed the vegetation dynamics of a grazing-excluded, semi-natural Mediterranean grassland over 20 years in response to a single sludge fertilization event. We studied the persistence of the effects of fertilization, the long-term temporal trajectory of the community, the response of species with different functional traits and from different functional groups, and the influence of fertilization on the interannual vegetation response to temperature and precipitation. Our findings revealed significant alterations in community species composition lasting over two decades following fertilization. However, fertilization effects seemed to start decreasing in the last years. Fertilization favored annuals with higher Specific Leaf Area. Fertilization also influenced the interannual response of the community to autumn temperature, June and summer drought differently depending on the species functional group and traits; herbaceous perennials with higher Leaf Dry Matter Content and lower leaf area decreased with summer drought, while the influence of summer drought in annuals and woody perennials was reduced. Our work underscores the importance of long-term ecological dynamics to understand the temporal magnitude of fertilization impacts on the species composition and functioning of plant communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125906"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125905
Cássia Sacramento , Charles H. Stirton , Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz , Gwilym P. Lewis , Domingos Cardoso
<div><div>Although floral morphology is diverse, the papilionate flower remains the hallmark trait that characterizes the species-rich subfamily Papilionoideae of the Leguminosae. This flower type exhibits a wide range of features closely related to the attraction and fidelity of pollinators. In addition to particular pollination mechanisms associated with the highly differentiated petals, wing petal sculpturing and pockets found in the papilionate flowers of many papilionoid species aids visiting pollinators. Pockets provide a “snap-button” locking mechanism between the wing and keel petals by holding them together so that they usually move as one unit when a pollinator lands. The sculpturing acts as insect footholds by providing an elaborately structured surface that facilitates grip for pollinating insects while accessing nectar (e.g., bees, bumblebees). We used optical and scanning electron microscopy to review, characterize, and describe the variation of the wing petal sculpturing and pockets across all major clades of the Papilionoideae. We analyzed three to five flowers of 445 genera, most of which belonged to tropical genera that had never been thoroughly described before with respect to sculpturing and pockets. We reinforce that the term “sculpturing” should be used to denote epidermal folds on the petal surface that primarily serve as insect footholds, whereas the term “pocket” should describe invaginations of the petal blade involving all tissue layers, i.e., both epidermal surfaces. Of the total genera analyzed, 177 only presented sculpturing and 46 only pockets, while 85 presented both. Sculpturing can be further classified as lamellate, lunate, and lunate-lamellate. The lamellate type, found in 47 % of the genera with sculpturing, varies in appearance, ranging from discrete grooves to intricate epidermal parallel folds. This type is frequently observed in the NPAAA (non-protein amino acid-accumulating) clade. The lunate type, where the epidermal folds resemble a half-moon, accounts for about 15.5 % of genera exhibiting sculpturing; it is primarily found in the Crotalarieae clade. The lunate-lamellate type, the least frequent at 7.5 % of the genera with sculpturing, was recorded in the Amorpheae and Dalbergieae clades. Pockets display a broad variation in depth, number, shape, and position. We have identified three main types: (i) the elongate pocket is oriented longitudinally on the petal and varies in depth and shape, with folded or entire margins, these may be restricted to one region or occur on various parts of the petal; (ii) the punctate pocket is hole-like and has a well-marked concavity with variation in depth and number; and (iii) the perpendicular pocket is oriented transversely on the petal and is deep. Among the pocket-bearing genera, the elongate shape is the most common (34 %), followed by the punctate (27 %) and perpendicular (4 %). Future research should focus on investigating how often this broad variation in wing p
{"title":"Revisiting wing petal sculpturing and pocket variation in papilionoid legumes","authors":"Cássia Sacramento , Charles H. Stirton , Luciano Paganucci de Queiroz , Gwilym P. Lewis , Domingos Cardoso","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although floral morphology is diverse, the papilionate flower remains the hallmark trait that characterizes the species-rich subfamily Papilionoideae of the Leguminosae. This flower type exhibits a wide range of features closely related to the attraction and fidelity of pollinators. In addition to particular pollination mechanisms associated with the highly differentiated petals, wing petal sculpturing and pockets found in the papilionate flowers of many papilionoid species aids visiting pollinators. Pockets provide a “snap-button” locking mechanism between the wing and keel petals by holding them together so that they usually move as one unit when a pollinator lands. The sculpturing acts as insect footholds by providing an elaborately structured surface that facilitates grip for pollinating insects while accessing nectar (e.g., bees, bumblebees). We used optical and scanning electron microscopy to review, characterize, and describe the variation of the wing petal sculpturing and pockets across all major clades of the Papilionoideae. We analyzed three to five flowers of 445 genera, most of which belonged to tropical genera that had never been thoroughly described before with respect to sculpturing and pockets. We reinforce that the term “sculpturing” should be used to denote epidermal folds on the petal surface that primarily serve as insect footholds, whereas the term “pocket” should describe invaginations of the petal blade involving all tissue layers, i.e., both epidermal surfaces. Of the total genera analyzed, 177 only presented sculpturing and 46 only pockets, while 85 presented both. Sculpturing can be further classified as lamellate, lunate, and lunate-lamellate. The lamellate type, found in 47 % of the genera with sculpturing, varies in appearance, ranging from discrete grooves to intricate epidermal parallel folds. This type is frequently observed in the NPAAA (non-protein amino acid-accumulating) clade. The lunate type, where the epidermal folds resemble a half-moon, accounts for about 15.5 % of genera exhibiting sculpturing; it is primarily found in the Crotalarieae clade. The lunate-lamellate type, the least frequent at 7.5 % of the genera with sculpturing, was recorded in the Amorpheae and Dalbergieae clades. Pockets display a broad variation in depth, number, shape, and position. We have identified three main types: (i) the elongate pocket is oriented longitudinally on the petal and varies in depth and shape, with folded or entire margins, these may be restricted to one region or occur on various parts of the petal; (ii) the punctate pocket is hole-like and has a well-marked concavity with variation in depth and number; and (iii) the perpendicular pocket is oriented transversely on the petal and is deep. Among the pocket-bearing genera, the elongate shape is the most common (34 %), followed by the punctate (27 %) and perpendicular (4 %). Future research should focus on investigating how often this broad variation in wing p","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125905"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145528281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125903
Mariana de Aquino Aragão , Nilton Cesar Fiedler , Alexandre Rosa dos Santos , Tais Rizzo Moreira , Antonio Henrique Cordeiro Ramalho , Robert Gomes , Patrícia Carneiro Souto , Telma Machado de Oliveira Peluzio , Jéferson Luiz Ferrari , Danilo Simões , Leonardo Duarte Biazatti , Fernanda Moura Fonseca Lucas
Fire occurrences have recently been increasing worldwide. The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and although it has been considered independent of fire, it has been gaining prominence in terms of fire occurrences, mainly due to the arid climate and human activities. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a forest fire risk zoning for the Caatinga Biome considering its environmental and social characteristics, as well as to define priority regions where forest fire prevention is essential for preserving Caatinga biodiversity based on forest fire risk, fire history and vegetation type. The use of Fuzzy Logic associated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process technique enabled accurate risk modeling for the biome with 96.6 % assertiveness, classifying the biome area as high-risk for the occurrence of forest fires. Regarding location, the northern and western portions, with emphasis on the limits with the Cerrado Biome, were the regions where the model indicated a very high risk of fire. Vegetation located on private properties generally has a greater need for protection (92.02 %) due to fragmentation and proximity to agricultural activities. Conservation units and indigenous lands encompassed 7.98 % of the areas where forest fire prevention measures should be adopted, especially for the sustainable use category, such as Environmental Preservation Areas. Piauí, Bahia and Ceará states had the greatest delimited area representation of the greatest need for fire prevention activities and conservation of local biodiversity. These results indicate that monitoring and training measures for farmers should be implemented to prevent ecosystem losses due to forest fires.
{"title":"Forest fires in Caatinga: Risk modeling and priority areas for prevention","authors":"Mariana de Aquino Aragão , Nilton Cesar Fiedler , Alexandre Rosa dos Santos , Tais Rizzo Moreira , Antonio Henrique Cordeiro Ramalho , Robert Gomes , Patrícia Carneiro Souto , Telma Machado de Oliveira Peluzio , Jéferson Luiz Ferrari , Danilo Simões , Leonardo Duarte Biazatti , Fernanda Moura Fonseca Lucas","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125903","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125903","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fire occurrences have recently been increasing worldwide. The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and although it has been considered independent of fire, it has been gaining prominence in terms of fire occurrences, mainly due to the arid climate and human activities. Thus, the objective of this study was to propose a forest fire risk zoning for the Caatinga Biome considering its environmental and social characteristics, as well as to define priority regions where forest fire prevention is essential for preserving Caatinga biodiversity based on forest fire risk, fire history and vegetation type. The use of <em>Fuzzy</em> Logic associated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process technique enabled accurate risk modeling for the biome with 96.6 % assertiveness, classifying the biome area as high-risk for the occurrence of forest fires. Regarding location, the northern and western portions, with emphasis on the limits with the Cerrado Biome, were the regions where the model indicated a very high risk of fire. Vegetation located on private properties generally has a greater need for protection (92.02 %) due to fragmentation and proximity to agricultural activities. Conservation units and indigenous lands encompassed 7.98 % of the areas where forest fire prevention measures should be adopted, especially for the sustainable use category, such as Environmental Preservation Areas. Piauí, Bahia and Ceará states had the greatest delimited area representation of the greatest need for fire prevention activities and conservation of local biodiversity. These results indicate that monitoring and training measures for farmers should be implemented to prevent ecosystem losses due to forest fires.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125903"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145333190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901
Michaela Konečná , Jana Uhlířová , Lucie Kobrlová, Martin Duchoslav
Understanding reproductive isolation mechanisms is essential for describing the origin of new species. In flowering plants, these mechanisms significantly affect hybridization rates (frequency of hybrid formation in natural populations) and crossing success (seed set and germinability in controlled crosses) and often are associated with asymmetries in hybrid fitness. Ficaria offers a valuable system for studying hybridization and reproductive isolation, as predominantly tetraploid, widespread phylogeographic taxon (lineage) verna (V) is thought to have arisen by hybridization between two parapatric diploid taxa (lineages) calthifolia (C) and fertilis (F) followed by polyploidization. To assess the extent and directionality of reproductive isolation, we conducted controlled intra-lineage and pairwise reciprocal crosses between the aforementioned diploids, evaluated reproductive assurance (autonomous apomixis, selfing) and analysed genome size, morphology and fitness of obtained F1 progeny. No evidence of autonomous apomixis or self-fertilisation was found in the parental diploid lineages or the hybrids. The reciprocal inter-lineage crosses (F–C cross: n = 76; C–F cross: n = 45) produced viable diploid F1 progeny whose genome size was intermediate between that of the parental lineages. The above implies that all F1 progeny in reciprocal crosses originated from cross-pollination. No polyploid individuals were observed among the progeny resulting from any cross treatment. Progeny from inter-lineage crosses exhibited greater morphological variation than progeny from intra-lineage crosses. However, inter-lineage hybridisation was asymmetric. When C was the seed parent, the crosses yielded a lower number of seeds with lower germination rates and reduced fertility of established hybrids, in comparison to when F was the seed parent. Yet these hybrids exhibited greater stature and larger flowers than their reciprocals. These asymmetries likely reflect postzygotic cytonuclear incompatibilities between parental lineages. Our research highlights the importance of hybridisation and asymmetric reproductive barriers in shaping the evolution of Ficaria and establishes a basis for further studies on the genomic complexities that lead to polyploidisation.
{"title":"Direction of the cross affects seed siring and progeny fitness in experimental homoploid crosses between two diploid Ficaria taxa","authors":"Michaela Konečná , Jana Uhlířová , Lucie Kobrlová, Martin Duchoslav","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding reproductive isolation mechanisms is essential for describing the origin of new species. In flowering plants, these mechanisms significantly affect hybridization rates (frequency of hybrid formation in natural populations) and crossing success (seed set and germinability in controlled crosses) and often are associated with asymmetries in hybrid fitness. <em>Ficaria</em> offers a valuable system for studying hybridization and reproductive isolation, as predominantly tetraploid, widespread phylogeographic taxon (lineage) <em>verna</em> (V) is thought to have arisen by hybridization between two parapatric diploid taxa (lineages) <em>calthifolia</em> (C) and <em>fertilis</em> (F) followed by polyploidization. To assess the extent and directionality of reproductive isolation, we conducted controlled intra-lineage and pairwise reciprocal crosses between the aforementioned diploids, evaluated reproductive assurance (autonomous apomixis, selfing) and analysed genome size, morphology and fitness of obtained F<sub>1</sub> progeny. No evidence of autonomous apomixis or self-fertilisation was found in the parental diploid lineages or the hybrids. The reciprocal inter-lineage crosses (F–C cross: n = 76; C–F cross: n = 45) produced viable diploid F<sub>1</sub> progeny whose genome size was intermediate between that of the parental lineages. The above implies that all F<sub>1</sub> progeny in reciprocal crosses originated from cross-pollination. No polyploid individuals were observed among the progeny resulting from any cross treatment. Progeny from inter-lineage crosses exhibited greater morphological variation than progeny from intra-lineage crosses. However, inter-lineage hybridisation was asymmetric. When C was the seed parent, the crosses yielded a lower number of seeds with lower germination rates and reduced fertility of established hybrids, in comparison to when F was the seed parent. Yet these hybrids exhibited greater stature and larger flowers than their reciprocals. These asymmetries likely reflect postzygotic cytonuclear incompatibilities between parental lineages. Our research highlights the importance of hybridisation and asymmetric reproductive barriers in shaping the evolution of <em>Ficaria</em> and establishes a basis for further studies on the genomic complexities that lead to polyploidisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125901"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145266327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125900
Zahra Saraeian, Claire Farrell, Nicholas S.G. Williams
Functional traits of plant species growing on green roofs can determine their delivery of ecosystem services and help guide plant selection. Flowering plants are desirable on green roofs for aesthetic reasons and plants which quickly achieve high coverage through rapid growth and high biomass help to meet green roof construction guidelines. While most extensive green roof plants are perennial succulents due to their drought tolerance, annual species which escape drought by completing their life-cycle before drought, could be advantageous for green roofs as they also typically have acquisitive or ‘fast’ traits associated with rapid growth and flowering. To quantify plant strategies of annuals and develop a trait-based approach for selecting annuals for green roofs, we undertook a glasshouse experiment with 18 understudied Australian annual plant species to investigate relationships among traits related to drought resistance and resource acquisition (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness), competitiveness (plant height) and reproductive ability (seed mass and germination attributes). We also explored how these traits relate to plant performance metrics including growth rate, shoot biomass and flowering time. Species which were more acquisitive (taller species with bigger and thinner leaves and greater seed mass) were more competitive, faster growing and produced more biomass. The annual species had two different strategies in terms of flowering time and relative growth rate; in one group flowering time decreased with an increase in growth rate (earlier flowering with faster growth), while in the other group, flowering time increased with growth rate (later flowering with faster growth). There was also a trade-off between flowering time and specific leaf area (SLA) and faster flowering species with higher SLA were considered less drought resistant (drought escapers). Faster growing and resource acquisitive plants could be more desirable on green roofs as they will achieve cover rapidly during the wetter months and have higher stormwater mitigation. However, in dry periods it is preferable to select species with a range of time to flowering and SLA, to achieve a longer flowering community with different levels of drought resistance.
{"title":"Using plant functional traits and life strategies of annual species to inform green roof plant selection","authors":"Zahra Saraeian, Claire Farrell, Nicholas S.G. Williams","doi":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ppees.2025.125900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Functional traits of plant species growing on green roofs can determine their delivery of ecosystem services and help guide plant selection. Flowering plants are desirable on green roofs for aesthetic reasons and plants which quickly achieve high coverage through rapid growth and high biomass help to meet green roof construction guidelines. While most extensive green roof plants are perennial succulents due to their drought tolerance, annual species which escape drought by completing their life-cycle before drought, could be advantageous for green roofs as they also typically have acquisitive or ‘fast’ traits associated with rapid growth and flowering. To quantify plant strategies of annuals and develop a trait-based approach for selecting annuals for green roofs, we undertook a glasshouse experiment with 18 understudied Australian annual plant species to investigate relationships among traits related to drought resistance and resource acquisition (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness), competitiveness (plant height) and reproductive ability (seed mass and germination attributes). We also explored how these traits relate to plant performance metrics including growth rate, shoot biomass and flowering time. Species which were more acquisitive (taller species with bigger and thinner leaves and greater seed mass) were more competitive, faster growing and produced more biomass. The annual species had two different strategies in terms of flowering time and relative growth rate; in one group flowering time decreased with an increase in growth rate (earlier flowering with faster growth), while in the other group, flowering time increased with growth rate (later flowering with faster growth). There was also a trade-off between flowering time and specific leaf area (SLA) and faster flowering species with higher SLA were considered less drought resistant (drought escapers). Faster growing and resource acquisitive plants could be more desirable on green roofs as they will achieve cover rapidly during the wetter months and have higher stormwater mitigation. However, in dry periods it is preferable to select species with a range of time to flowering and SLA, to achieve a longer flowering community with different levels of drought resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56093,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics","volume":"69 ","pages":"Article 125900"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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