The Leaf Economics Spectrum (LES) describes the continuous range of leaf ecophysiological strategies that plants across the globe utilize to achieve a net-positive return on their resource investment. This spectrum is measured by traits such as leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen, and leaf lifespan. Unsuitable leaf trait combinations are selected against in nature due to a net-loss on the return of initial resource investment, while some potentially extremely effective trait combinations may not be possible due to genetic constraints. Existing genetic variation in LES traits, however, suggests the spectrum may be less rigid than previously expected. To test this, we exploit phenotypic plasticity by subjecting cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus, to environmental stress to generate variability in LES traits. In a greenhouse experiment, treatment groups of Helianthus were exposed to six varying intensities each of four acute stress applications: nutrient limitation, high soil salinity, heat, and simulated herbivory. Leaves formed during the onset of stress and post-stress were sampled to measure leaf traits; changes in plant fitness were estimated through total plant biomass and the time of first flowering. Results from statistical analyses show a variety of significant effects that stress applications had on plant growth and LES traits. Our findings explore the possibility of achieving off-axis LES trait combinations through salt-induced trait plasticity, and if further studies are needed to reassess the rigidity of the spectrum.

abstract: Climate change has the potential to affect vegetation via changes in temperature and precipitation. In the semi-arid southwestern United States, heightened temperatures will likely lead to accelerated groundwater pumping to meet human needs, and altered storm patterns may lead to changes in flood regimes. All of these hydrologic changes have the potential to alter riparian vegetation. This research, consisting of two papers, examines relationships between hydrology and riparian vegetation along the Verde River in central Arizona, from applied and theoretical perspectives. One paper investigates how dominance of tree and shrub species and cover of certain functional groups change along hydrologic gradients. The other paper uses the Verde River flora along with that river's flood and moisture gradients to answer the question of whether functional groups can be defined universally. Drying of the Verde River would lead to a shift from cottonwood-willow streamside forest to more drought adapted desert willow or saltcedar, a decline in streamside marsh species, and decreased species richness. Effects drying will have on one dominant forest tree, velvet ash, is unclear. Increase in the frequency of large floods would potentially increase forest density and decrease average tree age and diameter. Correlations between functional traits of Verde River plants and hydrologic gradients are consistent with "leaf economics," or the axis of resource capture, use, and release, as the primary strategic trade-off for plants. This corresponds to the competitor-stress tolerator gradient in Grime's life history strategy theory. Plant height was also a strong indicator of hydrologic condition, though it is not clear from the literature if plant height is independent enough of leaf characteristics on a global scale to be considered a second axis. Though the ecohydrologic relationships are approached from different perspectives, the results of the two papers are consistent if interpreted together. The species that are currently dominant in the near-channel Verde River floodplain are tall, broad-leaf trees, and the species that are predicted to become more dominant in the case of the river drying are shorter trees or shrubs with smaller leaves. These results have implications for river and water management, as well as theoretical ecology. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Plant Biology 2011

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-07-27T12:14:16Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Tese Doutorado Hiram Falcão.pdf: 1589850 bytes, checksum: c86ffb35f5d0263dbd80e96c156b8065 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-27T12:14:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) Tese Doutorado Hiram Falcão.pdf: 1589850 bytes, checksum: c86ffb35f5d0263dbd80e96c156b8065 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-24 / CAPES / Para o estabelecimento de populações vegetais em ambientes que são heterogêneos no tempo e no espaço, como florestas que passam por processo de regeneração natural, é fundamental a capacidade de apresentar respostas plásticas em atributos funcionais foliares em resposta às variações ambientais. Plantas pioneiras apresentam estratégias ecofisiológicas distintas de plantas de estádios sucessionais tardios, ocupando posições opostas no espectro de economia foliar. No entanto algumas plantas conseguem se estabelecer, ao mesmo tempo, em áreas em diferentes momentos do processo sucessional. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a variação nos atributos funcionais de três espécies de diferentes hábitos, numa cronosequência (inicial (22 anos), intermediária (44 anos), e tardia (+ 60 anos)) de floresta tropical sazonalmente seca em três estações chuvosas consecutivas. As espécies selecionadas foram: Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L.P. Queiroz (Fabaceae), arbórea; Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. (Lamiaceae), herbácea; e Sida galheirensis Ulbr. (Malvaceae), subarbustiva. As duas primeiras são encontradas nos três estádios sucessionais, e a última apenas nos estádios inicial e tardio. Todas as coletas foram realizadas no período chuvoso, no mês de abril, entre os anos de 2012 e 2015. Foram mensuradas as trocas gasosas, o potencial hídrico foliar, o conteúdo e a eficiência no uso dos nutrientes, a área foliar específica, o conteúdo de compostos fenólicos, o custo de construção foliar e o tempo de compensação. As respostas ecofisiológicas das plantas foram influenciadas tanto pelo estádio sucessional quanto pela precipitação entre os anos. De um modo geral, as plantas do estádio tardio apresentaram maiores taxas de trocas gasosas, potencial hídrico, eficiência no uso dos nutrientes e investimento em defesa, especialmente em 2014, o ano mais chuvoso. Além disso, um maior custo de construção foliar e um menor tempo de compensação foram observados nas plantas da área tardia, evidenciando que em áreas preservadas as plantas são mais eficientes no uso da energia. No entanto a variação nos atributos foliares foi mais intensa entre os anos de coleta. Dentre os atributos funcionais, o potencial hídrico apresentou a maior capacidade de aclimatação à variação ambiental, seguido da eficiência no uso dos nutrientes e da área foliar específica. O atributo com a menor capacidade de resposta plástica foi o custo de construção foliar. No entanto esse atributo foi mostrou-se como um dos mais importantes na classificação das plantas de acordo com o estádio sucessional. Os resultados mostram que a água é o principal filtro ambiental que coordena as respostas ecofisiológicas na floresta tropical sazonalmente seca brasileira. No entanto as diferentes espécies captam e utilizam a água disponível de forma distinta, evidenciando uma diferenciação de nicho com relação ao uso da água. A variação nos atributos funcionais em função do estádio sucessional sugere que as espécies analisadas têm a capacidade de ajustar o seu espectro de economia foliar, utilizando-se de estratégia de captação ou de conservação de recursos de acordo com as exigências do ambiente. / For establishing plant populations in environments that are heterogeneous in time and space, as forests that pass through natural regeneration process, it is essential the ability to present plastic responses in leaf functional traits in response to environmental variations. Pioneer plants have different ecophysiological strategies in comparison plants of late successional stages, occupying opposite positions in the leaf economics spectrum. However some plants can be established, at the same time, in areas at different stages in succession process. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in the functional attributes of three species of different habits, in a chronosequence (early (22 years), intermediate (44 years) and late ( + 60 years)) of a seasonally tropical dry forest in three consecutive rainy seasons. The species selected were: Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L.P. Queiroz (Fabaceae), a tree; Hyptis Suaveolens (L.) Poit. (Lamiaceae), a herb; and Sida galheirensis Ulbr. (Malvaceae), a subshrub. The first two are found in the three successional stages, and the last one only in the early and late stages. All samples were collected in the rainy season, in April, between the years 2012 and 2015. The gas exchange, leaf water potential, the content and the nutrient use efficiencies, specific leaf area, the content of phenolics, the leaf construction cost and payback time, were measured. Ecophysiological responses of plants were influenced both by the successional stage as the rainfall between years. In general, plants from late stage had higher rates of gas exchange, leaf water potential, nutrients use efficiency and investment in defense, especially in 2014, the wettest year. Furthermore, a higher leaf construction cost and a shorter payback time were observed in late area, showing that, in preserved areas, plants are more efficient in energy use. However the variation in leaf traits was more intense between the years of collection. Among the functional traits, the water potential presented the highest acclimatization capacity to environmental variation, followed by the nutrient use efficiencies and specific leaf area. The leaf trait with the lowest plastic response was the leaf construction cost. However, this trait was one of the most important in classifying the plants according to successional stage. The results showed that water is the main environmental filter that coordinates the ecophysiological responses in the Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest. However the different species capture and utilize the available water separately, showing a niche differentiation related to water use. The variation in functional traits as a function of the succession stages, suggests that the species in this study have the ability to adjust its leaf economics spectrum economy, by using a resource capture or a conservative strategy according to the requirements of the environment.