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Forests
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Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment
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Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 11017

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ming Dong

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Guest Editor
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Interests: biodiversity; biological invasions; clonal plants; ecological stragety; ecological heterogeneity; fucntional traits
Dr. Yao-Bin Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Interests: clonal plants; functional traits; invasion ecology; plant interactions; wetland ecology; vegetation ecology
Dr. Xuehua Ye

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
Interests: clonal plants; ecological adaptation; environmental heterogeneity; global change; interspecific interaction; restoration ecology; wind erosion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jinsong Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610074, China
Interests: biological invasions; clonal integration; clonal network; phenotypic plasticity; resource heterogeneity; rhizosphere effect
Prof. Dr. Fei-Hai Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou 317000, China
Interests: biological invasions; clonal plants; invasive plant ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In nature, plants’ environments, including biotic and abiotic factors, usually vary in space and time at single and/or multiple scales, showing heterogeneity. Accordingly, in evolution, plants might form some ecological strategies adaptive to the heterogeneous environment. The plant strategies could be linked to and reflected in morphology, physiology, growth, reproduction, and/or life history, and so on. However, we still have limited knowledge about how plants exploit heterogeneous environments through their strategies. This Special Issue plans to deal with the ecological strategies of plants adapting to the heterogeneity, highlighting their important roles in coping with changing environments in diverse communities/ecosystems. It is aimed at an up-to-date compendium of recent researches on diverse ecological strategies of plants with regard to their adaptation to the heterogeneous environment.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Ecological adaptation strategies;
  • Variations of plant functional traits;
  • Phenotypical plasticity;
  • Life history traits and trade-off;
  • Clonal and non-clonal plants.

Prof. Dr. Ming Dong
Dr. Yao-Bin Song
Dr. Xuehua Ye
Prof. Dr. Jinsong Chen
Prof. Dr. Fei-Hai Yu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3277 KiB  
Article
Transgenerational Effects of Water Limitation on Reproductive Mother Plants in a Common Garden of the Shrub Frangula alnus
by Kristine Vander Mijnsbrugge, Marc Schouppe, Stefaan Moreels and Stijn De Leenheer
Forests 2023, 14(2), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020348 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1283
Abstract
A better understanding of responses to water limitation in woody species can help us to cope with the consequences of the progressing climate change. We focused on the putative transgenerational effects of water limitation in the maternal environment during reproduction. Water was restricted [...] Read more.
A better understanding of responses to water limitation in woody species can help us to cope with the consequences of the progressing climate change. We focused on the putative transgenerational effects of water limitation in the maternal environment during reproduction. Water was restricted for cuttings of Frangula alnus Mill. in a common garden setting, with a Belgian (local), Italian and Swedish provenance, during the growing season of 2020 and mature berries were collected during the whole reproductive phase. Stones that were extracted from the berries were given a cold stratification. In the next spring, the germination percentage of the stones from the water restricted maternal environment was significantly higher than that of the stones from the normal maternal environment, for the three provenances, notwithstanding the fact that stone weight was not different. The timing of seedling emergence was advanced for the water-limited maternal environment, but only for the stones harvested when mature berry production was the highest (9th and 16th of July 2020). Population differentiation was observed for the timing of seedling emergence, which reflected population differentiation for bud burst of the mother plants in the common garden, including a counter-gradient effect for the Swedish provenance, and corroborating the suggestion that the timing of seedling emergence and leaf phenology may have a common genetic basis. In addition, the Swedish provenance displayed a somewhat more stable germination percentage over the whole berry collection period when the stones were harvested. A partitioning of variance analysis suggested that germination percentage is more genetically determined than timing of seedling emergence, probably reflecting the more important need to sense the environment for an adequate timing of emergence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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13 pages, 1480 KiB  
Article
Small-Scale Environmental Heterogeneity Enhances Tree Recruitment through Carbon Recharge and Water Use Diversification
by Éva Salamon-Albert, Dénes Bartha and Ágnes Csiszár
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2158; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122158 - 16 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1616
Abstract
Studying regeneration processes in oak-dominated forests requires a multi-faceted approach that considers local factors, disturbances, management actions, and tree responses. Our aims were to quantify the carbon and water-use responses of saplings and evaluate ecological consequences at the early tree regeneration phase of [...] Read more.
Studying regeneration processes in oak-dominated forests requires a multi-faceted approach that considers local factors, disturbances, management actions, and tree responses. Our aims were to quantify the carbon and water-use responses of saplings and evaluate ecological consequences at the early tree regeneration phase of a pedunculate oak-hornbeam forest. We measured plant eco-physiological parameters using an open-chamber IRGA equipment in large experimental canopy gaps (instantaneous field data) and greenhouse (climate-controlled reference data) conditions. We used the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA test to analyze differences and similarities in the gas-exchange response. Functional fingerprints indicated shared resource use and efficiency functions at species-specific performance levels with temporal variations. Medium-level and seasonally balanced carbon uptake and water-use functions characterized pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) and European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.). In contrast, the response patterns in wild cherry (Prunus avium (L.) L.) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) were dominated by water use. Goat willow (Salix caprea L.) had consistently elevated gas-exchange levels with the largest seasonal variation among the study species. We found that trees could be ranked on a relative isohydric-to-anisohydric scale regarding their species–environment interaction. According to the carbon-gain response pattern coupling with a non-structural carbohydrate exchange scheme, we were able to classify tree species as having medium- and long-term carbon resource management. In conclusion, spatially heterogeneous and temporally balanced canopy gaps facilitate tree species’ development and mixed-stand regeneration by providing a functionally diversifying recruiting environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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14 pages, 1460 KiB  
Article
Intra- and Interspecific Competition Altered the Competitive Strategies of Alternanthera philoxeroides and Trifolium regens under Cadmium Contamination
by Yuanyuan Cui, Qiaoying Zhang, Tianwen Tang, Xinxin Deng, Lin Zhang, Peng Liu, Chang He and Yunchun Zhang
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2105; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122105 - 9 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1532
Abstract
Heavy metal accumulation in soils has been one of the environmental and ecological issues, as it caused life and biodiversity problems. However, many invasive plants can survive in heavy metal polluted areas, but little is known about the invasiveness while under different densities [...] Read more.
Heavy metal accumulation in soils has been one of the environmental and ecological issues, as it caused life and biodiversity problems. However, many invasive plants can survive in heavy metal polluted areas, but little is known about the invasiveness while under different densities either with native species or themselves. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was performed to examine how cadmium contamination with different concentrations (0, 100, and 200 mg/kg) may influence the interspecific competition between invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides and the landscape grass T. regens, as well as the intraspecific competition of A. philoxeroides with different densities. The results showed that stronger interspecific competition would alleviate cadmium damage to both A. philoxeroides and T. regens, but the two species adopted different allocation strategies. A. philoxeroides allocated more biomass to belowground and less to aboveground, while T. regens showed exactly the opposite allocation strategy. There was a significant density effect of intraspecific competition on A. philoxeroides. That is to say, with the increase of A. philoxeroides density, the cadmium stress on the growth of A. philoxeroides decreased. Our findings provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the effective control of A. philoxeroides invasion, as well as the restoration and reconstruction of green vegetation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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12 pages, 1446 KiB  
Article
Temperature during Seed Maturation Influences Timing of Bud Burst in Seedlings and Saplings of Prunus padus
by Kristine Vander Mijnsbrugge, Stefaan Moreels, Yorrick Aguas Guerreiro and Simeon Beeckman
Forests 2022, 13(9), 1362; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091362 - 27 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
Climate change increases global average temperatures worldwide. We tested whether temperature during seed maturation in a broadleaved woody perennial may influence the phenological performance of the seedlings. We performed two controlled crosses of Prunus padus L. in two subsequent years (2015 and 2016). [...] Read more.
Climate change increases global average temperatures worldwide. We tested whether temperature during seed maturation in a broadleaved woody perennial may influence the phenological performance of the seedlings. We performed two controlled crosses of Prunus padus L. in two subsequent years (2015 and 2016). Clonal mother shrubs were subjected to a cold and a warm condition during seed maturation. In the first year after germination, the seedlings from the warm seed maturation condition burst their buds earlier compared with the cold condition seedlings. In contrast, in the second and third years, these seedlings burst their buds later. A temporary maternal effect may have advanced bud burst for the warm condition seedlings in the first year, whereas a delay of bud burst in the following years may be caused by a transgenerational epigenetic memory, putatively expressing a stress reaction upon the suboptimal elevated temperature during seed maturation. A warm spring treatment in 2020 enlarged the difference in timing of bud burst between the cold and warm seed maturation conditions in offspring of both crosses, suggesting that the epigenetic memory is more strongly expressed in a warmer spring environment. The timing of the autumnal leaf senescence in the seedlings was not influenced by the temperature during seed maturation in all observation years, suggesting that autumnal senescence is less (epi)genetically determined compared with bud burst and more sensitive to ambient temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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15 pages, 2478 KiB  
Article
Effects of Groundwater Mineralization and Groundwater Depth on Eco-Physiological Characteristics of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in the Yellow River Delta, China
by Peili Mao, Longmei Guo, Banghua Cao, Yuanxiang Pang, Wei Liu, Chunxia Tan, Bo Jia and Zhenyu Cao
Forests 2022, 13(6), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060915 - 11 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2161
Abstract
Groundwater plays a significant role in influencing the growth and distribution of Robinia pseudoacacia L. plantations, with the largest planting area in the Yellow River Delta, by affecting the soil water–salt environment. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism of groundwater’s influence on [...] Read more.
Groundwater plays a significant role in influencing the growth and distribution of Robinia pseudoacacia L. plantations, with the largest planting area in the Yellow River Delta, by affecting the soil water–salt environment. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism of groundwater’s influence on the growth of R. pseudoacacia under different levels of groundwater mineralization (GWM) and groundwater depth (GWD). We simulated GWM of 0, 2 and 4 g L−1, and GWD of 0.8, 1.3 and 1.8 m. As GWM increased, soil relative water content (SRWC) and soil salt (dissolved salt) content (SSC) increased; sapling biomass (SB), stem mass (SM), leaf mass (LM), photosynthesis characteristics (maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (E) and water use efficiency (WUE)) decreased; root mass (RM), root mass ratio (RMR) and root–shoot ratio (RSR) first increased then decreased; stem mass ratio (SMR) first decreased then increased; and leaf mass ratio (LMR) increased. As GWD increased, SRWC decreased, but SSC first increased then decreased; SB, RM, RMR, RSR, and photosynthesis characteristics increased; SM and LM first increased then decreased; and SMR and LMR decreased. SRWC and SSC were negatively correlated with SB and photosynthesis characteristics. SRWC was negatively correlated with RMR and RSR, whereas it was positively correlated with LMR. SSC was negatively correlated with SMR, whereas it was positively correlated with LMR. The first principal component, including SB, RM, and photosynthesis characteristics, was related to sapling growth. The second principal component, including RMR, SMR, and RSR, was mainly related to biomass allocation. In conclusion, GWM and GWD affected the soil water and salt content, which were key factors influencing the photosynthesis and growth of R. pseudoacacia. Adjustments in biomass allocation and photosynthesis were the main adaptive strategies of R. pseudoacacia to salt, drought, and flooding stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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13 pages, 2512 KiB  
Article
Effects of Clonal Integration on Foraging Behavior of Three Clonal Plants in Heterogeneous Soil Environments
by Xiao-Xiao Cao, Wei Xue, Ning-Fei Lei and Fei-Hai Yu
Forests 2022, 13(5), 696; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13050696 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2038
Abstract
Environments are ubiquitously heterogeneous in nature, and clonal plants commonly benefit from both clonal integration and foraging responses in heterogeneous environments. While many studies have examined clonal integration and foraging responses separately, few have tested the effect of clonal integration on the foraging [...] Read more.
Environments are ubiquitously heterogeneous in nature, and clonal plants commonly benefit from both clonal integration and foraging responses in heterogeneous environments. While many studies have examined clonal integration and foraging responses separately, few have tested the effect of clonal integration on the foraging response of clonal plants to environmental heterogeneity. We grew offspring ramets of each of three clonal plants (Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Duchesnea indica, and Glechoma longituba) in both homogeneous and heterogenous soil environments and severed their stem connection to a mother ramet (to prevent clonal integration from the mother ramet) or kept it intact (to allow clonal integration). Without clonal integration from the mother ramet, soil heterogeneity had no effect on biomass or number of ramets for any of the three species. With clonal integration, soil heterogeneity also had no effect on biomass or number of ramets of D. indica and G. longituba, but significantly decreased biomass and marginally significantly decreased number of ramets of H. vulgaris. Without clonal integration, offspring ramets did not demonstrate either shoot or root foraging responses in terms of total, shoot and root biomass and ramet number in the heterogeneous soil environment in any of the three species. With integration, offspring ramets of H. vulgaris also did not demonstrate either root or shoot foraging responses, but offspring ramets of G. longituba demonstrated both root and shoot foraging responses, and those of D. indica demonstrated a root foraging response when they grew in the heterogeneous soil environment. We conclude that clonal integration can alter the foraging response of clonal plants, but this effect is species-specific. Our results also suggest that foraging responses of clonal plants in heterogeneous soil environments may not necessarily benefit the growth of clonal plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Adaptation Strategies of Plants to Heterogeneous Environment)
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