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The temporal stability of plant productivity affects species' access to resources, exposure to stressors and strength of interactions with other species in the community, including support to the food web. The magnitude of temporal stability depends on how a species allocates resources among tissues and across phenological stages, such as vegetative growth versus reproduction. Understanding how plant phenological traits correlate with the long‐term stability of plant biomass is particularly important in highly variable ecosystems, such as drylands. We evaluated whether phenological traits predict the temporal stability of plant species productivity by correlating 18 years of monthly phenology observations with biannual estimates of above‐ground plant biomass for 98 plant species from semi‐arid drylands. We then paired these phenological traits with potential climate drivers to identify abiotic contexts that favour specific phenological strategies among plant species. Phenological traits predicted the stability of plant species above‐ground biomass. Plant species with longer vegetative phenophases not only had more stable biomass production over time but also failed to fruit in a greater proportion of years, indicating a growth–reproduction trade‐off. Earlier leaf‐out dates, longer fruiting duration and longer time lags between leaf and fruit production also predicted greater temporal stability. Species with stability‐promoting traits began greening in drier conditions than their unstable counterparts and experienced unexpectedly greater exposure to climate stress, indicated by the wider range of temperatures and precipitation experienced during biologically active periods. Our results suggest that bet‐hedging strategies that spread resource acquisition and reproduction over long time periods help to stabilize plant species productivity in variable environments, such as drylands. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenology—the timing of critical stages of growth and reproduction and the transitions between them—determines environmental conditions and biotic interactions. Hence, phenology is a key functional trait influencing organisms' survival and fitness; however, the role of phenology in community assembly processes has been less considered. Here we review the importance of phenology in environmental and biotic filtering, structuring priority effects, and species coexistence in the context of the assembly of native communities, as well as in invasions and restoration. We highlight the complexity of the life-history aspect of phenology, which makes simple trade-offs—such as between growth timing and competitive ability—part of larger plant strategies shaped by a framework of risk, reward, and investment over multiple timescales. Embracing this complexity could yield insights into how phenology shapes communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing ecosystems' natural recovery potential is crucial for enhancing the scale and efficacy of restoration efforts. However, this potential is currently underutilized in restoration ecology, and barriers to natural species recruitment remain poorly understood. In this study, we develop an analytical framework that combines trait‐based and dark diversity approaches to evaluate understory plant community recovery in smelter‐impacted forests and identify factors limiting recovery for absent species. A community completeness index (CCI) was calculated in 18 naturally recovering smelter‐impacted forests and three reference forests in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The CCI was used to identify sites that deviate the most from their target communities and was compared to traditionally used indicators of plant recovery. Community weighted means (CWM) of traits for observed and dark diversity species were compared, and principal components analysis was used to identify relationships between traits of observed and missing species among study sites. Species unable to recover passively (i.e. with high dark diversity probabilities) were generally tall and/or large seeded. Understory plant community recovery was structured along two functional gradients, plant economics and size, which both coincided with distance to the smelter. Dark diversity and trait analyses were useful for identifying barriers to natural recovery and, therefore, providing guidance on targeted restoration actions. We conclude by discussing the limitations and opportunities of the dark diversity approach in a restoration context, highlighting the importance of carefully defining habitat‐specific species pools and critically assessing the ecological significance of dark diversity probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major factor hindering ecological restoration is uncertainty about which plant species will best establish. We account for this uncertainty in the design of seed mixes, though our developments are relevant to other planting mixes (e.g. root stock). We view seed mixes as being comprised of one or more species groups (e.g. shrubs, grasses, and nitrogen fixers). We mathematically establish that chances of relatively low densities decline as a species group's seeding rate (e.g. 100 seeds/m2) is divided more evenly among more species. This decline is sharpest if survival probabilities vary widely among species. To determine how much survival probabilities typically vary, we studied grasses commonly seeded in Great Plains grasslands and Mediterranean annual grasslands in the western United States. Survival probabilities varied extensively, so the chances of low densities declined markedly with increasing seeded species numbers. In the Great Plains, the chances of establishment failures (0 plants/m2) were 50% when the seeding rate was allocated to one species versus 0% when the seeding rate was divided evenly among five or more species. Similarly, in Mediterranean annual grasslands, the chances of very low densities (≤1.0 plants/m2) declined from 24% when one species was seeded to 0% when three or more species were seeded. The seeding rate for each plant group should be divided as evenly as possible among as many species as practical. Compared to increasing seeding rates to provide greater densities, dividing fixed rates more evenly among more species could prove less expensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Heterogeneity of the Earth's abiotic surface and subsurface (geodiversity) is increasingly recognised as an important driver of biodiversity. Theoretically, species' traits should match to abiotic conditions in the local environment. Here, we test this for the first time at a continental extent by analysing the relationships between geodiversity and plant trait diversity in forested vegetation plots across Europe, at three plot sizes (100, 400 and 1000 m2). Location: Europe. Time Period: 1930–present. Major Taxa Studied: Plants. Methods: We analysed geodiversity–trait diversity relationships across Europe at 1 km resolution using 2637 forested vegetation plots from the sPlotOpen database. We computed geodiversity (topographic, landform, wetness and soil physical and chemical heterogeneity) variables, combined with climate and land use data to analyse the direct and indirect effects of geodiversity on plant trait diversity, using structural equation modelling. Results: Topographic heterogeneity, and annual temperature to a lesser degree, showed significant positive weak to moderately strong association with plant trait richness and evenness across all plot sizes. We also detected multiple highly significant but weak effects of geodiversity components on trait diversity dimensions. Some notable exceptions include moderate negative effects of soil silt heterogeneity on trait divergence across 1000 m2 plots and positive and weak negative effects of TWI and soil sand heterogeneity on trait evenness, respectively. Explained variance was low across models, but higher for models from 1000 m2 vegetation plots. Evidence for the indirect effects of geodiversity on trait diversity was extremely weak. Main Conclusions: Our findings suggest variable‐specific effects of geodiversity on trait diversity, with significant effects of multiple geodiversity components but dominated by topographic heterogeneity. Importantly, data precision is limited, and we are thus trying to detect signal amongst high noise. Hence, the significant but weak signals we detect may indicate more important underlying patterns than our effect sizes suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary The invasive species S. alterniflora and P. australis are fast growing coastal wetland plants sequestering large amounts of carbon in the soil and protect coastlines against erosion and storm surges. In this global analysis, we found that Spartina and Phragmites increase methane but not nitrous oxide emissions, with Phragmites having a lesser effect. The impact of the invasive species on emissions differed greatly among different types of native plant groups, providing valuable information to managers and policymakers during coastal wetland planning and restoration efforts. Further, our estimated net emissions per wetland plant group facilitate regional and national blue carbon estimates. Globally, Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis are among the most pervasive invasive plants in coastal wetland ecosystems. Both species sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and biogenic carbon in soils but also support production and emission of methane (CH4). In this study, we investigated the magnitude of their net greenhouse gas (GHG) release from invaded and non‐invaded habitats. We conducted a meta‐analysis of GHG fluxes associated with these two species and related soil carbon content and plant biomass in invaded coastal wetlands. Our results show that both invasive species increase CH4 fluxes compared to uninvaded coastal wetlands, but they do not significantly affect CO2 and N2O fluxes. The magnitude of emissions from Spartina and Phragmites differs among native habitats. GHG fluxes, soil carbon and plant biomass of Spartina‐invaded habitats were highest compared to uninvaded mudflats and succulent forb‐dominated wetlands, while being lower compared to uninvaded mangroves (except for CH4). This meta‐analysis highlights the important role of individual plant traits as drivers of change by invasive species on plant‐mediated carbon cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many plants rely on soil seedbanks to persist in fire‐prone ecosystems. However, knowledge of plant responses to fire is largely based on above‐ground dynamics. Quantifying how fire influences the seedbank of a diverse range of species will improve fire management.Here, we aim to understand how the timing of fires influences species occurrence in the soil seedbank, and how this relates to species traits, in a Mediterranean‐type ecosystem. We sampled the soil seedbank across 57 sites that represent a range of fire frequencies (1–9 fires in 81 years) and time since fire (1–81 years). Through a 15‐month germination experiment, we identified 39,701 germinates from 245 plant species. Using nonlinear models, we quantified the responses of 75 species' soil seedbanks to fire history and compared these to above‐ground responses.Fire influenced species' soil seedbanks according to seed longevity and species' life‐history traits. We observed a response of 15 species' seedbanks to time since fire: All were species with long‐lived seed, including eight annuals, five resprouters and an obligate seeder. Similarly, we observed a response of 17 species' seedbanks to fire frequency, 16 of which had long‐lived seed. Extensive periods without fire (>40 years) increase seedbank availability for annuals that form a long‐lived seedbank, and frequent fire (every ≤15 years) depletes it. We did not detect a consistent influence of fire on species from several other functional types. Many (53%) species found in the soil seedbank were not found in the above‐ground vegetation, and seven of the 22 modelled displayed an above‐ground influence of fire.Synthesis and applications: Fire frequency influences the probability of species occurrence in the soil seedbank. Frequent fire depletes seed availability of species that depend on long‐lived soil seedbanks for persistence. Yet, other species, including perennials with short‐lived seed storage, appear to be resilient to the frequency of fires experienced to date. We suggest fire management should aim to generate variation in fire frequencies within the landscape, including areas of low fire frequency, tailored to maintain rich plant diversity within the soil seedbank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Using herbarium specimens spanning 133 years and field-collected measurements, we assessed intraspecific trait (leaf structural and stomatal) variability from grass species in the Great Plains of North America. We focused on two widespread, closely related grasses from the tribe Paniceae: Dichanthelium oligosanthes subsp. scribnerianum (C3) and Panicum virgatum (C4). Thirty-one specimens per taxon were sampled from local herbaria from the years 1887 to 2013 to assess trait responses across time to changes in atmospheric [CO2] and growing season precipitation and temperature. In 2021 and 2022, the species were measured from eight grasslands sites to explore how traits vary spatially across natural continental precipitation and temperature gradients. Δ13C increased with atmospheric [CO2] for D. oligosanthes but decreased for P. virgatum , likely linked to increases in precipitation in the study region over the past century. Notably, this is the first record of decreasing Δ13C over time for a C4 species illustrating 13C linkages to climate. As atmospheric [CO2] increased, C:N increased and δ15N decreased for both species and %N decreased for D. oligosanthes. Across a large precipitation gradient, D. oligosanthes leaf traits were more responsive to changes in precipitation than those of P. virgatum. In contrast, only two traits of P. virgatum responded to increases in temperature across a gradient: specific leaf area (increase) and leaf dry matter content (decrease). The only shared significant trend between species was increased C:N with precipitation. Our work demonstrates that these closely related grass species with different photosynthetic pathways exhibited various trait responses across temporal and spatial scales, illustrating the key role of scale of inquiry for forecasting leaf trait responses to future environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested whether one of the consequences predicted for alien plant invasion by the mutualism disruption hypothesis was true in the case of the ash-leaved maple Acer negundo L. The study aimed to determine whether the occurrences of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal herbs varied similarly or differently in communities with varying degrees of A. negundo dominance. The analysis included the results of 78 vegetation descriptions carried out in Belarusian Polesia, the Middle Volga region, and the Middle Urals. Communities with or without A. negundo dominance were described in each region. The mycorrhizal status of plant species was determined using the FungalRoot Database. Species that are more likely to form arbuscular mycorrhiza were found to occur less frequently in A. negundo thickets. On the contrary, a higher probability of the nonmycorrhizal status was associated with a lower frequency of detection in A. negundo thickets. Therefore, the occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal herbs was found to selectively decrease in communities dominated by A. negundo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid urbanization, studying leaf functional traits of woody plants in urban environments is essential for understanding how urban green spaces function and how they can be effectively managed sustainably. In this study, we investigated the effects of different growing conditions on the morpho-physiological traits of Populus laurifolia and Ulmus pumila across five contrasting urban sites. The leaf area (LA), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf biomass (LB), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf chlorophyll concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, leaf water potential at predawn (Ψpd) and midday (Ψmd), leaf performance index (PIabs), and phenotypic plasticity index (PPI) were compared across five contrasting urban sites. The soil chemical and physical properties were also compared between sites. There were significant differences in soil physicochemical characteristics between sites. We found significant effects of site on most of the morpho-physiological traits measured, except for Ψmd. The leaf chlorophyll concentration of P. laurifolia and U. pumila varied significantly between sites. The Ψpd was significantly different between years and sites. In U. pumila, the mean PPI for morphological traits (0.20) was lower than that for physiological traits (0.21). In conclusion, we revealed significant variations in the morpho-physiological traits of P. laurifolia and U. pumila across the five urban sites. Hence, long-term, large-scale studies are recommended to examine how diverse species respond to different urban growing conditions and to include other ecologically important plant traits for a better understanding of urban trees in a changing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization of social and economic activities has led to the large-scale redistribution of plant species. It is still unclear how the traits aid the successful invasion of alien species. Here, we downloaded global plant trait data from the TRY-Plant Trait Database and classified alien species in China into four groups: high, medium, need attention and harmless according to their distribution and degree of harm to local plant communities based on existed studies. The relationship between plant functional traits and invasion level was clarified, and we established a prediction model based on plant functional traits and taxonomy. The results showed that species with smaller seeds, smaller individuals, lower special leaf area and longer seed bank longevity (SL) are more likely to be an invasive species after introduction to foreign ecosystems. In summary, exotic species with longer SL and lower seed dry mass are more likely to be invasive in China. We also trained two predictive models to check if we can predict a species' invasion. Combining the two models together, statistically, we could predict if a species is invasive from its traits and taxonomy with a 91.84% accuracy. This model could help local governments, managers and stakeholders to evaluate shall we introduce some plant species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant traits which vary both within and between species often drive biogeochemical cycling. Understanding the relative role of within‐ and between‐species trait variability in driving carbon cycling is essential to scaling site measurements to global carbon budgets. In seagrass meadows, carbon and nitrogen mineralization rates and associated greenhouse gas emissions are highly variable, impeding our ability to reliably predict whether meadows are net carbon sinks. Evaluating the influence of within‐ and between‐species trait variability on greenhouse gas fluxes will improve our understanding of local‐scale drivers of greenhouse gas production and consumption in seagrass meadows. To test the effects of plant traits on dissolved greenhouse gas fluxes, we performed mesocosm incubations with live, intact seagrass plants. We compared methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes under dark and light conditions from sediments dominated by Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum across dormant, early and peak growing seasons in a subtropical meadow along the west coast of peninsular Florida. We also measured oxygen (O2) fluxes to interpret greenhouse gas fluxes within the context of community metabolism. We measured several seagrass traits, such as above‐ and below‐ground biomass and leaf and root area and assessed their impact as well as the impact of species identity on dissolved gas fluxes. We found that abiotic factors linked to metabolism (i.e. light and temperature) influenced greenhouse gas fluxes across seasons. In addition to light conditions and sampling month, plant size (a composite trait variable) was a significant predictor of O2 consumption and CH4 production under dark conditions, and better predicted fluxes than individual plant traits. CH4 production was slightly higher in H. wrightii‐dominated sediments, but species identity was less important than plant size in driving CH4 production. N2O fluxes were low and not influenced by plant traits or species identity. Synthesis: Our results indicate that within‐species more so than between‐species trait variability drives the direction and magnitude of CH4 fluxes in seagrass meadows. We identified a trade‐off where seagrass biomass is often associated with enhanced sediment carbon storage, but in our study, plant size promoted CH4 production, potentially offsetting the benefits of long‐term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Angiosperms with large genomes experience nuclear‐, cellular‐, and organism‐level constraints that may limit their phenotypic plasticity and ecological niche, which could increase their risk of extinction. Therefore, we test the hypotheses that large‐genomed species are more likely to be threatened with extinction than those with small genomes, and that the effect of genome size varies across three selected covariates: life form, endemism, and climatic zone.We collated genome size and extinction risk information for a representative sample of angiosperms comprising 3250 species, which we analyzed alongside life form, endemism, and climatic zone variables using a phylogenetic framework.Genome size is positively correlated with extinction risk, a pattern driven by a signal in herbaceous but not woody species, regardless of climate and endemism. The influence of genome size is stronger in endemic herbaceous species, but is relatively homogenous across different climates. Beyond its indirect link via endemism and climate, genome size is associated with extinction risk directly and significantly.Genome size may serve as a proxy for difficult‐to‐measure parameters associated with resilience and vulnerability in herbaceous angiosperms. Therefore, it merits further exploration as a useful biological attribute for understanding intrinsic extinction risk and augmenting plant conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) expansion in subalpine and alpine ecosystems is increasing due to climate change and reduced land management. This review examines bilberry traits, environmental responses, and ecosystem impacts. As a stress-tolerant chamaephyte, bilberry thrives in acidic, nutrient-poor soils across various habitats. It propagates effectively through rhizomes and demonstrates a phalanx growth form. Bilberry's growth and distribution are influenced by elevation, soil structure, pH, water availability, and nitrogen content. Mycorrhizal associations play a crucial role in nutrient uptake. The species modifies the microclimate, facilitates litter accumulation, and influences soil microbial communities, affecting nutrient turnover and biodiversity. Bilberry shows moderate tolerance to herbivory and frost, with the ability to recover through rapid emergence of new ramets. However, severe or repeated disturbances can significantly impact its abundance and reproductive success. Climate warming and atmospheric nitrogen deposition have accelerated bilberry growth in treeline ecotones. The management of bilberry expansion requires a nuanced approach, considering its resilience, historical land-use changes, and environmental factors. The goal should be to limit, not eliminate, bilberry, as it is a natural part of subalpine communities. Long-term comparative monitoring and experimental manipulation are necessary for effective management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termites—one of the most abundant animal groups in tropical ecosystems—are vital in nutrient recycling, contributing significantly to maintaining ecosystem functioning. However, how selective they are in their litter food choice, and whether they prefer nutritious or less nutritious litter substrates, are still important unresolved questions.Here, we test the effect of litter traits on the removal of litter by fungus‐growing termites, a dominant group of macrodetritivores in the Serengeti‐Mara ecosystem. We used metal‐mesh litterbags to measure the mass loss of stem and leaf litter from 23 grass species after an incubation period of 61 days.Sheeting—soil deposits indicating termite presence—strongly increased with tannin and phenolic compounds, especially in leaf litter (R2 = 0.54), where highly aromatic species like Cymbopogon caesius and Bothriochloa insculpta exhibited the highest sheeting rates. Litterbags with sheeting displayed 66% higher mass loss on average compared to those without. Once termites had selected the substrate, mass loss increased consistently irrespective of litter traits.Quantifying the combined effects of sheeting frequency and differential mass loss, we found that fungus‐growing termites predominantly increased the mass loss of high‐nutrient litter. This was mainly due to additional mass loss in leaf litter, not stem litter, with tannin concentration being the primary predictor of enhanced overall decomposition by termites. This suggests termites ameliorate the otherwise adverse influence of plant secondary compounds on litter decomposition.Synthesis: Our results support the idea that fungus‐growing termites are generalists, as termites collected organic substrates with varying quality. The strong effect of phenolic compounds on sheeting rate implies that secondary compounds play an important role in termite substrate selection. The selective removal of substrates high in secondary compounds suggests fungus‐growing termites lift important constraints to microbial breakdown, potentially enhancing ecosystem‐level carbon and nutrient recycling rates. Termites play crucial roles in recycling organic matter across tropical biomes and our study highlights that the role of secondary compounds in their selection and detection in decomposition studies needs more attention [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the climatic and biogeographic drivers of plant trait variation across Caribbean tropical dry forests, a system characterised by high rates of plant endemism despite low moisture availability, high rainfall variability and persistent exposure to hurricanes. Location: Caribbean tropical dry forests. Taxon: Woody plants. Methods: We used a database of 572 woody vegetation plots spanning across the Caribbean, including Florida. We then extracted seed mass, specific leaf area and wood density from global trait databases. We supplemented additional trait data from herbaria collections and calculated phylogenetic imputation of traits. Furthermore, we calculated presence–absence community means and functional diversity and correlated these metrics with bioclimatic variables in addition to island and dry forest area using generalised additive models. Results: Despite occurring in climatically distinct regions, Caribbean tropical dry forests are functionally similar, and the trait space of many dry forests are nested within the functional space of others. In line with island biogeographic theory, island area, dry forest area and island isolation were correlated with functional diversity. Although temperature and precipitation were important determinants of trait variation and functional diversity, environmental variables differently impacted trait variation and the variance explained was generally low. Main Conclusions: The high functional overlap among Caribbean dry forests is remarkable given the broad climatic gradient across these islands. High functional overlap suggests that environmental and biogeographic filters constrain plant form and function in these intrinsically fascinating systems. The trait space of these insular dry forest systems points to dispersal‐limitation, in addition to high temperature and water limitations, and favouring persistence strategies to withstand high frequency hurricane disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The distribution of birds among islands is thought to be regulated by island physical geography (i.e. island area, isolation and latitude). In contrast, work on continents indicates that bird diversity is often regulated by plant diversity. Consequently, the (statistical) direct and indirect effects of physical geography on island bird distribution are poorly understood. We investigated the relative roles of physical geography and vegetation in determining island bird diversity in the South West Pacific at two taxonomic scales of resolution: total bird diversity and bird diversity within functional guilds. Location: Eleven archipelagos in the South West Pacific. Taxon: Land birds. Methods: We created a dataset characterising total and functional guild diversity for land birds and seed plants (i.e. Spermatophytes) among archipelagos. We then used mediation analysis to disentangle the direct and indirect (i.e. mediated) effects of physical geography and vegetation on bird diversity. Results: On a broad taxonomic scale, total bird diversity was directly determined by total plant diversity, not the area, isolation or latitude of islands. On a fine taxonomic scale results differed between functional guilds. The diversity of herbivorous and frugivorous birds was directly determined by physical geography rather than plant total and trait diversity. Woody and herbaceous plant species diversity mediated the effect of physical geography on forest‐dwelling, above ground nesting and ground nesting bird diversity. Granivorous, nectarivorous and grassland‐dwelling bird diversities were unrelated to both physical geography and herbaceous plant diversity. Main Conclusions: Physical geography and vegetation can have both direct and indirect effects on island bird diversity. Furthermore, relationships between physical geography, vegetation and bird diversity can vary markedly among functional guilds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire-adaptive traits in plants of tropical and subtropical grassy ecosystems have been the subject of considerable global research, but only recently studied in pyrogenic Florida subtropical grasslands. Plant growth forms, belowground organs, and post-fire recovery strategies were studied for 198 grassland specialists in peninsular Florida. Community types (dry-mesic, mesic, wet-mesic, and wet) were sampled with 1m2 plots along the edaphic-hydrologic gradient and the association between these variables and fire-related plant traits was tested using fourth-corner analysis. Caulescent herbs (43), cespitose graminoids (27), and rosette herbs (31) are the most common growth forms among species sampled. Plants with epigeogenous and hypogeogenous rhizomes dominate the sample plots, including matrix graminoids, shrub geoxyles, and an acaulescent rhizomatous fire-resilient palm (Serenoa repens). Most species (163; 82%) exhibit resprouting, including 30 facultative resprouters and 133 obligate resprouters. All woody rhizomatous species are obligate resprouters, and 35 ephemeral herbaceous species are obligate reseeders. Community type was a better predictor of species abundances than hydrology, however, hydrology was significantly associated with species traits measured, particularly rhizome texture, with woody rhizomes prevalent in all but the wet sites. Belowground organs (xylopodia, geoxylic suffructices) and growth form were associated with frequent fire and phylogeny, suggesting fire regime as a driver of community phylogenetic diversity. Persistence, rapid resilience and co-occurrence of geoxyles align Florida subtropical grasslands with other global geoxyle grasslands. The old-growth, pyrogenic grassy ecosystems of peninsular Florida are the center of geoxyle diversification on the southeastern US coastal plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), the principal oilseed crop in Europe, is notably vulnerable to spring frosts that can drastically reduce yields in ways that are challenging to predict with standard techniques. Our research focused on evaluating the efficacy of photosynthetic efficiency analysis in this crop and identifying specific chlorophyll fluorescence parameters severely impacted by frost, which could serve as noninvasive biomarkers for yield decline. The experiments were carried out in semi-controlled conditions with several treatments: a control, one day at -3°C, three days at -3°C, one day at -6°C, and three days at -6°C. We employed continuous-excitation and pulse-amplitude-modulation chlorophyll fluorescence measurements to assess plant sensitivity to frost. Also, plant gas exchange and chlorophyll content index measurements were performed. Certain parameters strongly correlated with final yield losses, thereby establishing a basis for developing new agricultural protocols to predict and mitigate frost damage in rapeseed crops accurately.

Endophytic bacteria live asymptomatically inside the tissues of host plants without inflicting any damage. Endophytes can confer several beneficial traits to plants, which can contribute to their growth, development, and overall health. They have been found to stimulate plant growth by enhancing nutrient uptake and availability. They can produce plant growth-promoting substances such as auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins, which regulate various aspects of plant growth and development. Endophytes can also improve root system architecture, leading to increased nutrient and water absorption. Some endophytes possess the ability to solubilize nutrients, such as phosphorus and potassium, making them more available for plant uptake, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a major legume crop that has mutualistic interactions with endophytes. These endophytes can benefit the chickpea plant in various ways, including higher growth, improved nutrient uptake, increased tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, and disease suppression. They can produce enzymes and metabolites that scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species, thus reducing oxidative stress. Moreover, several studies reported that endophytes produce antimicrobial compounds, lytic enzymes, and volatile organic compounds that inhibit the growth of fungal pathogens and trigger systemic defense responses in plants, leading to increased resistance against a broad range of pathogens. They can activate plant defense pathways, including the production of defense-related enzymes, phytoalexins, and pathogenesis-related proteins, thereby providing long-lasting protection. It is important to note that the diversity and function of chickpea-associated endophytes can vary depending on factors such as variety, geographical location, and environmental conditions. The mechanisms behind the plant-beneficial interactions are still being intensively explored. In this review, new biotechnologies in agricultural production and ecosystem stability were presented. Thus, harnessing chickpea endophytes could be exploited in developing drought-resistant cultivars that can maintain productivity in arid and semi-arid environments, crucial for meeting the global demand for chickpeas.

Abstract As natural landscapes are modified and converted into simplified agricultural landscapes, the community composition and interactions of organisms persisting in these modified landscapes are altered. While many studies examine the consequences of these changing interactions for crops, few have evaluated the effects on wild plants. Here, we examine how pollinator and herbivore interactions affect reproductive success for wild resident and phytometer plants at sites along a landscape gradient ranging from natural to highly simplified. We tested the direct and indirect effects of landscape composition on plant traits and reproduction mediated by insect interactions. For phytometer plants exposed to herbivores, we found that greater landscape complexity corresponded with elevated herbivore damage, which reduced total flower production but increased individual flower size. Though larger flowers increased pollination, the reduction in flowers ultimately reduced plant reproductive success. Herbivory was also higher in complex landscapes for resident plants, but overall damage was low and therefore did not have a cascading effect on floral display and reproduction. This work highlights that landscape composition directly affects patterns of herbivory with cascading effects on pollination and wild plant reproduction. Further, the absence of an effect on reproduction for resident plants suggests that they may be adapted to their local insect community.

Plastic traits are argued to favor the establishment of invasive alien plants and to evolve during the invasion process, so that invasions may be favored by both plasticity and evolutionary changes in plasticity. Despite this aspect being pivotal to understanding invasion processes, no information is available about the effect of residence time on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity of aliens to produce locally adapted phenotypes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate changes in the morpho-functional traits of the invasive alien Ambrosia trifida L. over time. Specifically, we grew A. trifida plants under laboratory (at different temperatures: 10 °C, 20 °C and 25 °C) and field conditions by using seeds collected from 2011 to 2020 from an Eastern European population. Data about seedling emergence, vegetative (laboratory and field) and reproductive (field) traits were collected, e.g., maximum plant height (cm), total dry biomass (g), number of flowers (n) and number of new seeds (n). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regressions and a plasticity index were applied to assess differences in plant performances when grown from seeds of different ages. An auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was applied to predict future trends of some key plant traits (maximum height, total dry biomass and number of new seeds). Overall, the time of seedling emergence was not statistically different among seeds of different age, and regression analyses exhibited a positive relationship between residence time (seed age) and vegetative and reproductive parameters of A. trifida. Only male flower production exhibited a negative trend over time. At all temperatures (especially at 25 °C), the vegetative parameters increased with the decrease in residence time. The plasticity index of the measured traits tended to decrease over time for most traits both in the field and in the laboratory trials. The ARIMA model predicted that plant traits will continue to increase in size over time by 2030, suggesting further plastic adaptation of A. trifida. The results highlighted that residence time influences the evolution of phenotypic plasticity of A. trifida, which has strengthened its adaptability to the new conditions over a decade, also demonstrating a great adaptive and invasion potential for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful invasion of biological entities does not merely depend on the rigorous habitat attributes of invaded regions, besides, the intrinsic traits of the invader species also play a significant role in the process of invasion. Evaluation of plants' functioning across habitats helps in understanding which traits are contributing to invasion success in response to changing environmental factors as well as the habitat preference and vulnerability of invasive plants. This study analyzed the effects of forest types on the growth and reproduction capacity of a dreadful invasive alien weed Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King and Rob. Different forest types selected for the present study were Sal, Sal-mixed, Chir-Pine, Banj-Oak, Cypress, and Kharsu-Oak forests in Kumaun Himalaya, India. At each forest site, twenty-four 1 × 1 m size quadrats were randomly laid during the peak growth period of A. adenophora (mid-March–April). The numbers of A. adenophora individuals/quadrats were also counted to compute the density of this weed in each forest type. Three plants were chosen at random from each quadrat and uprooted carefully followed by their morphological and reproductive traits assessment in each forest type following standard methods. To check the variability in soil physicochemical properties, the soil was collected from the surface layer (0–15 cm depth) of each forest type in replicates of three using soil corer. Other environmental variables like aspect, elevation, and solar irradiance were also recorded for selected forest types. ANOVA results showed a significant effect of forest types on all the measured plant traits except root length (p = 0.427), root/shoot ratio (p = 0.201), and root weight ratio (p = 0.225). Soil physicochemical properties also showed considerable variations across forest types except for soil pH. The maximum density (109 individuals/m2), plant height, (149.6 cm/plant), aboveground biomass (19.59 g/plant), and belowground biomass (2.82 g/plant) were recorded in the Cypress forest population, while the lowest growth was recorded in the Kharsu-Oak forest population with 10 individuals/m2 density, 57.94 cm plant height, 3.36 g aboveground biomass, and 0.30 g belowground biomass/plant. Generally, A. adenophora allocated maximum biomass to shoots (57–81%), thus increasing carbon assimilation, while minimum biomass was allocated to reproductive parts (0–17%) indicating higher growth through vegetative propagation. Leaf area was highest in the Banj-Oak forest (2266.04 cm2), while reproductive performance in terms of seed numbers (13,646 seeds/plant), seed weight (0.54 g/plant), and reproductive index (119.26) was highest in the Sal-mixed forest. This study concluded that A. adenophora acclimates to heterogeneous environments in different forest ecosystems through higher plasticity in most of the observed traits. The maximum growth performance of A. adenophora recorded in open-canopied Cypress forest suggested some kind of shade treatment before the emergence of the invader as a control measure to check the invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The folia content of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were studied in five monocot families: Amaryllidaceae, Cyperaceae, Iridaceae, Orchidacea, and Poaceae. The species of different monocot families were found to have different amount of N and P and their ratio in the leaves. The lowest N content was in Iridaceae and the highest was in Amaryllidaceae. The lowest P content was in Cyperaceae and Poaceae while the highest was in Amaryllidaceae and Iridaceae. A minimum N/P ratio was observed in Iridaceae; a maximum N/P ratio, was in Poaceae. Thus, certain specifics were detected in the content of N and P and their ratio in the monocot families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize northern leaf blight (MNLB), characterized by a bottom-up progression, is a prevalent and damaging disease affecting maize growth. Early monitoring is crucial for timely interventions, thus mitigating yield losses. Hyperspectral remote sensing technology is an effective means of early crop disease monitoring. However, traditional single-angle vertical hyperspectral remote sensing methods face challenges in monitoring early MNLB in the lower part of maize canopy due to obstruction by upper canopy leaves. Therefore, we propose a multiangle hyperspectral remote sensing method for early MNLB monitoring. From multiangle hyperspectral data (−60° to 60°), we extracted and selected vegetation indices (VIs) and plant traits (PTs) that show significant differences between healthy and diseased maize samples. Our findings indicate that besides structural PTs (LAI and FIDF), other PTs like Cab, Car, Anth, Cw, Cp, and CBC show strong disease discrimination capabilities. Using these selected features, we developed a disease monitoring model with the random forest (RF) algorithm, integrating VIs and PTs (PTVI-RF). The results showed that PTVI-RF outperformed models based solely on VIs or PTs. For instance, the overall accuracy (OA) of the PTVI-RF model at 0° was 80%, which was 4% and 6% higher than models relying solely on VIs and PTs, respectively. Additionally, we explored the impact of viewing angles on model accuracy. The results show that compared to the accuracy at the nadir angle (0°), higher accuracy is obtained at smaller off-nadir angles (±10° to ±30°), while lower accuracy is obtained at larger angles (±40° to ±60°). Specifically, the OA of the PTVI-RF model ranges from 80% to 88% and the Kappa ranges from 0.6 to 0.76 at ±10° to ±30°, with the highest accuracy at −10° (OA = 88%, Kappa = 0.76). In contrast, the OA ranges from 72% to 80% and the Kappa ranges from 0.44 to 0.6 at ±40° to ±60°. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that PTVI-RF, constructed by fusing VIs and PTs extracted from multiangle hyperspectral data, can effectively monitor early MNLB. This provides a basis for the early prevention and control of MNLB and offers a valuable reference for early monitoring crop diseases with similar bottom-up progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island syndrome is defined as a suite of predictable and consistent differences between island and mainland organisms. In seed plants, much of what we know about the island syndrome comes from work in the Southwest Pacific, which is comprised of the three main islands of New Zealand and ten surrounding archipelagos. These surrounding archipelagos are all remote and relatively small. They were never connected to another landmass and their floras are derived by overwater dispersal, mostly from the main islands of New Zealand, making them an ideal system for the study of island evolution. In this review, we summarise work on the island syndrome conducted on New Zealand’s outlying islands, establish whether these findings are in line with global patterns of island biology or whether they are unique to this region, and propose directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mediterranean grasslands are semi‐natural ecosystems that have been affected by land‐use intensification and abandonment during the past decades. Adaptative multi‐paddock grazing regimes, where grazing alternates with long periods of vegetation recovery, have been proposed as a more biodiversity‐friendly management compared with continuous grazing. This study aimed to compare the effect of these two different grazing regimes on a set of plant traits in mediterranean grassland vegetation over time. Location: Central part of Sardinia (Italy) at 350 m a.s.l. in a permanent grassland system. Methods: We applied the point quadrat method to quantify the specific contribution of each species along permanent transects in spring and winter from 2018 to 2022. We considered the following plant traits: leaf dry matter content, life forms, flowering start and length of flowering. Overall, we performed 128 surveys and measured traits for 61 species. We ran a linear mixed model to test the effect of season, grazing regimes and years on functional diversity and community‐weighted mean for single traits. Results: Adaptative multi‐paddock regimes over time increased the leaf dry matter content. However, compared with grazing regimes, seasonality through time had the greatest effect on flowering traits and life forms. Conclusion: The relatively small variation in the plant traits suggests that the mediterranean grassland was rather stable despite wide variation in grazing regimes, probably linked to their long history of human association. Nonetheless, adaptative multi‐paddock regimes may have higher beneficial effects compared with continuous grazing, favouring more palatable species and improving soil fertility. By contrast, the high variation in the plant traits over time suggests a high vulnerability of the same grassland to climatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes FloraVeg.EU, a new online database with open‐access information on European vegetation units (phytosociological syntaxa), vegetated habitats, and plant taxa. It consists of three modules. (1) The Vegetation module includes 149 phytosociological classes, 378 orders and 1305 alliances of an updated version of the EuroVegChecklist modified based on the decisions of the European Vegetation Classification Committee. Vegetation units dominated by vascular plants are characterized by country‐based distribution maps and data on the dominant life forms, phenology, soil properties, relationships to vegetation regions, elevational vegetation belts and azonal habitats, successional status, and degree of naturalness. A list of diagnostic taxa is also provided for each class. (2) The Habitats module includes vascular‐plant‐dominated terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitat types from the first to the third or fourth highest hierarchical levels of the EUNIS classification. Of these, 249 vegetated habitats are characterized by a brief description, a point‐based distribution map, diagnostic, constant, and dominant taxa, and a list of the corresponding alliances. (3) The Species module provides information on 37 characteristics of European vascular plant species and some infrageneric or infraspecific taxa, including functional traits (habitus and growth type, leaf, flower, fruit and seed traits, and trophic mode), taxon origin (native vs alien), and ecological information (environmental relationships, Ellenberg‐type indicator values, disturbance indicator values, and relationships to vegetation units and habitat types). Values for at least three variables are available for 36,404 species. Individual taxa, vegetation units, and habitats in these three modules are illustrated by more than 34,000 photographs. The Download section of FloraVeg.EU provides open‐access data sets in a spreadsheet format that can be used for analyses. FloraVeg.EU is a new resource with easily accessible data that can be used for research in vegetation science, ecology, and biogeography, as well as for education and conservation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until the late 20th century, the idea of identifying wildfires in deep time was not generally accepted. One of the basic problems was the fact that charcoal-like wood fragments, so often found in sedimentary rocks and in coals, were termed fusain and, in addition, many researchers could not envision wildfires in peat-forming systems. The advent of Scanning Electron Microscopy and studies on modern charcoals and fossil fusains demonstrated beyond doubt that wildfire residues may be recognized in rocks dating back to at least 350 million years. Increasing numbers of studies on modern and fossil charcoal assemblages from the 1970s through the 1990s established the potential importance of wildfires in the fossil record, using Carboniferous examples in particular. Since the 1990s, extensive progress has been made in understanding modern wildfires and their byproducts. New techniques to study ancient charcoals have allowed considerable progress to be made to integrate modern and ancient fire studies, both before and after the evolution of mankind. Four important developments have made a reassessment of Carboniferous wildfires necessary: the recognition of the role of atmospheric oxygen in controlling the occurrence of wildfire; the development of new microscopical techniques allowing more detailed anatomical data to be obtained from charcoal; the integration of molecular studies with the evolution of fire traits; and new developments in or understanding of post-fire erosion/deposition systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Crops generally have seeds larger than their wild progenitors´ and with reduced dormancy. In wild plants, seed mass and allocation to the seed coat (a proxy for physical dormancy) scale allometrically so that larger seeds tend to allocate less to the coats. Larger seeds and lightweight coats might thus have evolved as correlated traits in crops.We tested whether 34 crops and 22 of their wild progenitors fit the allometry described in the literature, which would indicate co‐selection of both traits during crop evolution. Deviations from the allometry would suggest that other evolutionary processes contribute to explain the emergence of larger, lightweight‐coated seeds in crops.Crops fitted the scaling slope but deviated from its intercept in a consistent way: Seed coats of crops were lighter than expected by their seed size. The wild progenitors of crops displayed the same trend, indicating that deviations cannot be solely attributed to artificial selection during or after domestication.The evolution of seeds with small coats in crops likely resulted from a combination of various pressures, including the selection of wild progenitors with coats smaller than other wild plants, further decreases during early evolution under cultivation, and indirect selection due to the seed coat‐seed size allometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging knowledge of plant–soil biotic interactions and the role of soil organisms in shaping the world aboveground is advancing our understanding of ecosystem function. Nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth. They are morphologically and functionally diverse, and play key roles in ecosystem function, making them ideal for developing a trait-based understanding of adaptation to the environment and for assessing their contributions to ecosystem function. Trait-based approaches allow us to capture the functional attributes of organisms beyond their taxonomic identity, provide insights on evolutionary fitness, and make global comparisons possible. We propose the nematode economics spectrum (NES), analogous to the plant economic spectrum, which describes the tradeoffs among growth, reproduction, and survival, potentially enabling us to predict the impacts of global change on nematode ecological strategies and the associated changes in ecosystem function. Trait-based approaches are being increasingly adopted to understand species' ecological strategies and how organisms influence ecosystem function. Trait-based research on soil organisms, however, remains poorly developed compared with that for plants. The abundant and diverse soil nematodes are prime candidates to advance trait-based approaches belowground, but a unified trait framework to describe nematode ecological strategies and assess their linkages with ecosystem function is lacking. We categorized nematode traits as morphological, physiological, life history, and community clusters, and proposed the nematode economics spectrum (NES) to better understand nematode ecological strategies and their association with ecosystem function. We argue that bridging the NES and the plant economics spectrum will facilitate a more holistic understanding of ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling under global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic bacteria live asymptomatically inside the tissues of host plants without inflicting any damage. Endophytes can confer several beneficial traits to plants, which can contribute to their growth, development, and overall health. They have been found to stimulate plant growth by enhancing nutrient uptake and availability. They can produce plant growth -promoting substances such as auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins, which regulate various aspects of plant growth and development. Endophytes can also improve root system architecture, leading to increased nutrient and water absorption. Some endophytes possess the ability to solubilize nutrients, such as phosphorus and potassium, making them more available for plant uptake, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a major legume crop that has mutualistic interactions with endophytes. These endophytes can benefit the chickpea plant in various ways, including higher growth, improved nutrient uptake, increased tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, and disease suppression. They can produce enzymes and metabolites that scavenge harmful reactive oxygen species, thus reducing oxidative stress. Moreover, several studies reported that endophytes produce antimicrobial compounds, lytic enzymes, and volatile organic compounds that inhibit the growth of fungal pathogens and trigger systemic defense responses in plants, leading to increased resistance against a broad range of pathogens. They can activate plant defense pathways, including the production of defense-related enzymes, phytoalexins, and pathogenesis-related proteins, thereby providing long-lasting protection. It is important to note that the diversity and function of chickpea-associated endophytes can vary depending on factors such as variety, geographical location, and environmental conditions. The mechanisms behind the plant-beneficial interactions are still being intensively explored. In this review, new biotechnologies in agricultural production and ecosystem stability were presented. Thus, harnessing chickpea endophytes could be exploited in developing drought-resistant cultivars that can maintain productivity in arid and semi-arid environments, crucial for meeting the global demand for chickpeas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lindernia dubia (L.) Pennell is a species with invasive behavior outside of its native range of distribution (America), linked mainly to aquatic habitats. This annual species has been acknowledged as a weed in rice paddies in Europe and Asia. Due to the impacts of this invasive plant, some authors have even listed this species as a global invader. The present work focused on spontaneous plant species occurring in seedlings of Typha domingensis Pers. grown in central Spain for the establishment of constructed wetlands. Weed inventory revealed the presence of L. dubia as a dominant spontaneous species in this crop environment. A suite of mesocosm experiments were designed to study the population density of L. dubia versus that of the other dominant plant species, and to determine traits associated with its weedy potential. The results showed that L. dubia presents competitive attributes such as morphological variability, early flowering, long seeding time, short growth cycle, small and light seeds and a high seed production and germination rate (25 °C), meaning a high reproductive capacity in a cycle of about three months for plant growth in non-limiting conditions. The data obtained from this work provide a basis for understanding the weedy potential of L. dubia, and for management decisions of a potentially invasive species, which has been little investigated in Europe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in fluvial biogeomorphology largely aims to promote our understanding of the interactions between riparian vegetation and fluvial morphodynamics within riverine ecosystems. Starting at the end of the last century, Angela M. Gurnell has made a major contribution to fluvial geomorphology by considering water flow and sediment transport in combinaton with riparian and later also aquatic vegetation and thus significantly promoting the fluvial biogeomorphological approach from its early days until today. The objective of the present paper is to present a set of studies and results obtained over the last 20 years mainly by the authors and many collaborators, including Angela M. Gurnell, on a panel of French rivers: the Tech, Garonne, Isère and Allier. In particular, feedback mechanisms between fluvial morphodynamics and riparian vegetation dynamics were investigated directly in the field and by using high‐resolution remote sensor systems at the scale of individual plants, populations, communities and landscapes as well as during semi‐controlled ex‐situ experiments at the scale of individual plants. Collectively, the authors' research conducted over the past 20 years has helped to elucidate some key aspects of the feedback dynamics between the lowest and highest levels of the riparian ecosystem organization. This article reviews and discusses those key aspects. The gradually obtained results have contributed to a better understanding and quantification of feedback between river morphodynamics and vegetation at nested spatiotemporal scales, from plant species traits to the riverine landscape. Furthermore, the biogeomorphological approach advocated for more than 20 years now has clearly facilitated the extension of the discipline of geomorphology to ecology in general and evolutionary ecology in particular and thus contributed to a more integrative vision of earth surface processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As natural landscapes are modified and converted into simplified agricultural landscapes, the community composition and interactions of organisms persisting in these modified landscapes are altered. While many studies examine the consequences of these changing interactions for crops, few have evaluated the effects on wild plants. Here, we examine how pollinator and herbivore interactions affect reproductive success for wild resident and phytometer plants at sites along a landscape gradient ranging from natural to highly simplified. We tested the direct and indirect effects of landscape composition on plant traits and reproduction mediated by insect interactions. For phytometer plants exposed to herbivores, we found that greater landscape complexity corresponded with elevated herbivore damage, which reduced total flower production but increased individual flower size. Though larger flowers increased pollination, the reduction in flowers ultimately reduced plant reproductive success. Herbivory was also higher in complex landscapes for resident plants, but overall damage was low and therefore did not have a cascading effect on floral display and reproduction. This work highlights that landscape composition directly affects patterns of herbivory with cascading effects on pollination and wild plant reproduction. Further, the absence of an effect on reproduction for resident plants suggests that they may be adapted to their local insect community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agave weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus is a polyphagous pest of agave, yucca and related taxa. Although its many host species differ in their mortality rates, little is known about the factors involved in host selection by the weevil and the defensive response of the infested plants. We compared the suitability of Agave americana subsp. americana, A. americana var. franzosini and A. oteroi as a food source for adult individuals of S. acupunctatus. Feeding rates on leaf samples of the selected taxa were measured under laboratory conditions. The amount of the flavonoids flavone and kaempferol in the leaves was also quantified. The observed consumption rates were significantly lower for A. americana var. franzosini, but only for measurements made on a fresh weight basis and not when consumption was adjusted to leaf dry weight. The leaves of the three agave taxa did not differ in the contents of the two selected flavonoids. We conclude that the three agave taxa are equally suitable as a food source for the weevil, but the observed differences in the consumption of fresh material provides evidence that agaves can differ in the amount of damage caused by the feeding activities of S. acupunctatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon stocks provide information that is essential for analyzing the role of forests in global climate mitigation, yet they are highly vulnerable to wildfires in Mediterranean ecosystems. These carbon stocks' exposure to fire is usually estimated from specific allometric equations relating tree height and diameter to the overall amount of aboveground carbon storage. Assessments of vulnerability to fire additionally allow for specific fire resistance (bark thickness, crown basal height) and post-fire recovery traits (cone mass for regeneration, and fine branches or leaves mass for flammability) to be accounted for. These traits are usually considered as static, and their temporal dynamic is rarely assessed, thus preventing a full assessment of carbon stocks' vulnerability and subsequent cascading effects. This study aimed to measure the pools of carbon stocks of individual trees varying between 30 and 96 years old in the Djbel Mansour Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forest in semi-arid central Tunisia in the southern range of its distribution to fit a sigmoid equation of the carbon pools and traits recovery according to age as a vulnerability framework. Allometric equations were then developed to establish the relationships between fire vulnerability traits and dendrometric independent variables (diameter at breast height, height, and live crown length) for further use in regional vulnerability assessments. The total carbon stocks in trees varied from 29.05 Mg C ha−1 to 92.47 Mg C ha−1. The soil organic carbon stock (SOC) at a maximum soil depth of 0–40 cm varied from 31.67 Mg C ha−1 to 115.67 Mg C ha−1 at a soil depth of 0–70 cm. We could identify an increasing resistance related to increasing bark thickness and basal crown height with age, and enhanced regeneration capacity after 25 years of age with increasing cone biomass, converging toward increasing vulnerability and potential cascading effects under shorter interval fires. These results should be considered for rigorous forest carbon sequestration assessment under increasing fire hazards due to climate and social changes in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are considerably impacted by invasive alien plants (IAPs). Increasing plant invasions in SSA threaten agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, and other socioeconomic activities, which in turn put the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in peril. In order to effectively combat IAPs, understanding their functional traits (morphological, physiological, and phenological traits) and integrating them into remote sensing (RS) is vital. While functional traits influence IAPs' fitness to invade and establish in a new geographical range, RS aids in studying them remotely, delineating and mapping them, and predicting their potential invasions. The information on this study topic was gathered by reviewing various existing studies published between 2000 and 2024. Based on this review, it was deduced that the majority of IAPs are fast-growing (or acquisitive), with a shorter leaf lifespan, bigger leaves, and higher plant height, ultimately resulting in a higher resource acquisition ability. We established further that in SSA, there are limited studies on IAP functional traits and their integration in RS. Many studies conducted in the region focus mostly on IAP distribution. Evidence from prior studies revealed that functional trait remote sensing (FTRS)-based research not only improves detection and mapping but also predicts whether a certain alien plant can become invasive or expand its distribution range. Thus, using the FTRS approach could help IAP management in SSA, ultimately achieving the SDGs. Our review discusses IAP implications in SSA (e.g., Angola, Tanzania, Benin, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, etc.) and for the achievement of SDGs; functional traits and their impact on alien invasions; and the importance of incorporating functional traits into RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproduction of rare and endangered plant species is one of the most important factors determining the stability and survival of their populations, and knowledge of the barriers to successful reproduction is essential for species conservation. Habitat loss and slow reproduction due to low fruit set are usually considered the main threats to Cephalanthera longifolia and C. rubra (Orchidaceae). The aim of this study was to analyse the natural fruit set of these species during three consecutive years in Lithuania in the northern part of the temperate zone of Europe. Six populations of C. longifolia and three populations of C. rubra were studied each year from 2021 to 2023. During the study period, 49.3% to 54.4% of C. longifolia and 40.0% to 54.3% of C. rubra individuals produced no fruit. Over the three-year period, fruit set in individual populations of C. longifolia ranged from 5.2% to 19.5%, whereas fruit set in populations of C. rubra ranged from 4.1% to 18.8%. Significant weak or moderate correlations were found between plant height, inflorescence length and the number of flowers in the inflorescence and fruit set of both species. Flower position in the inflorescence had a significant effect on fruit set in both species, and the fruit set rate of lower flowers was higher than that of upper flowers. Significant but weak correlations were found between the fruit set and most of the environmental factors analysed. The results of this study suggest that the fruit set of C. longifolia and C. rubra is dependent on insect pollination of the flowers, which in turn is affected by habitat conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tabular records of plant-trait data are essential for diverse research purposes. Here we present scorings for a trio of core plant traits, plant growth form, woodiness and life history, for nearly all (>99%) accepted taxon concepts included in the Australian Plant Census (APC). This dataset is predominantly derived from Australia's state and national floras, supplemented by the taxonomic literature and diverse web resources. In total, 29,993 species and infraspecific taxa were scored for plant growth form, 30,279 for woodiness and 30,056 for life history, with taxa scored as displaying a single or multiple trait values, as appropriate. We provide sample R code that shows how to access and interrogate the dataset. This resource will enable rapid assessment of plant responses to disturbance events and new biogeographic analyses of trait distributions, better understandings of evolutionary trajectories, and ecological strategies. Here, we present an open-source dataset that includes trait values for plant growth form, woodiness and life history for nearly all plants in Australia. This is the first near-complete tabular compilation of these traits for Australia, designed to facilitate research on Australia's flora. Users can download this data set, rather than transcribing trait values from floras or other resources. Image by Sophie Yang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the evolution of stomata, microscopic pores that facilitate gas exchange in plants. The authors argue that stomata in the gametophyte generation of hornworts should be considered the earliest example of stomata in the gametophyte generation of living plants. They challenge the previous belief that stomata are only found in the diploid, sporophyte generation. The article emphasizes the unique characteristics of hornworts and their significance in understanding the evolution of early land plants. The presence of stomata in both generations suggests a potential common ancestor for plants, although this is speculative. Genetic analyses have revealed that stomatal development is controlled by a shared genetic toolkit across land plants. The establishment of a model system in Anthoceros allows for further investigation of stomatal development. Comparative anatomy and other types of evidence are crucial for comprehending the evolution of stomata. [Extracted from the article]

Understanding how tropical forests respond to abiotic environmental changes is critical for preserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and maintaining ecosystem services in the coming century. To evaluate the relative roles of the abiotic environment and human disturbance on Central African tree community composition, we employ tree inventory data, remotely sensed climatic data, and soil nutrient data collected from 30 1‐ha plots distributed across a large‐scale observational experiment in forests that had been differently impacted by logging and hunting in northern Republic of Congo. We show that the composition of Afrotropical plant communities at this scale responds to human disturbance more than to climate, with particular sensitivities to hunting and distance to the nearest village (a proxy for other human activities, including tree‐cutting and gathering). These findings contrast neotropical predictions, highlighting the unique ecological, evolutionary, and anthropogenic history of Afrotropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests in northeastern North America have undergone dramatic transformations due to losses and gains of species, changes in land use and pollution. Historic stressors combined with new threats of white‐tailed deer and non‐native earthworms are threatening native plant diversity.We developed a transplant approach to gauge the importance of deer and earthworms in allowing understorey species recovery. This approach, instead of censusing existing individuals, avoids problems imposed by past land use, dispersal limitation or climate change. We selected 20 native species in different taxonomic and functional groups, with different palatability to herbivores, different life‐history strategies and a range of plant traits (%N, specific leaf area [SLA]) and our selection included species indicative of primary or secondary forests.Using a 2 × 2 full factorial design, we planted species into fenced and unfenced plots with and without existing earthworm invasions in five secondary hardwood forests. We measured survival, plant growth and reproduction over 4–6 years.Earthworm biomass was associated with increased survival of 13 and decreased survival of five species. Surviving transplants grew taller (eight of 12 species measured) and wider (seven of nine species measured) in earthworm plots but were more likely to be attacked by insects. Excluding deer benefitted most species' survival and growth.Taxonomic class, SLA or foliar N did not affect species sensitivity to deer or earthworms.Synthesis. Secondary forests in our region continue to provide suitable habitat for native species. Earthworms and deer are major structuring forces affecting survival and growth of our transplant species, but their impacts are species‐specific and change over time. We observed poorly recognized indirect negative impacts of deer on many unpalatable species. Taxonomic class and differences in plant traits offered no important insights regarding vulnerability to deer or earthworms. Transplanting native species into secondary forests can succeed in restoring understorey communities, but will require fencing or substantial deer population reductions to be successful long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of forest aging on ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal community and foraging behavior and their interactions with plant–soil attributes. We explored EcM fungal communities and hyphal exploration types via rDNA sequencing and investigated their associations with plant–soil traits by comparing younger (~120 years) and older (~250 years) temperate forest stands in Northeast China. The results revealed increases in the EcM fungal richness and abundance with forest aging, paralleled by plant–soil feedback shifting from explorative to conservative nutrient use strategies. In the younger stands, Tomentella species were prevalent and showed positive correlations with nutrient availability in both the soil and leaves, alongside rapid increases in woody productivity. However, the older stands were marked by the dominance of the genera Inocybe, Hymenogaster, and Otidea which were significantly and positively correlated with soil nutrient contents and plant structural attributes such as the community-weighted mean height and standing biomass. Notably, the ratios of longer-to-shorter distance EcM fungal exploration types tended to decrease along with forest aging. Our findings underscore the integral role of EcM fungi in the aging processes of temperate forests, highlighting the EcM symbiont-mediated mechanisms adapting to nutrient scarcity and promoting sustainability in plant–soil consortia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global soil nitrogen (N) cycling remains poorly understood due to its complex driving mechanisms. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of global soil δ15N, a stable isotopic signature indicative of the N input–output balance, using a machine‐learning approach on 10,676 observations from 2670 sites. Our findings reveal prevalent joint effects of climatic conditions, plant N‐use strategies, soil properties, and other natural and anthropogenic forcings on global soil δ15N. The joint effects of multiple drivers govern the latitudinal distribution of soil δ15N, with more rapid N cycling at lower latitudes than at higher latitudes. In contrast to previous climate‐focused models, our data‐driven model more accurately simulates spatial changes in global soil δ15N, highlighting the need to consider the joint effects of multiple drivers to estimate the Earth's N budget. These insights contribute to the reconciliation of discordances among empirical, theoretical, and modeling studies on soil N cycling, as well as sustainable N management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fallen fruits provide important feeding and breeding substrates for insects such as Drosophilidae and can be a potential trophic reservoir when usual host fruits become scarce.Recently, two invasive fruit fly species, Drosophila suzukii and Chymomyza amoena, have become established in Europe and are expected to alter existing Drosophilidae communities.In this study, carried out between September 2021 and April 2022 in northern France, we aimed to disentangle the relative roles of microclimatic, landscape and local factors driving the diversity of the Drosophilidae community in decaying fruit across seasons.Minimum site temperature during the week preceding sampling and the proportion of rotten fruit tissue had the strongest positive influence on Drosophilidae abundance and species richness. Drosophilidae abundance also increased with urbanisation (portion of building cover) around the sampled trees.Decaying apples were important breeding sites for C. amoena across seasons, but provided a suboptimal substrate for D. suzukii, which was only present in late summer.This study sheds light on the important role of unharvested fallen crop fruit in maintaining the diversity of an insect family that is generally overlooked in field studies. It also emphasises the importance of considering multiple scales and factors when studying the interactions between invasive species, native species and their shared trophic resources. Finally, our data highlight the importance of the Drosophilidae community in recycling agricultural waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower strips are a fundamental part of agri-environment schemes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Although vegetation is central for many arthropod groups, a few studies have evaluated the effects of flower strip structural and functional attributes on arthropod communities. In this study, we explored the relationship between flower strip attributes and the abundance of different arthropod functional groups in annual flower strips located in an organic apple orchard. We surveyed plant and arthropod communities in 30 1 m × 6 m plots. In each plot, we collected data on species composition and vegetation structure (e.g., total cover, density, number of floral displays). For each plant species, we also retrieved data on leaf palatability and nutritional value. Arthropods were collected using sweep netting technique. Structural and functional attributes of the flower strip revealed a crucial role in regulating arthropod abundance, which however depended on the specific arthropod functional group. We identified three main attributes (plant species richness, composition, and vegetation density) of flower strips that should be considered when implementing multifunctional flower strips. Specifically, plant species richness to ensure complementarity of resources and niches, plant species composition to ensure complementary floral resources, and vegetation density to ensure sheltering microhabitats and suitable microclimatic conditions and to increase the density of floral resources. Our results suggest that by considering structural and functional attributes of flower strips, it is possible to design multifunctional flower strips with greater effectiveness as measures for ecological intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various factors may mediate the visitation of frugivores to fruiting plants, which can dictate the quantum of seeds removed (dispersed) away from the parent plant. Past studies have laid emphasis on species‐specific factors and environmental contexts that frugivores may use as cues to make foraging decisions and differentially visit various plant species. However, differences in plant traits (intrinsic factors) and local environmental contexts (extrinsic factors) can influence the diversity and abundance of frugivores that visit individual plants of the same species, resulting in intraspecific variation in seed dispersal. We observed individuals of two co‐fruiting plant species with morphologically similar fruits—Naringi crenulata and Ziziphus oenopolia—for 134 h and examined the influence of fruit crop size, plant height, and fruiting neighborhood on the diversity of visiting avian frugivores and quantum of fruit removal for individual plants. We found that despite their similarity in fruits and sharing of a similar set of frugivore species, the two plant species differed in how they attracted frugivores, with consequences for fruit removal rates. Fruit crop size was an important determinant of fruit removal for N. crenulata¸ while plant height led to greater visitation and fruit removal for Z. oenopolia. We discuss potential reasons for the difference in frugivore visitation and fruit removal for the two plant species. Our results support a growing body of evidence that intraspecific variation in seed dispersal is pervasive and highly context‐dependent, and describe frugivore interactions of two plant species from an understudied tropical savanna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the current juncture with climate change, centennial projections of species distributions in biodiversity hotspots, using dynamic vegetation models may provide vital insight into conservation efforts. This study aims to answer: (1) if climate change progresses under a business‐as‐usual scenario of anthropogenic emissions for this century, how may the forest ranges be affected? (2) will there be potential regional extinctions of the taxa simulated? (3) may any site emerge as a potential refugium? Study Area: Anatolian Peninsula and its surroundings, longitudes 24–50° E, latitudes 33–46° N. Time Period: 1961‐2100. Major Taxa Studied: 25 woody species and a C3 grass‐type. Method: Keeping a spatial window large enough to track potential changes in the vegetation range and composition especially in the mountain ranges within the study area, we parameterized a process‐based regional‐to‐global dynamic vegetation model (LPJ‐GUESS v 4.1), forced it with ERA5‐Land reanalysis for the historical period, and five different bias‐corrected centennial global circulation model (GCM) datasets under SSP5‐8.5, and simulated the dynamic responses of key forest species. Bivariate spatio‐temporal maps from the simulation results were constructed for final analysis. Results: A significant increase in woody taxa biomass for the majority of our study area, towards the end of the century was simulated, where temperate taxa with high tolerance for drought and a wider range of temperatures took dominance. The mountain ranges in our study area stood out as critical potential refugia for cold favoring species. There were no regional extinctions of taxa, however, important changes in areal dominance and potential future forest composition were simulated. Main Conclusions: Our simulation results suggest a high potential for future forest cover in our study region by the end of the century under a high emissions scenario, sans human presence, with important changes in vegetation composition, including encroachment of grasslands ecosystems by woody taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]