Urbanisation generates multiple trait syndromes for terrestrial animal taxa worldwide

Cities can host significant biological diversity. Yet, urbanisation leads to the loss of habitats, species, and functional groups. Understanding how multiple taxa respond to urbanisation globally is essential to promote and conserve biodiversity in cities. Using a dataset encompassing six terrestrial faunal taxa (amphibians, bats, bees, birds, carabid beetles and reptiles) across 379 cities on 6 continents, we show that urbanisation produces taxon-specific changes in trait composition, with traits related to reproductive strategy showing the strongest response. Our findings suggest that urbanisation results in four trait syndromes (mobile generalists, site specialists, central place foragers, and mobile specialists), with resources associated with reproduction and diet likely driving patterns in traits associated with mobility and body size. Functional diversity measures showed varied responses, leading to shifts in trait space likely driven by critical resource distribution and abundance, and taxon-specific trait syndromes. Maximising opportunities to support taxa with different urban trait syndromes should be pivotal in conservation and management programmes within and among cities. This will reduce the likelihood of biotic homogenisation and helps ensure that urban environments have the capacity to respond to future challenges. These actions are critical to reframe the role of cities in global biodiversity loss.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Data from: Weak whole-plant trait coordination in a seasonally dry South American stressful environment

A core question involving both plant physiology and community ecology is whether traits from different organs are coordinated across species, beyond pairwise trait correlations. The strength of within-community trait coordination has been hypothesized to increase along gradients of environmental harshness, due to the cost of adopting ecological strategies out of the viable niche space supported by the abiotic conditions. We evaluated the strength of trait relationship and coordination in a stressful environment using 21 leaf and stem traits of 21 deciduous and evergreen woody species from a heath vegetation growing on coastal sandy plain in northeastern South America. The study region faces marked dry season, high soil salinity and acidity, and poor nutritional conditions. Results from multiple factor analyses supported two weak and independent axes of trait coordination, which accounted for 25%–29% of the trait variance using phylogenetically independent contrasts. Trait correlations on the multiple factor analyses main axis fit well with the global plant economic spectrum, with species investing in small leaves and dense stems as opposed to species with softer stems and large leaves. The species’ positions on the main functional axis corresponded to the competitor-stress-tolerant side of Grime's CSR triangle of plant strategies. The weak degree of trait coordination displayed by the heath vegetation species contradicted our expectation of high trait coordination in stressful environmental habitats. The distinct biogeographic origins of the species occurring in the study region and the prevalence of a regional environmental filter coupled with local homogeneous conditions could account for prevalence of trait independence we observed

Mean trait values and the CSR ecological strategies

This file contains the mean trait values for leaf morphology, litterfall productivity, stem morphology, stem anatomy and the CSR ecological strategies of 33 Restinga species at Parnamirim, Northeastern Brazil. Leaf and stem samplings were collected from 80 25-m² plots distributed along 16 transects of 100 m-long (five plots per transect). Whenever possible, we collected the organs from the same individuals. Traits and abbreviations: Leaf dry mass (Ldmass), leaf area (Larea), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf moisture (Lmois), stem moisture (Smois), bark (Bark), stem density (Sdens), vessel diameter (Vdiam), vessel density (Vdens), vulnerability index (Vindex), stem length (Slength), stem diameter (Sdiam), litter production (Litter), variability in litter production (Vlitter), leaf-shedding behavior (Lshed) [E=evergreen, SD= semi-deciduous, D=deciduous], and the CSR plant strategy

Mean trait values of leaf anatomy and biochemistry

This file contains the mean trait values of leaf anatomy and biochemistry from 21 Restinga species. Five fully expanded sun leaves with little to no damage were collected from 5 mature individuals per species. Leaves were collected from individuals occurring across 80 25-m² plots distributed along 16 transects of 100 m-long (five plots per transect) in Northeastern Brazil. Leaves were collected within a two-month interval to reduce temporal variation in leaf biochemistry. Traits and abbreviations: Mesophyll thickness (Meso), cuticle thickness (Cuticle), palisade layer per spongy parenchyma layer (P/S), mesophyll layer per total leaf thickness (M/T), starch content (Starch), sucrose content (Sucrose), and total soluble protein (TSP)

Influência de porta-enxertos na resistência de mudas de cajueiro ao estresse salino Influence of rootstocks on the resistance of cashew plantlets to salt stress

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de porta-enxertos na resistência de mudas de cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.) à salinidade. As mudas foram obtidas pela enxertia do clone BRS 226 sobre os porta-enxertos CAPI 4, CCP 09 e BRS 226. Foram expostas a meio hidropônico sem NaCl (controle) ou com NaCl 200 mM (tratamento salino), sob condições controladas de temperatura, umidade e luminosidade, durante 12 dias. O delineamento foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3x2 (três combinações de enxerto/porta-enxerto e duas concentrações de NaCl), com quatro repetições. Foram determinados a concentração de Na+, Cl-, K+ e solutos orgânicos e os sintomas visuais de toxicidade nas folhas. Os conteúdos de Na+ e Cl-, a relação K+/Na+ e as concentrações de aminoácidos e de prolina livres nas folhas tiveram relação direta com os sintomas visuais de toxicidade. Os porta-enxertos CAPI 4, CCP 09 e BRS 226 foram classificados como sensível, intermediário e resistente à salinidade elevada, respectivamente. Essa variação foi decorrente da influência do porta-enxerto na partição do Na+ e do Cl-.<br>The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) rootstocks on salt resistance in grafted plantlets. The plantlets were obtained by grafting the BRS 226 scion on CAPI 4, CCP 09 and BRS 226 rootstocks, and were exposed to nutrient solution without NaCl (control) or with 200 mM NaCl (salt treatment) in hydroponics under controlled temperature, humidity, and luminosity conditions during 12 days. The experimental design was a completely randomized in factorial arrangement 3x2 (three scion/rootstock combinations, two NaCl concentrations) with four replicates. Na+, Cl-, K+ and organic solute concentrations and toxicity symptoms on leaves were determined. Na+ and Cl- contents, the K+/Na+ ratio and the free amino acid and proline concentrations in leaves were directly related to the visual toxicity symptoms. The rootstocks were classified as sensitive (CAPI 4), intermediate (CCP 09), and resistant (BRS 226) to high salinity. This variation was a consequence of the rootstock influence on Na+ and Cl- partitioning