Molecular phylogenetics of Euploca (Boraginaceae): homoplasy in many characters, including the C4 photosynthetic pathway

We present a phylogenetic analysis using plastid (matK, rbcL) and nuclear (nrITS) DNA for diverse Euploca spp. (formerly Heliotropium section Orthostachys) from the worldwide distribution of a genus and including species encompassing the wide physiological and morphological diversity of the genus. Our results indicate that some remarkably complex features arose multiple times in parallel in Euploca, including attributes of its subsections under section Orthostachys, notably plants that, above ground, consist almost entirely of inflorescences. To elucidate in greater detail the distribution of C4 species in Euploca and Heliotropium s.s., we made > 800 δ 13C determinations, including some from the traditional genus Tournefortia. We greatly increase the number of proven C4 species in Euploca, but found none outside Euploca. Of the tested Euploca spp., c. 28% are C3 or intermediate in carbon fixation pathway. Our phylogenetic results indicate four parallel/convergent acquisitions of C4 photosynthesis or fewer origins with subsequent loss in some species

Disentangling native and alien plant diversity in coastal sand dune ecosystems worldwide

Aims i) To disentangle the global patterns of native and alien plant diversity on coastal sand dune ecosystems across habitats and floristic kingdoms, ii) to determine the main drivers of variation in species richness in native and alien species in these endangered ecosystems, and iii) to test for an interaction between spatial scale and native-alien richness patterns, as predicted by the invasion paradox. Location Global. Methods We collated a dataset of 14,841 vegetation plots in coastal sand dune ecosystems from around the world. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were used to assess the patterns and main ecological determinants underlying native and alien species richness. Variation partitioning revealed the relative importance of environmental and anthropogenic variables. Results GLMs revealed strong differences among both habitats and floristic kingdoms in the number of native and alien species. Specifically, native species richness increased along the sea-inland gradient and was higher in the Cape and Paleotropical kingdoms. In contrast, alien species richness was relatively similar across habitats and kingdoms, though some differences were detected. There were strong differences between the drivers of native and alien richness; anthropogenic factors such as Gross Domestic Product were positively associated with alien richness whereas native richness was more strongly related to environmental factors. Furthermore, we found a weak support for an invasion paradox effect. Conclusions Our results revealed the complexity of causal processes underpinning coastal sand dune plant biodiversity and highlight the importance of considering native and alien species separately. Recognition of these differences while researching variation in biodiversity patterns and processes at multiple spatial scales will lead to a better mechanistic understanding of the causes of invasion worldwide, and in coastal ecosystems in particular, allowing the development of more focused control and management measures

Disentangling native and alien plant diversity in coastal sand dune ecosystems worldwide

International audienc

Molecular phylogenetics of Euploca (Boraginaceae) : homoplasy in many characters, including the C-4 photosynthetic pathway

We present a phylogenetic analysis using plastid (matK, rbcL) and nuclear (nrITS) DNA for diverse Euploca spp. (formerly Heliotropium section Orthostachys) from the worldwide distribution of a genus and including species encompassing the wide physiological and morphological diversity of the genus. Our results indicate that some remarkably complex features arose multiple times in parallel in Euploca, including attributes of its subsections under section Orthostachys, notably plants that, above ground, consist almost entirely of inflorescences. To elucidate in greater detail the distribution of C-4 species in Euploca and Heliotropium s.s., we made > 800 delta C-13 determinations, including some from the traditional genus Tournefortia. We greatly increase the number of proven C-4 species in Euploca, but found none outside Euploca. Of the tested Euploca spp., c. 28% are C-3 or intermediate in carbon fixation pathway. Our phylogenetic results indicate four parallel/convergent acquisitions of C-4 photosynthesis or fewer origins with subsequent loss in some species

Species Diversity and Life-Form Patterns in Steppe Vegetation along a 3000 m Altitudinal Gradient in the Alborz Mountains, Iran

<p>Biodiversity pattern and life-form spectra were studied along a 3,000 m altitudinal gradient from a semi-desert area to the alpine peak of Tochal Mountain. The gradient is located on the southern slopes of Central Alborz with a Mediterranean continental climate. DCA ordination was applied to 1,069 relev,s and 7 quantitative variables to discover the relation of diversity and altitude. A biodiversity pattern was obtained by relating values for species richness and Shannon-Wiener's index to 100-m altitudinal sections. Altitude was determined as the major ecological gradient. Both diversity indices are negatively correlated with altitude and show a decreasing trend beyond a peak in species richness at 1,800-1,900 m a.s.l. towards a very low diversity in the high alpine zone. The biodiversity peak does not match with the potential tree line in the area (2,500-3,000 m a.s.l.). The high diversity in foothills can be related to habitat heterogeneity, longer suitable climatic conditions, and diverse disturbance factors, while unfavorable conditions at high-altitude alpine and low-altitude desert areas reduce the number of species at both extremes. Life-form patterns clearly change along altitudinal gradient. Annuals with decreasing trend, and hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes with increasing trend along the altitudinal gradient are notable patterns of life form in the area. Temperature, soil moisture and nutrients are the main factors that explain the ecological influence of altitude on species diversity and life-form patterns in the semi-arid steppe vegetation of the area.</p>

sPlot - A new tool for global vegetation analyses

Dengler, Jurgen/0000-0003-3221-660X; Chytry, Milan/0000-0002-8122-3075; de Gasper, Andre Luis/0000-0002-1940-9581; Marceno, Corrado/0000-0003-4361-5200; Swacha, Grzegorz/0000-0002-6380-2954; He, Tianhua/0000-0002-0924-3637; Haider, Sylvia/0000-0002-2966-0534; Kuhn, Ingolf/0000-0003-1691-8249; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Casella, Laura/0000-0003-2550-3010; Schmidt, Marco/0000-0001-6087-6117; Chepinoga, Victor/0000-0003-3809-7453; Petrik, Petr/0000-0001-8518-6737; Willner, Wolfgang/0000-0003-1591-8386; Jansen, Steven/0000-0002-4476-5334; De Sanctis, Michele/0000-0002-7280-6199; Niinemets, Ulo/0000-0002-3078-2192; Pauchard, Anibal/0000-0003-1284-3163; Vibrans, Alexander C./0000-0002-8789-5833; Biurrun, Idoia/0000-0002-1454-0433; De Patta Pillar, Valerio/0000-0001-6408-2891; Phillips, Oliver L/0000-0002-8993-6168; Sibik, Jozef/0000-0002-5949-862X; Lenoir, Jonathan/0000-0003-0638-9582; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Gutierrez, Alvaro G./0000-0001-8928-3198; Cayuela, Luis/0000-0003-3562-2662; Nobis, Marcin/0000-0002-1594-2418; Agrillo, Emiliano/0000-0003-2346-8346; Manning, Peter/0000-0002-7940-2023; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Virtanen, Risto/0000-0002-8295-8217; Higuchi, Pedro/0000-0002-3855-555X; Sopotlieva, Desislava/0000-0002-9281-7039; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Hatim, Mohamed/0000-0002-0872-5108; Mencuccini, Maurizio/0000-0003-0840-1477; Enquist, Brian J./0000-0002-6124-7096; De Bie, Els/0000-0001-7679-743X; Samimi, Cyrus/0000-0001-7001-7893; Nowak, Arkadiusz/0000-0001-8638-0208; Jimenez-Alfaro, Borja/0000-0001-6601-9597; Font, Xavier/0000-0002-7253-8905; Levesley, Aurora/0000-0002-7999-5519; Acic, Svetlana/0000-0001-6553-3797; Kattge, Jens/0000-0002-1022-8469; Silc, Urban/0000-0002-3052-699X; Arnst, Elise/0000-0003-2388-7428; Moretti, Marco/0000-0002-5845-3198; Kozub, Lukasz/0000-0002-6591-8045; Kacki, Zygmunt/0000-0002-2241-1631; Fagundez, Jaime/0000-0001-6605-7278; Purschke, Oliver/0000-0003-0444-0882; Martynenko, Vasiliy/0000-0002-9071-3789; Jandt, Ute/0000-0002-3177-3669; Peyre, Gwendolyn/0000-0002-1977-7181; SABATINI, FRANCESCO MARIA/0000-0002-7202-7697; Bruelheide, Helge/0000-0003-3135-0356; Wohlgemuth, Thomas/0000-0002-4623-0894; Onyshchenko, Viktor/0000-0001-9079-7241; Kuzmic, Filip/0000-0002-3894-7115; Ejrnaes, Rasmus/0000-0003-2538-8606; Jirousek, Martin/0000-0002-4293-478X; Noroozi, Jalil/0000-0003-4124-2359; Curran, Michael/0000-0002-1858-5612; Baraloto, Christopher/0000-0001-7322-8581; Ozinga, Wim/0000-0002-6369-7859WOS: 000466421500001Aims Vegetation-plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co-occurring in the same community. Vegetation-plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level. Results sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community-weighted means and variances of traits using gap-filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community-weighted means of key traits. Conclusions The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale.German Research FoundationGerman Research Foundation (DFG) [DFG FZT 118]; TRY initiative on plant traitsWe are grateful to thousands of vegetation scientists who sampled vegetation plots in the field or digitized them into regional, national or international databases. We also appreciate the support of the German Research Foundation for funding sPlot as one of the iDiv (DFG FZT 118) research platforms, and the organization of three workshops through the sDiv calls. We acknowledge this support with naming the database "sPlot", where the "s" refers to the sDiv synthesis workshops. The study was supported by the TRY initiative on plant traits (http://www.try-db.org). For all further acknowledgements see Appendix S10. We thank Meelis Partel for his very fast and constructive feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript

sPlot:a new tool for global vegetation analyses

Abstract Aims: Vegetation‐plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co‐occurring in the same community. Vegetation‐plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level. Results: sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community‐weighted means and variances of traits using gap‐filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community‐weighted means of key traits. Conclusions: The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale