School of Environmental sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi, 110067, India.
Department of Animal, Behaviour Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
J Plant Res. 2021 Jul;134(4):753-764. doi: 10.1007/s10265-021-01289-1. Epub 2021 Apr 9.
Traits are the primary attributes that distinguish a species niche. Species and higher taxa are part of a structured phylogeny, and variation in plant traits depends on lineage as well as on environmental conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate linkages between taxonomic identity, shared ancestry, and environment for understanding the variation in leaf traits. We investigated the evolutionary relationships, based on multiple gene sequences among 26 plant species sampled along an elevational gradient from 650 to 3600 m a.s.l. in the central Himalaya. We tested for the phylogenetic signal based on three different measures in 10 leaf traits having a significant association with the resource acquisition-conservation trade-offs axis and influencing plant growth, development, and ecological performance. We further assessed the role of elevation and growth forms as the potential drivers of leaf traits variation while controlling for phylogeny. 5 out of 10 leaf traits showed significant phylogenetic signal. Plant species clustered more often by growth forms at the tips of the phylogeny indicating multiple instances of independent evolution. Evergreen taxa showed niche separation with deciduous and incorporated larger trait variation. Trait variations were guided by both growth forms and elevation when accounted for phylogeny. Growth form has a higher contribution to trait variation compared to elevation. Trade-offs were detected between resource conservation and resource acquisition machinery traits (that would maximise carbon gain), differing between growth forms and along elevation.
特征是区分物种生态位的主要属性。物种和更高分类单元是结构化系统发育的一部分，植物特征的变化取决于谱系以及环境条件。因此，研究分类学身份、共同祖先和环境之间的联系对于理解叶特征的变化至关重要。我们基于来自喜马拉雅山脉中部海拔 650 至 3600 米的 26 种植物物种的多个基因序列，调查了进化关系。我们测试了 10 个叶特征与资源获取-保护权衡轴的显著关联，并影响植物生长、发育和生态表现的三个不同指标的系统发育信号。我们进一步评估了海拔和生长形式作为控制系统发育时叶特征变化的潜在驱动因素的作用。10 个叶特征中有 5 个表现出显著的系统发育信号。在系统发育树的末端，植物物种更多地根据生长形式聚类，表明多次独立进化。常绿类群与落叶类群和纳入更大的特征变化分离。特征变化在考虑系统发育时受到生长形式和海拔的共同控制。与海拔相比，生长形式对特征变化的贡献更高。在资源保护和资源获取机制特征（将最大限度地增加碳收益）之间检测到权衡，这些特征在生长形式和海拔上有所不同。
