Document type
Journal articles
Document subtype
Full paper
Title
The ecological performance of metallophyte plants thriving in geochemical islands is explained by the Inclusive Niche Hypothesis
Participants in the publication
Serrano H.C. (Author)
cE3c
Antunes C. (Author)
cE3c
Pinto M.J. (Author)
FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS DA UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
Máguas C. (Author)
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
cE3c
Martins-Loução M.A. (Author)
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
cE3c
Branquinho C. (Author)
Dep. Biologia Vegetal
cE3c
Summary
Aims\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nThe Inclusive Niche Hypothesis has not been validated for plants using ecophysiological performance. The few experiments have measured growth and competition but not the physiological response of plants. A metallophyte plant that hyperaccumulates aluminium (Al), Plantago almogravensis, showed a defined spatial distribution by occurring mostly on vegetation gaps associated with metalliferous areas (geochemical islands). This case was used to determine, in situ, whether the Inclusive Niche Hypothesis was suitable to explain the extent of the species realized niche.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nMethods\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nThe vegetation associated with P. almogravensis geochemical islands in the SW coast of Portugal was mapped. The biotic (neighbouring plants) and abiotic (edaphic) components of the niche were correlated with parameters of the plant’s ecological and physiological performances (plant density and cover; leaf C and N concentration and isotopic composition; growth). The results were obtained using image analysis, abundance and morphological measures, isotopic signatures and chemical composition.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nImportant Findings\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nThe species showed better physiological performance where its ecological performance was lower due to trade-offs with environmental constraints. The species’ realized niche was mostly limited by shrub competition and soil Al-toxicity. These limits contribute to explain the rarity status of the species: the species has a poor capacity to compete but, due to an enhanced Al-tolerance and Al-hyperaccumulator trait, has the ability to find refuge in geochemical islands that are too harsh for most other species. This work, based on ecophysiological field studies, provides support for the Inclusive Niche Hypothesis relating to plant species.
Where published
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY-UK
Publication Identifiers
ISSN - 1752-9921
Starting page
41
Last page
50
Document Identifiers
DOI -
https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtu007
Rankings
SCOPUS Q1 (2015) - 1.173 - Plant Science
SCIMAGO Q1 (2015) - 1.192 - Ecology
SCIMAGO Q1 (2015) - 1.192 - Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
SCIMAGO Q1 (2015) - 1.192 - Plant Science
Notes
Helena C. Serrano, Cristina Antunes, Manuel J. Pinto, Cristina Máguas, Maria Amélia Martins-Loução, Cristina Branquinho, The ecological performance of metallophyte plants thriving in geochemical islands is explained by the Inclusive Niche Hypothesis, Journal of Plant Ecology, Volume 8, Issue 1, February 2015, Pages 41–50, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtu007
Supplementary data: Supplementary Data - zip file [https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/jpe/8/1/10.1093_jpe_rtu007/1/rtu007_Supplementary_Data.zip?Expires=1621272620&Signature=uYrti1BAgrv5ONtHBOGaV0zkVeYYrz-kBzMkKuW8zdMKPugG0EMQdS9DckwnQbAp7lfR5mUKZWX-AP78RFt~gCT1L0z~fMDI3y82mqjFt5cRPKZTOnFDcbKdyl9fvppYm6-5-e0q4Q~nNqXTTiPbZktsU6bX5KKPPmVKcBmApb-Zfs0KMIK5P8PfdJkyqe8wI-QGKvzh32Kw1t9bvieiVeBYBwmfRQa-nw1ev23ZcCWj7gJhdKRsVIAfAUWIsuBwfWPl6MiD3DRD56tjbs-esLnVV4HBpM0vA1WPIZJewCU7dbUr5O-6qBQQ-1WU1WXy2RAKw1FAbv2ooGEQby1IDw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA]