Flow similarity, stochastic branching, and quarter-power scaling in plants.

The origin of allometric scaling patterns that are multiples of one-fourth has long fascinated biologists. While not universal, quarter-power scaling relationships are common and have been described in all major clades. Several models have been advanced to explain the origin of such patterns, but questions regarding the discordance between model predictions and empirical data have limited their widespread acceptance. Notable among these is a fractal branching model that predicts power-law scaling of both metabolism and physical dimensions. While a power law is a useful first approximation to some data sets, nonlinear data compilations suggest the possibility of alternative mechanisms. Here, we show that quarter-power scaling can be derived using only the preservation of volume flow rate and velocity as model constraints. Applying our model to land plants, we show that incorporating biomechanical principles and allowing different parts of plant branching networks to be optimized to serve different functions predicts nonlinearity in allometric relationships and helps explain why interspecific scaling exponents covary along a fractal continuum. We also demonstrate that while branching may be a stochastic process, due to the conservation of volume, data may still be consistent with the expectations for a fractal network when one examines sub-trees within a tree. Data from numerous sources at the level of plant shoots, stems, and petioles show strong agreement with our model predictions. This theoretical framework provides an easily testable alternative to current general models of plant metabolic allometry.

Root positioning and trait shifts in Hibbertia racemosa as dependent on its neighbour's nutrient-acquisition strategy.

Nutrient-poor ecosystems globally exhibit high plant diversity. One mechanism enabling the co-existence of species in such ecosystems is facilitation among plants with contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies. The ecophysiological processes underlying these interactions remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that root positioning plays a role between sympatric species in nutrient-poor vegetation. We investigated how the growth traits of the focal mycorrhizal non-cluster-rooted Hibbertia racemosa change when grown in proximity of non-mycorrhizal Banksia attenuata, which produces cluster roots that increase nutrient availability, compared with growth with conspecifics. Focal plants were placed in the centre of rhizoboxes, and biomass allocation, root system architecture, specific root length (SRL), and leaf nutrient concentration were assessed. When grown with B. attenuata, focal plants decreased root investment, increased root growth towards B. attenuata, and positioned their roots near B. attenuata cluster roots. SRL was greater, and the degree of localized root investment correlated positively with B. attenuata cluster-root biomass. Total nutrient contents in the focal individuals were greater when grown with B. attenuata. Focal plants directed their root growth towards the putatively facilitating neighbour's cluster roots, modifying root traits and investment. Preferential root positioning and root morphological traits play important roles in positive plant-plant interactions.

The barrier to radial oxygen loss impedes the apoplastic entry of iron into the roots of Urochloa humidicola.

Lack of O2 and high concentrations of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) commonly occur in waterlogged soils. The development of a barrier to impede radial O2 loss (ROL) is a key trait improving internal O2 transport and waterlogging tolerance in plants. We evaluated the ability of the barrier to ROL to impede the entry of excess Fe into the roots of the waterlogging-tolerant grass Urochloa humidicola. Plants were grown in aerated or stagnant deoxygenated nutrient solution with 5 µM or 900 µM Fe. Quantitative X-ray microanalysis was used to determine cell-specific Fe concentrations at two positions behind the root apex in relation to ROL and the formation of apoplastic barriers. At a mature zone of the root, Fe was 'excluded' at the exodermis where a suberized lamella was evident, a feature also associated with a strong barrier to ROL. In contrast, the potassium (K) concentration was similar in all root cells, indicating that K uptake was not affected by apoplastic barriers. The hypothesis that the formation of a tight barrier to ROL impedes the apoplastic entry of toxic concentrations of Fe into the mature zones of roots was supported by the significantly higher accumulation of Fe on the outer side of the exodermis.

The potential for phosphorus benefits through root placement in the rhizosphere of phosphorus-mobilising neighbours.

Plants that produce specialised cluster roots, which mobilise large quantities of poorly available nutrients such as phosphorus (P), can provide a benefit to neighbouring plants that produce roots in the cluster rhizosphere, as demonstrated previously in pot studies. To be effective, such roots must be present within the short time of peak cluster activity. We tested if this requirement is met, and quantified potential P benefits, in a hyperdiverse Mediterranean woodland of southwest Australia where cluster-rooted species are prominent. Using minirhizotrons, we monitored root dynamics during the wet season in the natural habitat. We found non-cluster roots intermingling with all 57 of the observed cluster roots of the studied tree species, Banksia attenuata. Almost all (95%) of these cases were observed in a high-moisture treatment simulating the 45-year average, but not present when we intercepted some of the rainfall. We estimate that cluster-root activity can increase P availability to intermingling roots to a theoretical maximum of 80% of total P in the studied soil. Due to their high P-remobilisation efficiency (89%), which results from P rapidly being relocated from cluster roots within the plant, senesced Banksia cluster roots are a negligible P source for other roots. We conclude that, rather than serving as a P source, it is the cluster-root activity, particularly the exudation of carboxylates, that may improve the coexistence of interacting species that are capable of root intermingling, thus potentially promoting species diversity in nutrient-poor habitats, and that this mechanism will be less effective in a drying climate.

Two sides to every leaf: water and CO2 transport in hypostomatous and amphistomatous leaves.

Leaves with stomata on both upper and lower surfaces, termed amphistomatous, are relatively rare compared with hypostomatous leaves with stomata only on the lower surface. Amphistomaty occurs predominantly in fast-growing herbaceous annuals and in slow-growing perennial shrubs and trees. In this paper, we present the current understanding and hypotheses on the costs and benefits of amphistomaty related to water and CO2 transport in contrasting leaf morphologies. First, there is no evidence that amphistomatous species achieve higher stomatal densities on a projected leaf area basis than hypostomatous species, but two-sided gas exchange is less limited by boundary layer effects. Second, amphistomaty may provide a specific advantage in thick leaves by shortening the pathway for CO2 transport between the atmosphere and the chloroplasts. In thin leaves of fast-growing herbaceous annuals, in which both the adaxial and abaxial pathways are already short, amphistomaty enhances leaf-atmosphere gas-exchange capacity. Third, amphistomaty may help to optimise the leaf-interior water status for CO2 transport by reducing temperature gradients and so preventing the condensation of water that could limit CO2 diffusion. Fourth, a potential cost of amphistomaty is the need for additional investments in leaf water transport tissue to balance the water loss through the adaxial surface.

Root-zone hypoxia reduces growth of the tropical forage grass Urochloa humidicola in high-nutrient but not low-nutrient conditions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The perennial C4 grass Urochloa humidicola is widely planted on infertile acidic and waterlogging-prone soils of tropical America. Waterlogging results in soil anoxia, and O2 deficiency can reduce nutrient uptake by roots. Interestingly, both nutrient deficiencies and soil waterlogging can enhance root cortical cell senescence, and the increased gas-filled porosity facilitates internal aeration of roots. We tested the influence of nutrient supply and root-zone O2 on root traits, leaf nutrient concentrations and growth of U. humidicola. METHODS: Plants were grown in pots in a completely randomized design under aerated or stagnant deoxygenated hydroponic conditions and six nutrient regimes, with low to high concentrations of all essential elements, for 28 d in a controlled-temperature greenhouse. The standard acid solution (SAS) used was previously designed based on infertile acidic soils of the tropical America savannas, and step increases in the concentration of SAS were used in aerated or deoxygenated 0.1 % agar solution, which mimics changes in gas composition in waterlogged soils. Measurements included shoot and root growth, root porosity, root anatomy, radial O2 loss, and leaf tissue nutrient concentrations. KEY RESULTS: Shoot dry mass was reduced for plants in stagnant compared with aerated conditions at high, but not at low, levels of mineral nutrition. In low-nutrition stagnant solution, roots were shorter, of greater porosity and had smaller radial thickness of the stele. Suberized lamellae and lignified sclerenchyma, as well as a strong barrier to radial O2 loss, were documented for roots from all treatments. Leaf nutrient concentrations of K, Mg and Ca (but not N, P and S) were higher in aerated than in stagnant conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Under low-nutrient conditions, plant growth in stagnant solution was equal to that in aerated solution, whereas under higher-nutrient regimes growth increased but dry mass in stagnant solution was less than in aerated solution. Slow growth in low-nutrient conditions limited any further response to the low O2 treatment, and greater porosity and smaller stele size in roots would enhance internal O2 movement within roots in the nutrient-limited stagnant conditions. A constitutive barrier to radial O2 loss and aerenchyma facilitates O2 movement to the tips of roots, which presumably contributes to maintaining nutrient uptake and the tolerance of U. humidicola to low O2 in the root-zone.

Apparent Overinvestment in Leaf Venation Relaxes Leaf Morphological Constraints on Photosynthesis in Arid Habitats.

Leaf veins supply the mesophyll with water that evaporates when stomata are open to allow CO2 uptake for photosynthesis. Theoretical analyses suggest that water is optimally distributed in the mesophyll when the lateral distance between veins (dx) is equal to the distance from these veins to the epidermis (dy), expressed as dx:dy ≈ 1. Although this theory is supported by observations of many derived angiosperms, we hypothesize that plants in arid environments may reduce dx:dy below unity owing to climate-specific functional adaptations of increased leaf thickness and increased vein density. To test our hypothesis, we assembled leaf hydraulic, morphological, and photosynthetic traits of 68 species from the Eucalyptus and Corymbia genera (termed eucalypts) along an aridity gradient in southwestern Australia. We inferred the potential gas-exchange advantage of reducing dx beyond dy using a model that links leaf morphology and hydraulics to photosynthesis. Our observations reveal that eucalypts in arid environments have thick amphistomatous leaves with high vein densities, resulting in dx:dy ratios that range from 1.6 to 0.15 along the aridity gradient. Our model suggests that, as leaves become thicker, the effect of reducing dx beyond dy is to offset the reduction in leaf gas exchange that would result from maintaining dx:dy at unity. This apparent overinvestment in leaf venation may be explained from the selective pressure of aridity, under which traits associated with long leaf life span, high hydraulic and thermal capacitances, and high potential rates of leaf water transport confer a competitive advantage.

Hydraulic redistribution: limitations for plants in saline soils.

Hydraulic redistribution (HR), the movement of water from wet to dry patches in the soil via roots, occurs in different ecosystems and plant species. By extension of the principle that HR is driven by gradients in soil water potential, HR has been proposed to occur for plants in saline soils. Despite the inherent spatial patchiness and salinity gradients in these soils, the lack of direct evidence of HR in response to osmotic gradients prompted us to ask the question: are there physical or physiological constraints to HR for plants in saline environments? We propose that build-up of ions in the root xylem sap and in the leaf apoplast, with the latter resulting in a large predawn disequilibrium of water potential in shoots compared with roots and soil, would both impede HR. We present a conceptual model that illustrates how processes in root systems in heterogeneous salinity with water potential gradients, even if equal to those in non-saline soils, will experience a dampened magnitude of water potential gradients in the soil-plant continuum, minimizing or preventing HR. Finally, we provide an outlook for understanding the relevance of HR for plants in saline environments by addressing key research questions on plant salinity tolerance.

Optimal allocation of leaf epidermal area for gas exchange.

A long-standing research focus in phytology has been to understand how plants allocate leaf epidermal space to stomata in order to achieve an economic balance between the plant's carbon needs and water use. Here, we present a quantitative theoretical framework to predict allometric relationships between morphological stomatal traits in relation to leaf gas exchange and the required allocation of epidermal area to stomata. Our theoretical framework was derived from first principles of diffusion and geometry based on the hypothesis that selection for higher anatomical maximum stomatal conductance (gsmax ) involves a trade-off to minimize the fraction of the epidermis that is allocated to stomata. Predicted allometric relationships between stomatal traits were tested with a comprehensive compilation of published and unpublished data on 1057 species from all major clades. In support of our theoretical framework, stomatal traits of this phylogenetically diverse sample reflect spatially optimal allometry that minimizes investment in the allocation of epidermal area when plants evolve towards higher gsmax . Our results specifically highlight that the stomatal morphology of angiosperms evolved along spatially optimal allometric relationships. We propose that the resulting wide range of viable stomatal trait combinations equips angiosperms with developmental and evolutionary flexibility in leaf gas exchange unrivalled by gymnosperms and pteridophytes.

Is nitrogen transfer among plants enhanced by contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies?

Nitrogen (N) transfer among plants has been found where at least one plant can fix N2 . In nutrient-poor soils, where plants with contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies (without N2 fixation) co-occur, it is unclear if N transfer exists and what promotes it. A novel multi-species microcosm pot experiment was conducted to quantify N transfer between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), ectomycorrhizal (EM), dual AM/EM, and non-mycorrhizal cluster-rooted plants in nutrient-poor soils with mycorrhizal mesh barriers. We foliar-fed plants with a K(15) NO3 solution to quantify one-way N transfer from 'donor' to 'receiver' plants. We also quantified mycorrhizal colonization and root intermingling. Transfer of N between plants with contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies occurred at both low and high soil nutrient levels with or without root intermingling. The magnitude of N transfer was relatively high (representing 4% of donor plant N) given the lack of N2 fixation. Receiver plants forming ectomycorrhizas or cluster roots were more enriched compared with AM-only plants. We demonstrate N transfer between plants of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies, and a preferential enrichment of cluster-rooted and EM plants compared with AM plants. Nutrient exchanges among plants are potentially important in promoting plant coexistence in nutrient-poor soils.

Isometric partitioning of hydraulic conductance between leaves and stems: balancing safety and efficiency in different growth forms and habitats.

Recent advances in modelling the architecture and function of the plant hydraulic network have led to improvements in predicting and interpreting the consequences of functional trait variation on CO2 uptake and water loss. We build upon one such model to make novel predictions for scaling of the total specific hydraulic conductance of leaves and shoots (kL and kSH , respectively) and variation in the partitioning of hydraulic conductance. Consistent with theory, we observed isometric (slope = 1) scaling between kL and kSH across several independently collected datasets and a lower ratio of kL and kSH , termed the leaf-to-shoot conductance ratio (CLSCR ), in arid environments and in woody species. Isometric scaling of kL and kSH supports the concept that hydraulic design is coordinated across the plant. We propose that CLSCR is an important adaptive trait that represents the trade-off between efficiency and safety at the scale of the whole plant.

Contrasting submergence tolerance in two species of stem-succulent halophytes is not determined by differences in stem internal oxygen dynamics.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Many stem-succulent halophytes experience regular or episodic flooding events, which may compromise gas exchange and reduce survival rates. This study assesses submergence tolerance, gas exchange and tissue oxygen (O2) status of two stem-succulent halophytes with different stem diameters and from different elevations of an inland marsh. METHODS: Responses to complete submergence in terms of stem internal O2 dynamics, photosynthesis and respiration were studied for the two halophytic stem-succulents Tecticornia auriculata and T. medusa. Plants were submerged in a glasshouse experiment for 3, 6 and 12 d and O2 levels within stems were measured with microelectrodes. Photosynthesis by stems in air after de-submergence was also measured. KEY RESULTS: Tecticornia medusa showed 100 % survival in all submergence durations whereas T. auriculata did not survive longer than 6 d of submergence. O2 profiles and time traces showed that when submerged in water at air-equilibrium, the thicker stems of T. medusa were severely hypoxic (close to anoxic) when in darkness, whereas the smaller diameter stems of T. auriculata were moderately hypoxic. During light periods, underwater photosynthesis increased the internal O2 concentrations in the succulent stems of both species. Stems of T. auriculata temporally retained a gas film when first submerged, whereas T. medusa did not. The lower O2 in T. medusa than in T. auriculata when submerged in darkness was largely attributed to a less permeable epidermis. The submergence sensitivity of T. auriculata was associated with swelling and rupturing of the succulent stem tissues, which did not occur in T. medusa. CONCLUSIONS: The higher submergence tolerance of T. medusa was not associated with better internal aeration of stems. Rather, this species has poor internal aeration of the succulent stems due to its less permeable epidermis; the low epidermal permeability might be related to resistance to swelling of succulent stem tissues when submerged.

A climate change context for the decline of a foundation tree species in south-western Australia: insights from phylogeography and species distribution modelling.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A worldwide increase in tree decline and mortality has been linked to climate change and, where these represent foundation species, this can have important implications for ecosystem functions. This study tests a combined approach of phylogeographic analysis and species distribution modelling to provide a climate change context for an observed decline in crown health and an increase in mortality in Eucalyptus wandoo, an endemic tree of south-western Australia. METHODS: Phylogeographic analyses were undertaken using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of chloroplast DNA in 26 populations across the species distribution. Parsimony analysis of haplotype relationships was conducted, a haplotype network was prepared, and haplotype and nucleotide diversity were calculated. Species distribution modelling was undertaken using Maxent models based on extant species occurrences and projected to climate models of the last glacial maximum (LGM). KEY RESULTS: A structured pattern of diversity was identified, with the presence of two groups that followed a climatic gradient from mesic to semi-arid regions. Most populations were represented by a single haplotype, but many haplotypes were shared among populations, with some having widespread distributions. A putative refugial area with high haplotype diversity was identified at the centre of the species distribution. Species distribution modelling showed high climatic suitability at the LGM and high climatic stability in the central region where higher genetic diversity was found, and low suitability elsewhere, consistent with a pattern of range contraction. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of phylogeography and paleo-distribution modelling can provide an evolutionary context for climate-driven tree decline, as both can be used to cross-validate evidence for refugia and contraction under harsh climatic conditions. This approach identified a central refugial area in the test species E. wandoo, with more recent expansion into peripheral areas from where it had contracted at the LGM. This signature of contraction from lower rainfall areas is consistent with current observations of decline on the semi-arid margin of the range, and indicates low capacity to tolerate forecast climatic change. Identification of a paleo-historical context for current tree decline enables conservation interventions to focus on maintaining genetic diversity, which provides the evolutionary potential for adaptation to climate change.

Interactions among cluster-root investment, leaf phosphorus concentration, and relative growth rate in two Lupinus species.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Cluster-root (CR) formation is a desirable trait to improve phosphorus (P) acquisition as global P resources are dwindling. CRs in some lupine species are suppressed at higher P status. Whether increased growth rate enhances CR formation due to a "dilution" of leaf P concentration is unknown. We investigated interactive effects of leaf P status and relative growth rate (RGR) on CR formation in two Lupinus species, which differ in their CR biomass investment. Variation in RGR was imposed by varying day length. METHODS: Lupinus albus and L. pilosus were grown hydroponically with KH2PO4 at a day length of 6, 10, or 14 h. We used a slightly higher P supply at longer day lengths to avoid a decline in leaf P concentration, which would induce CRs. Cluster-root percentage, leaf P concentrations, and RGR were determined at 22, 38, and 52 d after sowing. KEY RESULTS: Lupinus species grown at similar root P availability, but with a faster growth rate, as dependent on day length, showed a greater CR percentage. Because our aim to achieve exactly the same leaf P concentrations at different day lengths was only partially achieved, we carried out a multiple regression analysis. This analysis showed the CR percentage was strongly and negatively correlated with plant P status and only marginally and positively correlated with RGR. CONCLUSIONS: The two Lupinus species invariably formed fewer cluster roots at higher leaf P status, irrespective of RGR. Differences in RGR or leaf P concentration cannot explain the species-specific variation in cluster-root investment.

Low levels of ribosomal RNA partly account for the very high photosynthetic phosphorus-use efficiency of Proteaceae species.

Proteaceae species in south-western Australia occur on phosphorus- (P) impoverished soils. Their leaves contain very low P levels, but have relatively high rates of photosynthesis. We measured ribosomal RNA (rRNA) abundance, soluble protein, activities of several enzymes and glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) levels in expanding and mature leaves of six Proteaceae species in their natural habitat. The results were compared with those for Arabidopsis thaliana. Compared with A. thaliana, immature leaves of Proteaceae species contained very low levels of rRNA, especially plastidic rRNA. Proteaceae species showed slow development of the photosynthetic apparatus ('delayed greening'), with young leaves having very low levels of chlorophyll and Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes. In mature leaves, soluble protein and Calvin-Benson cycle enzyme activities were low, but Glc6P levels were similar to those in A. thaliana. We propose that low ribosome abundance contributes to the high P efficiency of these Proteaceae species in three ways: (1) less P is invested in ribosomes; (2) the rate of growth and, hence, demand for P is low; and (3) the especially low plastidic ribosome abundance in young leaves delays formation of the photosynthetic machinery, spreading investment of P in rRNA. Although Calvin-Benson cycle enzyme activities are low, Glc6P levels are maintained, allowing their effective use.

Spatio-temporal water dynamics in mature Banksia menziesii trees during drought.

Southwest Australian Banksia woodlands are highly diverse plant communities that are threatened by drought- or temperature-induced mortality due to the region's changing climate. We examined water relations in dominant Banksia menziesii R. Br. trees using magnetic leaf patch clamp pressure (ZIM-) probes that allow continuous, real-time monitoring of leaf water status. Multiple ZIM-probes across the crown were complemented by traditional ecophysiological measurements. During summer, early stomatal downregulation of transpiration prevented midday balancing pressures from exceeding 2.5 MPa. Diurnal patterns of ZIM-probe and pressure chamber readings agreed reasonably well, however, ZIM-probes recorded short-term dynamics, which are impossible to capture using a pressure chamber. Simultaneous recordings of three ZIM-probes evenly spaced along leaf laminas revealed intrafoliar turgor gradients, which, however, did not develop in a strictly basi- or acropetal fashion and varied with cardinal direction. Drought stress manifested as increasing daily signal amplitude (low leaf water status) and occasionally as rising baseline at night (delayed rehydration). These symptoms occurred more often locally than across the entire crown. Microclimate effects on leaf water status were strongest in crown regions experiencing peak morning radiation (East and North). Extreme spring temperatures preceded the sudden death of B. menziesii trees, suggesting a temperature- or humidity-related tipping point causing rapid hydraulic failure as evidenced by collapsing ZIM-probe readings from an affected tree. In a warmer and drier future, increased frequency of B. menziesii mortality will result in significantly altered community structure and ecosystem function.

Does cluster-root activity benefit nutrient uptake and growth of co-existing species?

Species that inhabit phosphorus- (P) and micronutrient-impoverished soils typically have adaptations to enhance the acquisition of these nutrients, for example cluster roots in Proteaceae. However, there are several species co-occurring in the same environment that do not produce similar specialised roots. This study aims to investigate whether one of these species (Scholtzia involucrata) can benefit from the mobilisation of P or micronutrients by the cluster roots of co-occurring Banksia attenuata, and also to examine the response of B. attenuata to the presence of S. involucrata. We conducted a greenhouse experiment, using a replacement series design, where B. attenuata and S. involucrata shared a pot at proportions of 2:0, 1:2 and 0:4. S. involucrata plants grew more in length, were heavier and had higher manganese (Mn) concentrations in their young leaves when grown next to one individual of B. attenuata and one individual of S. involucrata than when grown with three conspecifics. All S. involucrata individuals were colonised by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and possibly Rhizoctonia. Additionally, P concentration was higher in the young leaves of B. attenuata when grown with another B. attenuata than when grown with two individuals of S. involucrata, despite the smaller size of the S. involucrata individuals. Our results demonstrate that intraspecific competition was stronger than interspecific competition for S. involucrata, but not for B. attenuata. We conclude that cluster roots of B. attenuata facilitate the acquisition of nutrients by neighbouring shrubs by making P and Mn more available for their neighbours.

Local adaptation to climate inferred from intraspecific variation in plant functional traits along a latitudinal gradient.

Ascertaining the traits important for acclimation and adaptation is a critical first step to predicting the fate of populations and species facing rapid environmental change. One of the primary challenges in trait-based ecology is understanding the patterns and processes underpinning functional trait variation in plants. Studying intraspecific variation of functional traits across latitudinal gradients offers an excellent in situ approach to assess associations with environmental factors, which naturally covary along these spatial scales such as the local climate and soil profiles. Therefore, we examined how climatic and edaphic conditions varied across a ~160-km latitudinal gradient to understand how these conditions were associated with the physiological performance and morphological expression within five spatially distinct populations spanning the latitudinal distribution of a model species (Stylidium hispidum Lindl.). Northern populations had patterns of trait means reflecting water conservation strategies that included reduced gas exchange, rosette size and floral investment compared to the southern populations. Redundancy analysis, together with variance partitioning, showed that climate factors accounted for a significantly greater portion of the weighted variance in plant trait data (22.1%; adjusted R2 = 0.192) than edaphic factors (9.3%; adjusted R2 = 0.08). Disentangling such independent and interactive abiotic drivers of functional trait variation will deliver key insights into the mechanisms underpinning local adaptation and population-level responses to current and future climates.

Plant interactions can lead to emergent relationships between plant community diversity, productivity and vulnerability to invasion.

Understanding what makes a community vulnerable to invasion is integral to the successful management of invasive species. Our understanding of how characteristics of resident plant interactions, such as the network architecture of interactions, can affect the invasibility of plant communities is limited. Using a simulation model, we tested how successfully a new plant invader established in communities with different network architectures of species interactions. We also investigated whether species interaction networks lead to relationships between invasibility and other community properties also affected by species interaction networks, such as diversity, species dominance, compositional stability and the productivity of the resident community. We found that higher invasibility strongly related with a lower productivity of the resident community. Plant interaction networks influenced diversity and invasibility in ways that led to complex but clear relationships between the two. Heterospecific interactions that increased diversity tended to decrease invasibility. Negative conspecific interactions always increased diversity and invasibility, but increased invasibility more when they increased diversity less. This study provides new theoretical insights into the effects of plant interaction networks on community invasibility and relationships between diversity and invasibility. Combined with increasing empirical evidence, these insights could have useful implications for the management of invasive plant species.

Interspecific facilitation of micronutrient uptake between cluster-root-bearing trees and non-cluster rooted-shrubs in a Banksia woodland.

Background and aims: Belowground interspecific plant facilitation is supposed to play a key role in enabling species co-existence in hyperdiverse ecosystems in extremely nutrient-poor, semi-arid habitats, such as Banksia woodlands in southwestern-Australia. Manganese (Mn) is readily mobilised by Banksia cluster root activity in most soils and accumulates in mature leaves of native Australian plant species without significant remobilisation during leaf senescence. We hypothesised that neighbouring shrubs are facilitated in terms of Mn uptake depending on distance to surrounding cluster root-forming Banksia trees. Methods: We mapped all Banksia trees and selected neighbouring shrubs within a study site in Western Australia. Soil samples were collected and analysed for physical properties and nutrient concentrations. To assesses the effect of Banksia tree proximity on leaf Mn concentrations [Mn] of non-cluster-rooted woody shrubs, samples of similarly aged leaves were taken. We used multiple linear models to test for factors affecting shrub leaf [Mn]. Results: None of the assessed soil parameters showed a significant correlation with shrub leaf Mn concentrations. However, we observed a significant positive effect of very close Banksia trees (2 m) on leaf [Mn] in one of the understorey shrubs. We found additional effects of elevation and shrub size. Conclusions: Leaf micronutrient concentrations of understorey shrubs were enhanced when growing within 2 m of tall Banksia trees. Our model predictions also indicate that belowground facilitation of Mn uptake was shrub size-dependent. We discuss this result in the light of plant water relations and shrub root system architecture. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11104-023-06092-6.