The effect of industrial and urban dust pollution on the ecophysiology and leaf element concentration of Tilia cordata Mill.

The influences of airborne trace elements in urban dust on element concentrations and functional traits of Tilia cordata were examined. For the present study, the unwashed and washed leaves of T. cordata were collected to assess the concentration of metals in Katowice City, Poland, from sites of different traffic intensity and industry activity. The content of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, C, and N was measured. Additionally, a number of functional traits such as photosynthetic pigment content, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and diseased areas of the leaves were determined to assess the impact of the polluters on the physiology of the trees and their resources acquisition strategy. We hypothesized that the photosynthetic pigments of T. cordata will decrease with the traffic and industry intensity, and the traits related to the resources acquisition and stress resistance will shift into a more conservative strategy. The Principal Component Analysis and the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method helped to identify that the Fe, Zn, Al, and Cr were related mainly to traffic intensification and Pb to industrial activities. The results indicate that Katowice is considerably polluted by Zn (up to 189.6 and 260.2 mg kg-1 in washed and unwashed leaves, respectively), Pb (up to 51.7 and 133.6 mg kg-1), and Cd (up to 2.27 and 2.43 mg kg-1) compared to other cities worldwide. Also, a reduction of approximately 27% in the photosynthetic pigments was observed at the high-traffic and industrial sites. The trees from the mainly affected areas with heavy traffic and industry tend to apply a conservative resources strategy with a decrement in SLA and an increment in LDMC. In contrast, the opposite trend was observed at the less affected sites (high SLA, low LDMC). The study showed that unfavourable urban conditions can trigger a plastic response on multiple levels. Knowledge of the possible paths of adaptation to urban conditions of different plant species is nowadays crucial to appropriate urban greenery planning.

Effects of different soil and water conservation measures on plant functional traits in the Loess Plateau.

Soil and water conservation measures (SWCM) have wide-ranging effects on vegetation and soil, and their effects on the ecosystem are multifaceted, with complex mechanisms. While numerous studies have focused on the impact of such measures on soil, the improvement of plant functional traits is a major factor in the ecological recovery of the Loess Plateau. This survey extensively investigated no measure plots, vegetation measure plots, and engineering measure plots in the Loess Plateau. The impact of SWCM on plant functional traits was investigated using structural equation modeling. We examined six plant functional traits-leaf dry weight (LD), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf total phosphorus (LTP), leaf total nitrogen (LTN), and leaf volume (LV)-correlated with resource acquisition and allocation. In 122 plots, we explored the effects of measures, soil, diversity, and community structure on the weighted average of plant functional traits. The findings showed substantial positive correlations between LD and SLA, LD and LV, SLA and LV, SLA and LTP, and LTP and LTN. LTD has a substantial negative correlation with LD, LTD with SLA, and LTD with LV. SWCM limits diversity, and the mechanisms by which it affects plant functional traits vary. In the structural equation model (SEM) of vegetation measures, improving community structure enhances plant functional traits, but soil factors have the greatest influence on plant functional traits in SEM engineering measures. Plant functional trait differences on the Loess Plateau result are due to differential plant responses to diverse soil properties and community structure. Vegetation measures enhance the chemical properties of plant functional traits, while engineering measures improve physical properties. The study provides a theoretical foundation for vegetation restoration and management following the implementation of diverse SWCM.

Response of Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Six Desert Shrubs to Different Moisture Levels under Greenhouse Conditions.

Moisture is the most important environmental factor limiting seed regeneration of shrubs in desert areas. Therefore, understanding the effects of moisture changes on seed germination, morphological and physiological traits of shrubs is essential for vegetation restoration in desert areas. In March to June 2023, in a greenhouse using the potting method, we tested the effects of soil moisture changes (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) on seed germination and seedling growth of six desert shrubs (Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, Nitraria sibirica, Calligonum mongolicum, Corethrodendron scoparium, Caragana korshinskii, and Corethrodendron fruticosu). Results showed that (1) seed germination percent and vigor index were significantly higher at 15 and 20% soil moisture content than at 5 and 10%; (2) shoot length, primary root length, specific leaf area and biomass of seedlings were significantly higher in the 15% and 20% soil moisture content treatments than in the 5% and 10% treatments; (3) superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and soluble protein content (SP) decreased with decreasing soil water content, while peroxidase activity (POD) and catalase activity (CAT) showed a decreasing and then increasing trend with increasing soil water content; (4) the six seeds and seedling of shrubs were ranked in order of their survivability in response to changes in soil moisture: Caragana korshinskii > Zygophyllum xanthoxylum > Calligonum mongolicum > Corethrodendron scoparium > Corethrodendron fruticosu > Nitraria sibirica. Our study shows that shrub seedlings respond to water changes by regulating morphological and physiological traits together. More importantly, we found that C. korshinskii, Z. xanthoxylum and C. mongolicum were more survivable when coping with water deficit or extreme precipitation. The results of the study may provide a reference for the selection and cultivation of similar shrubs in desert areas under frequent extreme droughts in the future.

Unveiling Arthropod Responses to Climate Change: A Functional Trait Analysis in Intensive Pastures.

This study investigates the impact of elevated temperatures on arthropod communities in intensively managed pastures on the volcanic island of Terceira, Azores (Portugal), using a functional trait approach. Open Top Chambers (OTCs) were employed to simulate increased temperatures, and the functional traits of ground dwelling arthropods were analyzed along a small elevation gradient (180-400 m) during winter and summer. Key findings include lower abundances of herbivores, coprophagous organisms, detritivores, and fungivores at high elevations in summer, with predators showing a peak at middle elevations. Larger-bodied arthropods were more prevalent at higher elevations during winter, while beetles exhibited distinct ecological traits, with larger species peaking at middle elevations. The OTCs significantly affected the arthropod communities, increasing the abundance of herbivores, predators, coprophagous organisms, and fungivores during winter by alleviating environmental stressors. Notably, iridescent beetles decreased with elevation and were more common inside OTCs at lower elevations, suggesting a thermoregulatory advantage. The study underscores the importance of considering functional traits in assessing the impacts of climate change on arthropod communities and highlights the complex, species-specific nature of their responses to environmental changes.

Are toe fringes important for lizard burying in highly mobile sand?

Toe fringes are a key innovation for sand dwelling lizards, and the relationship between toe fringe function and substrate properties is helpful in understanding the adaptation of lizards to sand dune environments. We tested the sand burial performance of Phrynocephalus mystaceus on different sand substrates with toe fringe manipulation, with the aim of assessing whether the function of the toe fringes shifts under different substrate properties, especially in highly mobile substrates. The sand burial performance of P. mystaceus was influenced by substrate properties in relation to the toe fringe states of the lizard. After removal of the bilateral toe fringes, the sand burial ability score of P. mystaceus was significantly higher on sand substrates below 100 mesh than on native sand substrates. As the angle of stability of the substrate properties decreased, the sand burial performance of the lizard was even better after the bilateral toe fringes were removed. The results of the LASSO model and the path analysis model showed that the stability angle provided the opposite effect on sand burial performance in different toe fringe states. These results further suggest that the sand burial function of toe fringes may not be suitable for highly mobile sand substrates. It remains to be tested further whether the function of toe fringes is more important for running on sand.

Shading and Water Addition Alleviate the Elemental Limitations of the Early Restoration Community in a Stressful Environment.

Shading and water addition are essential management measures to improve seed germination and early seedling survival; however, little is known about their effects on leaf stoichiometry and nutrient status. We established 90 plant communities with shading and water addition gradients on a rocky hill; leaves of their dominant woody plant species were collected to measure elemental concentrations, and then, stoichiometric variation and nutrient status were analysed. The results showed that the overall effects of shading and water addition significantly altered the concentrations and ratios of nutrient elements; shading largely affected leaf K and P, while water addition mainly affected leaf N and P. The interactions between shading and water addition were significant for most species but disappeared at the community level. Consequently, the nutrient status in leaves was improved by promoting the concentrations and balances of nutrient elements. However, the responses to shading and water addition were marked by species-specific differences, with some plants forming a sensitive group and others distinguished by conservatism. Our findings show that management of the physical environment could improve nutrient element utilization in leaves and alleviate the nutrient limitations. For our site conditions, mild shading (25-35%) and adequate water addition (30 L·m-2) in the early stage of vegetation restoration is recommended to advance community assembly by improving nutrient physiology, directly diminishing the stress of water scarcity and excessive irradiation. These findings explore the underlying mechanisms of shading and water addition that could promote community development and provide guidance for restoration practice.

The distribution of seaweed forms and foundational assumptions in seaweed biology.

Seaweeds are the most phylogenetically diverse group of multicellular organisms and rank foremost among marine keystone species. Due to their taxonomic diversity and functional importance, previous studies have classified seaweeds into functional groups based on qualitative or semi-quantitative traits, such as seaweed form, anatomy, and thickness. Despite the widespread use of seaweed functional groups from basic marine ecology to coastal monitoring, it is not known how accurate such morphology-based proposals are in grouping seaweeds by their form. To address this uncertainty at the foundations of seaweed biology, we surveyed and gathered all available data on seaweed forms using PRISMA protocols. We used the surface area to volume ratio (SA:V), a quantitative and universal measure of seaweed form, to assess the distribution and diversity of seaweed morphology across 99 species from three phyla. We show that seaweed surface area to volume ratio values span 3.64 orders of magnitude and follow a continuous and exponential distribution, without any significant gaps or clusters. We also tested current functional group schemes based on morphology and anatomy and showed that only 30% to 38% of their groups showed any significant pairwise differences in morphology. Our results challenge the basis of the current functional group approach in seaweed biology and suggest that a trait-based framework based on quantitative and continuous measures of seaweed form could provide a simpler and more accurate alternative to functionally assess seaweed ecology and physiology, as well as its implications for coastal ecosystem management.

Evolutionarily conserved core microbiota as an extended trait in nitrogen acquisition strategy of herbaceous species.

Microbiota have co-evolved with plants over millions of years and are intimately linked to plants, ranging from symbiosis to pathogenesis. However, our understanding of the existence of a shared core microbiota across phylogenetically diverse plants remains limited. A common garden field experiment was conducted to investigate the rhizosphere microbial communities of phylogenetically contrasting herbaceous families. Through a combination of metagenomic sequencing, analysis of plant economic traits, and soil biochemical properties, we aimed to elucidate the eco-evolutionary role of the core rhizosphere microbiota in light of plant economic strategies. We identified a conserved core microbiota consisting of 278 taxa that was closely associated with the phylogeny of the plants studied. This core microbiota actively participated in multiple nitrogen metabolic processes and showed a strong correlation with the functional potential of rhizosphere nitrogen cycling, thereby serving as an extended trait in the plant nitrogen acquisition. Furthermore, our examination of simulated species loss revealed the crucial role of the core microbiota in maintaining the rhizosphere community's network stability. Our study highlighted that the core microbiota, which exhibited a phylogenetically conserved association with plants, potentially represented an extension of the plant phenotype and played an important role in nitrogen acquisition. These findings held implications for the utilization of microbiota-mediated plant functions.

Lithium ore tailings harm the vegetative development, photosynthetic activity, and nutrition of tree species.

Lithium (Li) exploitation promotes socioeconomic advances but may result in harmful environmental impacts. Thus, species selection for recovering environments degraded by Li mining is essential. We investigated the tolerance and early growth of four tree species to Li ore tailings (LOT), Enterolobium contortisiliquum and Handroanthus impetiginosus with wide geographic distribution and Hymenaea courbaril and H. stigonocarpa with restricted geographic distribution. The plants grew in LOT and soil for 255 days to evaluate photosynthesis, growth, and mineral nutrition. LOT negatively affected species growth, reducing the length of stems, roots, and biomass through structural and nutritional impoverishment. LOT favored the accumulation of Mg and decreased the absorption of K. The species presented a reduction in potential quantum efficiency and the chlorophyll index (b and total). E. contortisiliquum was the least tolerant species to LOT, and H. courbaril and H. stigonocarpa maintained their mass production in LOT, indicating greater tolerance to tailings. Furthermore, H. courbaril presented a translocation factor > 1 for Li and Mn, indicating the potential for phytoextraction of these metals. Our results offer first-time insights into the impacts of LOT on the early development of tree species with different geographic distribution ranges. This study may help in the tree species selection with a phytoremediation role, aiming at the recovery of areas affected by Li's mining activity.

Soil microbial influences over coexistence potential in multispecies plant communities in a subtropical forest.

Soil microbes have long been recognized to substantially affect the coexistence of pairwise plant species across terrestrial ecosystems. However, projecting their impacts on the coexistence of multispecies plant systems remains a pressing challenge. To address this challenge, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with 540 seedlings of five tree species in a subtropical forest in China and evaluated microbial effects on multispecies coexistence using the structural method, which quantifies how the structure of species interactions influences the likelihood for multiple species to persist. Specifically, we grew seedlings alone or with competitors in different microbial contexts and fitted individual biomass to a population dynamic model to calculate intra- and interspecific interaction strength with and without soil microbes. We then used these interaction structures to calculate two metrics of multispecies coexistence, structural niche differences (which promote coexistence) and structural fitness differences (which drive exclusion), for all possible communities comprising two to five plant species. We found that soil microbes generally increased both the structural niche and fitness differences across all communities, with a much stronger effect on structural fitness differences. A further examination of functional traits between plant species pairs found that trait differences are stronger predictors of structural niche differences than of structural fitness differences, and that soil microbes have the potential to change trait-mediated plant interactions. Our findings underscore that soil microbes strongly influence the coexistence of multispecies plant systems, and also add to the experimental evidence that the influence is more on fitness differences rather than on niche differences.

Long-Term Straw Returning Enhances Phosphorus Uptake by Zea mays L. through Mediating Microbial Biomass Phosphorus Turnover and Root Functional Traits.

The intensive use of chemical fertilizers in China to maintain high crop yields has led to significant environmental degradation and destabilized crop production. Returning straw to soil presents a potential alternative to reduce chemical fertilizer requirements and enhance soil fertility. This study investigates the effects of different nitrogen (N) input levels and straw additions on crop phosphorus (P) uptake and soil P availability based on a long-term N-fertilizer trial. The treatments included no fertilizer input (CK), conventional (NPK), reduced NPK (0.75NPK), and straw-amended (SNPK) treatments. Results indicate that SNPK significantly enhances shoot P uptake and crop yields by 43.7-61.9% and 29.3-39.6%, respectively. The SNPK treatment improved rhizosphere P availability and increased the phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) by 1.72-fold compared to NPK alone. The enhanced soil P availability under SNPK was primarily attributed to an abundance of functional microbes, leading to higher P storage in the microbial biomass P pool and its turnover. Additionally, SNPK promoted root exudate and phosphate-mobilizing microbes, enhancing P mobilization and uptake. Nitrogen fertilization primarily influenced root functional traits related to P acquisition. These findings provide valuable insights for developing effective fertilizer management strategies in maize-oilseed rape rotation systems, emphasizing the benefits of integrating straw with chemical fertilizers.

Influence of Functional Traits of Dominant Species of Different Life Forms and Plant Communities on Ecological Stoichiometric Traits in Karst Landscapes.

Assessing the functional traits and ecological stoichiometric characteristics of dominant species across different life forms within plant communities in karst environments and investigating the inherent connection between them can provide insights into how species adjust their functional attributes in response to habitat heterogeneity. This approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem processes and functions in contrast to examination of the taxonomic diversity of species. This study examines the relationship between the functional characteristics of dominant species in plant communities of various life forms in karst environments, focusing on deciduous leaf-soil ecological stoichiometry. The investigation relies on community science surveys, as well as the determination and calculation of plant functional traits and ecological stoichiometries, in plant communities of various life forms in Guizhou (a province of China). The findings of our study revealed considerable variability in the functional trait characteristics of dominant species across different plant-community life forms. Specifically, strong positive correlations were observed among plant height (PLH), leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA) in the dominant species. Additionally, our results indicated no significant differences in leaf ecological stoichiometry among different life forms. However, we did observe significant differences and strong positive correlations between soil N:P, withered material C:N, and apomictic C:P. Furthermore, our study found that plant height (PLH), leaf area (LA), and specific leaf area (SLA) were particularly sensitive to the ecological stoichiometry of soil and apomixis. The results of our study suggest that the functional traits of diverse plant-community life forms in karst regions are capable of adapting to environmental changes through various expressions and survival strategies. The development of various plant-community life forms in karst areas is particularly vulnerable to phosphorus limitation, and the potential for litter decomposition and soil nutrient mineralization is comparatively weaker. The functional traits of various plant-community life forms in karst regions exhibit greater sensitivity to both the soil's C:N ratio and the C:N ratio of apomictic material. Habitat variations may influence the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of the plant leaf-apomictic soil continuum.

Leaf Functional Traits and Their Influencing Factors in Six Typical Vegetation Communities.

Leaf functional traits (LFTs) have become a popular topic in ecological research in recent years. Here, we measured eight LFTs, namely leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), and leaf potassium content (LKC), in six typical vegetation communities (sclerophyllous evergreen broad-leaved forests, temperate evergreen coniferous forests, cold-temperate evergreen coniferous forests, alpine deciduous broad-leaved shrubs, alpine meadows, and alpine scree sparse vegetation) in the Chayu River Basin, southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our aim was to explore their relationships with evolutionary history and environmental factors by combining the RLQ and the fourth-corner method, and the method of testing phylogenetic signal. The results showed that (i) there were significant differences in the eight LFTs among the six vegetation communities; (ii) the K values of the eight LFTs were less than 1; and (iii) except for LCC, all other LFTs were more sensitive to environmental changes. Among these traits, LA was the most affected by the environmental factors, followed by LNC. It showed that the LFTs in the study were minimally influenced by phylogenetic development but significantly by environmental changes. This study further verified the ecological adaptability of plants to changes in environmental factors and provides a scientific basis for predicting the distribution and diffusion direction of plants under global change conditions.

Functional traits of macrobenthos substantially indicated habitat change from the invasive saltmarsh to introduced mangrove.

Mangrove afforestation is usually thought to be beneficial to mitigate the degradation and loss of mangroves. In Southern China, planting mangroves with the introduced Sonneratia apetala is also supportive to remove the invasive Spartina alterniflora. However, the influence of mangrove afforestation dominated by introduced species on macrobenthos, a vital joint of energy flow and nutrient cycling in mangroves, remains unclear. We explored the linkage between the functional traits of macrobenthos and the physicochemical properties of sediments in a coastal continuum including the mudflat (MF), exotic Spartina alterniflora saltmarsh (SL), natural Avicennia marina forest (AM), and introduced S. apetala afforestation (SA) via a seasonal field survey. After removing the S. alterniflora invaded into mudflat via S. apetala afforestation, the sediment C/N ratio decreased compared to that of natural forest, while the concentrations of microphytobenthic chlorophyll-a increased. The macrobenthic inhabiting mode shifted from epifaunal to infaunal as well. The biomass and density of microbenthic community decreased along MF, SL, AM, and SA. SL had greater C/N ratio and smaller functional richness (FR) than MF. AM was characterized by similar functional diversities, and pH value and salinity of sediment to those of MF, and greater microphytobenthic chlorophyll-a was found in AM. Compared to AM, the introduced S. apetala substantially engineered the habitat due to its flourishing above-ground pneumatophore system which caused faster deposition process, subsequently changed the resource utilization strategies of macrobenthos considerably. Overall, the use of Sonneratia afforestation on Spartina removal could not replace the contribution of natural Avicennia forest with respect to the functional traits of macrobenthos. Careful consideration on ecosystem functionalities would be indispensable for conducting saltmarsh eradication and mangrove afforestation in the future.

Dark diversity of Odonata in Amazonian streams.

The biological diversity of a region may not be fully sampled due to the low abundance or rarity of species, or the absence of species determined by their niche specificity. Investigating these species is essential for understanding the unrealized ecological potential in different habitats, identifying gaps in local and regional communities, and gaining a better understanding of the impacts of environmental changes. Therefore, to expand knowledge about the diversity of Odonata in Eastern Amazonia considering the absent species, we tested the hypotheses that: 1) Environmental variables will influence dark diversity, with greater explanation by canopy cover where sites with lower canopy cover will have higher dark diversity values, and; 2) Functional traits associated with better species dispersal will be correlated with low dark diversity of Odonata, such as larger and wider wings for example. For this, adult Odonata specimens were sampled, while structural habitat characteristics and physical and chemical water variables were measured in 128 first- to third-order streams in the Eastern Amazon. Morphological and behavioral data were recorded for each specimen. Generalized linear models were applied to predict the effects of habitat structural characteristics and physical and chemical water variables on the dark diversity of Odonata. Additionally, we assessed which functional traits contribute most to the variation of dark diversity within these communities. Habitat structural features and physical and chemical water variables had no effect on dark diversity. Morphological traits, such as body conformation, with species having narrower wings, longer hind wings, narrower thoraxes, and shorter abdomens, comprised most of the dark diversity. The dispersal limitations of some Odonata species strongly suggest the role of space and time in nature planning and management.

Drivers of the taxonomic and functional structuring of aquatic and terrestrial floodplain bird communities.

Context: There has been a limited amount of research which comparatively examines the local and landscape scale ecological determinants of the community structure of both riparian and aquatic bird communities in floodplain ecosystems. Objectives: Here, we quantified the contribution of local habitat structure, land cover and spatial configuration of the sampling sites to the taxonomical and functional structuring of aquatic and terrestrial bird communities in a relatively intact floodplain of the river Danube, Hungary. Methods: We used the relative abundance of species and foraging guilds as response variables in partial redundancy analyses to determine the relative importance of each variable group. Results: Local-scale characteristics of the water bodies proved to be less influential than land cover and spatial variables both for aquatic and terrestrial birds and both for taxonomic and foraging guild structures. Purely spatial variables were important determinants, besides purely environmental and the shared proportion of variation explained by environmental and spatial variables. The predictability of community structuring generally increased towards the lowest land cover measurement scales (i.e., 500, 250 or 125 m radius buffers). Different land cover types contributed at each scale, and their importance depended on aquatic vs terrestrial communities. Conclusions: These results indicate the relatively strong response of floodplain bird communities to land cover and spatial configuration. They also suggest that dispersal dynamics and mass-effect mechanisms are critically important for understanding the structuring of floodplain bird communities, and should therefore be considered by conservation management strategies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01948-3.

Naturalized species drive functional trait shifts in plant communities.

Despite decades of research documenting the consequences of naturalized and invasive plant species on ecosystem functions, our understanding of the functional underpinnings of these changes remains rudimentary. This is partially due to ineffective scaling of trait differences between native and naturalized species to whole plant communities. Working with data from over 75,000 plots and over 5,500 species from across the United States, we show that changes in the functional composition of communities associated with increasing abundance of naturalized species mirror the differences in traits between native and naturalized plants. We find that communities with greater abundance of naturalized species are more resource acquisitive aboveground and belowground, shorter, more shallowly rooted, and increasingly aligned with an independent strategy for belowground resource acquisition via thin fine roots with high specific root length. We observe shifts toward herbaceous-dominated communities but shifts within both woody and herbaceous functional groups follow community-level patterns for most traits. Patterns are remarkably similar across desert, grassland, and forest ecosystems. Our results demonstrate that the establishment and spread of naturalized species, likely in combination with underlying environmental shifts, leads to predictable and consistent changes in community-level traits that can alter ecosystem functions.

Identification of novel genetic loci related to dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) morphometrics, biomechanics, and behavior by genome-wide association studies.

In the realm of animal breeding for sustainability, domestic camels have traditionally been valued for their milk and meat production. However, key aspects such as zoometrics, biomechanics, and behavior have often been overlooked in terms of their genetic foundations. Recognizing this gap, the present study perfomed genome-wide association analyses to identify genetic markers associated with zoometrics-, biomechanics-, and behavior-related traits in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). 16 and 108 genetic markers were significantly associated (q < 0.05) at genome and chromosome-wide levels of significance, respectively, with zoometrics- (width, length, and perimeter/girth), biomechanics- (acceleration, displacement, spatial position, and velocity), and behavior-related traits (general cognition, intelligence, and Intelligence Quotient (IQ)) in dromedaries. In most association loci, the nearest protein-coding genes are linkedto neurodevelopmental and sensory disorders. This suggests that genetic variations related to neural development and sensory perception play crucial roles in shaping a dromedary camel's physical characteristics and behavior. In summary, this research advances our understanding of the genomic basis of essential traits in dromedary camels. Identifying specific genetic markers associated with zoometrics, biomechanics, and behavior provides valuable insights into camel domestication. Moreover, the links between these traits and genes related to neurodevelopmental and sensory disorders highlight the broader implications of domestication and modern selection on the health and welfare of dromedary camels. This knowledge could guide future breeding strategies, fostering a more holistic approach to camel husbandry and ensuring the sustainability of these animals in diverse agricultural contexts.

Root and biomass allocation traits predict changes in plant species and communities over four decades of global change.

Global change is affecting the distribution and population dynamics of plant species across the planet, leading to trends such as shifts in distribution toward the poles and to higher elevations. Yet, we poorly understand why individual species respond differently to warming and other environmental changes, or how the trait composition of communities responds. Here we ask two questions regarding plant species and community changes over 42 years of global change in a temperate montane forest in Québec, Canada: (1) How did the trait composition, alpha diversity, and beta diversity of understory vascular plant communities change between 1970 and 2010, a period over which the region experienced 1.5°C of warming and changes in nitrogen deposition? (2) Can traits predict shifts in species elevation and abundance over this time period? For 46 understory vascular species, we locally measured six aboveground traits, and for 36 of those (not including shrubs), we also measured five belowground traits. Collectively, they capture leading dimensions of phenotypic variation that are associated with climatic and resource niches. At the community level, the trait composition of high-elevation plots shifted, primarily for two root traits: specific root length decreased and rooting depth increased. The mean trait values of high-elevation plots shifted over time toward values initially associated with low-elevation plots. These changes led to trait homogenization across elevations. The community-level shifts in traits mirrored the taxonomic shifts reported elsewhere for this site. At the species level, two of the three traits predicting changes in species elevation and abundance were belowground traits (low mycorrhizal fraction and shallow rooting). These findings highlight the importance of root traits, which, along with leaf mass fraction, were associated with shifts in distribution and abundance over four decades. Community-level trait changes were largely similar across the elevational and temporal gradients. In contrast, traits typically associated with lower elevations at the community level did not predict differences among species in their shift in abundance or distribution, indicating a decoupling between species- and community-level responses. Overall, changes were consistent with some influence of both climate warming and increased nitrogen availability.

Nitrogen enrichment enhances the negative top-down effect on plant functional traits.

Eutrophication resulting from anthropogenic activities has been recognized as a significant driver of changes in ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, it may exacerbate the top-down effect and thus exert an important impact on plant growth. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a 3-year manipulative field experiment to investigate the impacts of nitrogen addition and crab herbivory on the growth of Phragmites australis in the salt marsh of the Yellow River Delta. The results demonstrated that a 3-year nitrogen addition can significantly increase the total nitrogen and carbon content of P. australis leaves, thereby enhancing their nutritional value and palatability, as well as increasing the proportion of leaves consumed by crabs. Therefore, nitrogen addition together with crab herbivory had a significant negative effect on P. australis height, leaf length, and leaf breadth in the ambient crab and procedural crab cage treatment compared to the crab exclusion treatment. The structural equation modeling further substantiated these findings. The model revealed a direct and positive correlation between nitrogen addition and leaf nutrient content (path coefficient = 0.34). Additionally, it demonstrated a direct and positive relationship between leaf nutrient content and the proportion of leaves consumed by crabs (path coefficient = 0.22). Simultaneously, there was an observed negative correlation (path coefficient = - 0.37) between the proportion of leaves consumed by crabs and plant functional traits, represented by leaf length in the model, during 2018. Moreover, the crab exclusion treatment significantly reduced the proportion of leaves consumed by crabs and thus enhanced the P. australis individuals, leaf number, and biomass. Overall, crab herbivory had a significant detrimental top-down effect on the growth of P. australis, and nitrogen enrichment may exacerbate this top-down effect. The findings of our study highlight the combined adverse effects of nutrient enrichment and top-down on plant functional traits and plant growth. The findings of this study will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors influencing vegetation degradation in coastal wetland, thereby establishing a solid theoretical framework for the conservation and management of wetland ecosystems within the context of global environmental change.