Are endemics functionally distinct? Leaf traits of native and exotic woody species in a New Zealand forest

Recent studies have concluded that native and invasive species share a common set of trait relationships. However, native species in isolated regions might be functionally constrained by their unique evolutionary histories such that they follow different carbon capture strategies than introduced spe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-05, Vol.13 (5), p.e0196746-e0196746
Main Authors: Heberling, J Mason, Mason, Norman W H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Biogeography
Biological evolution
Biology and Life Sciences
Carbon sequestration
Divergence
Ecological effects
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Ecophysiology
Endemic species
Energy consumption
Forests
Indigenous species
Introduced species
Invasive species
Leaf area
Leaves
People and places
Photosynthesis
Return on investment
Temperate forests
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Summary:Recent studies have concluded that native and invasive species share a common set of trait relationships. However, native species in isolated regions might be functionally constrained by their unique evolutionary histories such that they follow different carbon capture strategies than introduced species. We compared leaf traits relating to resource investment, carbon return, and resource-use efficiency in 16 native (endemic) and three non-native (invasive) species in a temperate forest in Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand. Trait differences were more closely associated with leaf habit than nativity. Deciduous species (including invaders) exhibited greater maximum photosynthetic rates at similar resource costs, which resulted in greater nitrogen- and energy-use efficiencies than evergreen natives. Leaf area was the only trait that differed significantly by nativity (over two-fold larger in invaders). Invaders and deciduous natives both occupied the 'fast return' end of the leaf economics spectrum in contrast to the native evergreens which had comparatively slow return on investment. Dominant woody invaders in this forest are physiologically distinct from many New Zealand endemic species, which are overwhelmingly evergreen. It remains unclear whether these trait differences translate to an ecological divergence in plant strategy, but these results suggest that ecophysiological tradeoffs are likely constrained by biogeography.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0196746